NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: From ‘MMS’ to ‘aerobic oxygen’, why drinking bleach has become a dangerous wellness trend

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University

    Grossinger/Shutterstock

    If something online promises to cure everything, it’s probably too good to be true. One of the most dangerous examples? Chlorine dioxide is often marketed under names like “Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)” or “aerobic oxygen”, buzzwords that hint at health and vitality.

    But in reality, these products can make you violently ill within hours – and in some cases, they can be fatal.

    Despite what the name suggests, MMS is not just bleach. Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, whereas MMS contains sodium chlorite – a different but equally toxic chemical.

    When ingested, sodium chlorite can cause methemoglobinemia, a condition where red blood cells lose their ability to carry oxygen. It can also trigger haemolysis (the rupture of red blood cells), followed by kidney failure and death.

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

    When sodium chlorite mixes with acid (such as stomach acid), it converts into chlorine dioxide, a bleaching agent. This compound has strong antimicrobial properties: it can kill bacteria, fungi and even viruses like SARS-CoV-2. For that reason, it’s commonly used in sanitising dental equipment and hospital tools like endoscopes. Its effectiveness at killing over 400 bacterial species makes it useful in cleaning – but not in humans.

    While the mouth and oesophagus are lined with multiple cell layers, offering some protection, the stomach and intestines are far more vulnerable. These organs have a single-cell lining to absorb nutrients efficiently – but this also means they’re highly sensitive to damage.

    That’s why ingesting chlorine dioxide often leads to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea. In extreme cases, the chemical can burn through the gut lining, leading to bowel perforation – a medical emergency with a high risk of death.

    Using MMS as an enema is equally dangerous. Chlorine dioxide can trigger an overproduction of reactive oxygen species – unstable molecules that damage cells and contribute to chronic gut conditions. This cellular stress may explain both the immediate symptoms and the long-term injuries seen in reported cases.

    It doesn’t make a good mouthwash, either

    Some sellers claim MMS can be used safely in the mouth because it’s found in dental cleaners. But clinical trials show it’s no more effective than other mouthwashes, and its oxidising power doesn’t distinguish between harmful microbes and healthy cells.

    Yes, it may temporarily reduce bad breath, but it also disrupts protein synthesis, damages cell membranes, and harms the gut microbiome – the collection of helpful bacteria we rely on for digestion and immune health.

    Chlorine dioxide doesn’t just attack the gut. It also affects the cardiovascular system. Documented risks include low blood pressure, fainting, and cardiac damage – including stroke and shock.

    In some cases, it causes a dangerous blood disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This condition causes abnormal clotting, followed by severe bleeding and potential organ failure, stroke and death.

    Chlorine dioxide is also a respiratory irritant. Inhalation can inflame the nose, throat and lungs, and in severe cases, cause respiratory distress – particularly with repeated exposure in workplaces.

    Studies of factory workers show that even low doses can lead to nasal inflammation, coughing and breathing difficulties. And some patients who drank chlorine dioxide to “treat” COVID-19 ended up with severe chemical lung injuries.

    Risks to the brain, hormones and skin

    Animal studies suggest chlorine dioxide can harm the nervous system, causing developmental delays, reduced movement, and slower brain growth. It also appears to affect the thyroid, potentially causing hormonal disruptions and delayed puberty.

    It doesn’t stop there. Some people who consume chlorine dioxide also develop cerebral salt wasting syndrome, a condition where the kidneys lose too much sodium, leading to excessive urination, dehydration and dangerously low blood volume.

    Skin contact isn’t safe either. Chlorine dioxide can irritate the skin, and lab studies show it can kill skin cells at high concentrations. People who’ve used it to treat fungal infections have ended up with chemical dermatitis instead.

    Chlorine dioxide can be useful for disinfecting hospital tools, dental equipment and water supplies. But that doesn’t mean it belongs in your body. Many of its supposed “benefits” come from lab studies or animal research – not from safe, approved human trials.

    There’s no evidence that drinking it cures any disease. There’s overwhelming evidence that it can harm or kill you.

    So, if you’re tempted by a product that promises miracles with science-y language and zero regulation, take a step back. The risks are very real – and very dangerous.

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

    – ref. From ‘MMS’ to ‘aerobic oxygen’, why drinking bleach has become a dangerous wellness trend – https://theconversation.com/from-mms-to-aerobic-oxygen-why-drinking-bleach-has-become-a-dangerous-wellness-trend-260761

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A global treaty to limit plastic pollution is within reach – will countries seize the moment?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Winnie Courtene-Jones, Lecturer in Marine Pollution, Bangor University

    Bandung, Indonesia. Sony Herdiana/Shutterstock

    Representatives from 175 countries will gather in Geneva, Switzerland, in August for the final round of negotiations on a legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution. Non-governmental organisations, academics and industry lobbyists will also be in the room. They will all be hoping to influence what could be the world’s first truly global agreement on plastics.

    The summit, known as “INC-5.2”, follows a failed attempt to reach agreement in Busan, South Korea, late last year. That meeting ended without resolving important issues, despite hopes that it would conclude the treaty process. Now, it’s crunch time in Geneva.

    Either countries bridge their political divides, or risk the whole process falling apart.

    I’ve been researching the effects of plastic for more than a decade and have been involved in the UN treaty process since 2022. I’ve attended several of the negotiations and will be in Geneva next month. The science is clear: we need ambitious action which tackles every stage of the plastics lifecycle, from production through to disposal. But the question is, will countries deliver?

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

    In 2022, the UN Environment Assembly agreed to develop a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. Since then, progress has been slow. Negotiations have repeatedly stalled over issues such as whether the treaty should limit plastic production or regulate chemicals, how to define terms, and how to fund implementation.

    Industry lobbying has also played a powerful role throughout. At the last round of talks, lobbyists for the petrochemical and plastics industries made up the single largest delegation. They outnumbered representatives from the EU, all of Latin America, the Pacific islands, independent scientists and Indigenous communities. This imbalance threatens to weaken the science-based action that is urgently needed.

    Although countries failed to reach agreement in Busan, a foundation was laid. They agreed to continue negotiations using the “chair’s text”, which is a draft treaty with multiple options still on the table. That document forms the starting point in Geneva. But it remains uncertain whether enough common ground can be found to finalise the text.

    What’s at stake?

    This treaty is a once-in-a-generation chance to tackle one of the world’s most urgent environmental crises. More than 450 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year. That figure is expected to double by 2045 if current trends continue.

    Only around 9% of plastic is ever recycled. The rest is landfilled, incinerated or ends up polluting the environment.

    An estimated 139 million tonnes of plastics pollute marine and fresh water. But that could be significantly higher when considering leakages of plastics to land, and from microplastics, which are plastics smaller than 5mm in diameter.

    Plastic is found in the deepest oceans, the remotest mountains and inside the human body. While scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term implications for human health, biodiversity and climate, studies show harmful effects of plastics and their chemicals on animals and ecosystems.

    Plastic pollution doesn’t respect national borders. It moves through rivers, oceans and air, and gets carried across continents. Global supply chains and waste exports have made this a problem no country can solve alone. That’s why a global treaty is essential.

    Crossroads

    Despite this growing urgency, a disparity in positions has hindered progress and continues to divide delegations.

    Some, such as members of the High Ambition Coalition, a group of countries committed to progressive climate action, want strong rules to cap plastic production, phase out toxic chemicals and hold polluters accountable. Others, often with prominent petrochemical industries, argue for a weaker, voluntary approach focused mainly on recycling and waste management.



    Read more:
    A global plastic treaty will only work if it caps production, modelling shows

    If these divisions aren’t resolved, there’s a real risk the treaty will end up being too watered down to make a difference. A patchy, fragmented agreement would fail to curb rising plastic production and could undermine the integrity of global action.

    Between December’s meeting in Busan and next month’s talks, countries have been holding smaller meetings to try to find compromise. That momentum must now be carried into the final negotiations.

    Important articles in the draft treaty, including those on chemicals and products, plastic production and finance, remain contested. Whether those provisions are strengthened or diluted will shape the treaty’s effects for decades to come.

    Flexibility will be needed. But leadership is also crucial. Countries that support an ambitious outcome must stand firm and bring others with them.

    As we approach what may be the final negotiating round, we’re at a critical crossroads. The world has the chance to take meaningful action on plastic pollution. Let’s not waste it.

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

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

    Winnie Courtene-Jones is an unpaid member and working-group lead of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Treaty; an International network of independent scientific and technical experts contributing robust scientific evidence to the Treaty process.

    – ref. A global treaty to limit plastic pollution is within reach – will countries seize the moment? – https://theconversation.com/a-global-treaty-to-limit-plastic-pollution-is-within-reach-will-countries-seize-the-moment-261331

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: As Sri Lanka’s economy pivots from tourism, it’s well placed to benefit from global trade and geopolitical jostling – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hemamali Tennakoon, Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Management, Brunel University of London

    Dmytro Buianskyi/Shutterstock

    With its natural beauty, wildlife and culture, Sri Lanka is known as the “pearl of the Indian Ocean”, and attracts millions of tourists every year.

    But my research suggests that the country might not be so reliant on tourism in the future, as it looks to become a major player in global maritime trade. The island’s numerous harbours and enviable location along international sea routes have led to major investment from China and the US, as they seek to extend their strategic influence in the region.

    That investment is being welcomed after years of economic and political turmoil in Sri Lanka.

    The Easter bombings of 2019 targeted Catholic churches and hotels, killing 269 people and devastating tourism. The same year, significant tax cuts slashed government revenue before COVID did serious damage to the economy.

    In 2021, a ban on chemical fertilisers led to nationwide agricultural failure, while excessive borrowing and money printing triggered soaring inflation, which peaked at 70% in August 2022. The country ended up failing to pay its foreign debts.

    Following huge protests in 2022 and the resignation of the president, Sri Lanka began a major political and economic shift. It secured a bailout from the International Monetary Fund and implemented reforms aimed at stabilising the economy.

    So far, some of the effects have been positive. Inflation has eased, investor confidence has improved and more tea, clothing and rubber products are being exported up.

    Key to this has been improved logistics and port infrastructure. Business at the port of Colombo, the country’s largest, is booming, aided in part by global shipping disruptions, including the Red Sea crisis, which rerouted vessels through the Indian Ocean.

    But international maritime ambitions can be a complex affair, and Sri Lanka needs to be wary of becoming just a well-positioned commodity for the world’s economic superpowers.

    China for example, has secured a controversial 99-year lease of Hambantota port. India, wary of Chinese encroachment, has ramped up its own investments, including the development of a container terminal in Colombo.

    In 2023, the US announced a US$500 million (£372 million) plan to develop a deep-water shipping container terminal at the port of Colombo. And the potential US tariffs of 30% on imports from Sri Lanka have been interpreted by some as a pressure tactic to get greater access to its waters.

    Balancing these interests is a delicate act. While foreign investment is crucial for infrastructure development, Sri Lanka needs to protect its sovereignty and ensure that port operations serve national, not just international, interests.

    My research suggests that one way of building a resilient and diverse Sri Lankan economy would be to focus on its surrounding waters. Sri Lanka’s vast “exclusive economic zone”, an area of sea where it controls marine resources, holds massive untapped potential.

    Blue economy

    This potential lies in traditional sectors like fisheries and tourism, but also emerging industries such as marine biotechnology.

    This growing field offers opportunities in things like bioengineering and marine-based pharmaceuticals. With other countries rapidly advancing in these sectors, Sri Lanka is well-positioned to follow suit and become a regional leader in the blue economy (economic activities associated with the sustainable use of ocean resources).

    Business is booming in the port of Colombo.
    shutterlk/Shutterstock

    But there is still a complex web of geopolitical interests and economic pressures to navigate, as well as environmental challenges.

    At the moment for example, the Sri Lankan government is making plans for the deep natural port at Trincomalee to become a major marine repair and refuelling centre between Dubai and Singapore. Other proposed projects include offshore wind farms and oil rig facilities.

    The country also needs to compete with the likes of Malaysia, which is investing heavily in AI-driven port operations. To stay competitive, Sri Lanka must modernise infrastructure and streamline processes.

    And despite the progress, challenges persist. Poverty in Sri Lanka has doubled since 2021, while youth unemployment remains high.

    Sri Lanka faces rising maritime threats like piracy and illegal fishing, requiring stronger maritime surveillance. Simultaneously, port expansion risks damaging marine ecosystems. Green technologies and stricter environmental regulations are essential for long-term security and sustainability.

    Sri Lanka’s strategic location and maritime heritage offer a foundation for economic renewal. With wise governance, sustainability, and balanced geopolitics, its ports could once again become vital gateways to regional prosperity and global trade.

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

    – ref. As Sri Lanka’s economy pivots from tourism, it’s well placed to benefit from global trade and geopolitical jostling – new research – https://theconversation.com/as-sri-lankas-economy-pivots-from-tourism-its-well-placed-to-benefit-from-global-trade-and-geopolitical-jostling-new-research-261231

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A Philosopher Looks at Clothes by Kate Moran is engaging and unpretentious – we need more philosophy books like this

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sarah Richmond, Honorary Associate Professor of Philosophy, UCL

    With a few exceptions, philosophers have had little to say about clothes. Maybe this is because the topic seems frivolous, or feminine, unworthy of the attention of a predominantly male collection of thinkers.

    Perhaps, too, the transience of fashion, and the fact that clothes belong – quite literally – to the domain of mere appearance, also has something to do with it. In A Philosopher Looks at Clothes, an engaging and informative book, Kate Moran, philosophy professor at Brandeis University in the US, urges us to think again.

    As Moran points out, clothing looms large in life. Every day we dress, deciding how many layers to wear and whether we need a coat – or might a cardigan suffice? We gaze critically at other people’s choices (“OMG, those shoes!”). We wonder how to rise to the challenge of an imminent Eurovision-themed party.

    From a historical point of view, also, our species-specific recourse to clothes stretches back to the earliest human society. In mythical time, it begins with Adam’s and Eve’s discovery, in shame, that they were naked. If fashion is transient, clothes, per se, are not.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Clothes, Moran tells us, serve three basic purposes: protection, modesty and decoration. At once, these introduce questions of deep philosophical interest. Are the purposes equally important? Why, throughout human history, have we refused to settle merely for protection, desiring for example that a hat should be of some favoured colour or shape? To what extent do our decorative choices express our personal identity? Do clothes ever qualify as works of art? Why is modesty an abiding concern, given that we all know the contours of the unclothed body?

    In many contexts, and especially today, clothes invite ethical and political assessment. Clothes communicate a great deal of information about us, including our social position and the causes we espouse.



    Read more:
    A brief history of the slogan T-shirt

    We may knowingly exploit this, choosing to flaunt an obviously expensive garment or to wear our football team’s scarf. In other cases the meanings are imposed. The uniforms forced on prisoners, for example, emphasise subordination and erase their individuality.

    Poignantly, research into textile history has uncovered a streak of resistance in even the most ill-treated captives. In concentration camps during the second world war some prisoners altered their uniforms, or mended them, or added pockets. As Moran remarks, these actions were not just practical; their aim, too, was to “recover some sense of identity and dignity”.

    Portrait of Friedrich Nietzsche by Edvard Munch (1906).
    Thiel Gallery, Stockholm

    In the brilliantly conceived series by Cambridge University Press to which this title belongs, each author discusses some general topic from a perspective that is philosophically informed and at the same time personal.

    We need more books like these, to counteract the entrenched pretence of disinterestedness in philosophy. (Nietzsche, exceptionally, saw through it, denouncing philosophers as “advocates who do not want to be seen as such … sly spokesmen for prejudices that they christen as ‘truths’”.)

    Knowledge of the significance, in an author’s life, of her subject-matter enriches the reader’s imaginative experience of a book. Describing herself as an “ardent hobbyist” who sews her own clothes, Moran provides an additional facet to her account of today’s fashion industry and its scandalous environmental costs.

    The reader knows that Moran herself has found an alternative. This lends a certain authority to her judgement that, however futile it may seem for any one person to step off the fast-fashion bus: “There is an important moral difference between being inefficacious and being innocent.”

    Moran shows how many areas of philosophy can illuminate the phenomenon of clothes: not only ethics and political thought, but also aesthetics, theories of communication, of personal identity, of gender and cultural appropriation.

    For readers unfamiliar with academic philosophy, these forays offer a path into a rich conceptual landscape. Along the way, we are offered a multitude of riveting facts. Who would have guessed that pink has not always been for girls, and blue for boys? And there are pictures, too. My highlight was the “revenge dress” that Princess Diana wore to a gala dinner in the midst of hostilities with Charles, in a successful bid to divert press attention from his appearance on TV.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

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

    – ref. A Philosopher Looks at Clothes by Kate Moran is engaging and unpretentious – we need more philosophy books like this – https://theconversation.com/a-philosopher-looks-at-clothes-by-kate-moran-is-engaging-and-unpretentious-we-need-more-philosophy-books-like-this-260473

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Farewell to summer? ‘Haze’ and ‘trash’ among Earth’s new seasons as climate change and pollution play havoc

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Felicia Liu, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sustainability, University of York

    Throughout history, people have viewed seasons as relatively stable, recurrent blocks of time that neatly align farming, cultural celebrations and routines with nature’s cycles. But the seasons as we know them are changing. Human activity is rapidly transforming the Earth, and once reliable seasonal patterns are becoming unfamiliar.

    In our recent study, we argue that new seasons are surfacing. These emergent seasons are entirely novel and anthropogenic (in other words, made by humans).

    Examples include “haze seasons” in the northern and equatorial nations of south-east Asia, when the sky is filled with smoke for several weeks. This is caused by widespread burning of vegetation to clear forests and make way for agriculture during particularly dry times of year.

    Or there is the annual “trash season”, during which tidal patterns bring plastic to the shores of Bali, Indonesia, between November and March.

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

    At the same time, some seasons are disappearing altogether, with profound consequences for ecosystems and cultures. These extinct seasons can encompass drastically altered or terminated migratory animal behaviour, such as the decline of seabird breeding seasons in northern England.

    Climate change is also calling time on traditional winter sport seasons by making snow scarcer in alpine regions.

    Nature’s new rhythms

    Perhaps more common are “syncopated seasons”. The changes are akin to new emphases on beats or off-beats in familiar music that capture the listener’s attention.

    Syncopated seasons include hotter summers and milder winters in temperate climates, with increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather that exposes more people and ecosystems to stress.

    The timings of key seasonal events, like when leaves fall or certain migratory species arrive, are becoming more unpredictable. We coined the term “arrhythmic seasons”, a concept borrowed from cardiology, to refer to abnormal rhythms which include earlier springs or breeding seasons, longer summers or growing seasons, and shorter winters or hibernating seasons.

    Changing seasonal patterns throw the interdependent life cycles of plants and animals out of sync with each other, and disrupt the communities that are economically, socially and culturally dependent on them.

    In northern Thailand, human activity has reshaped nature’s rhythms and affected the supply of water and food in turn. Communities along the Mekong river’s tributaries have relied on the seasonal flow of rivers to fish and farm for generations.

    At first, upstream dams disrupted these cycles by blocking fish migration and preventing the accumulation of sediment that farms need for soil. More recently, climate change has shifted rainfall patterns and made dry seasons longer and rainy seasons shorter but more intense, bringing fires and further uncertainty to farmers.

    Let’s rethink time

    How we react to changing seasonal patterns can either worsen or improve environmental conditions. In south-east Asia, public awareness of the “haze season” has led to better forecasting, the installation of air filters in homes and the establishment of public health initiatives.

    These efforts help communities adapt. But if society only uses adaptive fixes like these, it can make the haze worse over time by failing to tackle its root causes. By recognising this new season, societies might normalise the recurrence of haze and isolate anyone who demands the government and businesses deal with deforestation and burning.

    Powerful institutions like these shape narratives about seasonal crises to minimise their responsibility and shift blame elsewhere. Understanding these dynamics is crucial to fostering accountability and ensuring fair responses.

    The shifting seasons require us to rethink our relationship with time and the environment. Today, most of us think about time in terms of days, hours and minutes, which is a globalised standard used everywhere from smartphones to train timetables. But this way of keeping time forgets older and more local ways of understanding time – those that are shaped by natural rhythms, such as the arrival of the rainy season, or solar and lunar cycles, rooted in the lives and cultures of different communities.

    Diverse perspectives, especially those from Indigenous knowledge systems, can enhance our ability to respond to environmental changes. Integrating alternative time-keeping methods into mainstream practices could foster fairer and more effective solutions to environmental problems.

    Seasons are more than just divisions of time – they connect us with nature. Finding synchrony with changing seasonal rhythms is essential for building a sustainable future.

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

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

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

    – ref. Farewell to summer? ‘Haze’ and ‘trash’ among Earth’s new seasons as climate change and pollution play havoc – https://theconversation.com/farewell-to-summer-haze-and-trash-among-earths-new-seasons-as-climate-change-and-pollution-play-havoc-260765

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Popular Tunisian island’s cultural heritage at risk due to tourism, neglect and climate change

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Majdi Faleh, Academic Fellow & Lecturer in Architecture and Cultural Heritage, Nottingham Trent University

    The Sidi Yati mosque in Djerba, which dates back to the 10th century, has been damaged by coastal erosion. Mehdi Elouati, CC BY-NC-ND

    Nestled in the southern Mediterranean, off the south-east coast of Tunisia, lies the island of Djerba. With a rich cultural and religious history, it has been a crossroad of many civilisations, including the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs, and is home to many unique architectural sites. These include the Sedouikech underground mosque, St Joseph’s Church and the El Ghriba Synagogue.

    But, for many years, Djerba’s cultural heritage has been in danger. This is due to a combination of over-tourism, environmental change and human neglect.

    An underground mosque on the island of Djerba.
    Mariana Delca / Shutterstock

    By the 1990s to early 2000s, when Djerba was at the height of its popularity, the island was attracting between 1 million and 1.5 million visitors each year. It is one of Tunisia’s most popular tourist areas, with more hotels than any other destination in the country.

    Tourism has resulted in excessive tourist traffic in Djerba, particularly during the summer. It has also contributed to other problems such as water stress and waste generation. According to figures from 2020, hotels alone generate between 35% and 40% of all the waste on the island.

    But the development of tourism has, above all, altered Djerba’s cultural landscape. In some areas of the island, Djerba’s traditional housing – houmas, menzels and houchs – have given way to more modern tourist infrastructure.

    This has accelerated since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, when long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted. Weak institutional oversight has led to vandalism, illegal construction on archaeological sites and unauthorised demolitions.

    The development of tourism on Djerba has also eroded traditional ways of life. The island has experienced significant changes due to tourism, with the development of roads, ferries, an airport and the internet leading to a decline in traditional activity. Livelihoods like agriculture, fishing and artisanal crafts have declined and are often now showcased only in tourist areas.

    Life on Djerba has changed since it was opened up for tourism.
    BTWImages / Shutterstock

    Climate change has worsened Djerba’s problems. Rainfall patterns have changed across the island over recent decades, with models suggesting that annual precipitation rates could drop 20% by the end of the century. More frequent and prolonged droughts are expected.

    At the same time, rising sea levels and increasingly common storm surges are affecting the island. Research from 2022 found that 14% of Djerba’s beaches are now highly vulnerable to submersion and coastal erosion.

    Several historical monuments on Djerba have already experienced periodic flooding and saltwater intrusion. The ruins of Sidi Garous and the shrine of Sidi Bakour are now entirely underwater and have been replaced by memorials.

    Other archaeological sites located near the coast like Haribus, Meninx, Ghizene and Edzira, some of which date back to the Roman era (eighth century BC to fifth century AD), are now partially or fully submerged. Studies by Tunisia’s National Institute of Heritage suggest that many of these sites have been lost permanently to the encroaching sea.

    World heritage site

    Significant portions of Djerba’s cultural heritage have already been erased by sea-level rise and coastal erosion. Future losses could be even more severe. The island’s cultural heritage will only grow more precarious without meaningful preservation and climate adaptation efforts.

    However, many of Djerba’s monuments, historical buildings and traditional dwellings have suffered from years of neglect. A chronic lack of local and international funding, as well as weak institutional frameworks for heritage management, mean some of the island’s historic structures have been abandoned. Many other buildings have deteriorated due to a lack of protective measures and maintenance.

    Community organisations such as the Association for the Safeguarding of the Island of Djerba have tried to step in to fill the void left by weak institutional frameworks. Their work ranges from delivering public awareness campaigns to local young people to efforts like re-purposing ancient rainwater tanks to manage periods of drought.

    But these grassroots efforts alone are not enough to stop Djerba’s cultural heritage from deteriorating at its current pace.

    The ruins of a Housh, a traditional dwelling, on the island of Djerba.
    Ahmed Bedoui, CC BY-NC-ND

    In September 2023, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) announced that it was adding Djerba to its list of world heritage sites. Tunisia’s culture ministry welcomed the decision. It followed years of efforts by local groups and government officials to add Djerba to the list.

    Djerba’s inclusion offers hope for the long-term preservation of the island’s heritage. A world heritage site designation increases global recognition and enables improved access to sources of funding.

    And since Djerba’s classification, there has been some progress. The culture ministry has established a task force to monitor the construction of buildings and other infrastructure, collect data on designated protected areas, and prepare projects to preserve heritage sites.

    But Djerba’s cultural heritage remains in danger. Improved preservation of these sites will require continuous funding and stringent regulation of tourism and construction activities.

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

    – ref. Popular Tunisian island’s cultural heritage at risk due to tourism, neglect and climate change – https://theconversation.com/popular-tunisian-islands-cultural-heritage-at-risk-due-to-tourism-neglect-and-climate-change-223612

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Navy Recovery Ramps Up Services to Handle Increased Claims for Unclaimed Property in Georgia

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Irvine, CA, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Navy Recovery, a professional unclaimed property recovery firm, announced today the expansion of its service operations in Georgia to manage a growing volume of state-held asset claims. This move reflects growing demand for unclaimed property recovery in Georgia—delivering trusted, no-upfront-cost recovery assistance for individuals and families.

    Blue Navy Recovery expands service operations to address growing unclaimed property recovery needs in Georgia.

    With experience navigating Georgia’s complex claims process, Blue Navy Recovery offers full-service handling—from eligibility checks and paperwork to agency communication and verification. Clients don’t need to interact with government agencies or decipher procedural forms; the firm takes on the entire burden. This expansion comes as Blue Navy continues to see success through a growing number of client-reported outcomes on Google, demonstrating how its personalized service model helps claimants navigate the system efficiently.

    “We’ve seen a spike in demand across Georgia, and this expansion is about meeting that need with speed and integrity,” said David Dorfman, Managing Partner at Blue Navy Recovery. “Every successful recovery tells a story—and we’re here to make sure more Georgians are part of that success.”

    This announcement comes alongside a similar announcement that the company is increasing services across the Unclaimed Property in California service as well.

    The firm’s model is performance-based, meaning clients owe nothing unless their claim is successfully paid. Each case is personally managed by trained recovery specialists—not automated systems—ensuring accuracy and personal support. Client experiences shared on platforms such as Google and Yelp reinforce the impact Blue Navy is making across the Southeast. The company recently celebrated their 200th successful unclaimed property recovery case alongside their 40th 5-star review, a story that was picked up by media outlets like Yahoo! Finance, Business Insider, and Globe Newswire.

    Blue Navy’s personalized guidance and support materials make it easy for residents to determine eligibility and understand the Georgia claims process. Clients can explore the process, read relevant user studies, and get started at the official website.

    Logo of Blue Navy Recovery, a trusted leader supporting unclaimed property claims across Georgia.

    About Blue Navy Recovery

    Blue Navy Recovery is a professional unclaimed property recovery firm that helps individuals and families recover lost or forgotten funds held by the state. With deep experience navigating the claims process in California and Georgia, we’ve helped return millions of dollars to rightful owners. We handle the paperwork, follow-ups, and filing — so you don’t have to. Our team only collects a percentage of the recovered amount, with no upfront cost. 

    Press inquiries

    Blue Navy Recovery
    https://www.bluenavy.org
    David Dorfman
    david@bluenavy.org
    (619) 215-1972

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Peace is a choice’: UN chief urges diplomacy as wars spread from Gaza to Ukraine

    Source: United Nations 2

    This is the only sustainable path to global security, he told ministers at a high-level open debate of the Security Council on Tuesday.

    The Secretary-General emphasised that the UN Charter’s tools – negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and more – remain a lifeline when tensions escalate, grievances fester and states lose trust in each other.

    These tools are needed now more than ever, he stressed, as conflicts rage and international law is violated with impunity.

    “The cost is staggering – measured in human lives, shattered communities and lost futures. We need look no further than the horror show in Gaza – with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times.”

    The risk of starvation looms and aid operations are being denied the space and safety to function. UN premises, such as the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the World Health Organization (WHO)’s main warehouse, have been hit despite parties being notified of their locations.

    “These premises are inviolable and must be protected under international humanitarian law – without exception,” Mr. Guterres reiterated.

    Peace is a choice – make it

    From Gaza to Ukraine, from the Sahel to Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar, “conflict is raging, international law is being trampled, and hunger and displacement are at record levels,” he continued, adding that terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime also remain “persistent scourges” pushing security further out of reach.

    “Peace is a choice. And the world expects the Security Council to help countries make this choice.”

    Mr. Guterres pointed to the UN Charter’s bedrock obligation in Article 2.3 that “all Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means”, and to Chapter VI, which empowers the Security Council to support “negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice.”

    Action 16 of last year’s Pact for the Future urges states to recommit to preventive diplomacy, he said, commending Pakistan – the Council President for July – for tabling a resolution encouraging fuller use of those tools, which was adopted unanimously at the meeting.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the Security Council high-level open debate.

    P5 must overcome divisions

    Security Council members – “in particular its permanent members” – must overcome divisions, the Secretary-General said, reminding them that even during the Cold War, Council dialogue underpinned peacekeeping missions and humanitarian access, and helped prevent a third world war.

    He urged members to keep channels open, build consensus and make the body “more representative” of today’s geopolitical realities with more inclusive, transparent and accountable working methods.

    Mr. Guterres also urged deeper cooperation with regional and subregional organizations.

    Mediation can work even amid war, he said, noting the third anniversary of the Black Sea Initiative and a related memorandum with Russia that enabled grain movements during the conflict in Ukraine.

    Renew commitment to multilateralism

    States must honour their obligations under the Charter; international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, Mr. Guterres said.

    “As we mark the 80th anniversary of our Organization and the Charter that gave it life and shape, we need to renew our commitment to the multilateral spirit of peace through diplomacy,” he said.

    “I look forward to working with you to achieve the international peace and security the people of the world need and deserve.”

    Security Council open debate

    A signature event of the Pakistani presidency, Tuesday’s open debate was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

    The session aimed to assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for pacific dispute settlement, examine best practices and explore new strategies for tackling protracted conflicts.

    It also sought to enhance cooperation with regional organizations, boost capacity-building and resource mobilisation, and align future efforts with the conflict-prevention vision outlined in the Pact for the Future.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deep dive into the International Seabed Authority: Why it matters now

    Source: United Nations 2

    At a time when the international community seeks to regulate the rich tapestry of the planet’s ocean floors while countries and corporations speed towards deep-sea mining opportunities, here’s what you need to know about ISA and why it matters now:

    What does it do?

    ISA manages the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, which covers 54 per cent of the world’s oceans, for “the shared benefit of all humankind”.

    Created by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1994, ISA is aims to ensure that all economic activities in the deep seabed, including mining, are regulated and responsibly managed.

    Mandated to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities, its work also contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Seabeds contain rich fauna and an array of rare earth minerals.

    Why it matters now?

    As the world’s only international body that focuses on the deep-sea area beyond national borders, ISA aims to address pressing concerns, from plastic waste littering oceans to the race to secure rare earth minerals to quench the world’s insatiable thirst for lithium batteries and a range of tech items.

    What kind of rare earth minerals are on the ocean floor? Copper, cobalt, gold, lanthanum, neodymium, nickel, silver, yttrium and zinc to name a few.

    Right now, countries can pursue deep-sea mining within their own territorial waters or “exclusive economic zones”. But, under international law, the deep seabed belongs to no single country or corporation, ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho wrote in a recent op-ed.

    “It is our common heritage,” she said.

    An active volcano on the ocean floor.

    What’s the draft mining code?

    Right now, nations are looking for ever more sources of rare earth minerals to meet demand for renewable energy technologies and such items as mobile phones and computers. The deep-sea contains a plethora of supplies. That’s where the draft mining code comes in.

    During its 30th session, ISA members are working on a draft code that would protect the marine environment and build a foundation for ensuring that any activities in the deep-sea area are conducted responsibly and in line with environmental sustainability principles as well as benefitting all of humanity.

    A food container seen resting at 4,947m on the slopes of an underwater canyon near the North Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

    Tackling the ‘missing plastics paradox’

    Plastic pollution is another part of the problem. To address this and other pressing issues, ISA members adopted a global research agenda in July 2020, serving as an action plan for marine scientific research with six strategic priorities that include advancing knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems, promoting data sharing and providing insights into the scientific landscape of plastics in the deep-sea.

    This latter growing global challenge has potential consequences for the sustainable use of oceans. In 2019, the plastics industry produced over 450 million tonnes of plastic, a figure expected to rise in the coming decades and is likely to increase pressure on marine environments and species. Yet, a portion of plastics entering the oceans remains unaccounted for, a phenomenon known as the “missing plastics paradox”.

    Some researchers suggest that the deep sea may act as a sink for plastic debris, where their prolonged persistence could pose risks to these environments.

    Acorn worms were one of the many types of fauna observed in the deep-sea around the North Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

    The world’s new deep-sea biobank

    ISA has also just begun filling its new biobank, launched in June on the margins of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The Deep-Sea Biobank Initiative (DBI) aims to enhance access to deep-sea biological samples and genetic data collected from the international seabed area.

    Designed to promote deep-sea research and inclusive scientific collaboration, particularly for developing States, the initiative will establish a global repository of biological samples and develop standard operating procedures to enhance data quality, sharing and use by stakeholders.

    “The DBI is ISA’s response to a growing need to advance research, share data, build capacity and facilitate access to deep-sea knowledge, particularly for developing States,” said the authority’s chief Carvalho. “We aim to create standardised and equitable pathways for scientific collaboration, empowering countries and institutions to explore, understand and protect the ocean’s most remote ecosystems.”

    The International Seabed Authority has emerged as a central institution of global ocean architecture, charting a course towards responsible and sustainable use.

    ‘DeepData’ diving

    The wealth of data and information ISA has collected has been critical to shaping environmental management plans. Every data byte collected through deep-sea exploration adds critical new information about life in the ocean and assists with decision making.

    In launching the DeepData database in 2019, ISA made publicly available for the first time the biggest and most complete global repository of environmental data and information on the deep-sea area.

    Exactly how much data has been collected? As of May 2023, DeepData contained over 10 terabytes, roughly equivalent to 6.9 million Instagram uploads. Widely used around the world, it had about 2.4 million hits from visitors in 2022 alone and more than 160 citations in scientific publications.

    Learn more about ISA here.

    • The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has 170 members
    • ISA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established by the UN
    • Members meet annually to address pressing issues
    • The 30th session concludes with the ISA assembly meeting from 21 to 25 July in Kingston, Jamaica

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charleroi Staffing Agency Owner Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay More Than $3.6 Million in Restitution for Harboring Illegal Aliens and Failing to Pay Employment Taxes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $3,630,479.13 on his convictions of failing to pay employment taxes and harboring individuals who were not legally authorized to be in the United States, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Andy Ha, 28. Ha pleaded guilty to the charges in February of 2025 (read the plea news release here).

    According to information presented to the Court, Ha was the president and owner of the Charleroi staffing agency Prosperity Services, Inc., where Ha employed individuals who were not legally authorized to be in the United States, and paid for such workers to stay in a former hotel. Ha signed false employment tax returns on behalf of the agency, in which Ha reported less than 10% of Prosperity’s employees. Ha and Prosperity failed to pay taxes on the other unreported employees, resulting in a tax loss of at least $3.1 million over the course of a year.

    Assistant United States Attorney William Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ha.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Defence, diaspora and digital: PM Modi’s UK trip to reinforce bilateral agenda

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-nation visit from July 23 to 26, starting with the United Kingdom at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This will be his fourth official visit to the UK, reaffirming the growing depth and breadth of India-UK ties, particularly in defence, innovation, healthcare, education, and diaspora engagement.

    Defence cooperation between the two countries spans joint exercises, technological collaboration, and knowledge exchange. The Indian and British armed forces regularly participate in bilateral and multilateral drills. In 2023, the Indian Navy joined Exercise Konkan in the Arabian Sea, while the Indian Air Force took part in Exercise Cobra Warrior at Royal Air Force Waddington. The Indian Army participated in the seventh edition of Exercise Ajeya Warrior held in Salisbury, UK. A major multinational air exercise, Exercise Tarang Shakti, is scheduled for August 2024. These engagements reflect a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing operational synergy and promoting indigenous defence production under India’s Make in India initiative.

    In the area of science and technology, India and the UK have established themselves as close partners, with joint research programmes amounting to $387–516 million (approx. £300–400 million). The India-UK Science and Innovation Council, which convenes biennially, provides the framework for cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, pandemic preparedness, and quantum science. During the April 2023 SIC meeting in the UK, an MoU was signed for expanded collaboration, including the creation of a new India-UK Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre focused on industrial decarbonisation. India was also named a partner country in the UK’s International Science Partnership Fund, building upon the Newton-Bhabha Fund legacy.

    Healthcare cooperation saw a pivotal moment during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with the joint development of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the UK and the Serum Institute of India. In July 2022, both nations signed the India-UK Framework Agreement for collaboration on healthcare workforce, aiming to streamline the recruitment and training of healthcare professionals. As per UK government data from June 2023, 60,533 Indian nationals are working in the National Health Service (NHS), the second-highest after British citizens. Among doctors in the NHS, 18 percent are of Asian origin, including 10,865 Indians. There are 31,992 Indian nurses and 11,499 clinical support staff, reflecting India’s critical contribution to the UK’s healthcare system.

    Education continues to be a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. The number of Indian students enrolling in UK universities has consistently risen since 2015-16, with an estimated 170,000 currently studying in the country. A landmark development under India’s New Education Policy: the University of Southampton’s Gurugram campus was recently inaugurated, becoming the first fully operational foreign university campus in India under UGC regulations. Further boosting collaboration, both nations signed a mutual recognition of academic qualifications MoU in July 2022.

    Mobility and migration are being actively facilitated under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement signed in May 2021. The Young Professional Scheme, announced in November 2022 by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Bali Summit, enables 3,000 young graduates between 18 and 30 years of age to live and work in each other’s countries for up to two years.

    The Indian diaspora in the UK remains a cornerstone of bilateral relations. According to the 2021 Census, 1.864 million people of Indian origin reside in the UK, forming 2.6 percent of its population. Of these, 369,000 hold Indian passports. The diaspora has made significant contributions across academia, medicine, science, arts, business, and politics. A report by Grant Thornton and FICCI in 2022 identified over 65,000 Indian diaspora-owned businesses in the UK. Among them, 654 companies with annual revenues exceeding $129,000 (approx. £100,000) together generated $47.5 billion (approx. £36.84 billion) in revenue, paid over $1.29 billion (approx. £1 billion) in corporate taxes, invested more than $2.58 billion (approx. £2 billion) in capital expenditure, and supported over 174,000 jobs.

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Supercharging Clean Energy Will Repair Humankind’s Relationship with Climate, Fuel Economic Growth, Secretary-General Says, Noting $2 Trillion Invested in 2024

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ address on climate action “A Moment of Opportunity:  Supercharging the Clean Energy Age”, in New York today:

    The headlines are dominated by a world in trouble.  By conflict and climate chaos.  By rising human suffering.  By growing geopolitical divides.  But amidst the turmoil, another story is being written.  And its implications will be profound.

    Throughout history, energy has shaped the destiny of humankind — from mastering fire to harnessing steam to splitting the atom.  Now, we are on the cusp of a new era.  Fossil fuels are running out of road.  The sun is rising on a clean energy age.

    Just follow the money.  Two trillion dollars went into clean energy last year — that’s $800 billion more than fossil fuels and up almost 70 per cent in 10 years.  And new data released today from the International Renewable Energy Agency shows that solar — not so long ago four times the cost of fossil fuels — is now 41 per cent cheaper.  Offshore wind — 53 per cent. And over 90 per cent of new renewables worldwide produced electricity for less than the cheapest new fossil fuel alternative.

    This is not just a shift in power.  This is a shift in possibility.  Yes, in repairing our relationship with the climate.  Already, the carbon emissions saved by solar and wind globally are almost equivalent to what the whole European Union produces in a year.

    But this transformation is fundamentally about energy security and people’s security.  It’s about smart economics.  Decent jobs, public health, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.  And delivering clean and affordable energy to everyone, everywhere.

    Today, we are releasing a special report with the support of UN agencies and partners — the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Renewable Energy Agency, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.

    The report shows how far we have come in the decade since the Paris Agreement sparked a clean energy revolution.  And it highlights the vast benefits — and actions needed — to accelerate a just transition globally.

    Renewables already nearly match fossil fuels in global installed power capacity.  And that’s just the beginning.  Last year, almost all the new power capacity built came from renewables.  And every continent on Earth added more renewables capacity than fossil fuels.  The clean energy future is no longer a promise.  It’s a fact.  No government.  No industry. No special interest can stop it.

    Of course, the fossil fuel lobby of some fossil fuel companies will try — and we know the lengths to which they will go. But I have never been more confident that they will fail — because we have passed the point of no return.

    For three powerful reasons.  First, market economics.  For decades, emissions and economic growth rose together.  No more.  In many advanced economies, emissions have peaked, but growth continues.

    In 2023 alone, clean energy sectors drove 10 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) growth.  In India, 5 per cent.  The United States, 6 per cent.  China — a leader in the energy transition — 20 per cent.  And in the European Union, nearly 33 per cent.  And clean energy sector jobs now outnumber fossil fuel jobs — employing almost 35 million people worldwide.

    Even Texas — the heart of the American fossil fuel industry — now leads the United States in renewables.  Why?  Because it makes economic sense.

    And yet fossil fuels still enjoy a 9-to-1 advantage in consumption subsidies globally — a clear market distortion.  Add to that the unaccounted costs of climate damages on people and planet — and the distortion is even greater.

    Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies — they are sabotaging them.  Driving up costs.  Undermining competitiveness.  Locking in stranded assets.  And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the twenty-first century.

    Second — renewables are here to stay because they are the foundation of energy security and sovereignty. Let’s be clear:  The greatest threat to energy security today is in fossil fuels.  They leave economies and people at the mercy of price shocks, supply disruptions and geopolitical turmoil.  Just look at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  A war in Europe led to a global energy crisis.  Oil and gas prices soared.  Electricity and food bills followed.  In 2022 average households around the world saw energy costs jump 20 per cent.

    Modern and competitive economies need stable, affordable energy. Renewables offer both.  There are no price spikes for sunlight.  No embargoes on wind.  Renewables can put power — literally and figuratively — in the hands of people and governments.  And almost every nation has enough sun, wind, or water to become energy self-sufficient.  Renewables mean real energy security.  Real energy sovereignty.  And real freedom from fossil-fuel volatility.

    The third and final reason why there is no going back on renewables: Easy access.  You can’t build a coal plant in someone’s backyard.  But you can deliver solar panels to the most remote village on Earth.  Solar and wind can be deployed faster, cheaper and more flexibly than fossil fuels ever could.  And while nuclear will be part of the global energy mix, it can never fill the access gaps.

    All of this is a game changer for the hundreds of millions of people still living without electricity — most of them in Africa, a continent bursting with renewable potential. By 2040, Africa could generate 10 times more electricity than it needs — entirely from renewables.

    We are already seeing small-scale and off-grid renewable technologies lighting homes, and powering schools and businesses in remote areas.  And in places like Pakistan for example, people power is fuelling a solar surge — consumers are driving the clean energy boom.

    The energy transition is unstoppable.  But the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough.  OECD countries and China account for 80 per cent of renewable power capacity installed worldwide.  Brazil and India make up nearly 10 per cent.  Africa — just 1.5 per cent.

    Meanwhile, the climate crisis is laying waste to lives and livelihoods.  Climate disasters in small island States have wiped out over 100 per cent of GDP.  In the United States, they are pushing insurance premiums through the roof.

    And the 1.5-degree limit is in unprecedented peril.  To keep it within reach, we must drastically speed up the reduction of emissions — and the reach of the clean energy transition.  With manufacturing capacity racing, prices plummeting, and COP30 [Thirtieth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] fast approaching…  This is our moment of opportunity.  We must seize it.  We can do so by taking action in six opportunity areas.

    First — by using new national climate plans to go all-out on the energy transition.  Too often, governments send mixed messages:  Bold renewable targets on one day.  New fossil fuel subsidies and expansions the next.

    The next national climate plans, or NDCs, are due in a matter of months.  They must bring clarity and certainty.  Group of Twenty (G20) countries must lead. They produce 80 per cent of global emissions.  The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must apply but every country must do more.  Ahead of COP30 in Brazil this November, they must submit new plans.

    I invite leaders to present their new NDCs at an event I will host in September, during General Assembly High-level week.   These must: cover all emissions, across the entire economy; align with the 1.5-degree limit; integrate energy, climate and sustainable development priorities into one coherent vision; and deliver on global promises to double energy efficiency and triple renewables capacity by 2030, and to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.  These plans must be backed by long-term road maps for a just transition to net-zero energy systems — in line with global net-zero by 2050.

    And they must be underpinned by policies that show that the clean energy future is not just inevitable — but investable.  Policies that create clear regulations and a pipeline of projects.  That enhance public-private partnerships — unlocking capital and innovation.  That put a meaningful price on carbon.  And that end subsidies and international public finance for fossil fuels — as promised.

    Second, this is our moment of opportunity to build the energy systems of the twenty-first century.  The technology is moving ahead.  In just 15 years, the cost of battery storage systems for electricity grids has dropped over 90 per cent.

    But here’s the problem.  Investments in the right infrastructure are not keeping up.  For every dollar invested in renewable power, just 60 cents go to grids and storage.  That ratio should be one-to-one.

    We are building renewable power — but not connecting it fast enough.  There’s three times more renewable energy waiting to be plugged into grids than was added last year.  And fossil fuels still dominate the global total energy mix.

    We must act now and invest in the backbone of a clean energy future:  In modern, flexible and digital grids — including regional integration.  In a massive scale-up of energy storage.  In charging networks — to power the electric vehicle revolution.

    On the other hand, we need energy efficiency but also electrification — across buildings, transport and industry. This is how we unlock the full promise of renewables — and build energy systems that are clean, secure and fit for the future.

    Third, this is our moment of opportunity to meet the world’s surging energy demand sustainably.  More people are plugging in.  More cities are heating up — with soaring demand for cooling.  And more technologies — from AI to digital finance — are devouring electricity.  Governments must aim to meet all new electricity demand with renewables.

    AI can boost efficiency, innovation and resilience in energy systems.  And we must take profit in it.  But it is also energy hungry.  A typical AI data centre eats up as much electricity as 100,000 homes.  The largest ones will soon use 20 times that.  By 2030, data centres could consume as much electricity as all of Japan does today.

    This is not sustainable — unless we make it so.  And the technology sector must be out front.  Today I call on every major tech firm to power all data centres with 100 per cent renewables by 2030.

    And — along with other industries — they must use water sustainably in cooling systems.  The future is being built in the cloud.  It must be powered by the sun, the wind and the promise of a better world.

    Fourth, this is the moment of opportunity for a just energy transition. The clean energy that we must deliver must also deliver equity, dignity and opportunity for all.

    That means governments leading a just transition.  With support, education and training — for fossil fuel workers, young people, women, Indigenous Peoples and others — so that they can thrive in the new energy economy.  With stronger social protection — so no one is left behind.  And with international cooperation to help low-income countries that are highly-dependent on fossil fuels and struggling to make the shift.

    But justice doesn’t stop here.  The critical minerals that power the clean energy revolution are often found in countries that have long been exploited.  And today, we see history repeating.  Communities mistreated.  Rights trampled.  Environments trashed.  Nations stuck at the bottom of value chains — while others reap rewards.  And extractive models digging deeper holes of inequality and harm.  This must end.

    Developing countries can play a major role in diversifying sources of supply. The UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has shown the way forward — with a path grounded in human rights, justice and equity.

    Today, I call on governments, businesses and civil society to work with us to deliver its recommendations.  Let’s build a future that is not only green — but just.  Not only fast — but fair.  Not only transformative — but inclusive.

    Fifth, we have a moment of opportunity to use trade and investment to supercharge the energy transition.  Clean energy needs more than ambition.  It needs access — to technologies, materials and manufacturing.

    But these are concentrated in just a few countries.  And global trade is fragmenting.

    Trade policy must support climate policy.  Countries committed to the new energy era must come together to ensure that trade and investment drive it forward.  By building diverse, secure and resilient supply chains.  By cutting tariffs on clean energy goods.  By unlocking investment and trade — including through South-South cooperation. And by modernizing outdated investment treaties — starting with Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions.

    Today, fossil fuel interests are weaponizing these provisions to delay the transition, particularly in several developing countries.  Reform is urgent.  The race for the new must not be a race for the few.  It must be a relay — shared, inclusive and resilient.  Let’s make trade a tool for transformation.

    Sixth and finally, this is our moment of opportunity to unleash the full force of finance — driving investment to markets with massive potential.  Despite soaring demand and vast renewables potential — developing countries are being locked out of the energy transition.

    Africa is home to 60 per cent of the world’s best solar resources.  But it received just 2 per cent of global clean energy investment last year.  Zoom out, and the picture is just as stark.

    In the last decade, only 1 in every 5 clean energy dollars went to emerging and developing countries outside China.  To keep the 1.5-degree limit alive — and deliver universal energy access – annual clean energy investment in those countries must rise more than fivefold by 2030.

    That demands bold national policies.  And concrete international action to:  Reform the global financial architecture.  Drastically increase the lending capacity of multilateral development banks — making them bigger, bolder and better able to leverage massive amounts of private finance at reasonable costs.  And take effective action on debt relief — and scale up proven tools like debt for climate swaps.

    Today, developing countries pay outlandish sums for both debt and equity financing — in part because of outdated risk models, bias and broken assumptions that boost the cost of capital.  Credit ratings agencies and investors must modernize.

    We need a new approach to risk that reflects:  the promise of clean energy; the rising cost of climate chaos; and the danger of stranded fossil fuel assets.  I urge parties to unite to solve the complex challenges facing some developing countries in the energy transition — such as early retirement of coal plants.

    The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing.  We are in the dawn of a new energy era.  An era where cheap, clean, abundant energy powers a world rich in economic opportunity.  Where nations have the security of energy autonomy.  And the gift of power is a gift for all.

    That world is within reach.  But it won’t happen on its own.  Not fast enough.  Not fair enough.  It is up to us.  We have the tools to power the future for humanity.  Let’s make the most of them.  This is our moment of opportunity.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Commends Selection of Rep. Garbarino to Serve as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    Speaker Johnson Commends Selection of Rep. Garbarino to Serve as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee

    Washington, July 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House Republican Conference selected Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) to serve as the next Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee following the departure of Rep. Mark Green (R-TN):

    “House Republicans know that Rep. Garbarino will serve as a steady hand at the helm of the House Homeland Security Committee as Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration continue our work to restore law and order at our borders following four years of neglect and catastrophic failures under the Biden Administration. While we had a superb group of uniquely qualified candidates, Andrew was elected to the position because of his experience as a highly effective legislator at the state and federal level, his ability to build consensus in our Conference, and his impressive work heading the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee. We look forward to moving forward together as one team to continue advancing legislation in the House that keeps our border permanently secured and our country safe.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Highlights House Republicans’ Extensive Record of Success During the 119th Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — This morning, at the final weekly House Republican Leadership press conference before the August District Work Period, Speaker Johnson criticized Congressional Democrats for suddenly clamoring for transparency while they spent four years covering up President Biden’s mental decline. The Speaker also addressed how Congressional Republicans have delivered a historic set of wins during President Trump’s first six months back in office.

    Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

    On Democrats lying about President Biden’s mental decline:

    366 days ago, President Joe Biden was unceremoniously forced off the Democrat ticket. Everybody knows why. Even after millions of Americans had already cast their primary votes for him, the self-proclaimed party of democracy threw out their nominee, the sitting President of the United States, for his disastrous debate performance. On the debate stage, President Biden revealed to the American people what Democrats in Congress spent four long years trying to hide: that the President of the United States of America was in rapid mental decline and unable to continue serving as the leader of the free world. I’m gonna say that again: the man holding the most powerful office on the face of the earth, who we now know was being propped up by staff and Democrats in Congress, was in rapid mental decline. It was as shocking as it was dangerous, and they all participated in it.

    Nearly every single one of the Democrats who shamelessly attempted to pull the wool over our eyes still holds office today. You ought to be chasing them down in the hallways, asking for their responses on that. We released a 14-minute-long video yesterday with just a small sample of the countless receipts of the Democrats at every level, spinning this fantastical lie to the American people. I encourage every reporter in this room to go watch that. You ought to use the clips, and you ought to go ask them about it. And remember that the same Democrats who lied to us for years are now trying to convince you they stand for transparency. They participated in one of the greatest political scandals in, in all of history and the House Republicans are not going to allow this to be whitewashed from the historical record.

    On House Republicans record of success during the 119th Congress:

    We’ve been hard at work from day one of this Congress, day one of the Trump administration, trying to undo all that damage of the last four years. And we’re laying the foundation for what will make our country safer, stronger, and more prosperous than ever before. The American people gave President Trump a clear mandate to enact his America first agenda, and Republicans answered the call. To date, we’ve enacted 50 of the President’s executive orders, from reigning in bureaucratic waste, fraud, and abuse to passing common sense legislation to delivering our once in a generation legislative victories through the One Big Beautiful Bill. Let me give you a quick summary.

    Americans asked for secure borders and safer communities, and Republicans delivered the largest investment in border security and interior enforcement on record. And with the HALT Fentanyl Act and the Laken Riley Act, were making sure American communities are safe from deadly drugs and illegal aliens that have taken far too many lives. The American people asked us for bigger paychecks and more affordable gas and groceries, and we delivered on that too. We delivered the largest working- and middle-class tax cut in the history of the United States. And we’ve torn down Biden-era regulations like the California EV mandate that was just madness and worked against working families and American energy dominance. The American people demanded fiscal sanity and Republicans delivered again. We passed more than $1.5 trillion in spending cuts so the government can begin to live within its means. Again, all of this is real positive change for American families, the kind that they’re going to directly feel in their bank accounts. They’re going to see it in their neighborhoods, and they’re going to count on it for years to come.

    On the August District Work period:

    This is the last leadership press conference before we enter the August District work period around here. People call it the August recess – it is not that. I know that lots of people in the press corps are going to be able to enjoy some downtime with friends and families and we commend you for that. But House Republicans aren’t going to get to participate in all that stuff because this month of August is not a vacation. This is arguably the most important work month on our calendar. Why? Because our members go home, they connect with their constituents in person. They host roundtables with local businesses and organizations. They meet with community stakeholders and local officials. Really, really important components of the job. And frankly, they need to cut through the false and misleading claims about the One Big Beautiful Bill from the media and the Democrats. As I mentioned, the more people know, the more they greatly favor the bill that we passed, and House Republicans are going to spend the month highlighting how it will positively impact our districts and our communities.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid GOP Assault on Healthcare, Pressley, Duckworth, DeGette, Schakowsky, Frost, Colleagues Unveil EACH Act, Keep Up Fight for Reproductive Justice

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Lawmakers File EACH Act to End Hyde Amendment, Lift Unjust Abortion Coverage Restrictions on Medicaid, Other Government Sponsored Plans

    Follows Passage of Big, Ugly Bill that Guts Medicaid, Defunds Planned Parenthood, Further Restricts Healthcare

    Bill Text (PDF) | Floor Speech (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Today, as Republicans continue their assault on healthcare, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), led their colleagues in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act, bold legislation to guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance. The lawmakers’ bill follows the enactment of Trump and Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill, which will gut Medicaid, defund Planned Parenthood health centers, and push essential reproductive care further out of reach for millions of people.

    The EACH Act ends the discriminatory Hyde Amendment and lifts unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans. The bill affirms the fundamental right to abortion care and helps ensure everyone can get the reproductive healthcare they need, regardless of income, insurance, or zip code.

    Rep. Pressley unveiled the bill in a floor speech last night. Full video of that speech is available here.

    “Abortion care is health care, and health care is a human right. With Trump and Republicans advancing a cruel, coordinated assault on our bodily autonomy—gutting Medicaid, defunding Planned Parenthood, and decimating access to care—we must use every tool available to protect and expand reproductive healthcare,” said Congresswoman Pressley, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “The EACH Act would help us do just that. By repealing the racist and discriminatory Hyde Amendment, which has denied necessary care for vulnerable communities for nearly half a century, our bill would help ensure everyone in America can get the reproductive healthcare they need, regardless of income, insurance, or zip code. I’m grateful to Senator Duckworth and our colleagues for their partnership on this critical priority.”

    “Ever since Trump’s far-right Supreme Court majority struck down Roe, Republicans have made it their mission to strip away a woman’s right to reproductive health care—a right they have no place to stand in the way of,” said Senator Duckworth. “As Republicans’ Big, Beautiful Betrayal kicks millions off their health care, we must act to help strengthen access to abortion coverage for low-income Americans, servicemembers and millions more—no matter their zip code. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation alongside my colleagues so we can do just that.”

    “For nearly 50 years, the Hyde Amendment has been Republicans’ go-to tool for chipping away at abortion rights, denying coverage to the most vulnerable communities,” said Rep. DeGette, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “Now, they’re doubling down with the Big Bad Bill, blocking Medicaid patients from accessing any kind of care, not only abortion care, but also birth control and cancer screenings, at Planned Parenthood. The EACH Act is how we fight back, guaranteeing access to abortion care—no matter your income, your insurance, or your ZIP code”

    “The Hyde Amendment is a racist, discriminatory policy designed to put reproductive and economic freedom out of reach for women of color and low-income women who need an abortion. By restricting Medicaid coverage of abortion, the Hyde Amendment robs those working to make ends meet of the freedom to control their lives and decisions about what is best for their families,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Keeping the Hyde Amendment in place is yet another way for Trump and the extremists in the GOP to limit peoples’ reproductive freedom. Every person should have the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions regardless of their income, race, where they work, what zip code they live in, or how they get their insurance. That is why our bill, the EACH Act, will finally repeal the harmful Hyde Amendment. Abortion is health care and health care is a human right.”

    “Women should be able to get the abortion care they need no matter where they live or how much money they have. But for decades, the Hyde Amendment and similar abortion restrictions have blocked low-income women from getting the health care they need and wrongfully divided abortion care from health care for no other reason than Republican politicians’ extreme anti-choice views,” said Senator Murray. “The EACH Act would get rid of the Hyde Amendment and related abortion coverage bans that endanger the health and lives of women who rely on Medicaid or other government-sponsored health coverage. I will always fight to end Hyde and other unjust policies that allow politicians to interfere with women’s ability to make decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures.”

    “As Republicans gut Medicaid, defund Planned Parenthoods nationwide, and continue their onslaught of attacks on our bodily autonomy, the Hyde Amendment and other federal coverage restrictions are discriminatory barriers that continue to prevent access to safe and legal abortion care,” said Senator Hirono. “Everyone deserves access to reproductive health care. By ending the Hyde Amendment and expanding coverage for abortion services, the EACH Act would help guarantee abortion access for all, protecting our reproductive rights and our ability to make decisions about our own bodies.”

    “Everyone should have the freedom to control their own lives and bodies, no matter their income, race, or zip code,” said Nourbese Flint, President of All* Above All. “For too long, restrictions like the Hyde Amendment have robbed people working to make ends meet of their ability to make personal decisions about their health, families, and futures. In a time of escalating attacks on reproductive freedom – and efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, shut down clinics, and restrict care – the EACH act sets a powerful standard and helps to end racist and classist health care restrictions. We are proud to support this visionary bill to expand abortion access and ensure coverage for all.”

    Trump and Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill, which passed Congress earlier this year, will dismantle access to reproductive health care in every state. It will defund Planned Parenthood, block Medicaid reimbursements to health centers, and slash care for millions of people. It would also gut Medicaid, ripping coverage from at least 10 million Americans and cutting off access to essential maternity care, birth control, cancer screenings, and more.

    Text of the EACH Act is available here.

    Joining the lawmakers in introducing the EACH Act are Representatives Alma Adams, Pete Aguilar, Gabe Amo, Yassamin Ansari, Jake Auchincloss, Becca Balint, Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Ami Bera, Don Beyer, Suzanne Bonamici, Shontel Brown, Julia Brownley, Nikki Budzinski, Janelle Bynum, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Troy Carter, Greg Casar, Ed Case, Sean Casten, Kathy Castor, Joaquin Castro, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Judy Chu, Gil Cisneros, Katherine Clark, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver II, Steve Cohen, J. Luis Correa, Angie Craig, Jasmine Crockett, Jason Crow, Sharice Davids, Danny K. Davis, Madeleine Dean, Diana DeGette, Rosa DeLauro, Suzan DelBene, Chris Deluzio, Mark DeSaulnier, Maxine Dexter, Lloyd Doggett, Sarah Elfreth, Veronica Escobar, Adriano Espaillat, Dwight Evans, Shomari Figures, Lizzie Fletcher, Bill Foster, Valerie Foushee, Lois Frankel, Maxwell Frost, John Garamendi, Robert Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Jesús “Chuy” García, Jared Golden, Dan Goldman, Maggie Goodlander, Josh Gottheimer, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes, Steven Horsford, Val Hoyle, Jared Huffman, Glenn Ivey, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, Hank Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, William R. Keating, Robin Kelly, Tim Kennedy, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Greg Landsman, Rick Larsen, John B. Larson, George Latimer, Susie Lee, Summer L. Lee, Teresa Leger Fernández, Mike Levin, Ted Lieu, Seth Magaziner, John Mannion, Doris Matsui, Lucy McBath, Sarah McBride, April McClain Delaney, Jennifer McClellan, Betty McCollum, Morgan McGarvey, Jim McGovern, Gregory Meeks, Rob Menendez, Grace Meng, Kweisi Mfume, Dave Min, Gwen Moore, Joseph Morelle, Kelly Morrison, Jared Moskowitz, Seth Moulton, Kevin Mullin, Jerry Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Frank Pallone Jr., Jimmy Panetta, Chris Pappas, Nancy Pelosi, Scott Peters, Brittany Pettersen, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Jamie Raskin, Luz Rivas, Deborah Ross, Raul Ruiz, Patrick Ryan, Andrea Salinas, Linda T. Sánchez, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, Bradley Scott Schneider, Hillary Scholten, Kim Schrier, David Scott, Brad Sherman, Mikie Sherrill, Lateefah Simon, Adam Smith, Eric Sorensen, Darren Soto, Melanie Stansbury, Greg Stanton, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Suhas Subramanyam, Eric Swalwell, Emilia Sykes, Mark Takano, Shri Thanedar, Mike Thompson, Dina Titus, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Paul Tonko, Norma Torres, Ritchie Torres, Lori Trahan, Derek T. Tran, Lauren Underwood, Juan Vargas, Gabe Vasquez, Marc Veasey, Nydia M. Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, George Whitesides, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson, along with Senators Klobuchar, Warren, Padilla, Merkley, Blumenthal, Rosen, Shaheen, Schiff, Heinrich, Gillibrand, Coons, Cantwell, Van Hollen, Blunt Rochester, Sanders, Gallego, Booker, Smith, Baldwin, Wyden, Welch, Markey, Murphy, Kim, Whitehouse, Fetterman, Cortez Masto, Kelly, and Lujan.

    The EACH Act is endorsed by the following organizations: All* Above All, National Women’s Law Center, Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Center for American Progress, Guttmacher Institute, Power to Decide, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, Brigid Alliance, National Network of Abortion Funds, Midwest Access Coalition, Equality California, Silver State Equality, OutCenter Southwest Michigan, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, National Abortion Federation, Cobalt, Health Not Prisons Collective, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, Families USA, UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Center for Biological Diversity, Reproductive Freedom for All, CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Justice and Joy National Collaborative, End Rape On Campus, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Council of Jewish Women, Silver State Hope Fund of Nevada, Above!, The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH), National Council of Jewish Women, American Humanist Association, The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Chicago Abortion Fund, Ibis Reproductive Health, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, American Atheists, National Health Law Program, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Advocates for Youth, Courage California, ProgressNow New Mexico, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, EMAA Project, Black Women for Wellness Action Project, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), Keystone Progress Education Fund, Wyoming Right To Choose, Safe Abortions For Everyone Maine, REPRO Rising Virginia, National Abortion Federation, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), National Partnership for Women & Families, Catholics for Choice, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), Families USA, American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible, Women’s Foundation of Florida, People Power United, Equality California, Abortion Forward, Black Women’s Health Imperative, SiX Action, Population Institute, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Pregnancy Justice, Just Solutions, UltraViolet Action, National Women’s Political Caucus, Equal Rights Advocates, Feminist Majority Foundation, Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues, American Association of University Women (AAUW), Interfaith Alliance, and Community Catalyst.

    Last month, in the wake of the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Congresswoman Pressley spent the week convening leaders and impacted families, renewing her calls for comprehensive legislation to protect abortion care, and uplifting the experiences of people impacted by cruel abortion bans and denials of essential medical care.

    Congresswoman Pressley has been outspoken in demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech in which she underscored that Adriana’s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy – and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia’s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom. Last week, Rep. Pressley issued a statement after Adriana’s infant son Chance was delivered via emergency Cesarean section and Adriana was taken off life support.

    Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect fundamental reproductive and sexual healthcare rights. 

    • On the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available—without stigma, shame or systemic barriers—for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background.
    • Rep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere. 
    • Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance.
    • Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. 
    • Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.
    • In October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage.
    • In September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia.
    • In June 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Idaho v. United States; Moyle v. United States – the case about whether emergency abortion care is included under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). 
    • In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances. 
    • In April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played “Fact or Fiction” with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone.
    • In August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.
    • In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive healthcare and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.
    • In July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control.
    • In May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay.
    • In May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs.
    • In April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts.
    • In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally.
    • In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff. 
    • In March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential.
    • In September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s inaction on SB-8, Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women’s Health Protection Act. 
    • In April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive healthcare decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023.
    • Rep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA’s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills.
    • As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley has led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden’s FY2022 budget.
    • In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.
    • In August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care. 
    • In January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans’ harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution.
    • In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. 
    • In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade.
    • In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription. 
    • In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eastern youth: “We need representation to trust government institutions”

    Source: APO


    .

    As part of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya’s public consultations with youth on the political process, 21 youth from across the eastern region joined an online consultation on Sunday about the Advisory Committee’s proposals to take Libya to elections. Highlighting their recommendations, they said youth must have representation in government institutions in order to rebuild trust with the executive which has been eroded. 

    “We do not trust any of the current entities. There is a large trust gap among young people and government entities because we do not have any representation,” said one participant from Benghazi.  

    “None of the existing bodies give space for new players,” said another participant from Benghazi. “They do not give space to youth. We need new bodies that represent us.” 

    Others agreed saying that the current institutions have lost the confidence of the people, with many believing they have obstructed elections because those running them wish to stay in power. 

    Many participants suggested that Option 4, which stipulates a Constituent Assembly be selected through a dialogue forum to select an interim government and pave the way for elections, was the most reasonable way forward as it gives citizens a voice. But others advocated for options 1, 2 and 3. Option 1 suggests near simultaneous presidential and legislative elections. Option 2 suggests electing a legislature first to adopt a constitution before conducting presidential elections. Option 3 suggests adopting a constitution prior to any elections.  

    “We have tried options 1 and 2 before and they were unsuccessful,” said a participant from Derna. “It is like the Advisory Committee put forward four options, the first three of which have already been done.” 

    A participant from Benghazi argued: “Option 4 is the best option because there is a constituent assembly, and we can be local observers.” 

    “Simultaneous elections will not work,” said another participant who favoured Option 2.  

    The current political environment is not conducive to linking presidential and legislative elections, as is suggested in the Advisory Committee’s first option, they said.  

    “It is very difficult to have a full electoral track,” said a participant from Benghazi. “We saw what the government did to prevent elections last time. Any new government must be under a constitutional track that elections follow.” 

    The need for political stability was stressed, with participants saying the impact of the ongoing economic and security situation was taking a significant toll.  

    “I don’t accept a unified government in Tripoli when I need development in my area and they are 1,000 kilometres away,” said one participant from Benghazi.  

    Another from Al Marj, said that all the options were ideal, if Libya was a stable country. They suggested that a national dialogue that included everyone—not just 40 to 50 people— and which represented each region would be hard to ignore if it was established. 

    “The country requires political and institutional stability for there to be a future. We must let the people choose, not have us subjected to under-the-table agreements,” said another participant. “There must be real opportunities for women and youth to participate. But there also has to be regional representation. Federalism is a realistic solution to these issues and would save the country from regional separation and ensure a fair distribution of wealth.” 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Dr. Rania Al-Mashat Discusses with World Bank Regional Director Advancing Multilateral Cooperation to Enhance Economic Development in Egypt

    Source: APO


    .

    H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, held a meeting with Mr. Stephane Guimbert, Regional Director of the World Bank for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti, to discuss avenues to strengthen joint cooperation to achieve economic development in Egypt.

    The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation discussed with the World Bank Regional Director the joint efforts to enhance economic development by leveraging the World Bank’s international expertise and capabilities, emphasizing the importance of the partnership with the World Bank Group as a knowledge partner to the Egyptian government. Where joint work is underway to develop a comprehensive implementation plan to achieve economic development in cooperation with ministries and national entities, aiming to support macroeconomic stability, provide development financing, promote industrial development and trade, mobilize foreign direct investment (FDI), and increase investment in human capital.

    H.E. also highlighted the Ministry’s efforts to implement the national narrative for economic development, which includes several pillars such as the preparation of the National Strategy for Industrial Development, which aims to increase exports, and enhance the value-added of manufacturing industries, and expand the contribution of the green economy to the GDP, as well as on enhancing integration and coherence between the FDI strategy and industrial development, supporting the labor market strategy focused on skills, and promote investment in human capital. She pointed out that this document comes within the framework of the effort to formulate a unified development discourse that reflects the state’s priorities, enhances the consistency of macroeconomic policies, and serves as a common reference for the government, international institutions, and development partners.

    The meeting also discussed updates regarding the World Bank’s portfolio, including the Universal Health Insurance Project, the Sustainable Rural Sanitation Services Program, and the Takaful and Karama Program. Discussions also covered the latest developments in the Upper Egypt Local Development Program and the Cairo-Alexandria Trade Logistics Development Project, which is being implemented in cooperation with the National Railways Authority of Egypt (NRA).

    For his part, Mr. Stephane Guimbert, Regional Director of the World Bank for Egypt, presented an overview of a new global health initiative led by the World Bank, which aims to expand basic health coverage to an additional 1.5 billion people worldwide, focusing on middle- and low-income countries. The idea of Egypt joining as a key participant in this initiative was raised in light of its significant progress in health sector reforms, particularly through the implementation of the Universal Health Insurance system, which is considered one of the largest social protection projects in the region.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting Jasper through recovery: Premier Smith

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Unseals Civil Action Filed Against Approximately $2M in Digital Currency Involved in Hamas Fundraising

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced the unsealing of a civil forfeiture action against approximately $2 million dollars in digital currency held by Tether Limited (Tether) and Binance Holdings LTD (Binance) accounts connected with Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company (BuyCash), a Gaza-based money transfer business that was involved in financially supporting Hamas – a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) – as well as its agents and collaborators.

    “Terrorist organizations like Hamas and their affiliates rely on shadowy financial networks to fund their deadly operations,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “By seizing millions in cryptocurrency, the Justice Department is aggressively dismantling the financial infrastructure of terrorism and refusing to allow our digital currency platforms to become safe havens for terrorist financing.”

    “The forfeiture action executed today is an example of how diligently our office works to prevent any actions from taking place that support foreign terrorist organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Colombia. “Our partnership with other law enforcement agencies strengthens us to uphold the safety of the American people from entities that threaten the security of our citizens.”

    “The forfeiture action unsealed today demonstrates that no matter what lengths terrorism financers take to obscure their illegal transactions, the FBI will aggressively disrupt the transmission of illicit proceeds intended to support designated terrorist organizations like Hamas,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.

    BuyCash, and one of its owners, Ahmed M. M. Alaqad, have been suspected of supporting various terrorist organizations including Hamas, ISIS, Al-Qaida affiliates and others. After the October 2023 attacks on Israel, BuyCash and Alaqad were designated as having materially supported Hamas under Executive Order 13224 by the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC). Since 2017, BuyCash and Alaqad have supported several foreign terrorist organizations. In 2017, BuyCash was used for the procurement of large quantities of online infrastructure on behalf of ISIS. In September 2019, BuyCash was used to receive funds from a known Al-Qaida affiliate. In 2019, law enforcement identified various instances where BuyCash, with the direct support of Alaqad, directly aided in the transfer of fiat currency to known individuals and entities in support of Hamas. In June 2021, Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terrorist Financing seized various digital currency accounts connected to Hamas and the Izz-al-Din Qassam Brigades, including one involving BuyCash.

    The complaint describes a detailed scheme whereby users utilized BuyCash to fund accounts held by Tether and Binance to obfuscate their financial support of international terrorist organizations, including Hamas. Before and after the October 2023 attacks, one account was reported to have received at least $4 million to support Hamas.

    The government’s forfeiture action targets multiple accounts previously seized from Tether and Binance connected to BuyCash and removed approximately $2 million dollars from streams of funds supporting international terrorism.

    A civil forfeiture complaint contains mere allegations. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    The FBI Washington D.C. Field Office is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajbir S. Datta and Thomas Saunders for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Allison Ickovic of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Deputy Chief Alicia Cook of the National Security Division. Critical assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers, Gina Torres, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • PM Modi’s fourth UK visit to spotlight $53.75 billion bilateral trade and FTA gains

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit on Wednesday, beginning with an official tour to the United Kingdom at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer from July 23-24. This will mark his fourth visit to the UK, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations, especially in the realm of economic cooperation.

    India and the UK share a strong and steadily growing economic partnership, reflected in robust trade figures and expanding investment flows. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately $53.75 billion in 2024, with Indian exports valued at around $32.5 billion and imports at about $21.25 billion. Trade in goods contributed $22.5 billion, while the services sector accounted for nearly $31.25 billion.

    Investment flows between the two countries continue to deepen. The UK ranks as the sixth-largest inward investor in India, with a cumulative equity investment of $35 billion as of September 2024. On the other hand, Indian investments in the UK amounted to $19 billion till March 2024. There are currently 971 Indian companies operating in the UK, employing over 1 lakh people. Meanwhile, 667 British companies are active in India, providing employment to more than 5 lakh people.

    A key development in bilateral economic relations has been the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Double Contribution Convention. These landmark announcements were made during a telephonic conversation between the two Prime Ministers on May 6, 2025, following three years of negotiations. The FTA, one of India’s most comprehensive, spans 26 chapters, covering sectors such as goods, services, rules of origin, intellectual property rights, government procurement, digital trade, telecom, financial services, environment, and labour.

    Two institutional mechanisms have played a pivotal role in driving the India-UK economic agenda. The India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), launched on January 13, 2005, is designed to strengthen strategic economic ties through a business-driven approach. The 15th JETCO meeting took place in New Delhi on January 13, 2022, co-chaired by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and UK’s then Secretary of State for International Trade, Ms. Anne-Marie Trevelyan. It was during this meeting that both nations formally launched negotiations for the FTA.

    The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), established on February 4, 2005, has been instrumental in shaping macroeconomic cooperation. The 13th EFD meeting was held in London on April 9, 2025, led by the Finance Ministers of both countries. Discussions focused on boosting infrastructure collaboration, enhancing fintech partnerships, promoting sustainable finance, and advancing knowledge exchange.

  • PM Modi’s fourth UK visit to spotlight $53.75 billion bilateral trade and FTA gains

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit on Wednesday, beginning with an official tour to the United Kingdom at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer from July 23-24. This will mark his fourth visit to the UK, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations, especially in the realm of economic cooperation.

    India and the UK share a strong and steadily growing economic partnership, reflected in robust trade figures and expanding investment flows. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately $53.75 billion in 2024, with Indian exports valued at around $32.5 billion and imports at about $21.25 billion. Trade in goods contributed $22.5 billion, while the services sector accounted for nearly $31.25 billion.

    Investment flows between the two countries continue to deepen. The UK ranks as the sixth-largest inward investor in India, with a cumulative equity investment of $35 billion as of September 2024. On the other hand, Indian investments in the UK amounted to $19 billion till March 2024. There are currently 971 Indian companies operating in the UK, employing over 1 lakh people. Meanwhile, 667 British companies are active in India, providing employment to more than 5 lakh people.

    A key development in bilateral economic relations has been the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Double Contribution Convention. These landmark announcements were made during a telephonic conversation between the two Prime Ministers on May 6, 2025, following three years of negotiations. The FTA, one of India’s most comprehensive, spans 26 chapters, covering sectors such as goods, services, rules of origin, intellectual property rights, government procurement, digital trade, telecom, financial services, environment, and labour.

    Two institutional mechanisms have played a pivotal role in driving the India-UK economic agenda. The India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), launched on January 13, 2005, is designed to strengthen strategic economic ties through a business-driven approach. The 15th JETCO meeting took place in New Delhi on January 13, 2022, co-chaired by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and UK’s then Secretary of State for International Trade, Ms. Anne-Marie Trevelyan. It was during this meeting that both nations formally launched negotiations for the FTA.

    The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), established on February 4, 2005, has been instrumental in shaping macroeconomic cooperation. The 13th EFD meeting was held in London on April 9, 2025, led by the Finance Ministers of both countries. Discussions focused on boosting infrastructure collaboration, enhancing fintech partnerships, promoting sustainable finance, and advancing knowledge exchange.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Britt, Hill Work to Protect Small Business Access to Capital, Fight Regulatory Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced legislation in response to the finalization of the Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) 1071 Small Business Lending Data Collection rule requiring small business lenders to collect and report social data on small businesses seeking loans.

    The senators’ Preventing Regulatory Overreach to Empower Communities to Thrive and Ensure Data privacy (PROTECTED) Act would shield small financial institutions and Main Street businesses from the burdensome compliance costs associated with the CFPB rule as well as limit the number of small businesses impacted and significantly reduce the amount of data required to be collected and reported.

    “As the backbone of our economy, small businesses need access to capital. Identity-based data collection requirements handed down from Washington jeopardize lenders’ ability to provide vital investments and invite the federal government to pick winners and losers based on factors other than sound underwriting. Our legislation cuts this red tape for small and local financial institutions, including those trusted by farmers and rural communities, so they can focus on helping entrepreneurs and business owners launch or expand operations,” Boozman said. 

    “The CFPB under the last administration operated virtually unchecked—with no real Congressional oversight—and in an authoritarian manner, creating a regulatory nightmare for the very people and businesses it was meant to protect,” said Britt. “The PROTECTED Act delivers much-needed regulatory relief for community banks, farm credit lenders, CDFIs, and equipment financers. Importantly, this legislation safeguards small businesses by limiting excessive data collection and protecting consumer privacy. I’m proud to lead this effort to provide critical changes to this harmful rule.”

    “I will always advocate for small businesses across Alabama and our nation –– they’re the backbone of our country and what make our communities so unique — and our community banks play a pivotal role in providing these businesses with vital access to capital,” Britt continued. “This CFPB rule would have damaging downstream effects on our most rural and underserved communities. In the absence of a full repeal, this bill makes critical changes needed to ensure small lenders can continue to meet the needs of Main Street businesses.”

    The Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Rep. French Hill (AR-01) is leading similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “America’s small businesses depend on affordable and accessible credit, and community banks play a crucial role in their success. The CFPB’s current approach under the 1071 rule restricts credit and places unfair burdens on our community banks. The PROTECTED Act provides a clear path forward for how the Bureau can revise the 1071 rule to best support small businesses while ensuring responsible lending. I thank Senator Britt and Senator Boozman for working with me on companion legislation to the Small LENDER Act to support policies that help small businesses grow and achieve success,” said Hill.

    The PROTECTED Act also establishes critical safeguards to prevent the CFPB from publishing sensitive consumer data and requires the Bureau to conduct updated cost-benefit analyses prior to the rule’s implementation. Its effective date would be three years after the completion of these updated analyses and publication in the Federal Register, followed by a two-year grace period. 

    Boozman has pushed back against the regulation, designed to implement Sec. 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, and CFPB’s implementation that attempts to pick small business winners and losers based on social factors. The senator also supported a Congressional Review Act resolution to reverse the Biden-era CFPB rule.

    Click here for full bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Fund to Support Growth in Agriculture, Seafood Sectors

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province is launching a new fund to support big, bold projects in the agriculture and seafood sectors.

    “This fund is about supporting the people who bring new ideas to grow our economy and help businesses,” said Greg Morrow, Minister of Agriculture. “Agriculture and seafood are important traditional industries in our province. But we can’t keep doing things the same old way – we need to support fresh thinking and innovation.”

    The Nova Scotia Seafood and Agriculture Strategic Investment Fund will support companies proposing large-scale projects that boost productivity and help their business expand. It could involve adopting new technology, changing how they do business, or finding new markets for their products.

    “We are looking for creative ideas that can take businesses to the next level,” said Kent Smith, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “This isn’t just about helping individual companies, this is an all-hands-on-deck effort to build stronger industries and a stronger province.”

    Quotes:

    “Innovation truly thrives when industry and government actively join forces, combining expertise to drive meaningful progress and accelerate impactful change. Oberland welcomes opportunities to partner with the Government of Nova Scotia to advance sustainable solutions that turn local challenges into global leadership.”
    — Greg Wanger, founder and CEO, Oberland Agriscience Inc.

    “We’re pleased to see this investment as a positive step forward for Nova Scotia’s agriculture industry. Strategic support like this helps strengthen our competitiveness, drives innovation and creates opportunities for sustainable growth in the sector.”
    — Alicia King, President, Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture

    “The members of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance are experiencing first-hand the challenges of tariffs and the changing expectations of our global seafood customers. We need an industry that is innovative, resilient and adaptive to meet the needs of more diverse markets and customers so that we can maximize the economic value of the seafood sector for Nova Scotia’s seafood producers and for Nova Scotians. The alliance is pleased that with the launch of the new Nova Scotia Seafood and Agriculture Strategic Investment Fund, the Province is showing its continued commitment to supporting the innovation and diversification efforts of the seafood sector as we continue to evolve to provide the highest quality seafood to the world.”
    — Allan MacLean, President, Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance

    Quick Facts:

    • the Province is providing $4.71 million for the fund
    • funded projects must be completed by January 2027
    • the fund will be managed by Perennia, a provincial development agency with a mission to support growth, transformation and economic development in Nova Scotia’s agriculture, seafood and food and beverage sectors

    Additional Resources:

    Nova Scotia Seafood and Agriculture Strategic Investment Fund: https://www.perennia.ca/sasi/

    News release – New Mapping Tool Supports Aquaculture Growth: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/07/03/new-mapping-tool-supports-aquaculture-growth

    News release – Seafood Companies Receive Climate Change Funding: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/06/27/seafood-companies-receive-climate-change-funding

    News release – Province Partners with Horticulture Nova Scotia to Extend Growing Season: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/06/04/province-partners-horticulture-nova-scotia-extend-growing-season

    News release – New Food Safety Pilot Program to Help Local Producers Expand: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/04/25/new-food-safety-pilot-program-help-local-producers-expand

    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Missouri Small Businesses, Private Nonprofits and Residents Affected by April Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses, private nonprofits, and residents in Missouri of the Aug. 22 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, heavy rains, large hail, flooding and flash flooding occurring April 29.

    The disaster declaration covers the Missouri counties of Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Polk, Stone and Webster as well as the Kansas county of Cherokee, and the Oklahoma county of Ottawa.

    Small businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s physical damage loans.”

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    Interest rates can be as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    The deadline to return physical damage applications is Aug. 22.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Idaho Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by the Gwen Fire

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses  and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Idaho of the Aug. 22, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the Gwen Fire occurring July 24‑Aug. 9, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the Idaho counties of Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis and Nez Perce as well as the Oregon county of Wallowa, and the Washington counties of Asotin and Whitman.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

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

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

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Aug. 22.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. RaShaun Kemp Responds to Partial Release of Frozen Federal Education Funds

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (July 22, 2025) —Today, Sen. RaShaun Kemp (D–Atlanta) issued the following statement regarding the federal government’s decision to release a portion of previously frozen funds for after-school and summer programs:

    “I welcome the administration’s decision to release $1.3 billion in frozen funding for after-school and summer learning programs, but the damage has already been done. This last-minute reversal caused unnecessary disruption for school districts and families preparing for the upcoming school year. Withholding congressionally approved funding at such a critical moment was destabilizing and avoidable.

    The federal government is still withholding $5 billion in funding that schools are counting on. I urge the administration to release these remaining funds without delay. This money supports teacher training, English language learners and the core infrastructure needed to help students and educators succeed. The longer the funds remain out of reach, the more we risk failing the very people our public education system is meant to serve.

    I will continue to speak out when this administration makes reckless decisions that jeopardize education and disrupt the lives of families who rely on it. Silence in the face of bad policy is not leadership. It is our responsibility to hold decision-makers accountable and fight for a future where every student has the tools they need to reach their full potential.”

    # # # #

    Sen. RaShaun Kemp represents the 38th Senate District, which includes a portion of Fulton County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0105 or by email at RaShaun.Kemp@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: RWS and Copyleaks Join Forces to Deliver Built-in AI and Plagiarism Detection for Tridion Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAIDENHEAD, United Kingdom and BERKSHIRE, United Kingdom, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Copyleaks, the AI content analysis and governance platform trusted by enterprises, educators, and governments worldwide, today announced a strategic partnership with RWS, the global leader in language, content, and intellectual property services. Through a new native integration with Tridion Docs, the RWS intelligent content management solution, Copyleaks’ award-winning AI-generated text and plagiarism detection capabilities now operate seamlessly within RWS content workflows, empowering organizations to publish with confidence and integrity at scale.

    As generative AI transforms content creation, organizations face an unprecedented challenge: ensuring the authenticity and originality of the content they publish. From technical documentation and marketing copy to regulatory content and training materials, businesses need to verify not just what they publish, but how it was created and whether it’s safe to use.

    Copyleaks’ comprehensive content integrity platform combines advanced AI detection with plagiarism prevention in one powerful solution. The platform identifies AI-generated text from leading models, including ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Claude, with an accuracy rate of over 99% and support for more than 30 languages. Its sophisticated detection capabilities extend beyond surface-level scans to catch advanced evasion tactics, including character substitution, paraphrasing, and blended human-AI writing.

    At the heart of this detection power is AI Logic, Copyleaks’ latest innovation that reveals the ‘why’ behind AI detection. Unlike traditional black-box approaches, AI Logic provides transparent insights through AI Phrases, which highlight linguistic patterns commonly found in AI-generated content, and AI Source Match, which determines whether text matches AI-generated content that has already been published elsewhere. This level of transparency enables content teams to make informed decisions with clarity and confidence, rather than relying on guesswork.

    Seamless Integration, Powerful Results

    Tridion already helps organizations manage complex, multilingual content at scale. With Copyleaks’ integration, content teams gain automatic analysis capabilities that scan text, code, and paraphrased material before publication. This creates a robust workflow where content authored in Tridion Docs is automatically analyzed by Copyleaks, ensuring every document meets organizational standards for originality and authenticity without disrupting publication cycles.

    Key Integration Benefits

    Automated Content Analysis: Content drafted or uploaded in Tridion Docs undergoes real-time Copyleaks scanning, with issues surfacing instantly to keep projects on schedule while maintaining quality standards.

    AI Governance and Policy Enforcement: Administrators can establish acceptable AI usage policies and receive detailed explanations for any flagged content through AI Logic’s transparent analysis, enabling responsible AI adoption across teams.

    Comprehensive Content Coverage: The integration supports text, code snippets, and multiple file formats, detecting everything from exact copying to sophisticated paraphrasing across diverse content types.

    Enterprise-Scale API Integration: Organizations can extend Copyleaks analysis to any Tridion workflow or third-party system through streamlined API connectivity.

    “Our customers need speed, but never at the expense of integrity,” said Alon Yamin, CEO and co-founder of Copyleaks. “By embedding our detection capabilities directly into Tridion, writers and reviewers can identify AI usage, plagiarism, or licensing risks the moment they occur – no additional steps and no file uploads; just clean, verifiable content that organizations can trust.”

    The Copyleaks connector for Tridion Docs is available immediately to joint customers worldwide. Organizations interested in adding advanced content analysis to their Tridion environment can contact their RWS account representative or request a demonstration at Copyleaks.com.

    About Copyleaks

    Copyleaks is a leading AI text analysis platform empowering businesses and educational institutions to navigate the evolving landscape of generative AI with confidence. With an award-winning suite of AI-powered tools trusted by millions globally, Copyleaks ensures AI governance, enables responsible AI adoption, safeguards intellectual property, and maintains academic integrity through comprehensive AI and plagiarism detection capabilities.

    For additional information, visit Copyleaks.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

    About RWS

    RWS is a global content solutions company powered by a combination of advanced technology and human expertise. The company enhances the value of ideas, data, and content by helping organizations be understood everywhere.

    With proprietary technology, more than 45 AI patents, and a global team of specialists, RWS enables organizations to bring ideas to market faster, build deeper cross-cultural relationships, and expand into new markets with confidence. Its solutions drive business growth and open up a world of opportunities.

    More than 80 of the world’s top 100 brands rely on RWS to fuel innovation, inform strategic decisions, and shape impactful brand experiences.

    Operating from over 60 global locations across five continents, RWS supports clients across nearly every industry. Headquartered in the UK, the company has been innovating since 1958 and is publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s regulated market (RWS.L).

    For further information, please visit: rws.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ASM reports second quarter 2025 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almere, The Netherlands
    July 22, 2025, 6 p.m. CET
     
    Solid Q2 results against a backdrop of continued mixed market conditions

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today reports its Q2 2025 results (unaudited).

    Financial highlights

    € million Q2 2024 Q1 2025 Q2 2025
    New orders 755.4 834.2 702.5
    yoy change % at constant currencies 56% 14% (4%)
           
    Revenue 706.1 839.2 835.6
    yoy change % as reported 6% 31% 18%
    yoy change % at constant currencies 6% 26% 23%
           
    Gross profit 352.0 447.8 433.2
    Gross profit margin % 49.8  % 53.4  % 51.8  %
           
    Operating result 177.6 266.2 258.5
    Operating result margin % 25.1  % 31.7 % 30.9  %
           
    Adjusted operating result 1 182.3 271.0 263.2
    Adjusted operating result margin %1 25.8  % 32.3 % 31.5  %
           
    Net earnings (losses) 159.0 (28.9) 202.4
    Adjusted net earnings 1 164.7 191.9 173.0

    1 Adjusted figures are non-IFRS performance measures. Refer to Annex 3 for a reconciliation of non-IFRS performance measures.

    • New orders of €702 million in Q2 2025 decreased by 4% over the same period last year at constant currency (decreased by 7% as reported). Compared to Q1 2025, orders decreased by 10% at constant currency. This sequential decrease is explained by lower advanced logic/foundry orders due to timing of orders. The y-o-y decrease was mainly due to the lumpy nature of quarterly order intake and compared to a relatively high memory contribution in Q2 2024.
    • Revenue of €836 million increased by 23% at constant currencies (increased by 18% as reported) from Q2 last year. At constant currencies, revenue increased by 7% compared to Q1 2025, which was above our guidance range of +1% to +6% at constant currencies. Revenue in Q2 2025 was driven by foundry, followed by memory, and logic.
    • Gross profit margin of 51.8% in Q2 2025 improved compared to 49.8% in Q2 last year, while it decreased, as expected, compared to 53.4% in Q1 2025. Q2 2025 margin remained healthy thanks to mix, including continued strong sales to China.
    • Adjusted operating result margin of 31.5% increased by 5.7% points compared to the same period last year and slightly decreased by 0.8% points compared to previous quarter. The y-o-y improvement is mainly due to higher gross profit margin this quarter, and a one-off tax charge which resulted in a higher SG&A cost last year.
    • Reported net earnings included a reversal of impairment of €34 million from our stake in ASMPT (Q1 included a €215 million impairment), triggered by the increase in market valuation in the recent period. There is no cash impact. Following the impairment, and in line with our accounting policy, the changes in the market value of ASMPT will be included in our quarterly net results in case of further decline or until the impairment charge has been reversed.

    Comment

    “ASM continued to deliver solid quarterly results against a backdrop of mixed market conditions. Sales increased by 23% year-on-year at constant currencies to €836 million,” said Hichem M’Saad, CEO of ASM. “Compared to the first quarter of 2025 revenue increased by +7%, which was above the top end of our guidance. The y-o-y increase was led by the logic/foundry segment as well as continued momentum in our spares & services business.

    The market environment continued to show a mixed picture in the second quarter. Growth in AI is fueling ongoing capacity expansions in the leading-edge logic/foundry and HBM-related DRAM segments, while conditions in most of the other market segments are still slow.

    Bookings amounted to €702 million in Q2 2025, down 10% compared to Q1 at constant currencies, mainly due to lower advanced logic/foundry bookings. However, the underlying trend in this segment, particularly in gate-all-around (GAA), remains healthy and we expect related leading-edge logic/foundry bookings to pick up again in Q3.

    The gross margin, while down from a high level of 53.4%, remained strong at 51.8%, again driven by product and customer mix, improved operational efficiency and a better-than-expected contribution from China sales. For the full year 2025, we still expect the gross margin to be in the upper half of the target range of 46%-50%. This excludes any potential direct impact from tariffs, which at this point remains difficult to predict. We have various scenarios in place to mitigate potential financial impacts.

    Operating profit increased strongly in Q2, by approximately 40% adjusted for a one-off expense last year, on the back of increased sales, gross margin improvement and continued cost control, whilst continuing to invest in R&D.

    We are well positioned to at least maintain our ALD and epi market share from the first to the second GAA logic/foundry nodes and remain focused on further share gains in memory, as ALD and epi intensity grows in upcoming DRAM nodes.”

    Outlook

    We expect revenue in the second half of 2025 to be approximately similar to the level in the first half, at constant currencies. For Q3 2025, we expect total ASM revenue to be flat to slightly lower, in a range of 0% to -5% at constant currencies compared to Q2 2025. As a reminder, with the Q1 2025 results we changed our quarterly revenue guidance from absolute Euro amounts to growth rates at constant currencies, given the increased exchange rate volatility in the recent periods and ASM’s significant USD revenue exposure (>80% of sales).
    For Q3 2025, we expect advanced logic/foundry bookings to be higher than in Q2 2025 and China bookings to be lower, with the overall book-to-bill in Q3 projected to be below 1.

    Based on comparable sales in the second half versus the first half, we expect revenue growth at constant currencies in 2025 to be around the midpoint of the guidance range of +10% to +20%. We continue to expect to outperform the WFE market, which is forecasted to grow slightly this year. Uncertainties related to tariffs, geopolitical tensions and the overall economic outlook continue to be relatively high.
    The key growth driver for ASM this year is the high-volume manufacturing ramp of the 2nm GAA node. Despite some further shifts in capex forecasts among customers in this segment, our view for a strong increase in advanced logic/foundry sales in 2025 has not changed. Demand in advanced HBM-related DRAM applications remains solid, but conditions in the other parts of the memory market are sluggish. Against a very strong level last year, we still expect the memory contribution to drop this year (to less than 20% of equipment sales in 2025 versus 25% in 2024).

    In the power/analog/wafer segment equipment demand remains depressed with no meaningful sales recovery in the remainder of the year, despite some early signs of improvement in the related end markets.
    Demand in the Chinese market held up better than initially expected in the first half. We now expect China equipment sales in 2025 to be around the top end of the previously guided range of low to high 20s percentage of total ASM revenue. China sales and bookings in the second half are projected to be lower than in the first half.

    Share buyback program

    The €150 million share buyback program, announced in February 2025, started on April 30, 2025. On June 30, 2025, 40% of the program was completed at an average share price of €486.48 under ASM’s share buyback program (of which 28.6% has been delivered and settled in cash within the reporting period, and the remainder on July 1, 2025).

    Investor Day

    We will host our 2025 Investor Day on September 23. Speakers will include our CEO, CFO and other members of ASM’s senior management team. Further details will be announced later.

    Interim financial report

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today also publishes its Interim Financial Report for the six-month period ended June 30, 2025.

    This report includes an Interim Management Board Report, including ESG update, and condensed consolidated interim financial statements prepared in accordance with IAS 34 (Interim Financial Reporting). The Interim Financial Report comprises regulated information within the meaning of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (“Wet op het Financieel Toezicht”) and is available in full on our website www.asm.com.

    About ASM

    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, pandemics, epidemics and other risks indicated in the company’s reports and financial statements. The company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances.

    This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Quarterly earnings conference call details

    ASM will host the quarterly earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. CET.

    Conference-call participants should pre-register using this link to receive the dial-in numbers, passcode and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    A simultaneous audio webcast and replay will be accessible at this link.

    Contacts  
    Investor and media relations Investor relations
    Victor Bareño Valentina Fantigrossi
    T: +31 88 100 8500 T: +31 88 100 8502
    E: investor.relations@asm.com E: investor.relations@asm.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ASM reports second quarter 2025 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almere, The Netherlands
    July 22, 2025, 6 p.m. CET
     
    Solid Q2 results against a backdrop of continued mixed market conditions

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today reports its Q2 2025 results (unaudited).

    Financial highlights

    € million Q2 2024 Q1 2025 Q2 2025
    New orders 755.4 834.2 702.5
    yoy change % at constant currencies 56% 14% (4%)
           
    Revenue 706.1 839.2 835.6
    yoy change % as reported 6% 31% 18%
    yoy change % at constant currencies 6% 26% 23%
           
    Gross profit 352.0 447.8 433.2
    Gross profit margin % 49.8  % 53.4  % 51.8  %
           
    Operating result 177.6 266.2 258.5
    Operating result margin % 25.1  % 31.7 % 30.9  %
           
    Adjusted operating result 1 182.3 271.0 263.2
    Adjusted operating result margin %1 25.8  % 32.3 % 31.5  %
           
    Net earnings (losses) 159.0 (28.9) 202.4
    Adjusted net earnings 1 164.7 191.9 173.0

    1 Adjusted figures are non-IFRS performance measures. Refer to Annex 3 for a reconciliation of non-IFRS performance measures.

    • New orders of €702 million in Q2 2025 decreased by 4% over the same period last year at constant currency (decreased by 7% as reported). Compared to Q1 2025, orders decreased by 10% at constant currency. This sequential decrease is explained by lower advanced logic/foundry orders due to timing of orders. The y-o-y decrease was mainly due to the lumpy nature of quarterly order intake and compared to a relatively high memory contribution in Q2 2024.
    • Revenue of €836 million increased by 23% at constant currencies (increased by 18% as reported) from Q2 last year. At constant currencies, revenue increased by 7% compared to Q1 2025, which was above our guidance range of +1% to +6% at constant currencies. Revenue in Q2 2025 was driven by foundry, followed by memory, and logic.
    • Gross profit margin of 51.8% in Q2 2025 improved compared to 49.8% in Q2 last year, while it decreased, as expected, compared to 53.4% in Q1 2025. Q2 2025 margin remained healthy thanks to mix, including continued strong sales to China.
    • Adjusted operating result margin of 31.5% increased by 5.7% points compared to the same period last year and slightly decreased by 0.8% points compared to previous quarter. The y-o-y improvement is mainly due to higher gross profit margin this quarter, and a one-off tax charge which resulted in a higher SG&A cost last year.
    • Reported net earnings included a reversal of impairment of €34 million from our stake in ASMPT (Q1 included a €215 million impairment), triggered by the increase in market valuation in the recent period. There is no cash impact. Following the impairment, and in line with our accounting policy, the changes in the market value of ASMPT will be included in our quarterly net results in case of further decline or until the impairment charge has been reversed.

    Comment

    “ASM continued to deliver solid quarterly results against a backdrop of mixed market conditions. Sales increased by 23% year-on-year at constant currencies to €836 million,” said Hichem M’Saad, CEO of ASM. “Compared to the first quarter of 2025 revenue increased by +7%, which was above the top end of our guidance. The y-o-y increase was led by the logic/foundry segment as well as continued momentum in our spares & services business.

    The market environment continued to show a mixed picture in the second quarter. Growth in AI is fueling ongoing capacity expansions in the leading-edge logic/foundry and HBM-related DRAM segments, while conditions in most of the other market segments are still slow.

    Bookings amounted to €702 million in Q2 2025, down 10% compared to Q1 at constant currencies, mainly due to lower advanced logic/foundry bookings. However, the underlying trend in this segment, particularly in gate-all-around (GAA), remains healthy and we expect related leading-edge logic/foundry bookings to pick up again in Q3.

    The gross margin, while down from a high level of 53.4%, remained strong at 51.8%, again driven by product and customer mix, improved operational efficiency and a better-than-expected contribution from China sales. For the full year 2025, we still expect the gross margin to be in the upper half of the target range of 46%-50%. This excludes any potential direct impact from tariffs, which at this point remains difficult to predict. We have various scenarios in place to mitigate potential financial impacts.

    Operating profit increased strongly in Q2, by approximately 40% adjusted for a one-off expense last year, on the back of increased sales, gross margin improvement and continued cost control, whilst continuing to invest in R&D.

    We are well positioned to at least maintain our ALD and epi market share from the first to the second GAA logic/foundry nodes and remain focused on further share gains in memory, as ALD and epi intensity grows in upcoming DRAM nodes.”

    Outlook

    We expect revenue in the second half of 2025 to be approximately similar to the level in the first half, at constant currencies. For Q3 2025, we expect total ASM revenue to be flat to slightly lower, in a range of 0% to -5% at constant currencies compared to Q2 2025. As a reminder, with the Q1 2025 results we changed our quarterly revenue guidance from absolute Euro amounts to growth rates at constant currencies, given the increased exchange rate volatility in the recent periods and ASM’s significant USD revenue exposure (>80% of sales).
    For Q3 2025, we expect advanced logic/foundry bookings to be higher than in Q2 2025 and China bookings to be lower, with the overall book-to-bill in Q3 projected to be below 1.

    Based on comparable sales in the second half versus the first half, we expect revenue growth at constant currencies in 2025 to be around the midpoint of the guidance range of +10% to +20%. We continue to expect to outperform the WFE market, which is forecasted to grow slightly this year. Uncertainties related to tariffs, geopolitical tensions and the overall economic outlook continue to be relatively high.
    The key growth driver for ASM this year is the high-volume manufacturing ramp of the 2nm GAA node. Despite some further shifts in capex forecasts among customers in this segment, our view for a strong increase in advanced logic/foundry sales in 2025 has not changed. Demand in advanced HBM-related DRAM applications remains solid, but conditions in the other parts of the memory market are sluggish. Against a very strong level last year, we still expect the memory contribution to drop this year (to less than 20% of equipment sales in 2025 versus 25% in 2024).

    In the power/analog/wafer segment equipment demand remains depressed with no meaningful sales recovery in the remainder of the year, despite some early signs of improvement in the related end markets.
    Demand in the Chinese market held up better than initially expected in the first half. We now expect China equipment sales in 2025 to be around the top end of the previously guided range of low to high 20s percentage of total ASM revenue. China sales and bookings in the second half are projected to be lower than in the first half.

    Share buyback program

    The €150 million share buyback program, announced in February 2025, started on April 30, 2025. On June 30, 2025, 40% of the program was completed at an average share price of €486.48 under ASM’s share buyback program (of which 28.6% has been delivered and settled in cash within the reporting period, and the remainder on July 1, 2025).

    Investor Day

    We will host our 2025 Investor Day on September 23. Speakers will include our CEO, CFO and other members of ASM’s senior management team. Further details will be announced later.

    Interim financial report

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today also publishes its Interim Financial Report for the six-month period ended June 30, 2025.

    This report includes an Interim Management Board Report, including ESG update, and condensed consolidated interim financial statements prepared in accordance with IAS 34 (Interim Financial Reporting). The Interim Financial Report comprises regulated information within the meaning of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (“Wet op het Financieel Toezicht”) and is available in full on our website www.asm.com.

    About ASM

    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, pandemics, epidemics and other risks indicated in the company’s reports and financial statements. The company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances.

    This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Quarterly earnings conference call details

    ASM will host the quarterly earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. CET.

    Conference-call participants should pre-register using this link to receive the dial-in numbers, passcode and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    A simultaneous audio webcast and replay will be accessible at this link.

    Contacts  
    Investor and media relations Investor relations
    Victor Bareño Valentina Fantigrossi
    T: +31 88 100 8500 T: +31 88 100 8502
    E: investor.relations@asm.com E: investor.relations@asm.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Inside Information: Nokia lowers 2025 operating profit guidance due to currency  

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Inside information
    22 July 2025 at 19:00 EEST

    Inside Information: Nokia lowers 2025 operating profit guidance due to currency
      

    • Nokia lowers its comparable operating profit guidance range to EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion from EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion.  
    • Adjustment relates to currency headwinds from the weaker USD and tariffs. 
    • Reports preliminary Q2 financial results of approximately EUR 4.55 billion net sales and EUR 0.3 billion comparable operating profit.  


    Espoo, Finland – Nokia is today providing an update to its financial guidance for full year 2025. Nokia’s underlying business performed as expected through the first half, however, considering currency and tariff headwinds which are outside its control and have transpired since its Q1 results, the company feels it is prudent at this point to lower its operating profit outlook range. Nokia is lowering its comparable operating profit outlook range to EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion (previously EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion). Nokia’s guidance for free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit remains 50% to 80%. Nokia’s guidance is now based on a EUR:USD rate of 1.17, while the currency rate used in January was 1.04.

    Since Nokia provided guidance in January for the full year 2025, two headwinds outside its control are impacting the 2025 outlook. The largest headwind is currency fluctuations (particularly the weaker USD), an approximately EUR 230 million negative impact (EUR 140 million operationally and EUR 90 million from non-cash venture fund currency revaluations). Also, the current tariff landscape is expected to impact full year operating profit by EUR 50 million to EUR 80 million.  

    Update to Nokia’s financial outlook for 2025 

      Updated  Previous (Issued 30 Jan) 
    Comparable Operating Profit1  EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion  EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion 
    Free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit  50% to 80%  50% to 80% 

    1 Outlook is based on a EUR:USD rate of 1.17 for the remainder of the year.

    In the second quarter, based on its preliminary financials, Nokia expects to report net sales of approximately EUR 4.55 billion and comparable operating profit of EUR 300 million. The Q2 comparable operating profit includes a negative impact from its venture funds of EUR 50 million primarily related to currency.  

    Nokia will release its second quarter and half year 2025 financial results on Thursday 24th July 2025.  

    Nokia will conduct a conference call with analysts and investors to discuss its second quarter performance and business outlook on 24 July 2025 at 11:30am EEST / 09:30am BST / 04:30am US EST.  

    About Nokia

    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia
    Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 931 580 507 
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

    Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia’s current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, projects, programs, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics, geopolitical conflicts and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain, the timing of market changes or turning points in demand and our customers’ businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, cost savings, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, tariffs, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, value creation, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to transactions, investments and changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including “anticipate”, “continue”, “believe”, “envisage”, “expect”, “aim”, “will”, “target”, “may”, “would”, “could“, “see”, “plan”, “ensure” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties identified in our 2024 annual report on Form 20-F published on 13 March 2025 under Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors.

    The MIL Network –