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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Explosive Ernst Report Exposes Government Boondoggles $160 Billion Over Budget

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – After her years of advocacy led to the defunding of the California Crazy Train, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is releasing an explosive new report exposing other taxpayer-funded projects that are billions of dollars over budget or more than five years behind schedule.
    Her report details how the worst boondoggles have racked up a combined $162.9 billion in cost overruns from their original projections.
    “Slamming the brakes on the California Crazy Train – that I fought for years to defund – was a strong start, but there is a lot more work to do,” said Ernst. “The boondoggles I am exposing are collectively $160 billion over budget and need to be brought to a squealing halt. When a government project goes off the rails, the public deserves to know. My bipartisan Billion Dollar Boondoggles Act ensures that all future boondoggles like these are publicized.”
    “If you’re receiving taxpayer dollars, you should expect to be held accountable by the American people,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “No more boondoggles! Thank you, Senator Ernst, for your leadership in Congress to ensure federal dollars are being used effectively and efficiently.”
    Some of the worst boondoggles other than the California Crazy Train uncovered by Ernst include:

    The Department of Veterans Affairs electronic health record system upgrade that has tripled in cost from an initial $16.1 billion price tag to $49.8 billion.

    Additionally, flaws with the new system may have contributed to the deaths of several veterans and caused harm to others.

    The Bay Area Rail Transit Extension – that Nancy Pelosi tried to sneak funding for into a COVID relief bill – has ballooned in costs from $4.7 billion to $12.8 billion.

    At nearly $2 billion per mile, it’s been labeled “the worst new transit project in the U.S.”

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis moon mission launch booster and engine contracts that have already run $6 billion over budget.

    The real budget is a blackhole because “NASA hasn’t established an official cost estimate.”

    Read Ernst’s full report, “Off the Rails, the Billion Dollar Boondoggles Taking Taxpayers for a Ride,” here.
    Background:
    Ernst has long led the fight calling out government boondoggles, including the California High-Speed Rail, that are billions over budget and years behind schedule.
    In 2022, Ernst successfully inserted a provision into the Inflation Reduction Act requiring the Department of Transportation (DOT) to keep track of projects paid for by taxpayers that are a billion dollars over budget or behind schedule. After the Biden administration refused to enact the provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, Ernst continued her efforts and pushed for her Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act in 2023 to expose these government projects.
    In April 2025, Ernst asked the Trump administration to provide a list of billion dollar boondoggle projects funded by DOT that are either over budget or behind schedule. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy ended the Biden administration’s years of stonewalling and worked to get the data to Ernst.
    Ernst’s Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act advanced out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this week. The bill would replicate this report across all of government to further expose wasteful projects sucking up tax dollars.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Cutting red tape, cultivating growth

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: American Leadership in the Digital Finance Revolution

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Good afternoon. Thank you, Norm, for your kind introduction and the invitation to be here. It gives me great pleasure to be with you all, particularly at what I believe is a defining moment for American leadership in the crypto asset markets. Before I share a few reflections, I want to thank the America First Policy Institute for convening such a timely conversation. And, I must note, in order to keep my compliance folks happy, that the views I express here today are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the SEC as an institution or of the other Commissioners.

    ***

    Today, I would like to discuss what Commissioner Hester Peirce and I are calling “Project Crypto,” which will be the SEC’s north star in aiding President Trump in his historic efforts to make America the “crypto capital of the world.”[1] But before I discuss our plan for crypto market primacy, let me take a few moments to revisit some inflection points in the history of our financial markets that bear similarities to the one we are at now, so that the future we shape is worthy of the legacy that we inherit.

    Evolution of Capital Markets: From Buttonwood to Blockchain

    The winds of innovation have always swept through our capital markets, often at gale force. In 1792, they rustled the leaves of a buttonwood tree, beneath which two dozen stockbrokers assembled to establish the forerunner to the New York Stock Exchange. That modest agreement—fewer than a hundred words handwritten on a slip of parchment—set in motion an elegant design that would govern the flow of capital for generations.[2]

    In the centuries since, our markets have never stood still. They have expanded, evolved, and reinvented themselves in step with the ideas and technologies of their time. Markets are dynamic because of the people who participate in them. Markets channel human ingenuity toward society’s most intractable problems by rewarding those who develop the most innovative solutions that others value enough to buy. They are the mechanism by which Adam Smith’s invisible hand elevates those who act in the common good—even when pursuing their own.

    The SEC’s role is to safeguard markets that allow the spark of human creativity and skill to benefit society. Over the arc of its history, the agency has both enabled innovation and, regrettably at times, stifled it. Fortunately, progress has a way of prevailing. And when our regulatory posture is calibrated to meet innovation with thoughtfulness rather than fear, America’s leadership position has only grown stronger.

    ***

    In the 1960s—before my time, I am happy to say—Wall Street was riding a bull market. But behind the scenes, our market machinery was straining to keep up. Most clearing and settlement transactions involved a costly and cumbersome process. Rising stacks of paper stock certificates had to be physically delivered by clerks wheeling carts up and down Wall Street and in other financial districts all across America.[3] It was a scene from another century struggling to meet the demands of the modern securities markets.

    Indeed, the paper-based clearance and settlement systems, built for a gentler era, began to buckle under the weight of soaring volumes. Delays at one firm held up the work of another. Securities were lost or stolen. Fails ballooned. And many thinly capitalized broker-dealers were caught by the whiplash of scuttled transactions. In desperation, trading hours were reduced and exchanges eventually closed on Wednesdays to allow firms to process the mountains of certificates.

    The breakdown over an antiquated system was described by the SEC chairman at the time as “the most prolonged and severe crisis in the securities industry in 40 years… Firms failed. Investor confidence plummeted.” And very much to its credit, the SEC was proactive in remedying the so-called “Paperwork Crisis.” The agency helped market participants to develop the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, which would transform how securities were held and traded.[4] Instead of shuffling paper certificates from customer to broker, broker to broker, and broker to customer, title to shares could now be transferred through computerized ledger entries.[5] The certificates themselves were immobilized, stored securely in vaults, as ownership moved electronically, laying the foundation for the modern clearing and settlement system that has continued to this day.

    The ticker tape machine—like the one here—was also a breakthrough of its time, revolutionizing how Americans accessed market information, line by line, trade by trade.[6] But breakthroughs don’t belong in the past.

    By the late 1990s, electronic trading systems surged in popularity, unsettling old assumptions about how markets should function. Chairman Arthur Levitt likewise believed it behooved the SEC to provide regulatory flexibility for the electronic markets to innovate.[7] So, Regulation Alternative Trading Systems, or “Reg ATS,” adopted in 1999, allowed for ATSs to be regulated like broker-dealers, rather than like exchanges.[8]

    So, this brings me to today. To a moment that demands American ambition. To a project that can unleash it.

    Our regulatory framework need not be anchored to an analog past—unkind to new frontiers. After all, the future is arriving at full speed—and the world is not waiting. America must do more than just keep pace with the digital asset revolution. We must drive it.

    Forging the Future: America’s Leadership in the Golden Age of Finance

    So today, I would like the world to go on notice that under my leadership, the SEC will not stand idly by and watch innovations develop overseas while our capital markets remain stagnant. To achieve President Trump’s vision of making America the crypto capital of the world, the SEC must holistically consider the potential benefits and risks of moving our markets from an off-chain environment to an on-chain one.

    We are at the threshold of a new era in the history of our markets. As I mentioned earlier, today I am announcing the launch of “Project Crypto”—a Commission-wide initiative to modernize the securities rules and regulations to enable America’s financial markets to move on-chain.

    Just a few weeks ago, President Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law, ensuring that America will continue to lead in global payments with a gold standard stablecoin regulatory framework. Upon signing the GENIUS Act into law, I was pleased that President Trump endorsed Congressional efforts to pass crypto market structure legislation by the end of the year. I commend the House of Representatives for garnering such strong bipartisan support, and I look forward to working with the Senate as they build off the House’s work and craft market structure legislation that future proofs our markets against regulatory mischief, cementing the United States as the crypto capital of the world.

    Yesterday, the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets released the PWG Report with clear recommendations for the SEC and other federal agencies to build a framework to maintain U.S. dominance in crypto asset markets. This report is the blueprint to make America first in blockchain and crypto technology. The President said last week that he wants “the entire world running on the backbone of American technology.”[9] I stand ready to help get that job done.

    That is why I am launching Project Crypto and directing the SEC’s policy divisions to work with the Crypto Task Force, led by Commissioner Peirce, to swiftly develop proposals to implement the PWG’s recommendations. Project Crypto will help ensure that the United States remains the best place in the world to start a business, develop cutting-edge technologies, and participate in capital markets. We will reshore the crypto businesses that fled our country, particularly those that were crippled by the previous administration’s regulation-by-enforcement crusade and “Operation Chokepoint 2.0”[10] Whether an incumbent or a new entrant, the SEC welcomes all market participants who are hungry to innovate.

    In accord with the PWG Report’s recommendations, I have directed the Commission staff to draft clear and simple rules of the road for crypto asset distributions, custody, and trading for public notice and comment. While the Commission staff works to finalize these regulations, the Commission and its staff will in the coming months consider using interpretative, exemptive, and other authorities to make sure that archaic rules and regulations do not smother innovation and entrepreneurship in America. Many of the Commission’s legacy rules and regulations do not make sense in the twenty-first century—let alone for on-chain markets. The Commission must revamp its rulebook so that regulatory moats do not hinder progress and competition—from both new entrants and incumbents—to the detriment of Main Street.[11]

    Onshoring Crypto: A New Day at the SEC

    Now, Project Crypto will involve a broad range of initiatives across the Commission. 

    First, we will work to bring crypto asset distributions back to America. The days of convoluted offshore corporate structures, decentralization theater, and confusion over security status, are over. President Trump has said that America is in its Golden Age—and under our new agenda, our crypto asset economy will be, too.

    In line with the PWG Report, a key priority of mine will be to establish—as swiftly as we can—a regulatory framework for distributions of crypto assets in America. Capital formation is at the heart of the SEC’s mission, yet for too long the SEC ignored market demands for choice and disincentivized crypto-based capital raising.[12] As a result, crypto markets pivoted away from offering crypto assets and deprived investors of the opportunity to use this technology to contribute to productive economic enterprises. The SEC’s head-in-the-sand posture—as well as its shoot first, ask questions later approach—are days of the past.

    Despite what the SEC has said in the past, most crypto assets are not securities. But confusion over the application of the “Howey test” has led some innovators to prophylactically treat all crypto assets as such. American entrepreneurs are harnessing blockchain technology to modernize a broad range of legacy systems and instruments. One such entrepreneur is Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, a successful businessman and freshman senator, who before his election to the Senate founded a company that put car titles on the blockchain.[13] He saw a need for efficiency in transferring titles and devised a practical solution with the new technology.  These entrepreneurs need—and deserve—bright-line rules for determining whether the securities laws apply to their businesses.

    I have directed the Commission staff to work to develop clear guidelines that market participants can use to determine whether a crypto asset is a security or subject to an investment contract. Our goal is to help market participants to slot crypto assets into categories, such as digital collectibles, digital commodities, or stablecoins, and assess the economic realities of a transaction. This approach can allow market participants to determine, based upon clear guidelines, whether any outstanding promises or commitments of the issuer cause the crypto asset to be subject to an investment contract.

    In addition, it should not be a scarlet letter to be deemed a security. We need a regulatory framework for crypto asset securities that allows these products to flourish within American markets. Many issuers will prefer the flexibility in product design that the securities laws afford, and investors will benefit from the opportunity to earn distributions, voting rights, and other features typical of securities. Projects should not be forced to establish decentralized autonomous organizations and offshore foundations or decentralize too early if this is not their desired plan of action. I am excited to see new use cases for crypto asset securities in commerce, such as the ability to participate in blockchain network consensus with tokenized equities.

    Thus, for those crypto asset transactions that are subject to the securities laws, I have asked staff to propose purpose-fit disclosures, exemptions, and safe harbors, including for so-called “initial coin offerings,” “airdrops,” and network rewards. Regarding these sorts of transactions, our goal should be that issuers no longer exclude Americans from their distributions to avoid legal complexity and lawsuits,[14] but instead choose to include Americans to enjoy legal certainty and an accommodating regulatory environment. It is my view that a Cambrian explosion in innovation could occur if we stay true to this course.

    Additionally, many firms seek to “tokenize” their common stock, bonds, partnership interests, and other securities, or tokenize the securities of third parties.[15] Much of this innovation is offshore today due to regulatory challenges in the United States. I also hear from our regulatory policy staff that firms—from household names on Wall Street to unicorn tech companies in Silicon Valley—are lined up at our doors with requests to tokenize. I have asked the Commission staff to work with firms seeking to distribute tokenized securities within the United States and to provide relief where appropriate to assure that Americans are not left behind. 

    Enhancing Freedom: Choice Among Custodians and Trading Venues

    Second, to achieve the President’s goals, it is incumbent on the SEC to ensure that market participants have maximum choice when deciding where to custody and trade crypto assets.  As I have said before, the right to have self-custody of one’s private property is a core American value.[16] I believe deeply in the right to use a self-custodial digital wallet to maintain personal crypto assets and participate in on-chain activities like staking. However, some investors will continue to rely on SEC registrants, such as broker-dealers and investment advisers, to hold assets on their behalf, and these firms are subject to additional regulatory requirements when they do so. It will be a priority of my chairmanship to carry out the PWG Report’s recommendation to modernize the SEC’s custody requirements for registered intermediaries.

    The prior Administration’s “special-purpose broker-dealer” framework, SAB 121, and “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” resulted in a dearth of custodial service provider options in the market today.[17]  The existing custody rules were created without crypto assets in mind. I have directed the staff to consider how best to adapt the existing regime to facilitate the custody of crypto assets, including possible exemptive or other relief, in addition to changes to the rules themselves.

    As the PWG Report recommends, market participants “should be permitted to engage in multiple business lines under the most efficient licensing structure possible.” We should not force market participants to be stretched to fit a Procrustean bed of regulation for regulation’s sake. I am in favor of affording them the freedom to choose the most efficient regulatory framework for their business, provided that the framework adequately protects investors.

    Facilitating Super-Apps: Horizontal Integration of Product Offerings

    Third, a key priority of my chairmanship is to allow market participants to innovate with “super-apps.”[18] I am often asked, “What do you mean by a super-app?” Plain and simple: securities intermediaries should be able to offer a broad range of products and services under one roof with a single license. A broker-dealer with an alternative trading system should be able to offer trading in non-security crypto assets alongside crypto asset securities, traditional securities, and other services, like crypto asset staking and lending, without requiring fifty-plus state licenses or multiple federal licenses. Nothing in the federal securities laws prohibits SEC-registered trading venues from listing non-securities on their platforms today, and I have directed the Commission staff to develop further guidance and proposals ultimately to make this “super-app” vision a reality. Maybe they’ll call it “Reg Super-App.”

    Consistent with the PWG Report, the SEC in concert with other regulators should strive to have the most efficient licensing structure for SEC registrants. They should not be unnecessarily subject to multiple regulators or regulatory regimes. This model has worked well for banks, which are broadly exempted from many duplicative regulatory frameworks, such as broker-dealer and clearing agency registration. Regulators should provide the minimum effective dose of regulation necessary to protect investors while allowing entrepreneurs and businesses to flourish. We should not overburden them with paternalistic regulation that could drive them offshore or make American companies less competitive internationally. Our regulators should unleash the forces of venue and product competition for the benefit of all Americans. We should not artificially constrain business models and impose duplicative regulatory costs on American businesses that favor the largest firms that are better able to bear the regulatory burdens.

    Per the PWG’s recommendations, I have directed the Commission staff to develop a framework that will allow non-security crypto assets and crypto asset securities to be traded side-by-side on SEC-regulated platforms. Additionally, I have asked the staff to evaluate the use of Commission authority to permit non-security crypto assets that are subject to an investment contract to trade on trading venues that are not registered with the Commission. I am keen to pursue such a solution, as it will not only enable state-licensed crypto asset platforms that are not registered with the SEC to list certain crypto assets, but it also clears the way for CFTC-regulated platforms to offer these products with margin capabilities—even without Congress providing the CFTC with any additional authority, unlocking even greater liquidity for these assets.

    Unleashing U.S. Markets: Big Beautiful On-Chain Software Systems

    Fourth, I have directed the Commission staff to update antiquated agency rules and regulations to unleash the potential of on-chain software systems in our securities markets. On-chain software comes in many shapes and sizes—some of these systems are truly decentralized and not operated by any intermediary. Other on-chain software systems have an operator. Both types of on-chain software should have a place within our financial markets. It is essential that any crypto asset regulatory market structure create a path for software developers to unleash on-chain software systems that do not require operation by any central intermediary. Decentralized finance software systems—like automated market makers—facilitate automated, non-intermediated financial market activity. Federal securities laws have always assumed the involvement of intermediaries that require regulation, but this does not mean that we should interpose intermediaries for the sake of forcing intermediation where the markets can function without them.

    We will create space in our markets for both models, by protecting pure publishers of software code, drawing reasonable lines to distinguish intermediated and disintermediated activity, and creating rational and workable rules of the road for intermediaries that seek to operate on-chain software systems. Decentralized finance and other forms of on-chain software systems will be part of our securities markets and not drowned out by duplicative or unnecessary regulation.

    To make this vision a reality, we will need to consider some changes to our rules. For example, accommodating trading of tokenized securities on-chain may require us to explore amendments to Reg NMS, in addition to what we otherwise would do in the normal course to correct market distortions that it engenders. Many of you will remember that I co-authored with Commissioner Cynthia Glassman a lengthy dissent to the adoption of Reg NMS twenty years ago last month.[19] This dissent is even more compelling now that we have had two decades of prescriptive requirements that distort market activity and impede the evolution of our securities markets. Congress clearly intended that “competitive forces, rather than unnecessary regulation, guide the development of the national market system.”[20] I will look for ways to bring us back in line with that intent and thereby promote innovation and competition in our markets.

    Fostering Innovation:  Commercial Viability is Our True North

    Finally, innovation and entrepreneurialism are the engines of the American economy. President Trump has described America as a “nation of builders.”[21] Under my leadership, the Commission will encourage our nation’s builders rather than constrain them with red tape and one-size-fits-all rules. While the Commission is actively considering industry requests that could jumpstart innovative activity, we are also contemplating an innovation exemption that would allow registrants and non-registrants to quickly go to market with new business models and services that do not neatly fit within our existing rules and regulations. The Commission will continue to ensure that market participants adhere to certain conditions and requirements designed to achieve the policy aims of the federal securities laws.

    Under my vision for an innovation exemption, innovators and visionaries will be able to immediately enter the market with new technologies and business models but will not be required to comply with incompatible or burdensome prescriptive regulatory requirements that hinder productive economic activity. Instead, they will be able to comply with certain principles-based conditions designed to achieve the core policy aims of the federal securities laws. These conditions may include, for example, a commitment to make periodic reports to the Commission, incorporate whitelisting or “verified pool” functionality, and restrict tokenized securities that do not adhere to a token standard that incorporates compliance features, such as ERC3643.[22] I encourage market participants and SEC staff alike to have an eye towards commercial viability when contemplating what various models could look like.

    ***

    As we advance these priorities, I look forward to working with my counterparts across the Administration to make the United States the crypto capital of the world. This represents more than a regulatory shift—it is a generational opportunity.

    From the leaves of a buttonwood tree to ledgers on a blockchain, the winds of innovation still blow—and it is our task that they carry American leadership forward. After all, ladies and gentlemen, we have never been content to follow. We will not watch from the sidelines. We will lead. We will build. And, we will ensure that the next chapter of financial innovation is written right here in America.

    Thank you very much for your time today. I encourage you to be attentive to our coming announcements and proposals and, as always, I welcome your thoughtful comments and suggestions.

    [2] See The History of NYSE, New York Stock Exchange, https://www.nyse.com/history-of-nyse.

    [3] See Wall Street: The Paperwork Predicament, Time Magazine (June 21, 1968), https://time.com/archive/6636314/wall-street-the-paperwork-predicament/.

    [4] See A Short History of the Depository Trust Company, Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society (1999), https://www.sechistorical.org/collection/papers/1990/1999_0101_DTCHistory.pdf.

    [6] Danny Lewis, The Physical Stock Ticker Is a Relic, But Its Influence Reverberates Loudly Today, Smithsonian Magazine (Nov. 15, 2016), https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-physical-stock-ticker-is-a-relic-but-its-influence-reverberates-loudly-today-180961092/.

    [7] Transformation & Regulation: Equities Market Structure, 1934 to 2018: Reg ATS, Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society, https://www.sechistorical.org/museum/galleries/msr/msr04c_reg_ats.php.

    [10] See, e.g., David H. Thompson et al., Operation Choke Point 2.0: The Federal Bank Regulators Come For Crypto, Cooper & Kirk (Mar. 24, 2023),  https://www.cooperkirk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Operation-Choke-Point-2.0.pdf; Testimony of Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer, Coinbase, Before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Feb. 6, 2025), https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/117858/witnesses/HHRG-119-BA09-Wstate-GrewalP-20250206.pdf.

    [11] See The White House, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation (Jan. 31, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-prosperity-through-deregulation/.

    [12] See e.g., Commissioner Hester Peirce, Hobs and Hobbes: Wharton FinTech Lecture, Securities and Exchange Commission (Nov. 1, 2024), https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-remarks-wharton-fintech-110124.

    [13] See e.g., Akash Sriram, California DMV puts 42 million car titles on blockchain to fight fraud, Reuters (July 30, 2024), https://www.reuters.com/technology/california-dmv-puts-42-million-car-titles-blockchain-fight-fraud-2024-07-30/.

    [14] See Danny Nelson, Crypto Airdrops Ban U.S. Users, but Americans Are Claiming Tokens Anyway, CoinDesk (Aug. 21, 2024), https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/08/21/crypto-airdrops-ban-us-users-but-americans-are-claiming-tokens-anyway.

    [15] See e.g., CNBC Television, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink: ‘I want the SEC to rapidly approve tokenization of bonds and stocks’, YouTube (Jan. 23, 2025), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi3q_upPjBM.

    [16] Chairman Paul Atkins, Remarks at Crypto Task Force Roundtable on Decentralized Finance, Securities and Exchange Commission (June 9, 2025), https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/atkins-remarks-defi-roundtable-060925.

    [17] See Commissioner Hester Peirce, Lava and Lamps: Opening Remarks for Crypto Custody Roundtable, Securities and Exchange Commission (Apr. 25, 2025), https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-lava-lamps-opening-remarks-crypto-custody-roundtable-042525.

    [18] Chairman Paul Atkins, Prepared Remarks Before SEC Speaks, Securities and Exchange Commission (May 19, 2025), https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/atkins-prepared-remarks-sec-speaks-051925.

    [19] Commissioners Cynthia Glassman and Paul Atkins, Dissent of Commissioners Cynthia A. Glassman and Paul S. Atkins to the Adoption of Regulation NMS, Securities and Exchange Commission (June 9, 2005), https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/final/34-51808-dissent.pdf.

    [21] Hendrix, supra note 11.

    [22] For additional  information on the ERC3643 protocol, see Overview of the Protocol: ERC-3643 Permissioned Tokens, ERC3643 Association, https://docs.erc3643.org/erc-3643.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CAMBODIA – Countering misinformation and spreading messages of love, tolerance, and courage: Cambodian and Thai youth united in harmony

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 31 July 2025

    ANS

    Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) – “We ask every man and woman, every child and elderly person with a good heart, to overcome conflict and choose the path of humility, wisdom, and dialogue.” This is what was said in the joint statement by young people from the Salesian centers in Cambodia and Thailand.Although just days after the ceasefire between the two countries, which began on the evening of Monday, July 28, mediated by the Malaysian government, Thailand has already accused Cambodia of “a flagrant violation.”Faced with the rising number of deaths and displaced people caused by the clashes that have been ongoing for days (see Fides, 24/7/2025), these young people have launched the initiative “Meditation for Peace with Don Bosco, our Common Father.” Drawing on the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity, they highlight the importance of values such as compassion, nonviolence, and reconciliation. According to a statement from the Salesians, the initiative focuses on their shared spiritual heritage: Buddhist mindfulness and nonviolence, along with the Christian and Salesian vocation to reconciliation and service.The youth leaders also warn against “a dirty digital war,” urging their peers to counter misinformation and instead spread messages of love, tolerance, and courage. “Peace does not require silence, but courage. May our shared history and faith be a bridge, not a barrier,” they emphasize in their statement. And while diplomats work to find a solution, the voices of young Cambodians and Thais remind the world that peace is not born in conference rooms, but in the hearts of those who have the courage to imagine it.The conflict, centered on the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple and colonial-era borders, escalated on July 24, 2025, marking one of the most serious clashes in the last ten years. The violence has claimed 30 lives and forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 31/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – Caritas Bunia: “In July alone, more than 100 people died in Ituri despite the state of siege in place for four years”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “In our province alone, in July, more than 100 people, including women and children, were brutally murdered in attacks of unspeakable brutality.” This was revealed by the diocesan Caritas of Bunia (Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo), whose territory includes the church of Blessed Anuarite de Komanda, attacked by a commando unit of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on the night of Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 (see Fides, 28/7/2025).The 100 deaths recorded in July of this year alone represent, according to Caritas Bunia, “the flagrant failure of the state of siege” decreed on May 3, 2021, by President Félix Tshisekedi in Ituri and North Kivu, with the aim of “neutralizing the armed groups operating in the two provinces, restoring state authority through a temporary military government, protecting the civilian population, and stabilizing the region.””Four years and nearly 100 extensions later, the results are disappointing because new armed groups have emerged and are more active than ever,” Caritas states. Impunity reigns, and massacres continue without investigation or prosecution of the criminals. Even worse, there is compelling evidence revealing the complicity, passive or active, of the Congolese army, as in the recent Lopa massacre, where CODECO militiamen desecrated the Church of Saint John of Capistrano (see Fides, 23/7/2025). The desecration of the church “forced His Excellency Monsignor Dieudonné Uringi, Bishop of Bunia, to close the parish, whose reopening remains undefinite.”Meanwhile, more details have emerged about the attack on the village of Komanda. The attackers entered the village around 2:00 a.m. from their stronghold on Mount Hoyo. They attacked the parish church of Blessed Anuarite, killing about twenty people with machetes who were attending a prayer vigil. Other bodies were found in burned homes and businesses near the church, including that of a charred man found in a truck set on fire by the attackers. The total death toll is 43, with dozens injured.According to Caritas, the attack on the village of Komanda has sown widespread panic, causing a mass exodus of its population to Bunia, Beni, and Kisangani. It has also led to the suspension of economic and religious activities. All of this has exacerbated the existing humanitarian crisis due to the influx of newly displaced people. Caritas Bunia denounces “the unacceptable passivity of the security forces and MONUSCO (UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), which, despite being stationed less than 3 kilometers from the crime scene, failed to intervene to protect civilians.”In a statement sent to Fides, Caritas Bunia highlights the deteriorating security situation in Ituri: “With the emergence of a new rebel movement (Convention for Popular Revolution), recently founded by Thomas Lubanga and his accomplices in Uganda, and the unnatural alliances between the regular army (FARDC) and the criminal militias it was supposed to fight, Ituri is sinking into unprecedented chaos. The population, left to itself, no longer knows who to trust.”To prevent further massacres and improve security in the area, Caritas calls for the immediate lifting of the state of siege, describing it as “an ineffective measure rejected by the population”; the replacement of all FARDC and police personnel deployed in Komanda during the July 27 massacre, as well as in Lopa during the massacres and destruction of July 21, 2025; and the urgent review of civil protection strategies to prevent further tragedies. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 31/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/ETHIOPIA – Negotiations between Addis Ababa and Somalia over sea access stalled

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 31 July 2025

    Wikipedia

    by Cosimo GrazianiAddis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) – According to diplomatic sources familiar with the matter, diplomatic negotiations between Ethiopia and Somalia to resolve the issue of Addis Ababa’s access to the sea and the related permit granted by Mogadishu are stalled. The last round of negotiations between the two countries took place in February, but the news leaked in the first weeks of July.The announcement has repercussions for African geopolitics, specifically in the Horn of Africa region, and worldwide, as it affects, for example, the transport of goods across the Red Sea.At the heart of the issue is Ethiopia’s request for sea access. In January of last year, the Ethiopian government signed an agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland to gain access to the sea through a twenty-kilometer stretch along the latter’s coast. Somalia’s reaction, from which Somaliland formally separated, was swift, and Turkey intervened to resolve the dispute, mediating between the two sides. Its mediation led to an agreement last December between the two countries.Thereafter, Somalia and Ethiopia began technical negotiations to explore the possibility of sea access for Addis Ababa, but no meeting between the two countries’ delegations had been scheduled since last April. In addition to sea access, the possibility of recognizing Somaliland’s independence was also on the negotiating table, according to the same diplomatic source cited by the Somali news agency Shabelle.Ethiopia has never officially committed to this diplomatic move, which, moreover, remains a resource it can use at any time.While the December 2024 agreement was considered a success for Turkish diplomacy in Africa, the news of the current impasse weakens Ankara’s position on the continent. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invested considerably in recent years, both economically and politically, in his country’s presence throughout the African continent, especially in the Horn of Africa, whose role in international logistics is crucial. Turkey is present in Africa thanks to a dense network of religious institutions that have facilitated its cultural and social penetration; it has opened embassies throughout the continent; it has signed various military agreements, most notably one last year with Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ghana; and Turkish Airlines, the Turkish flag carrier, currently operates flights to more than fifty African destinations. Africa has also acquired strategic importance for Turkey due to its maritime presence, and from this perspective, its presence in the Horn of Africa is even more so. If an agreement brokered by Ankara in the region fails, Turkey’s own position will also be affected.The central issue in relations between Ethiopia and Somalia is the sovereignty of the latter. If Ethiopia were to give in on its recognition of Somaliland, the state would risk being completely dismembered. Armed clashes have recently erupted in the Puntland region, which has been at war with the central government since last year over constitutional amendments approved at the proposal of Somali President Hassan Mohamud. The clashes have occurred between local and pro-government forces. Like Somaliland, which declared its independence from Mogadishu thirty years ago, Puntland has been demanding greater autonomy from the central government since 1998.In this situation, Egypt could gain political leverage in the region, after years of tense relations with Ethiopia, particularly regarding the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile. Turkish mediation between Ethiopia and Somalia had removed it from the dispute, but the stalled negotiations have brought Cairo back into the game of current and future regional balances. At the beginning of the second week of July, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with his Somali counterpart and promised increased vigilance in the Red Sea. This was a gesture for Addis Ababa, but also for Ankara, as part of the improvement in relations between Egypt and Turkey in other contexts, such as the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya. (Agenzia Fides, 31/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A World of Water exhibition asks: ‘Can the seas survive us?’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Kenneth Paranada, Curator of Art and Climate Change, University of East Anglia

    Water is at the heart of the disruption wrought by climate change. The seas, once seen as vast and stable, are now unpredictable and restless.

    That tidy, looping diagram of the water cycle once pinned up in primary school classrooms – clouds, rivers, evaporation and rain – now reads more like a fragmented recollection than a dependable process. Human impact has cracked that once-stable loop wide open.

    Sea levels inch upward year on year. Droughts grow more prolonged and severe. Rainfall becomes erratic and violent. What was once spoken of in future tense is now present and pressing.

    In Norfolk, land and sea have long coexisted in an uneasy truce. Here, the threat of sea level rise is not a speculative concern, it is data-backed, visible and accelerating.

    According to research from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, vast swathes of Norfolk risk being submerged by rising seas if global temperatures rise by even two degrees celsius. It is one of the most at-risk areas in the UK.

    Against this backdrop comes the Sainsbury Centre’s exhibition, A World of Water (part of the Can the Seas Survive Us? season). In the show, water is explored as subject, medium and metaphor. It is both agent and witness, shaping civilisations, sustaining life, and now challenging our ability to coexist with it.

    Curated through an interdisciplinary lens, the exhibition was shaped by deep collaboration with scientists, artists, ecologists, activists and coastal communities. Rooted in lived experience, from a two-day walk along the Wherry Man’s Way to a 36-hour sail aboard a 1921 fishing smack, the curatorial process traced fragile coastlines and the North Sea’s rapid transformation into an industrial nexus of energy infrastructures.

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    The curatorial approach to the show embraces the multifaceted nature of water by weaving together maritime history, Indigenous knowledge and contemporary works rooted in the artists’ experiences.

    Many of the participating artists hail from communities already wrestling with rising tides and the realities of climate disruption. Their contributions form three thematic currents: Mudplume, Water Water Everywhere and In a State of Flux.

    These overlapping threads investigate how water connects, nourishes and imperils. Rather than positioning the sea as a line of division, the exhibition reframes it as a living, connective tissue linking culture, history and ecology.

    A curatorial geomorphology of the sea

    Guidance for the exhibition’s conceptual framework came, fittingly, from water itself. Its mutable nature – solid, liquid, vapour – shaped the rhythm of the curatorial process. Rather than impose a rigid thesis, the exhibition offers an ever-shifting constellation of perspectives.

    The exhibition journey begins with sound. Visitors are welcomed by a low murmur, tides lapping, water dripping, echoing through the museum entrance. This leads to Spiral Fosset (2024), a sculptural work by the Dutch collective De Onkruidenier.

    Mirroring the central staircase of the museum, the piece suggests the brackish confluence where fresh and saltwater mingle. From here, the viewer descends into the lower galleries, reimagined as an estuary.

    Within the lower galleries, artworks unfold like coastal mudflats at low tide. Seventeenth-century Dutch seascapes hang alongside photographs, video works and sculptures made from plastic waste. Sands from the beaches of Cromer, Happisburgh and Cley are featured, anchoring the exhibition in local terrain.

    East Anglia’s centuries-old ties with the Low Countries form a steady through line. Hendrick van Anthonissen’s View of Scheveningen Sands (1641) shares space with works by Norwich School masters such as John Sell Cotman, John Crome and Robert Ladbrooke.

    This approach privileges resonance over chronology. The exhibition avoids a linear march through time in favour of prioritising association, connection and drift. For instance, Shore Compass by Olafur Eliasson (2019) sits in subtle dialogue with Jodocus Hondius’s 1589 Drake Map an early cartographic rendering of Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the world.

    Created during the height of European maritime expansion and colonialism, the map illustrates the interplay between empire, navigation and power. Time, like tide, is allowed to meander.

    The exhibition adopts what might be called a “curatorial geomorphology”: a way of curating that draws on the sculpting force of water. In the natural sciences, geomorphology examines how landscapes are formed and reshaped by flowing water, storms and tides, while hydrology traces water’s movement through the environment.

    This curatorial approach translates those scientific ideas into a cultural and creative practice. Like a river, it flows through histories, stories and meanings. What unfolds is a tidal narrative, an estuary of thought where time loosens, the present deepens and new futures begin to surface.

    Visitors to A World of Water can expect something different from a traditional gallery experience. It invites you to think with the seas, to tune into their rhythms, tensions and secret lives.

    As you wander through the galleries, you enter a realm shaped by flux, expect to feel and reimagine a world where land, water and life move as one. And perhaps, by moving as water does, we may begin to sense an answer to the question: Can the Seas Survive Us? Not in certainty, but through our collective and individual actions toward a more regenerative and sustainable future.

    A World of Water is at the Sainsbury Centre Norwich until August 3. It’s part of a six-month season of interlinked exhibitions and events that explore the question: “Can the seas survive us?”

    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.

    John Kenneth Paranada received funding from the John Ellerman Foundation; the Art Fund’s Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grant; the Association of Art Museum Curators’ EPIC Curatorial Fellowship Award; the Mondriaan Fund’s International Art Presentation Grant; the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ Cultural Diplomacy Grant; and Arts Council England’s National Lottery Fund for the project A World of Water: Can the Seas Survive Us? at the Sainsbury Centre.

    – ref. A World of Water exhibition asks: ‘Can the seas survive us?’ – https://theconversation.com/a-world-of-water-exhibition-asks-can-the-seas-survive-us-262057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why some underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis – and others, just little ripples

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Blackett, Reader in Physical Geography and Natural Hazards, Coventry University

    After a massive earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka, a peninsula in the far east of Russia, on July 30 2025, the world watched as the resultant tsunami spread from the epicentre and across the Pacific Ocean at the speed of a jet plane.

    In some local areas, such as in Russia’s northern Kuril Islands, tsunami waves reached heights of over three metres. However, across the Pacific there was widespread relief in the hours that followed as the feared scenario of large waves striking coastal communities did not materialise. Why was this?

    Not all underwater earthquakes result in tsunamis. For a tsunami to be generated, the Earth’s crust at the earthquake site must be pushed upwards in a movement known as vertical displacement. This typically occurs during reverse faulting, or its shallow-angled form known as thrust faulting, where one block of the Earth’s crust is forced up and over another, along what is called a fault plane.

    It is no coincidence that this type of faulting movement occurred at a subduction zone on “the Pacific ring of fire”, where the dense oceanic Pacific plate is being forced beneath the less dense Eurasian continental plate.

    These zones are known for generating powerful earthquakes and tsunamis because they are sites of intense compression, which leads to thrust faulting and the sudden vertical movement of the seafloor. Indeed, it was the ring of fire that was also responsible for the two most significant tsunami-generating earthquakes of recent times: the 2004 Indonesian Boxing Day and March 2011 Tohoku earthquakes.

    Why did the Indonesian and Japanese earthquakes generate waves over 30 metres high, but the recent magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Kamchatka (one of the strongest ever recorded) didn’t? The answer lies in the geology involved in these events.

    In the case of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, the sea floor was measured to have risen by up to five metres within a rupture zone of 750,000 sq km.

    For the tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011, estimates indicate the seafloor was thrust upwards by nearly three metres within a rupture zone of 90,000 sq km.

    Preliminary data from the recent Kamchatka event has been processed into what geologists call a finite fault model. Rather than representing the earthquake as a single point, these models show where and how the crust ruptured, including the length of that rupture in Earth’s crust, its depth and what direction it followed.

    The model results show that the two sides of the fault slipped by up to ten metres along a fault plane of 18°, resulting in about three metres of vertical uplift. Think of it like walking ten metres up an 18° slope: you don’t rise ten metres into the air, you only rise about three metres, because most of your movement is forward rather than upward.

    However, since much of this occurred at depths greater than 20km (over an area of 70,000 sq km) the seabed displacement would probably have been reduced as the overlying rock layers absorbed and diffused the motion before it reached the surface.

    For comparison, the associated slippage for the Tohoku and Indonesian events was as shallow as 5km in places.

    An added complication

    So, while the size of sea floor uplift is key to determining how much energy a tsunami begins with, it is the processes that follow – as the wave travels and interacts with the coastline – that can transform an insignificant tsunami into a devastating wall of water at the shore.

    As a tsunami travels across the open ocean it is often barely noticeable – a long, low ripple spread over tens of kilometres. But as it nears land, the front of the wave slows down due to friction with the seabed, while the back continues at speed, causing the wave to rise in height. This effect is strongest in places where the sea floor gets shallow quickly near the coast.

    The shape of the coastline is also important. Bays, inlets and estuaries can act like funnels that further amplify the wave as it reaches shore. Crescent City in California is a prime example. Fortunately however, when the wave arrived in Crescent City on July 30 2025, it reached a height of just 1.22 metres – still the highest recorded in the continental US.

    So, not every powerful undersea earthquake leads to a devastating tsunami — it depends not just on the magnitude, but on how much the sea floor is lifted and whether that vertical movement reaches the ocean surface.

    In the case of the recent Russian quake, although the slip was substantial, much of it occurred at depth, meaning the energy wasn’t transferred effectively to the water above. All of this shows that while earthquake size is important, it’s the precise characteristics of the rupture that truly decide whether a tsunami becomes destructive or remains largely insignificant.

    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.

    Matthew Blackett 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. Why some underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis – and others, just little ripples – https://theconversation.com/why-some-underwater-earthquakes-cause-tsunamis-and-others-just-little-ripples-262352

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Your dog can read your mind – sort of

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura Elin Pigott, Senior Lecturer in Neurosciences and Neurorehabilitation, Course Leader in the College of Health and Life Sciences, London South Bank University

    Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock.com

    Your dog tilts its head when you cry, paces when you’re stressed, and somehow appears at your side during your worst moments. Coincidence? Not even close.

    Thousands of years of co-evolution have given dogs special ways to tune in to our voices, faces and even brain chemistry. From brain regions devoted to processing our speech to the “love hormone” or oxytocin that surges when we lock eyes, your dog’s mind is hardwired to pick up on what you’re feeling.

    The evidence for this extraordinary emotional intelligence begins in the brain itself. Dogs’ brains have dedicated areas that are sensitive to voice, similar to those in humans. In a brain imaging study, researchers found that dogs possess voice-processing regions in their temporal cortex that light up in response to vocal sounds.

    Dogs respond not just to any sound, but to the emotional tone of your voice. Brain scans reveal that emotionally charged sounds – a laugh, a cry, an angry shout – activate dogs’ auditory cortex and the amygdala – a part of the brain involved in processing emotions.

    Dogs are also skilled face readers. When shown images of human faces, dogs exhibit increased brain activity. One study found that seeing a familiar human face activates a dog’s reward centres and emotional centres – meaning your dog’s brain is processing your expressions, perhaps not in words but in feelings.

    Dogs don’t just observe your emotions; they can “catch” them too. Researchers call this emotional contagion, a basic form of empathy where one individual mirrors another’s emotional state. A 2019 study found that some dog-human pairs had synchronised cardiac patterns during stressful times, with their heartbeats mirroring each other.

    This emotional contagion doesn’t require complex reasoning – it’s more of an automatic empathy arising from close bonding. Your dog’s empathetic yawns or whines are probably due to learned association and emotional attunement rather than literal mind-mirroring.

    The oxytocin effect

    The most remarkable discovery in canine-human bonding may be the chemical connection we share. When dogs and humans make gentle eye contact, both partners experience a surge of oxytocin, often dubbed the “love hormone”.

    In one study, owners who held long mutual gazes with their dogs had significantly higher oxytocin levels afterwards, and so did their dogs.

    This oxytocin feedback loop reinforces bonding, much like the gaze between a parent and infant. Astonishingly, this effect is unique to domesticated dogs: hand-raised wolves did not respond the same way to human eye contact. As dogs became domesticated, they evolved this interspecies oxytocin loop as a way to glue them emotionally to their humans. Those soulful eyes your pup gives you are chemically binding you two together.

    Beyond eye contact, dogs are surprisingly skilled at reading human body language and facial expressions. Experiments demonstrate that pet dogs can distinguish a smiling face from an angry face, even in photos.

    Dogs show a subtle right-hemisphere bias when processing emotional cues, tending to gaze toward the left side of a human’s face when assessing expressions – a pattern also seen in humans and primates.

    When dogs and humans make eye contact, both experience a surge of oxytocin.
    Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock.com

    Dogs rely on multiple senses to discern how you’re feeling. A cheerful, high-pitched “Good boy!” with a relaxed posture sends a very different message than a stern shout with rigid body language. Remarkably, they can even sniff out emotions. In a 2018 study, dogs exposed to sweat from scared people exhibited more stress than dogs that smelled “happy” sweat. In essence, your anxiety smells unpleasant to your dog, whereas your relaxed happiness can put them at ease.

    Bred for friendship

    How did dogs become so remarkably attuned to human emotions? The answer lies in their evolutionary journey alongside us. Dogs have smaller brains than their wild wolf ancestors, but in the process of domestication, their brains may have rewired to enhance social and emotional intelligence.

    Clues come from a Russian fox domestication experiment. Foxes bred for tameness showed increased grey matter in regions related to emotion and reward. These results challenge the assumption that domestication makes animals less intelligent. Instead, breeding animals to be friendly and social can enhance the brain pathways that help them form bonds.

    In dogs, thousands of years living as our companions have fine-tuned brain pathways for reading human social signals. While your dog’s brain may be smaller than a wolf’s, it may be uniquely optimised to love and understand humans.

    Dogs probably aren’t pondering why you’re upset or realising that you have distinct thoughts and intentions. Instead, they excel at picking up on what you’re projecting and respond accordingly.

    So dogs may not be able to read our minds, but by reading our behaviour and feelings, they meet us emotionally in a way few other animals can. In our hectic modern world, that cross-species empathy is not just endearing; it’s evolutionary and socially meaningful, reminding us that the language of friendship sometimes transcends words entirely.

    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.

    Laura Elin Pigott 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. Your dog can read your mind – sort of – https://theconversation.com/your-dog-can-read-your-mind-sort-of-261720

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: By building the world’s biggest dam, China hopes to control more than just its water supply

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    China’s already vast infrastructure programme has entered a new phase as building work starts on the Motuo hydropower project.

    The dam will consist of five cascade hydropower stations arranged from upstream to downstream and, once completed, will be the world’s largest source of hydroelectric power. It will be four times larger than China’s previous signature hydropower project, the Three Gorges Dam, which spans the Yangtse river in central China.

    The Chinese premier, Li Qiang, has described the proposed mega dam as the “project of the century”. In several ways, Li’s description is apt. The vast scale of the project is a reflection of China’s geopolitical status and ambitions.

    Possibly the most controversial aspect of the dam is its location. The site is on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo river on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau. This is connected to the Brahmaputra river which flows into the Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh as well as Bangladesh. It is an important source of water for Bangladesh and India.

    Both nations have voiced concerns over the dam, particularly since it can potentially affect their water supplies. The tension with India over the dam is compounded by the fact that Arunachal Pradesh has been a focal point of Sino-Indian tensions. China claims the region, which it refers to as Zangnan, saying it is part of what it calls South Tibet.

    At the same time, the dam presents Beijing with a potentially formidable geopolitical tool in its dealings with the Indian government. The location of the dam means that it is possible for Beijing to restrict India’s water supply.

    This potential to control downstream water supply to another country has been demonstrated by the effects that earlier dam projects in the region have had on the nations of the Mekong river delta in 2019. As a result, this gives Beijing a significant degree of leverage over its neighbours.

    One country restricting water supply to put pressure on another is by no means unprecedented. In fact in April 2025, following a terror attack by Pakistan-based The Resistance Front in Kashmir, which killed 26 people (mainly tourists), India suspended the Indus waters treaty, restricting water supplies to Pakistani farmers in the region. So the potential for China’s dam to disrupt water flows will further compound the already tense geopolitics of southern Asia.

    Concrete titans

    The Motuo mega dam is an advertisement of China’s prowess when it comes to large-scale infrastructure projects. China’s expertise with massive infrastructure projects is a big part of modern Chinese diplomacy through its massive belt and road initiative.

    This involves joint ventures with many developing nations to build large-scale infrastructure, such as ports, rail systems and the like. It has caused much consternation in Washington and Brussels, which view these initiatives as a wider effort to build Chinese influence at their expense.

    The completion of the dam will will bring Beijing significant symbolic capital as a demonstration of China’s power and prosperity – an integral feature of the image of China that Beijing is very keen to promote. It can also be seen as a manifestation of both China’s aspiration and its longstanding fears.

    Harnessing the rivers

    The Motuo hydropower project also represents the latest chapter of China’s long battle for control of its rivers, a key story in the development of Chinese civilisation.

    Rivers such as the Yangtze have been at the heart of the prosperity of several Chinese dynasties (the Yangtse is still a major economic driver in modern China) and has devastated others. The massive Yangtse flood of 1441 threatened the stability of the Ming dynasty, while an estimated 2 million people died when the river flooded in 1931.

    France 24 report on the construction of the mega dam project.

    Such struggles have been embodied in Chinese mythology in the form of the Gun-Yu myth. This tells the story of the way floods displaced the population of ancient China, probably based on an actual flooding at Jishi Gorge on the Yellow River in what is now Qinghai province in 1920BC.

    This has led to the common motif of rivers needing human control to abate natural disaster, a theme present in much classical Chinese culture and poetry.

    The pursuit of controlling China’s rivers has also been one of the primary influences on the formation of the Chinese state, as characterised by the concept of zhishui 治水 (controlling the rivers). Efforts to control the Yangtze have shaped the centralised system of governance that has characterised China throughout its history. In this sense, the Motuo hydropower project represents the latest chapter in China’s quest to harness the power of its rivers.

    Such a quest remains imperative for China and its importance has been further underlined by the challenges of climate change, which has seen natural resources such as water becoming increasingly limited. The Ganges river has already been identified as one of the world’s water scarcity hotspots.

    As well as sustaining China’s population, the hydropower provided by the dam is another part of China’s wider push towards self-sufficiency. It’s estimated that the dam could generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year – about the same about produced by the whole UK. While this will meet the needs of the local population, it also further entrenches China’s ability to produce cheap electricity – something that has enabled China to become and remain a manufacturing superpower.

    Construction has only just begun, but Motuo hydropower project has already become a microcosm of China’s wider push towards development. It’s also a gamechanger in the geopolitics of Asia, giving China the potential to exert greater control in shaping the region’s water supplies. This in turn will give it greater power to shape the geopolitics of the region.

    At the same time, it is also the latest chapter of China’s longstanding quest to harness its waterways, which now has regional implications beyond anything China’s previous dynasties could imagine.

    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.

    Tom Harper 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. By building the world’s biggest dam, China hopes to control more than just its water supply – https://theconversation.com/by-building-the-worlds-biggest-dam-china-hopes-to-control-more-than-just-its-water-supply-261984

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ezell, Kiggans, Malliotakis Introduce Port Crane Tax Credit of 2025 to Boost National Security and Domestic Manufacturing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Ezell (Mississippi 4th District)

    U.S. Representatives Mike Ezell (MS-04), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), and Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) introduced the Port Crane Tax Credit of 2025, legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish tax credits that incentivize the domestic production of port cranes, a critical step toward strengthening U.S. supply chain security and revitalizing American manufacturing.

    The bill comes in response to growing bipartisan concerns over foreign-made port infrastructure—particularly cranes manufactured in adversarial nations—being installed at key U.S. shipping terminals. The proposed tax credit would reduce the financial burden for companies investing in American-made cranes and components, encouraging domestic production and reducing U.S. reliance on foreign suppliers for critical port equipment.

    “Our ports are essential to our economy—and our national security,” Ezell said. “They serve as the gateways for trade, driving billions of dollars in commerce and supporting millions of jobs across the country. But more than that, they are critical infrastructure, and their vulnerability can pose real risks to our national safety. From cybersecurity threats to supply chain disruptions, foreign control over critical components—like ship-to-shore cranes—creates unacceptable exposure to espionage, sabotage, and logistical choke points. The Port Crane Tax Credit of 2025 is about putting American workers and American safety first. It will incentivize the production and deployment of domestically manufactured cranes, reduce our dependence on adversarial nations, and stimulate investment in American manufacturing and innovation. This isn’t just an economic policy—it’s a national security imperative. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to strengthen our ports, empower our workforce, and reinforce the foundation of American resilience.”

    “Port security is vital, not just to our economy, but to our national defense. And yet many of these ports don’t get the security they so desperately need. The threat of cyber intrusions and espionage from the Chinese Communist Party is real. We must do everything in our power to protect our critical infrastructure, and that includes securing the cranes that operate at our ports,” Kiggans said. “I’m deeply concerned that so many of our ports are forced to use cranes manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), a Chinese state-owned company. It makes no sense to let our top adversary build and maintain the very equipment that powers our supply chains. I’m proud to support the Port Crane Tax Credit Act introduced by my colleague Rep. Ezell, which will empower our port operators to use American-made cranes. Port security is national security. The work our ports do is imperative—we cannot afford to leave that in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”

    “Our bipartisan legislation delivers strong incentives to produce port cranes and expand domestic manufacturing right here in the United States, advancing our America First agenda to rebuild domestic industry and protect our national security,” Malliotakis said. “For maritime communities like ours, that means more good-paying jobs, a stronger local economy, and greater independence from foreign supply chains.”

    “Without safe, reliable and affordable cranes, America’s ports would not be able to move the goods that sustain our economy and support the daily lives of American consumers,” Cary S. Davis, AAPA President and CEO said. “Instead of levying unfair taxes on port development, the Port Cranes Tax Credit Act is a tangible first step on the supply side towards incentivizing the reshoring of key CHE in the coming years since there are currently no domestic STS crane manufacturers. We thank lead sponsors Representatives Ezell and Malliotakis, alongside original cosponsors, Representatives Weber and Kiggans, for recognizing the need for supply side incentives – not punishments on the demand side through taxes – and encourage others concerned about the future of the port industry and our nation’s supply chains to support this bill and quickly get it to President Trump’s desk.”

    “Congressman Mike Ezell’s leadership on the Port Crane Tax Credit Act of 2025 is exactly the kind of forward-thinking support Gulf Coast ports like ours need to stay competitive and meet the demands of a modern, American-made supply chain,” Bo Ethridge, Port Director, Port Pascagoula. “Port Pascagoula plays a critical role in the regional economy, and as manufacturing continues to return to U.S. shores, our port is experiencing increased demand and new growth opportunities. Yet we remain the only major Gulf Coast port without cargo cranes, which is an infrastructure gap that limits our ability to diversify commodities. This legislation is a vital step toward closing that gap. With federal support, including incentives like this tax credit, we can move forward with the acquisition of two mobile harbor cranes that will significantly enhance our operational capabilities and position us to serve a broader range of industries and cargo types. We’re proud to work alongside Congressman Ezell to strengthen America’s ports and power the future of domestic manufacturing.”

    “Congressman Ezell’s Port Crane Tax Credit Act will help ensure America supports critical infrastructure by growing domestic crane manufacturing capacity,” Jon Nass, CEO and Executive Director, Port of Gulfport. “It creates a path to bring new skilled jobs to Mississippi and reinforces our ability to compete globally while supporting our maritime and port industries. We appreciate Congressman Ezell’s leadership on this important legislation.”

    “Strengthening and securing our nation’s supply chain resiliency depends on U.S.-built and manufactured port cranes.  This bill addresses urgent national security concerns, and our nation’s ports greatly benefit from this proposed legislation to create tax incentives to support domestic production of port infrastructure equipment,” explained Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President and CEO.

    “Modern cargo handling equipment is a major capital expense for Port operations. As the largest inland public port and logistic hub in Upstate New York, the Port of Albany couldn’t function without key equipment – from our mobile harbor cranes to our front loaders and forklifts. We have to keep the supply chain moving. If we have to wait six months, a year, even two years for a piece of equipment to be delivered, that should be unacceptable, but it’s become the norm due to market conditions,” Richard J. Hendrick Sr., Port of Albany CEO and AAPA Board of Directors Vice Chair said. “The Port’s been operating for almost one hundred years, and the numbers don’t lie – our overall economic impact on New York State is annually more than $813 million with approximately 4,500 related jobs. Vessel calls have increased 41% during the past year due to Heavy Lift work and breakbulk cargo. I’m proud of those numbers, and the people who make those numbers possible, year after year, but they need to have the right equipment. We need to support onshoring manufacturing and good manufacturing jobs, and to make sure that our U.S. ports are equipped to continue to get the job done. I applaud Representatives Malliotakis and Ezell, and original cosponsors Representatives Weber and Kiggans, for taking decisive action to move the 2025 Port Cranes Tax Credit Act forward.”

    The legislation aligns with broader efforts in Congress to protect critical infrastructure and bolster domestic supply chains in the face of growing economic and geopolitical threats.

    The Port Crane Tax Credit of 2025 is expected to draw bipartisan support and will be referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means for further consideration.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Trump’s envoy meets Netanyahu for Gaza aid, ceasefire push

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine is unfolding.

    Shortly after Witkoff’s arrival, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network: “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!”

    Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week with the sides trading blame for the impasse and gaps lingering over issues including the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal.

    Witkoff arrived with Israel facing mounting international pressure over the widespread destruction of Gaza and constraints on aid in the territory, with Canada the latest Western power to say it will recognise a Palestinian state.

    Israel on Wednesday sent a response to Hamas’ latest amendments to a U.S. proposal that would see a 60-day ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source familiar with the details said.

    There was no immediate comment from Hamas. Israeli officials have in recent days said Israel might declare that it would annex parts of Gaza if the stalemate continues.

    Gaza medical officials said at least 23 people were reported killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, including 12 people among crowds who had gathered to receive aid around the Netzarim corridor, an area held by Israeli troops in central Gaza.

    The Israeli military said that its troops had fired warning shots to disperse crowds that were endangering them with no casualties identified.

    Since the war began, the Gaza health ministry has recorded 156 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 90 children.

    Israel’s Public Broadcaster Kan said Witkoff would also visit an aid distribution site in Gaza.

    Confronted by rising international outrage over images of starving children, Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine.

    CALLS ON HAMAS TO DISARM

    The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Wednesday the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was “still far from enough”.

    Even with more aid running through Gaza, residents face peril from Israeli forces and Palestinian looters when trying to reach the supplies.

    “I have tried several times to grab a sack of flour. The only time I managed to do so, someone with a knife froze me in the street and took it away, threatening to stab me,” one man from Deir Al-Balah told Reuters, asking not to be identified.

    With the number of Palestinians killed in almost two years of war passing 60,000 this week, pressure has been mounting in Gaza on Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel.

    “We can save thousands of lives and maybe the war wouldn’t resume,” Rami from Gaza City told Reuters via a chat app.

    Mothers of hostages led a protest outside Netanyahu’s office, calling on the government to end the war.

    “End this nightmare,” said Yael Engel-Lichi, whose nephew had been taken hostage and released in a previous ceasefire. Twenty of the 50 hostages still held by militants in Gaza are believed to still be alive.

    Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition includes two far-right parties who want to conquer Gaza and re-establish Jewish settlements there, has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer rules the enclave and lays down its arms.

    Hamas has rejected calls to disarm.

    Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the ceasefire efforts, backed a declaration on Tuesday by France and Saudi Arabia which outlined steps for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The declaration says Hamas “must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority”, which is led by its rivals and exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

    Israel has ruled out the Palestinian Authority gaining control of Gaza and on Thursday Defence Minister Israel Katz and Justice Minister Yariv Levin voiced support for annexing the West Bank – territory which the Palestinians seek for a state.

    Israel has denounced declarations by France, Britain and Canada since last week that they may recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel says amounts to rewarding Hamas for its October 7, 2023 assault on Israeli territory.

    That attack, when fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, precipitated the war.

    German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, embarking on a visit to Israel, said negotiations for a two-state solution must begin but that for Germany, the recognition of a Palestinian state would come at the end of that process.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Triple threat, FIBA 3×3 is a slam dunk for Alberta

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa energy efficiency under the spotlight at G20 meeting

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Africa Energy Commission Executive Director, Rashid Ali Abdallah, has welcomed South Africa’s proposal – through the G20 Presidency legacy programme – to establish an energy efficiency facility.

    He was delivering remarks on the sidelines of the third G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting in the North West this week.

    Abdallah highlighted that for the African Union, energy efficiency is “at the core” of the development agenda through the African Energy Efficiency Strategy – which, amongst others, has set a target to increase energy productivity over the next 25 years.

    “To achieve African Energy Productivity target and contribute to the global doubling [of] energy efficiency by 2030… the continent needs access to sustainable finance and a strong coordination of the institutional framework with good human capacity.

    “It is for this reason that we welcome the proposal by the South African G20 Presidency to establish an energy efficiency legacy programme. This decision not only compliments our work as the African Union but reinforces the role of energy efficiency in addressing the challenge of energy security and equality,” he said.

    According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, some 600 million Africans still do not have access to electricity.

    Abdallah noted the South African government’s pursuance energy security and access.

    “This agenda is particularly relevant to Africa, as the continent is lagging in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal with over 70% of the population living in energy poverty. 

    “Access to renewable and affordable energy is essential to powering economies and powering essential services such as healthcare, clean water and education and improving living standards,” the Executive Director said.

    He added that as the African continent continues to improve sectors, including health, education, water and food security, “the importance of energy efficiency cannot be overlooked”.

    “Energy efficiency in Africa spans across all sectors. For example, 40% of utility in Africa Union states report electricity losses of over 20% – a stark contrast to the 6 to 10% seen in developed countries.

    “By improving this deficiency, we can save a significant amount of investment on the generation and transmission infrastructure on the continent. This compliments the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market and Continental Power System Master Plan initiative being spearheaded by the African Union,” Abdallah explained.

    Savings will also be extended to cash strapped households.

    “For household appliances and equipment, market transformation not only saves money but also accelerates access of modern cooking.

    “Adopting efficient lighting, modern transformer and cooling appliances has the potential to save African infrastructure investment equivalent to 40GW and more than US $20 billion in savings by 2040,” Abdallah said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa steps forward: SA G20 proposed Africa Energy Efficiency Facility hailed

    Source: Government of South Africa

    South Africa’s proposed Africa Energy Efficiency Facility could emerge as a defining achievement of the country’s G20 Presidency – a bold, continent-led initiative that embodies African leadership on the global stage and turns commitments into action.

    United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Chief of Mitigation Branch: Climate Division, Hongpeng Lei – who delivered remarks at a side event at the Energy Transitions Working Group meeting this week, applauded South Africa’s “vision of placing energy efficiency at the core of the… G20 energy agenda”.

    “This gathering is more than a technical forum. It is a political and strategic turning point. It is a moment where Africa steps forward with confidence and clarity to shift to a legacy of practical climate action rooted in equity, innovation and resilience.

    “We are here to lay the foundations for what could become a defining outcome of South Africa’s G20 Presidency – the African Energy Efficiency Facility. This initiative reflects the shared priorities of the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group. Affordability, energy access, climate resilience and inclusive growth… all begin with efficiency.”

    Hongpeng noted that South African leadership on the facility “references the G20 evolution from high level priorities to… regional action”. 

    “By the time we reach COP30 in Brazil, it could stand as a model on how the G20 delivers community, credibility and concrete solutions.

    “This facility, proudly championed by South Africa and the African Union and supported by UNEP is… a long-term platform to mobilise finance… technical assistance and skill up the efficiency solutions across the continent. 

    “It will serve as a strategic G20 legacy initiative. One that reflects the ethos of this Presidency, Africa led, globally supported and designed to deliver results where it matters the most,” Hongpeng said.

    The UNEP representative noted that energy efficiency is the most equitable pass way to reduce emissions, expand energy access and ensuring energy security.

    “But it is not just a numbers game. It is about development, dignity and delivery.

    “We have an opportunity and responsibility to ensure that this facility becomes more than a concept. Let it be the enduring symbol of what this G20 Presidency stands for – African solutions for global challenges built on equity, innovation and partnerships.

    “We call on G20 members, development banks and the African partners to secure predictable and ethical financing for this facility. Let the message be clear: Africa is not waiting, Africa is leading. Let us rise to the moment, deliver a legacy worthy of this G20,” Hongpeng concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNFPA urges governments to act on climate and gender at Global Symposium ahead of COP30

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    Brasília, Brazil, 31 July 2025 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Brazil today issued a powerful Call to Action urging governments to place gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at the heart of global climate response. The Call to Action was issued as the 2025 Global Symposium on Climate Justice and Impacted Populations draws to a close in Brasilia. 

    Held just months ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the high-level symposium was convened by UNFPA and the Government of Brazil to mobilize bold, rights-based, and gender-responsive climate action at a pivotal moment as countries revise their national climate plans and realign funding priorities.

    The Call to Action outlines a shared roadmap to put gender equality, SRHR, and protection from gender-based violence (GBV) at the center of global climate response. It identifies concrete steps for governments and institutions to take as they prepare for key COP30 milestones –  including the Belem Health Action Plan, a flagship COP30 initiative focused on strengthening health systems as part of global climate action.

    The Call to Action demands: 

    • More climate finance directed to women and girls, especially in crisis-affected settings
    • Stronger support for national and local partners to include SRHR and protection from GBV in climate policies
    • Greater investment in data and evidence to inform gender-responsive climate action
    • Stronger emergency preparedness and health systems that can withstand climate shocks
    • That SRHR and protection for GBV are finally included in the COP30 Gender Action Plan on climate change

    Women and girls are already paying a steep price for a climate crisis they did not cause. They face rising rates of gender-based violence, worsening maternal health outcomes, and growing barriers to essential services like contraception and safe childbirth. Yet most national climate policies overlook their needs. Key systems, including health, education, and protection services, remain underfunded and overstretched. Just a fraction of global climate finance is allocated to gender equality, and reliable data on how women and girls are affected remains scarce or nonexistent.

    “We are at a pivotal moment in our march against climate change — one that must unite us all. Let us leverage this moment to forge a path forward that ensures climate justice and strengthens the resilience of women and young people in the face of climate change,” said Diene Keita, UNFPA Acting Executive Director, in her opening remarks.

    The three-day hybrid event, which brought together more than 150 policymakers, researchers, youth leaders, and advocates from around the world, built on UNFPA’s first global convening on climate and SRHR, the International Symposium on SRHR, Gender and Climate Change Resilience, held in Pretoria ahead of ICPD25 in 2019. There, participants issued the Future Africa Call to Action – a shared advocacy agenda, urging governments to integrate SRHR and gender equality into climate resilience efforts. This year’s event took that work further, delivering the Brasília Call to Action as the next step to embed gender, health, and equity into climate decision-making — especially as countries prepare new climate commitments ahead of COP30. 

    “Many aspects of climate change and its impacts on populations were examined and further explored during the discussions of this symposium, reinforcing the understanding that it is impossible to advance resilience and sustainable development without integrating gender equality into environmental and climate policies,” said Janja Lula da Silva, First Lady of Brazil and Special Envoy for Women at COP30, who participated in the closing ceremony. “There can be no climate justice without gender equality. And no climate justice without the full participation of women.”

    As the UN’s lead agency on sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA brings a critical rights-based perspective to climate action, grounded in gender equality and the lived realities of diverse women and girls. With decades of experience in humanitarian response, data systems, and frontline health services, UNFPA is working with countries to ensure sexual and reproductive health care and interventions to address GBV and harmful practices remain available during climate shocks. From supporting displaced women during emergencies to strengthening climate-resilient health systems, UNFPA is helping countries respond to today’s risks while preparing for a more uncertain future.

    Press Enquiries:

    Zina Alam; zialam@unfpa.org; media@unfpa.org 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Big River First Nation and Canada reach agricultural benefits settlement agreement

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 31, 2025 — Big River First Nation, Treaty 6 Territory, Saskatchewan — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Big River First Nation

    Today, Chief Jonathan Bear of Big River First Nation and the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced a settlement agreement resolving the Nation’s longstanding claims related to past treaty entitlements, including agricultural benefits, also known as a Cows and Plows settlement.

    Canada will pay $208 million in compensation to Big River First Nation in recognition of the federal government’s failure to provide farming tools, crop seed, ammunition and livestock promised under Treaty 6. These items were intended to support Big River First Nation in their agricultural pursuits. However, as a result of Canada’s failure to meet its Treaty obligations, the Nation did not have the equipment it needed to support its members. 

    Settling specific claims is an important part of Canada’s ongoing efforts to advance reconciliation by rebuilding trust and strengthening its relationships with First Nations. By providing fair compensation in recognition of unkept promises, Canada is taking responsibility and working toward a better future. This work is guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Famine Ravishes Gaza, Duckworth Votes Against Trump Administration’s Sales of American Weapons to Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    July 30, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after voting to disapprove of the Trump Administration’s proposed foreign military sales to Israel:

    “I’ve long pressed the Netanyahu Administration in public and private to take substantive steps to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians. But conditions on the ground are getting worse, not better. Israel’s unacceptable choice to restrict humanitarian and food aid from entering Gaza—for months—is now causing innocent civilians, including young children, to starve to death. Ending this famine is not only a moral imperative, it is also in the best interests of both Israel’s and our own country’s long-term national security.

    “While I have always supported Israel’s right to defend itself and protect the Israeli people, these dire circumstances must end. My votes tonight reflect my deep frustration with the Netanyahu government’s abject failure to address humanitarian needs in Gaza and send a message to the Trump Administration that it must change course if it wants to help end this devastating war.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Demands Answers from DOJ on Efforts to Denaturalize U.S. Citizens

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    SEATTLE, WA — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, is leading dozens of Members of Congress in demanding answers from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice (DOJ) over an internal memo prioritizing the denaturalization of U.S. citizens.

    “It appears this Administration plans to weaponize denaturalization cases to further smear innocent people and go after its perceived enemies,” wrote the Members. “The Trump Administration’s denaturalization efforts are a threat to the safety of every single American, including the roughly 24.5 million naturalized citizens as well as natural-born citizens alike. If the Administration is attacking citizens for speaking out against them, no one in this country is safe from harassment and arrest.”

    Denaturalization, or the revocation of citizenship, has a dangerous history in this country. While it was used for good following World War II to remove former Nazis who lied about their crimes, it was weaponized in the McCarthy era when roughly 22,000 denaturalization cases were filed for political purposes. During that time, the Supreme Court intervened in the Afroyim v. Rusk case, ruling that denaturalization was only acceptable in cases of citizenship being gained through fraudulent means or if the individual posed a legitimate threat to national security.

    However, the DOJ seems to be pursuing denaturalization outside of those guidelines, even saying in their memo, “these categories do not limit the Civil Division from pursuing any particular case…the Civil Division retains the discretion to pursue cases outside of these categories as it determines appropriate.”

    President Trump has threatened baseless denaturalization against Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York, as well as Rosie O’Donnell, an American-born comedian and actress. 

    The letter is also signed by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Greg Casar (TX-35), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Adam Smith (WA-9), Darren Soto (FL-09), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).

    The full text of the letter can be read here.

    Issues: Civil Rights, Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill Statement on the Widespread Famine in Gaza and the Deepening Humanitarian Crisis

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    Washington, D.C. — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) today issued the following statement urging President Trump and the Israeli government to take immediate action to ensure that aid reaches innocent civilians in Gaza:

    “I am deeply concerned by the famine and perilous security situation in Gaza. In February 2024, I went to the Rafah Crossing in Egypt and saw the backlog of aid trucks being kept out of Gaza. I took my concerns about keeping aid from reaching civilians directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden. Restricting life saving aid from reaching civilians was as dangerous then as it is today. Failure to take immediate action now will lead to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, and the perpetuation of the war. 

    “I was encouraged to see the announcement earlier this week that increased humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza, but it is not enough. The previous system of distributing aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was ineffective and directly led to the deaths of civilians at aid sites within days of beginning the operation. It needlessly endangered civilian lives. I immediately called on President Trump to work with the Israeli government and humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza to develop a safer method of delivery aid, but no action was taken. 

    “It is unacceptable that Hamas walked away from the last round of ceasefire negotiations and rejected the proposal agreed to by Israel, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. I again urge both parties to return to the negotiating table immediately to reach a ceasefire and bring the hostages home. But that alone will not lead to the end of this conflict. For that to happen, the human suffering must end.

    “It is past time that President Trump stands up for American values and works with the Israeli government to ensure that aid reaches the innocent civilians who desperately need it. Limiting the delivery of aid has only allowed Hamas and criminal gangs to exploit the situation. Ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is vital to maintaining America’s values, weakening Hamas’s support, and permanently ending the conflict.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 4 Wins Voluntary Recognition for Maryland Veterans Home Nurses

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    In a significant development for healthcare workers at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Maryland, PruittHealth, the management company that runs the Home, has voluntarily recognized IAM District 4 as the official bargaining representative for approximately 80 Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) employed at the facility.

    The decision came on July 9, 2025, just days before a union election was scheduled to take place. 

    IAM District 4 Organizer Kevin Gallegher had been in the process of bringing the group to a vote before IAM Eastern Territory International Representative Andrew Hounshell and the company’s legal counsel cordially agreed that PruittHealth would forgo a union election process. The company would instead voluntarily recognize IAM Union representation of the nurses based on a majority showing of support for the union through signed authorization cards.

    The bargaining unit includes all full-time and regular part-time RNs and LPNs at the veterans home, excluding managerial and certain supervisory roles. 

    IAM District 4 already represents multiple groups of workers at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, including non-professional and service-related staff. Initial IAM representation at the facility started with maintenance staff, but the successful relationship between IAM Union and Charlotte Hall Veterans Home allowed for the IAM’s representation to grow to cover the entire facility’s non-managerial employees.

    “I’m very excited to see my home shop become completely unionized,” said IAM District 4 Business Representative Bonna McCarthy, who previously won voluntary recognition of drivers and the laundry and housekeeping staff with the company. “I’ve always believed we’re stronger together than divided like we have been for the past eight years. I look forward to preparing for negotiations and getting a fair contract so that the nurses’ voices can be heard.”

    Because of its strong presence at Charlotte Hall and its commitment to uplifting and supporting veterans, the IAM Union has put significant effort into bettering the veterans home to benefit all: In 2022, the IAM installed a new entry sign at the home after completely renovating and upgrading the communal courtyard space, all made possible with funds raised by the 2021 IAM International President’s Capital Classic Golf Tournament. 

    Additionally, IAM Veterans Services conducted collections of household and comfort items at IAM headquarters for Charlotte Hall veterans during the holiday season, and the IAM’s Winpisinger Center staff, which includes Local 4 members, host veterans from the home for lunch multiple times a year.

    “The recognition demonstrates a cooperative approach by PruittHealth to respect workers’ choices and avoid prolonged labor disputes,” said IAM District 4 Directing Business Representative Jay Wadleigh. “We’re proud to represent the staff at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. We’re proud of the work they do, and we’re proud of the mutually beneficial relationship we have with management that ultimately leads to happy staff and well-cared-for veterans.”

    IAM District 4 now looks forward to entering negotiations with McCarthy at the helm to secure a first contract that reflects the needs and priorities of these dedicated nurses and new union members.

    “IAM District 4 is a strong force for good in Southern Maryland,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “Their solidarity and union pride is strong, and we are pleased to welcome the rest of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home staff into our union. These are caregivers of our veterans, and we intend to make all of their lives better through the IAM.”

    The post IAM District 4 Wins Voluntary Recognition for Maryland Veterans Home Nurses appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA-Supported Laboratory Opens to Fight Microplastics in Galapagos Islands

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The Galapagos Islands where the Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory, supported by the IAEA, was established to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution.

    A new laboratory supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was officially inaugurated this month in the Galapagos Islands to address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution.

    The Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory was established by the government in Ecuador, with support from the IAEA, to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for their extraordinary biodiversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, shaped by their remote location some 1000 kilometres west of mainland Ecuador.

    While a robust monitoring and cleanup programme is in place to tackle the estimated six tonnes of plastic waste that wash ashore on the islands each year, microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimetres — pose a more complex challenge for the Galapagos National Park, a protected area encompassing 97% of the islands.

    Nuclear-derived techniques can help detect and analyse microplastic particles too small for traditional monitoring. The laboratory is now analysing water samples and will be able to analyse sediment, and biota samples from the islands at a microscopic scale to identify the types of polymers and improve the understanding of how they disperse in the marine environment where they can endanger marine life.

    In a video address at the opening ceremony for the laboratory on 17 July, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the laboratory — situated on the Santa Cruz Island — will be an active partner in environmental monitoring and reporting of microplastic pollution for Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands.

    “The laboratory offers new opportunities to conduct studies on the environmental impact on the vulnerable and relevant biodiversity of the Islands, helping authorities to take and implement more precise control measures aimed at the protection and conservation of the Galapagos National Park,” he added.

    The new laboratory marks a significant milestone in the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative, which has supported countries since its launch in 2020 in researching microplastics and applying nuclear techniques to enhance recycling processes. The support to the Galapagos Islands follows the IAEA’s work in Antarctica — another valuable ecosystem — with the launch of microplastics research there in 2024.

    The data generated in the new laboratory will enable local and national authorities to more accurately assess plastic pollution levels and design targeted strategies to mitigate their impact. The information will also feed into the IAEA’s coordinated efforts under the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco to build a global network of laboratories with analytical capacities to monitor and mitigate marine microplastic pollution.

    The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, has also strengthened monitoring and analytical capacities in institutions such as the Galapagos National Park and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil, to address the growing threat of marine pollution from microplastics in the Galapagos Islands. The IAEA has allocated nearly €1 million to provide the new laboratory with equipment and training for monitoring marine stressors such as ocean acidification, eutrophication, and microplastic pollution — all of which threaten the region’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Europe: Drug trafficking, organized crime increasing by “an order of magnitude”

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    8 May 2023

    At INTERPOL’s 50th European Regional Conference, delegates have gathered to discuss common crime threats from drug trafficking to cybercrime.

    OHRID, North Macedonia – Strengthening international police cooperation to counter the rapidly escalating threat posed by organized crime networks was the key focus of INTERPOL’s 50th European Regional Conference.

    The three-day (8-10 May) conference brings together more than 140 participants from 53 countries in Europe and beyond to discuss the most pressing crime issues facing the region.

    The conference takes place in Ohrid, North Macedonia, which itself marks 30 years as an INTERPOL member country this year.

    “These past 30 years, through our membership in the world’s largest police organization, have witnessed our commitment and willingness to be engaged in global police cooperation,” said Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia, in remarks during the conference’s opening ceremony.

    “With the establishment of the global INTERPOL I-24/7 communication system, our country was among the first to connect with this global police family, to exchange information between members and the General Secretariat, as well as directly access global criminal databases,” the Minister added.

    Unprecedented scale

    Fueled by historic levels of drug trafficking, organized crime groups are increasingly posing a direct threat to state authority in many countries, and there is evidence that levels of violence related to these criminal networks is also increasing.

    “Organized crime is a top concern,” said INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser al-Raisi in the conference’s opening ceremony. “These transnational crimes not only threaten the safety and security of the region, but also have a spillover effect on the rest of the world.”

    Last month, INTERPOL announced its largest ever firearms trafficking operations, which saw more than 14,000 suspects arrested across Central and South America, and an unprecedented USD 5.7 billion in illegal narcotics seized.

    “Over the last five years, [drug] trafficking and consumption have increased by an order of magnitude, with Europe one of the main transit and destination markets,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

    “We continue to see record seizures at European borders and ports, and a corresponding rise in violent crime, corruption and money laundering of unprecedented scale,” added Secretary General Stock.

    The global scale of many organized crime networks, often spanning multiple continents, has underlined that international cooperation through INTERPOL is often the only means for police in Europe and other regions to bring fugitives to justice or gather crucial intelligence.

    European crime landscape

    Beyond drug trafficking, the results of INTERPOL’s 2022 Global Crime Trend report, which surveyed police across the Organization’s 195-country membership, show that money laundering and cyber or cyber-enabled crimes also top European law enforcement’s list of concerns.

    Money laundering ranked second among the crime trends most frequently indicated by member countries in the region as posing a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ threat, with financial fraud also ranking very high.

    The report notes that the use of online tools by criminals to perpetrate financial fraud schemes has also rapidly expanded in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Especially concerning, 76 per cent of police respondents from Europe expect online child sexual exploitation and abuse to increase or increase significantly in the next three to five years.

    The report notes that the demand for livestreaming abuse has steadily increased in recent years, likely intensifying during the pandemic. While live distance child abuse most often take place in Southeast Asia, cases in the European Union have also recently been detected.

    Keeping Europe safe

    Founded in the heart of Europe – in Vienna – during the region’s interwar period 100 years ago, INTERPOL’s history is closely intertwined with that of Europe.

    Established in a 1920s context of geopolitical upheaval and concerns of rising international crime, the Organization’s founding representatives agreed that only through collaboration could police combat transnational crime threats – a common goal shared throughout periods of political or economic tension.

    Later, in one of the Organization’s darkest chapters, the Nazis assumed control of the International Criminal Police Commission – as INTERPOL was then called – after deposing its President. In 1946, Belgium spearheaded INTERPOL’s rebuilding in the new postwar era.

    Today, European member countries remain global leaders in their use of and contribution to INTERPOL capabilities – and this activity is quickly growing. With regards to INTERPOL databases, European member countries contribute more records, undertake more searches and – crucially – receive more hits than any other region.

    New historical peaks for records, searches and hits in INTERPOL databases from European member countries were reached in 2022. In the past year alone, searches of INTERPOL databases by European law enforcement have risen by nearly a third.

    The figures underscore the fundamental place INTERPOL capabilities occupy in European countries’ approaches to keeping their communities safe.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Ricketts Fights for America’s Producers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, during his weekly press call with Nebraska media, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed the One Big Beautiful Bill and his work to secure the future for those who feed and fuel America.

    Watch the video here.

    “Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do in Nebraska,” said Ricketts.  “Family farms, ranches, and agri-businesses are the backbone of communities across our state.  The One Big Beautiful Bill helps producers today and lays the foundation for strong agricultural growth tomorrow. It grows our economy at home and will help gain new markets abroad.”

    TRANSCRIPT:

    Senator Ricketts: “Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do in Nebraska. 

    “Family farms, ranches, and agri-businesses are the backbone of communities across Nebraska. 

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill helps producers today and lays the foundation for strong agricultural growth tomorrow.  

    “It grows our economy at home and will help gain new markets abroad. 

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) secures the future for those who feed and fuel America—and the world.  

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill backs our way of life. 

    “First of all, the bill avoided a $2,400 tax increase that would have hit the average Nebraska family. 

    “That’s $2,400 that Nebraskans can continue to spend on groceries, electric bills or to save for a family vacation.   

    “The bill also helps farmers plan for the next generation. 

    “Over 80% of Nebraska’s farms are family-owned. 

    “The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cut in half the number of farm and ranch families that were going to be subject to the Death Tax. 

    “The Big Beautiful Bill ensures the Death Tax exemption will now be permanent and rise with inflation. 

    “This will ensure that over $200 billion in hard-earned family farm assets across the country will go to the next generation and not the government. 

    “Now, more farms will be passed down, not taxed away to Uncle Sam.  

    “The 45Z clean fuel production credit is another major win for Nebraska. 

    “Biofuels are a win for consumers who save money at the pump. 

    “It’s a win for the environment, because it helps clean up our environment, and it’s a win for our farmers and ranchers. 

    “Last year, Nebraskans saved $325 million using ethanol blends. 

    “Last time I fueled up at Hy-Vee with E10, I saved 55 cents per gallon. 

    “The 45Z credit boosts biofuel production and creates value for farmers and ranchers. 

    “It narrows eligible feedstock commodities to North America, protecting Nebraska farmers from foreign competition. 

    “Producers in Communist China should be prevented from receiving American tax subsidies. 

    “All of this boosts demand for row crops and renewable fuel production. 

    “That means more jobs and better prices. 

    “Nebraska’s 25 ethanol plants support 1,300 jobs and have a $6 billion impact. 

    “The credit gives investors the certainty they need to hire and expand. 

    “Nebraska agriculture feeds and fuels the world. 

    “When I was Governor, I led trade missions to places like Japan and Vietnam to build strong relationships between foreign importers and Nebraska producers. 

    “I launched an international trade council to discover new opportunities for overseas markets. 

    “Nebraska’s economy thrives when our producers can reach high-paying global markets. 

    “Recognizing this, the One Big Beautiful Bill strengthens the Supplemental Agricultural Trade Promotion Program. 

    “It provides $285 million annually to promote U.S. agricultural exports. 

    “It doubles funding for the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development program. 

    “That means more demand for Nebraska beef, corn, and soybeans abroad. 

    “Simply put, when agriculture thrives, so does the entire Nebraska economy. 

    “Maintaining current exports and opening up markets under the bill will help get better prices for their products for our producers.

    “The big beautiful bill gives critical support to young farmers and ranchers, as well, taking over the family business or starting out on their own.  

    “The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Benefit was extended from five years to ten years.  

    “That gives new producers access to critical risk management tools.   

    “The bill also supports educational access for rural students.   

    “It excludes agricultural assets from student financial aid calculations. 

    “That means farm kids will not be discriminated against when applying for financial aid.  

    “For young Nebraskans, the bill expands Pell Grant eligibility to short-term job training. 

    “That includes hands-on fields like welding, diesel tech, and irrigation systems. 

    “Now, a young Nebraskan in Scottsbluff, for example, can learn a trade and start working at places like Aulick Industries without piling up debt.  

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill helps Nebraska producers grow and reinvest. 

    “Full expensing is now permanent for property like tractors and other heavy machinery. 

    “A corn grower in Custer County will be able to fully write off a new, more efficient combine. 

    “Another provision in the bill boosts expensing for tools and equipment. 

    “This helps small businesses from welders to seed dealers invest to improve productivity. 

    “The Big Beautiful Bill gives producers needed updates to the farm safety net. 

    “Reference prices now reflect today’s markets. 

    “Drought aid under the Livestock Forage Program has been improved. 

    “Now, producers facing feed losses from grazing shortfalls will see faster relief. 

    “These updates give producers support, stability, and long-term certainty.  

    “Nebraska’s future depends on certainty for farmers, ranchers, and agri-business. 

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill supports agriculture today and protects the next generation of farmers and ranchers. 

    “That is how we keep producing the Good Life.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.31.2025 Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill Safeguarding Schools From Influence by Foreign Adversaries

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) introduced the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act to enhance transparency for parents regarding foreign funding in K-12 schools.
    Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party spends vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think. Our foreign adversaries are actively targeting American educational institutions, and the TRACE Act will help protect our classrooms from foreign influence by providing parents with the transparency they deserve. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation without delay.”
    Sen. Lummis said, “The Chinese Communist Party has spread its influence across American life, targeting our farmland, technology, and even school systems. Parents deserve peace of mind knowing their children are learning American values, not propaganda from our foreign adversaries. This legislation prioritizes transparency while protecting our children from harmful foreign agendas.”
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL-04).
    Rep. Bean said, “American schools are for education, not espionage. We cannot allow our students—the future of our great nation—to be corrupted by foreign adversaries who are systematically and aggressively attempting to influence our nation’s K-12 schools. That’s why it’s crucial we parents understand the potential impact of foreign influence on our children’s classrooms and take concrete steps to prevent foreign nations from reaching America’s youth. I want to thank Senator Cruz for joining me in this critical effort and spearheading this legislation in the Senate.”
    This bill is supported by the Parents Defending Education Action and Heritage Action.
    Alfonso Aguilar, Director of Federal Affairs for Parents Defending Education Action said, “Senator Cruz’s TRACE Act is extremely necessary. Parents should know if a foreign government or entity is providing funding to their children’s schools, trying to influence what is taught to them or seeking to access important data and intellectual property. A 2023 investigation from our partner organization Defending Education uncovered Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence in numerous public schools and school districts across the nation. Their research showed that entities with ties to the CCP such as the Confucius Institutes have provided curriculum content, funding and Chinese teachers to U.S. public schools. Disturbingly, they also found that the Chinese government efforts appeared to target school districts near over twenty American bases. Our investigation, however, only discovered some or the CCP’s growing involvement in our public schools. The TRACE Act would ensure that parents have a full and continuous accounting of China’s meddling in their children’s education.”
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    The Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act will:

    Require schools to allow parents the opportunity to review curriculum that has been provided by or purchased with foreign funds.
    Require that schools notify parents of any foreign contracts or financial transactions they partake in.
    Stipulate parents be notified of how many school employees are being compensated by another country or foreign adversary, and whether foreign nations have donated to the institution.

    Sen. Cruz first introduced this legislation in 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Curtis, And Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Crimes in Brazilian Amazon and Strengthen Regional Stability

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Curtis (R-UT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, introduced the Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Brazilian Amazon Act. The bipartisan legislation addresses crimes committed by transnational criminal organizations and drug trafficking groups, which are devastating communities in and around the Brazilian Amazon, upending the rule of law, and accelerating environmental degradation and deforestation. Violent deaths in the Brazilian Amazon are significantly higher than in other parts of the country. The bill would provide the U.S. government with more tools to support U.S.-Brazil efforts to address these crimes and prioritize identifying investment opportunities for U.S. companies in the Brazilian Amazon.

    “Addressing cartel violence and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is important to protecting our national security, promoting stability in the Western Hemisphere, and preserving the environment,” said Kaine, Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “I’m proud to join with Senators Curtis and Merkley to introduce this bipartisan legislation to expand the United States’ role in cracking down on violence, forced displacement, and environmental degradation in the Amazon.”

    “Criminal networks thrive where the rule of law is weak—and when they do, both people and the planet suffer,” said Curtis, Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “This bill helps us partner with Brazil to crack down on lawlessness in the Amazon and support a model of conservation that is also rooted in economic opportunity.“

    “The Amazon provides sanctuary for countless wildlife, and the trees of this tropical forest support not only Brazil’s environment, but also the lungs of the planet,” said Merkley, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.?“As the impacts of climate chaos become deadlier and more frequent—threatening our health, planet, and future—the U.S. must support Brazil’s efforts to stand against the criminal and often violent efforts driving deforestation and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon.”

    Specifically, the bipartisan Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Brazilian Amazon would:

    • Direct the U.S. Secretary of State, in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies, to prioritize supporting Brazil’s efforts to identify and disrupt transnational criminal networks committing environmental crimes.
    • Direct support to local communities and vulnerable areas in the Brazilian Amazon.
    • Recommend the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) place an individual in Brazil responsible for identifying sustainable economic opportunities for U.S. businesses in the Brazilian Amazon.
    • Require the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress regarding drivers of deforestation and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon.
    • Advise the United States to encourage international financial institutions to prioritize promoting sustainable development in the Amazon and oppose loans or programs that would exacerbate environmental crimes in the region.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Judges question whether Trump tariffs are authorized by emergency powers

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. appeals court judges sharply questioned on Thursday whether President Donald Trump’s tariffs were justified by the president’s emergency powers, after a lower court said he exceeded his authority with sweeping levies on imported goods.

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., is considering the legality of “reciprocal” tariffs that Trump imposed on a broad range of U.S. trading partners in April, as well as tariffs imposed in February against China, Canada and Mexico.

    In hearing arguments in two cases brought by five small U.S. businesses and 12 Democratic-led U.S. states, judges pressed government lawyer Brett Shumate to explain how the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law historically used for sanctioning enemies or freezing their assets, gave Trump the power to impose tariffs.

    Trump is the first president to use IEEPA to impose tariffs.

    The judges frequently interrupted Shumate, peppering him with a flurry of challenges to his arguments.

    “IEEPA doesn’t even say tariffs, doesn’t even mention them,” one of the judges said.

    Shumate said that the law allows for “extraordinary” authority in an emergency, including the ability to stop imports completely. He said IEEPA authorizes tariffs because it allows a president to “regulate” imports in a crisis.

    The states and businesses challenging the tariffs argued that they are not permissible under IEEPA and that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress, and not the president, authority over tariffs and other taxes.

    Neal Katyal, a lawyer for the businesses, said the government’s argument that the word “regulate” includes the power to tax would be a vast expansion of presidential power, Katyal said.

    The arguments – one day before Trump plans to increase tariff rates on imported goods from nearly all U.S. trading partners – mark the first test before a U.S. appeals court of the scope of his tariff authority. The president has made tariffs a central instrument of his foreign policy, wielding them aggressively in his second term as leverage in trade negotiations and to push back against what he has called unfair practices.

    Trump has said the April tariffs were a response to persistent U.S. trade imbalances and declining U.S. manufacturing power.

    He said the tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico were appropriate because those countries were not doing enough to stop illegal fentanyl from crossing U.S. borders. The countries have denied that claim.

    Shumate cited a 1975 appeals court decision that authorized President Richard Nixon’s across-the board surcharge of 10% on imported merchandise to slow inflation. But that decision added that the president did not have authority to impose “whatever tariff rates he deems desirable.”

    Shumate also said that courts cannot review a president’s actions under IEEPA or impose additional limits that are not included in the law. Several judges said that the argument would essentially allow one law, IEEPA, to overwrite all other U.S. laws related to tariffs and imports.

    Katyal said the Trump administration’s argument ignored the more limited nature of Nixon’s tariffs and changes to the law since the 1970s.

    “No trade law in 200 years has been interpreted to give the president this power,” Katyal said.

    The case is being heard by a panel of all of the court’s active judges, eight appointed by Democratic presidents and three appointed by former Republican presidents. The timing of the court’s decision is uncertain, and the losing side will likely appeal quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

    Tariffs are starting to build into a significant revenue source for the federal government, with customs duties in June quadrupling to about $27 billion, a record, and through June have topped $100 billion for the current fiscal year. That income could be crucial to offset lost revenue from Trump’s tax bill passed into law earlier this month.

    But economists say the duties threaten to raise prices for U.S. consumers and reduce corporate profits. Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff threats have roiled financial markets and disrupted U.S. companies’ ability to manage supply chains, production, staffing and prices.

    On May 28, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade sided with the Democratic states and small businesses that challenged Trump. It said that the IEEPA did not authorize tariffs related to longstanding trade deficits.

    The Federal Circuit has allowed the tariffs to remain in place while it considers the administration’s appeal.

    The case will have no impact on tariffs levied under more traditional legal authority, such as duties on steel and aluminum imports.

    The president recently announced trade deals that set tariff rates on goods from the European Union and Japan, following smaller trade agreements with Britain, Indonesia and Vietnam. Trump’s Department of Justice has argued that limiting the president’s tariff authority could undermine ongoing trade negotiations, while other Trump officials have said that negotiations have continued with little change after the initial setback in court.

    Trump has set an August 1 date for higher tariffs on countries that don’t negotiate new trade deals.

    There are at least seven other lawsuits challenging Trump’s invocation of IEEPA, including cases brought by other small businesses and California.

    A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled against Trump in one of those cases, and no judge has yet backed Trump’s claim of unlimited emergency tariff authority.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IAEA-Supported Laboratory Opens to Fight Microplastics in Galapagos Islands

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    A new laboratory supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was officially inaugurated this month in the Galapagos Islands to address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution.

    The Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory was established by the government in Ecuador, with support from the IAEA, to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for their extraordinary biodiversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, shaped by their remote location some 1000 kilometres west of mainland Ecuador.

    While a robust monitoring and cleanup programme is in place to tackle the estimated six tonnes of plastic waste that wash ashore on the islands each year, microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimetres — pose a more complex challenge for the Galapagos National Park, a protected area encompassing 97% of the islands.

    Nuclear-derived techniques can help detect and analyse microplastic particles too small for traditional monitoring. The laboratory is now analysing water samples and will be able to analyse sediment, and biota samples from the islands at a microscopic scale to identify the types of polymers and improve the understanding of how they disperse in the marine environment where they can endanger marine life.

    In a video address at the opening ceremony for the laboratory on 17 July, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the laboratory — situated on the Santa Cruz Island — will be an active partner in environmental monitoring and reporting of microplastic pollution for Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands.

    “The laboratory offers new opportunities to conduct studies on the environmental impact on the vulnerable and relevant biodiversity of the Islands, helping authorities to take and implement more precise control measures aimed at the protection and conservation of the Galapagos National Park,” he added.

    The new laboratory marks a significant milestone in the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative, which has supported countries since its launch in 2020 in researching microplastics and applying nuclear techniques to enhance recycling processes. The support to the Galapagos Islands follows the IAEA’s work in Antarctica — another valuable ecosystem — with the launch of microplastics research there in 2024.

    The data generated in the new laboratory will enable local and national authorities to more accurately assess plastic pollution levels and design targeted strategies to mitigate their impact. The information will also feed into the IAEA’s coordinated efforts under the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco to build a global network of laboratories with analytical capacities to monitor and mitigate marine microplastic pollution.

    The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, has also strengthened monitoring and analytical capacities in institutions such as the Galapagos National Park and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil, to address the growing threat of marine pollution from microplastics in the Galapagos Islands. The IAEA has allocated nearly €1 million to provide the new laboratory with equipment and training for monitoring marine stressors such as ocean acidification, eutrophication, and microplastic pollution — all of which threaten the region’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Issues Consumer Alert Amid Increase in Reported Scams Targeting the Military Community

    Source: US State of California

    Thursday, July 31, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    Does an offer seem too good to be true? Take a tactical pause to evaluate  

    OAKLAND — In recognition of Military Consumer Month, Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert to help protect California service members, veterans, and their family members from targeted common scams and fraud. The military community and their families are often targets for predatory scammers: According to the Federal Trade Commission, military consumers nationwide reported over 99,400 fraud complaints last year — an increase from 2023’s approximately 93,000 complaints — including 44,587 imposter scams that reportedly cost them and their families over $199 million.  

    “More and more often, service members, veterans, and their families are targets for predatory scammers promising everything from home loans to jobs, and continuing education. This is absolutely unacceptable. As part of our commitment to protect those who protect us, my office will continue to bring the full force of the law against those who seek to exploit California’s military community,” said Attorney General Bonta. “If you have fallen victim to a scam or suspect fraudulent activity, get help and share your story so that we can help your fellow service members. You can report fraud to your local military or civilian law enforcement agency, or to the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/report.”

    Why is the Military Community Targeted? 

    Military service members, veterans, and their families are frequently targeted by scammers who want access to their pay and benefits, and who know that military members will often pay even fraudulent or over-stated debts to avoid security clearance issues or other disruptions to their military careers. In addition, the camaraderie that unites the military community is often exploited by impostors who claim to be veterans in attempts to perpetrate scams or access personal information for fraudulent purposes.   

    Common Scams Targeting the Military Community:

    Scammers use a variety of tactics to gain trust. Protect yourself by staying up to date on common military- and veteran-targeted scams. Beware of the following: 

    • Charity Scams: Just because a charity includes the word “veteran” in its name doesn’t mean that veterans are members of the group, or that veterans or their families will benefit from a donation. Scammers will use names that sound legitimate or those that mimic the names of well-known charities to create confusion. Take the time to make an informed decision and be wary of aggressive solicitations. Go to oag.ca.gov/charities, under the Resources & Tools section, and click on Registry Verification Search. If a charity is not listed, it should not be soliciting funds in California. If it is listed, you can view its financial reports, including the IRS Form 990 that the charity is required to file with DOJ’s Registry of Charitable Trusts.
    • Predatory Schools: The GI Bill and other military education programs offer you the chance to attend school and plan for your future, but for-profit schools sometimes target service members and veterans with false promises. Slow down and take the time you need to make the right decision. Predatory schools often use high-pressure sales tactics to try to get you to sign up. It’s important to ask for information about the programs, such as graduation rates, job placement, and graduate salary information. Offers that seem too good to be true generally are. Further, don’t forget that educational opportunities at the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California may be available to you. 
    • Home Loan Scams: Be aware of scammers that — through phone calls or fraudulent mailers — claim to be affiliated with the government, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or your home loan servicer. These fraudsters may attempt to convince you to agree to loan modifications, refinance your home, or make payments on your loans. Be cautious of any individual or lender that contacts you and asks you to pay fees upfront before receiving any services; tells you to cancel your mortgage payment and resend the funds elsewhere; tells you to make payments to someone other than your current loan servicer; or pressures you to sign papers you haven’t had a chance to read thoroughly or that you don’t understand — including asking you to sign over the title to your property. 
    • Identity Theft and Fraud: Some scammers will pretend to be from the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, or other official organizations in order to get your personal information so that they can commit identity theft or fraud. Before you provide any information, always make sure a request is coming from an official organization by doing a quick search on the internet or consulting a trusted source to get the organization’s real contact information. Never trust the contact information given by the person that is asking for your personal information, as scammers often give out fake contact information. Be wary of letters and emails that have misspellings, look unprofessional, or send you to a non-government website for information or action, as these are almost always fake. Lastly, never give out your Social Security number to receive military or veteran discounts. Scammers often promise military or veteran discounts in order to obtain personal information. 
    • Job Scams: Service members looking for new career opportunities after leaving service are a target for scammers posting fictitious job listings with the goal of stealing their personal information and finances. Avoid becoming a victim of job scams by conducting thorough research on the company. Additionally, stick to well-known job search platforms and government career websites when looking for job opportunities. Remember, legitimate employers will never require you to pay fees for applications, interviews, or background checks. You should also look out for fake check scams, which occur when a scammer posing as an employer sends you a counterfeit check to deposit into your account. The scammer will then ask you to send a portion of the funds back to them or a third party, while letting you keep some as payment. Eventually, the bank reverses the fake check, leaving you stuck paying the money back to the bank. If something feels off or suspicious during the job search, trust your instincts and end communication immediately.
    • Pension Scams: Veterans ages 65 and over are targeted by scam financial advisers who try to persuade senior veterans to buy costly annuities or transfer their assets into trusts, or pay unnecessary and illegal fees for help with a veterans pension application. These “advisers” claim to help veterans qualify for Aid and Attendance or other veterans benefits, but may cause you to lose eligibility or access to pension, disability, or healthcare benefits. If you are interested in Aid and Attendance or other veterans benefits, you can get free help from your County Veterans Service Office here.
    • Affinity Fraud: Affinity scams target members of identifiable groups, including the military. The perpetrators are — or pretend to be — members of the targeted group, and use sales pitches that rely on group trust and loyalty. In the military community, this includes exploiting the trust that service members have for their fellow service members, and for veterans who previously served. Don’t make a significant purchase, or an investment decision, based on the salesperson’s supposed military service, or the claim that a business is military-friendly or endorsed by the Armed Forces. Take a tactical pause, and shop around for the best deal.
    • Debt Collection and Illegal Threats: Debt collectors may try to trick or scare service members into making payments on debts. It is illegal for debt collectors to do any of the following: revoke your security clearance; contact your command in order to collect a debt (unless they have your consent, given after the debt came due, to do so); discipline or demote you; or garnish your pay. If a debt collector is trying to collect a debt that you do not owe or have already paid, dispute the debt in writing. Tell the debt collector why you do not owe the debt, include copies of any evidence you have, and mail this dispute to the debt collector using registered mail so that you have proof that the collector received it — and make sure to keep copies of everything for yourself. If you dispute the debt within 30 days after the collector first contacted you, the collector must stop collection until it shows you written proof of the debt.
    • Rental Housing Scams: These scams target military personnel looking for housing near a base, especially prevalent during the Permanent Change of Station season. Scammers pretend to be real estate agents and post fake ads for rental properties on websites, sometimes promising military discounts and other incentives in order to get service members to send them money for fees and deposits upfront. If someone insists on receiving money or other payments before a property has been seen, it is likely a rental scam. Avoid wiring money to reserve apartments, and use your installation housing office or established property management companies to locate potential housing. 
    • Predatory Auto Sales and Financing: Car dealers located near military bases may try to lure service members with promises of special deals for military personnel. Often, these so-called deals conceal the terms of purchase for the vehicle and result in the service member drastically overpaying for both the vehicle and the cost of financing. For example, dealers may insist that military personnel will not qualify for financing unless they purchase overpriced and unnecessary add-ons. Other times, the dealer may tell a service member who just purchased a car that the initial financing fell through and insist on renegotiating for worse terms. You should not rely on oral promises, nor feel pressured to enter into any purchase, without first reading and understanding the contract. If you are looking to purchase a car, you should explore all of your options for financing — including by contacting your bank or credit union — before making a purchase.  

    Protect Yourself from Scams:  

    • Bring a battle buddy when making big decisions, and take a tactical pause: Take your time with big decisions and get advice. A business that pressures you to make a quick decision or to not talk with your family, friends, a military financial counselor, or an officer or NCO that you trust may be out to scam you.
    • Take advantage of free annual credit reports: You are entitled to one free credit report every year from each of the three national credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Your credit history contains information from financial institutions, utilities, landlords, insurers, and others. By checking your credit reports at least once a year, you can identify signs of identity theft, as well errors in your report that could be raising the cost of your credit. Order your free annual credit reports by phone, toll-free, at 1-877-322-8228, or online at www.annualcreditreport.com.
    • Place a Fraud Alert: If your identity is stolen, put a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting the three main credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Also, consider requesting a credit freeze, which will restrict access to your credit file, making it difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Report identity theft right away and get a recovery plan at identitytheft.gov. Additionally, file a police report with your local sheriff or police department and keep a copy for your records.
    • Report Suspicious Activity: Never give out personal information to a lender or servicer that contacts you out of the blue. If you are feeling unsure, hang up and call your loan servicer directly at the number that is listed on your mortgage statement. Report suspicious activity to the Office of the Attorney General at oag.ca.gov/report and file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
    • Protect your online information and accounts with strong passwords: Protect yourself by using different, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. Make sure that the passwords you use are at least eight characters, including a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
    • Check your credit card bills and bank statements often: Look for unauthorized charges, withdrawals, or unexpected bills, and report irregular activity to your bank as soon as you see it. If you notice that a bill didn’t arrive on time, it may mean that someone has changed the contact information on your account in order to hide fraudulent charges. Don’t share personal information: Be careful about what personal information you share, such as your address or financial information.
    • Sign up for the Enhanced Homeowner Notification Program: If you reside in Los Angeles County, you may sign up to receive mailed copies of documents recorded against your home, allowing you to review recorded real estate documents so you are aware of actions taken against your property.

    If you believe you have been the victim or target of a scam, immediately contact your local police department or reach out to your base legal office. For the legal office’s contact information, ask your command or visit to legalassistance.law.af.mil/. California National Guard personnel can also obtain legal help at calguard.ca.gov. You may also file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General at oag.ca.gov/report. For additional information on military-targeted scams, visit our website at oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/military.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hays man sentenced to 4 years in prison on gun charges

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BILLINGS – A Hays man who possessed illegal firearms was sentenced today to 48 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Wylon Alfred Plainfeather, 54, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of possession of an unregistered silencer.

    U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that on December 27, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a Billings residence to search for a probationer. The probationer was not present, but officers searched the house and found three firearms in the basement.

    As law enforcement was preparing to leave the residence following the search, Plainfeather pulled into the driveway. He admitted owning all three guns and acknowledged one was a sawed-off shotgun and another, a .22 caliber rifle, had a tube on it. Plainfeather said he fired the gun with the tube and claimed it was not very effective at making it quieter. He said he got all the firearms from the reservation and that he traded for them. Law enforcement officers confirmed the firearms were in operable condition but not registered to Plainfeather (or anyone else) in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and Montana Probation and Parole.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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    MIL Security OSI –