NewzIntel.com

Category: Statistics

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Learning statistics through story: students get creative with numbers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Johan Ferreira, Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    Statistics professor Johan Ferreira was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “screen time” involved in online learning in 2021. He imagined students must be feeling the same way, and wondered what he could do to inspire them and make his subject matter more appealing.

    One of the topics in statistics is time series analysis: statistical methods to understand trend behaviour in data which is measured over time. There are lots of examples in daily life, from rainfall records to changes in commodity prices, import or exports, or temperature.

    Ferreira asked his students to write a short, fictional “bedtime” story using “characters” from time series analysis. The results were collected into a book that is freely available. He tells us more about it.

    Why use storytelling to learn about statistics?

    I’m fortunate to be something of a creative myself, being a professional oboe player with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a valuable outlet for self-expression. I reflected on what other activity could inspire creativity without compromising the essence of statistical thinking that was required in this particular course I was teaching.

    Example of a time series, the kind of data analysed using statistical methods. Author provided (no reuse)

    I invited my third-year science and commerce students at the University of Pretoria to take part in a voluntary storytelling exercise, using key concepts in time series analysis as characters. Students got some guidelines but were free to be creative. My colleague and co-editor, Dr Seite Makgai, and I then read, commented on and edited the stories and put them together into an anthology.

    Students gave their consent that their stories could be used for research purposes and might be published. Out of a class of over 200 students, over 30 contributions were received; 23 students permitted their work to be included in this volume.

    We curated submissions into two sections (Part I: Fables and Fairy Tales and Part II: Fantasy and Sci-Fi) based on the general style and gist of the work.

    The project aimed to develop a new teaching resource, inspire students to take ownership of their learning in a creative way, and support them through informal, project-based peer learning.

    This collection is written by students, for students. They used personal and cultural contexts relevant to their background and environment to create content that has a solid background in their direct academic interests. And the stories are available without a paywall!

    What are some of the characters and stories?

    Student Lebogang Malebati wrote Stationaryville and the Two Brothers, a tale about AR(1) and AR(2). In statistics, AR refers to processes in which numerical values are based on past values. The brothers “were both born with special powers, powers that could make them stationary…” and could trick an evil wizard.

    David Dodkins wrote Zt and the Shadow-spawn. In this story, Zt (common notation in time series analysis) has a magic amulet that reveals his character growth through a sequence of models and shows the hero’s victory in the face of adversity. He is a function of those that came before him (through an AR process).

    Then there’s Nelis Daniels’ story about a shepherd plagued by a wolf called Arma (autoregressive moving average) which kept making sheep disappear.

    And Dikelede Rose Motseleng’s modern fable about the love-hate relationship between AR(1) (“more of a linear guy” with a bad habit of predicting the future based on the past) and MA(1), “the type of girl who would always provide you with stationarity (stability).”

    What was the impact of the project?

    It was a deeply enriching experience for us to see how students see statistics in a context beyond that of the classroom, especially in cases where students reformulated their stories within their own cultural identities or niche interests.

    Three particular main impacts stand out for us:

    • students have a new additional reference and learning resource for the course content

    • new students can refer to the experiences and contextualisation of this content of former students, leading to informal peer learning

    • students engage in a cognitive skill (higher-order and creative thinking) that is not frequently considered and included in this field and at this level.

    In 2024, shortly after the book was published, we asked students in the time series analysis course of that year to read any one of four stories (related to concepts that were already covered in the course material at that point in time). We asked them to complete a short and informal survey to gauge their experience and insights regarding the potential of this book as a learning resource for them.

    The 53 responses we got indicated that most students saw the book as a useful contribution to their learning experience in time series analysis.

    Student perceptions of value of stories. Author supplied, Author provided (no reuse)

    One positive comment from a student was:

    I will always remember that the Random Walk is indeed not stationary but White Noise is. I already knew it, but now I won’t forget it.

    Will you build on this in future?

    It is definitely valuable to consider similar projects in other branches of statistics, but also, in other disciplines entirely, to develop content by students, for students.

    At this stage, we’re having the stories and book translated into languages beyond English. In large classes that are essential to data science (such as statistics and mathematics), many different home languages may be spoken. Students often have to learn in their second, third, or even fourth language. So, this project is proving valuable in making advanced statistical concepts tactile and “at home” via translations.

    Our publisher recently let us know that the Setswana translation is complete, with the Sepedi and Afrikaans translations following soon. To our knowledge, it’ll be the first such project not only in the discipline of statistics, but in four of the official languages in South Africa.

    – Learning statistics through story: students get creative with numbers
    – https://theconversation.com/learning-statistics-through-story-students-get-creative-with-numbers-261198

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Learning statistics through story: students get creative with numbers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Johan Ferreira, Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    Photo by Markus Krisetya via Unsplash

    Statistics professor Johan Ferreira was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “screen time” involved in online learning in 2021. He imagined students must be feeling the same way, and wondered what he could do to inspire them and make his subject matter more appealing.

    One of the topics in statistics is time series analysis: statistical methods to understand trend behaviour in data which is measured over time. There are lots of examples in daily life, from rainfall records to changes in commodity prices, import or exports, or temperature.

    Ferreira asked his students to write a short, fictional “bedtime” story using “characters” from time series analysis. The results were collected into a book that is freely available. He tells us more about it.

    Why use storytelling to learn about statistics?

    I’m fortunate to be something of a creative myself, being a professional oboe player with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a valuable outlet for self-expression. I reflected on what other activity could inspire creativity without compromising the essence of statistical thinking that was required in this particular course I was teaching.

    I invited my third-year science and commerce students at the University of Pretoria to take part in a voluntary storytelling exercise, using key concepts in time series analysis as characters. Students got some guidelines but were free to be creative. My colleague and co-editor, Dr Seite Makgai, and I then read, commented on and edited the stories and put them together into an anthology.

    Students gave their consent that their stories could be used for research purposes and might be published. Out of a class of over 200 students, over 30 contributions were received; 23 students permitted their work to be included in this volume.

    We curated submissions into two sections (Part I: Fables and Fairy Tales and Part II: Fantasy and Sci-Fi) based on the general style and gist of the work.

    The project aimed to develop a new teaching resource, inspire students to take ownership of their learning in a creative way, and support them through informal, project-based peer learning.

    This collection is written by students, for students. They used personal and cultural contexts relevant to their background and environment to create content that has a solid background in their direct academic interests. And the stories are available without a paywall!

    What are some of the characters and stories?

    Student Lebogang Malebati wrote Stationaryville and the Two Brothers, a tale about AR(1) and AR(2). In statistics, AR refers to processes in which numerical values are based on past values. The brothers “were both born with special powers, powers that could make them stationary…” and could trick an evil wizard.

    David Dodkins wrote Zt and the Shadow-spawn. In this story, Zt (common notation in time series analysis) has a magic amulet that reveals his character growth through a sequence of models and shows the hero’s victory in the face of adversity. He is a function of those that came before him (through an AR process).

    Then there’s Nelis Daniels’ story about a shepherd plagued by a wolf called Arma (autoregressive moving average) which kept making sheep disappear.

    And Dikelede Rose Motseleng’s modern fable about the love-hate relationship between AR(1) (“more of a linear guy” with a bad habit of predicting the future based on the past) and MA(1), “the type of girl who would always provide you with stationarity (stability).”

    What was the impact of the project?

    It was a deeply enriching experience for us to see how students see statistics in a context beyond that of the classroom, especially in cases where students reformulated their stories within their own cultural identities or niche interests.

    Three particular main impacts stand out for us:

    • students have a new additional reference and learning resource for the course content

    • new students can refer to the experiences and contextualisation of this content of former students, leading to informal peer learning

    • students engage in a cognitive skill (higher-order and creative thinking) that is not frequently considered and included in this field and at this level.

    In 2024, shortly after the book was published, we asked students in the time series analysis course of that year to read any one of four stories (related to concepts that were already covered in the course material at that point in time). We asked them to complete a short and informal survey to gauge their experience and insights regarding the potential of this book as a learning resource for them.

    The 53 responses we got indicated that most students saw the book as a useful contribution to their learning experience in time series analysis.

    One positive comment from a student was:

    I will always remember that the Random Walk is indeed not stationary but White Noise is. I already knew it, but now I won’t forget it.

    Will you build on this in future?

    It is definitely valuable to consider similar projects in other branches of statistics, but also, in other disciplines entirely, to develop content by students, for students.

    At this stage, we’re having the stories and book translated into languages beyond English. In large classes that are essential to data science (such as statistics and mathematics), many different home languages may be spoken. Students often have to learn in their second, third, or even fourth language. So, this project is proving valuable in making advanced statistical concepts tactile and “at home” via translations.

    Our publisher recently let us know that the Setswana translation is complete, with the Sepedi and Afrikaans translations following soon. To our knowledge, it’ll be the first such project not only in the discipline of statistics, but in four of the official languages in South Africa.

    Johan Ferreira receives funding from the Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, based at the University of the Witwatersrand, towards this Scholarship of Learning and Teaching project.

    – ref. Learning statistics through story: students get creative with numbers – https://theconversation.com/learning-statistics-through-story-students-get-creative-with-numbers-261198

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: People with MS and other fluctuating health conditions are often forced to quit their jobs when they want to work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alice Martin, Head of Research, Work Foundation, Lancaster University

    Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

    Plans to cut health-related benefits in the UK continue to give the government political grief – as well as being a huge worry for claimants. Underpinning the controversy are government plans to move more people into work with a long-term ambition of 80% employment.

    But cutting welfare costs is a blunt and unhelpful way to face the challenge of increasing employment among people with long-term health conditions.

    For people with fluctuating and often invisible conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), welfare and work are not opposed. They are usually part of the same life journey – one that is rarely linear and requires systems and supports that are flexible, not punitive.

    This was the focus of a recent study led by my research colleague Aman Navani and the MS Society. It is a major UK survey of people with MS with more than 1,100 respondents, and highlights systemic failures in workplace support and welfare systems.

    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.

    Because of its fluctuating nature, MS can act as an important case study to understand how work should accommodate people’s evolving health needs. It also offers lessons that are relevant to a wide array of other conditions.

    Cases of MS are rising globally. Around 150,000 people in the UK live with the condition, which affects the central nervous system and causes pain, mobility problems, cognitive issues and fatigue.

    Women are more likely to have MS, which is usually diagnosed in people in their 30s or 40s. These, of course, are peak working years.

    The vast majority of people with MS (96%) who participated in our study reported that their condition has affected their ability to work. This is because MS can make commuting and navigating workplace environments challenging, and physical and mental health impacts often overlap.

    Managing symptoms such as cognitive changes, pain and restricted mobility can contribute to anxiety and depression. All of these things put additional strain on the working lives of those affected.

    For a quarter of respondents (24%), MS had such a severe effect that they felt unable to work at all. Worryingly, one in two people said they have compromised their health by staying in a job.

    For many, leaving work is the only solution they can see. More than one-quarter (26%) cited unmanageable workloads, 19% could not afford to stay in work due to low pay, 20% lacked flexible hours, and for 22% the flexibility they were offered did not meet their needs.

    Just 8% said their employer helped them adapt their job to suit their health, and only 2% had progression opportunities tailored to their condition. But nearly half (45%) of those who left work said they could have stayed if their employer had understood their condition better.

    Almost half (46%) of respondents who were in work had used the personal independence payment (Pip) as a lifeline. This is an allowance that helps people with the extra living costs associated with having a disability. Under the government’s plans, conditions will be tightened for new claimants.

    Designing better jobs

    Living with a fluctuating condition requires constant adaptation, from coping with exhaustion to managing the extra time and cost of daily activities. As such, the way jobs are designed matters.

    A government report has said that one-quarter of those who are out of work and claiming health and disability benefits might be able to work if they could do so from home.

    The rise of remote and hybrid work has indeed been a lifeline for some disabled workers. A recent major study of people who are classified as disabled highlights just how vital this change has been for them: 85% said remote or hybrid work was essential or very important when job hunting, and 79% wouldn’t apply for roles without it.

    Among those working fully remotely, 64% said their physical health improved. Homeworking was valued by those with fluctuating conditions such as MS, and for disabled women and carers in particular, full-time homeworking was their preference.

    But these gains are precarious. Growth in hybrid roles has stalled and some employers are grabbing headlines with “return-to-office” mandates even at the risk of losing key members of their workforce.

    Return-to-office mandates can force some workers to navigate a challenging commute.
    AlvaroRT/Shutterstock

    Nearly one in four working-age people in the UK are disabled. Work and welfare must be designed from the perspective of this growing and diverse cohort – ensuring financial security for people with health conditions, both in work and out of work.

    Expanding and protecting access to secure and flexible jobs is key, including remote and hybrid roles, baking these models into more sectors of the economy. The government could lead by example with public sector workers, and protect jobs from knee-jerk employer mandates.

    In January this year, only 3.8% of vacancies on the Department for Work and Pensions jobs portal included an option for hybrid or remote work.

    Finally, it’s vital to improve job design and in-work support, with effective occupational health systems, consultation with workforces, normalising shorter working weeks and time off.

    This would enable people with fluctuating conditions to attend appointments, recuperate and even take career breaks without harming their careers. For this, the UK needs a benefits system that supports movement in and out of work, avoiding financial cliff edges.

    Too many people with MS and similar conditions who can and want to work are forced to leave jobs early due to inadequate support. They face a trade-off between progressing their working life and managing their health. The challenge for government and employers now is to remove this tension.

    Alice Martin works for the Work Foundation think tank at Lancaster University, which received funding from MS Society to conduct the research.

    – ref. People with MS and other fluctuating health conditions are often forced to quit their jobs when they want to work – https://theconversation.com/people-with-ms-and-other-fluctuating-health-conditions-are-often-forced-to-quit-their-jobs-when-they-want-to-work-259083

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Dog thefts: what really happened during the COVID pandemic

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Allen, Animal Geographer, Keele University

    smrm1977/Shutterstock

    Dog theft can be a devastating crime. During the COVID pandemic, newspapers suggested there was an epidemic of “dognapping” in the UK. If you have a dog, the reports may have alarmed you at a time when there were already many reasons to feel afraid.

    There are mixed views on whether or not lockdown triggered an increase in dog ownership. Animal welfare charity Battersea attributed a 53% increase in dog adoption to lockdown, and online pet adoption service Pets4Homes said in their 2022 report that demand for puppies rose 104% at the peak of lockdown in May 2020.

    But animal charity PDSA said its survey data pointed to a gradual increase in dog ownership since 2011 rather than a dramatic surge during lockdown. However, we do know lockdown saw inflated prices for dogs, with some fashionable breeds going for £9,000.

    In terms of criminal activity, social distancing restrictions seemed to lead to a decline in some forms of crime, including shoplifting and burglary. But many media outlets reported the number of dog thefts had increased up to 250% during the pandemic.

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

    We wanted to explore if the data supported claims of a dognapping epidemic and whether patterns in dog theft could suggest ways to help reduce it. Our recent study found new insights into dog theft patterns and showed the situation was more complicated than it seemed at first glance.

    Under the Theft Act 1968, dog theft is not a specific offence. It comes under other theft offences, such as burglary or theft from a person.

    This means police records on dog theft were not included in crime statistics. The only way to access such information is through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to individual police forces. There are 45 territorial and three special police forces in the UK, and each has its own reporting and recording practices.

    Although police FOI data for dog theft must be approached with caution, it is useful. Previous studies exploring police FOI data found an upward trend in recorded dog thefts in England and Wales: rising nearly 20% from 2015 (1,545) to 2018 (1,849) for 41 police forces combined; and up 3.5% year on year from 2019 (1,452) to 2020 (1,504) for 33 police forces.

    DogLost, a UK online community for reuniting lost and stolen dogs with their owners, reported a 170% increase in stolen dogs (with Crime Reference Numbers) registered on their website in 2020 (465), compared to 2019 (172). This figure was widely quoted as a national increase “since lockdown started” by the media.

    The 250% increase figure first quoted in December 2020 was actually a comparison of two seven-month periods (January-July 2019 and 2020) for only one police force.

    Patterns and trends

    Our study found the data for the period covering the COVID pandemic is also incomplete. Data was provided by 32 forces (71%) for 2020, by 27 forces (60%) for 2021, and 23 forces (51%) for 2022.

    Patterns and trends do, however, emerge. Between 2020 and 2022, the available data shows a 3.7% rise in dog thefts in the UK, from 1,573 to 1,631. When making adjustments for the number of police forces providing data (which decreased over the period), the estimated national figures suggest there may have been more significant rise of up to 44.2%.

    While we cannot assume that the forces who supplied data are representative of all 45 regional forces, if this were the case, it would equate to 2,212 recorded dog thefts in 2020, 2,645 in 2021, and 3,191 in 2022.

    There was a lot of variation between different areas. For example, Cambridgeshire, Gwent and Northumbria police forces experienced increases of 36%, 49% and 80% respectively in the number of recorded dog thefts between 2020 and 2021.

    Monthly analysis of data from regional police forces and DogLost, show that the number of reports of stolen dogs started to go up when the UK entered its first national lockdown and again during part of the third lockdown. But the average number of police-recorded dog thefts was actually slightly higher outside of lockdown periods than during them between 2020 and 2022.

    However, in contrast with police trends, DogLost data shows a 65.2% drop in dogs reported stolen on DogLost’s website in 2022 compared to 2020. Lower DogLost numbers may reflect limited visibility or presence of their networks, the use of alternative lost and stolen dog services, or reluctance to share personal details online due to scams targeting dog theft victims.

    Dogs are often stolen from inside their own homes.
    GoodFocused/Shutterstock

    Our study found that, overall, there probably was an increase in dog theft from
    2020 to 2022, following already identified increases in the preceding years. This rise was probably driven by a combination of opportunity (more dogs, higher value) and situational factors (accessibility, dogs unattended in gardens while owners were inside).

    Our evidence does not support the notion of a widespread epidemic as portrayed by the media. However, increased media interest probably amplified awareness of the issue, and influenced the creation of the Pet Theft Taskforce, a UK government initiative set up in May 2021 to investigate and tackle dog thefts.

    New research appears to confirm the idea that dog abduction has significant welfare effects on both dogs and their owners. We also know that few dog thefts are successfully resolved, with under a quarter of stolen dogs likely to be returned and around 1%-5% of reported dog thefts result in someone being charged.

    However, there is potential good news. Our ongoing research suggests the number of police-recorded dog thefts decreased slightly in 2023, and again in 2024. This is supported by research from pet insurer Direct Line, which has estimated a 21% decrease in the number of stolen dogs from 2,290 in 2023 to 1,808 in 2024 in the UK.

    Daniel Allen is founder of Pet Theft Reform and patron of the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (Sampa).

    Melanie Flynn is a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Vegan Society (UK).

    John Walliss 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. Dog thefts: what really happened during the COVID pandemic – https://theconversation.com/dog-thefts-what-really-happened-during-the-covid-pandemic-252061

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What are education and health care plans and why are parents worried about them being scrapped?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Glazzard, Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice, University of Hull

    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    For children in England with special educational needs and disabilities, an education and health care plan (EHCP) is a central pillar of support. The government is due to set out its educational strategy for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the autumn, though, and has not ruled out scrapping ECHPs. Their removal would signal radical change in how the system works in England.

    ECHPs are individualised plans that set out the needs of a particular child and the support they should receive – from education, health services and social care – in order have the best opportunity to thrive. But demand for ECHPs is soaring and providing support is proving financially catastrophic for local authorities.

    One of the criticisms of EHCPs is that they prioritise providing children with individual models of support, rather than developing inclusive cultures within schools and within the broader education system. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has outlined a vision of building a system where more children with special educational needs and disabilities can attend mainstream schools.

    But removing ECHPs leads to the possibility of children who need more specialist support missing out.

    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.

    To secure an ECHP, local authorities carry out a statutory assessment to determine whether a child’s needs warrant additional support. An assessment does not always lead to an EHCP, but if one is issued, it must outline how the child’s needs will be met and the additional resources needed to do so.

    These resources might include funding to provide a child with a teaching assistant, funding for equipment and transport to school, or funding to go to a specialist school. This system of support helps school leaders ensure that children and young people have the right support, at the right time.

    According to a report published earlier this year, the demand for EHCPs has risen by 140% since 2015. Recent data shows that there are 482,640 children and young people in England with an EHCP.

    Many more children have special educational needs, but do not have an ECHP. These pupils are classed as receiving special educational needs support. The percentage of pupils with an EHCP has increased to 5.3%, from 4.8% in 2024. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs support has increased to 14.2%, from 13.6% in 2024.

    Despite government investment of £10.7 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, a House of Commons committee report outlines that long waiting times for assessments, as well as to access support such as speech and language therapy, has led to parents losing confidence in the system.

    Support may include equipment or additional sessions.
    ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock

    Funding is allocated to each local authority from central government to fund provision in their areas. It is for local authorities, in consultation with their schools, to determine the individual allocation to schools. However, local authorities are struggling to meet the increased demand for EHCPs. Even when funding is allocated through EHCPs, it is not always sufficient to address the needs of those with complex needs.

    And funding is not sufficient to meet demand. Local authorities have accumulated huge deficits due to spending exceeding funding, placing some at risk of going bankrupt.

    Future plans

    Bridget Phillipson has refused to be drawn on whether EHCPs will be axed. “What I can say very clearly,” she has said, “is that we will strengthen and put in place better support for children.”

    Building more inclusive schools is obviously one way of achieving this vision. If scrapping EHCPs means less funding for children for special educational needs and disabilities, though, this cannot be the answer. Children need more support, not less, to enable them to thrive.

    The solution is for the government to work out what models of inclusion work well in mainstream schools and to decide how these can be resourced and evaluated. Clarity is also needed on inclusion in mainstream schools can be measured in order to assess whether it is working.

    Making more support in mainstream schools work also requires an adequate supply of knowledgeable, well-trained teachers. The government is prioritising this through revision to initial teacher education courses, with an emphasis on all teachers being teachers of special educational needs.

    If the government doesn’t get this right, the result may be poorer educational and long-term outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. It may also lead to issues with teacher recruitment and retention in mainstream schools, particularly if teachers feel that they do not have the level of support in place that they need to meet the needs of their pupils.

    Jonathan Glazzard 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. What are education and health care plans and why are parents worried about them being scrapped? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-education-and-health-care-plans-and-why-are-parents-worried-about-them-being-scrapped-260622

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Electric vehicle imports lose charge as volumes drop – Stats NZ media and information release: Overseas merchandise trade: June 2025

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Total greenhouse gas emissions rise 0.9 percent in the March 2025 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): March 2025 quarter

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Journal of Advanced Research Design

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    This journal offers overall strategy that researchers choose to integrate the different components of the research in a coherent and logical way, thereby, ensuring effectively address the research problem; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data spanning the interdisciplinary field of applied researches. Scope of the journal includes: biology, chemistry, physics, environmental, business and economics, finance, mathematics and statistics, geology, engineering, computer science, social sciences, natural and technological sciences, linguistics, medicine, and architecture.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s consumer goods trade-in program helps boost demand

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

    China’s consumer goods trade-in program has spurred purchases of more than 109 million home appliances so far this year, engaging more than 66 million consumers, as the country stepped up efforts to boost domestic demand.

    The program has driven sales of more than 74 million digital devices and nearly 9.06 million electric bicycles, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.

    Previous statistics from the ministry showed that in the first five months of this year, the trade-in program generated 1.1 trillion yuan (about 153.93 billion U.S. dollars) in sales.

    Boosted by the program, China’s retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of the country’s consumption strength, expanded 5 percent year on year in the first half of this year. The pace of growth is 0.4 percentage points faster than the growth recorded in the first quarter.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: July 2025 euro area bank lending survey

    Source: European Central Bank

    22 July 2025

    • Credit standards for firm loans remained broadly unchanged
    • Credit standards tightened slightly for housing loans and more markedly for consumer credit
    • Housing loan demand continued to increase strongly, while demand for firm loans remained weak

    According to the July 2025 bank lending survey (BLS), euro area banks reported broadly unchanged credit standards – banks’ internal guidelines or loan approval criteria – for loans or credit lines to enterprises in the second quarter of 2025 (net percentage of banks of -1%; Chart 1). Banks also reported a slight net tightening of credit standards for loans to households for house purchase (net percentage of 2%) and a more pronounced net tightening for consumer credit and other lending to households (net percentage of 11%). For credit standards on loans to firms, the net percentage was smaller than banks had expected in the previous survey (a net tightening of 5%) and follows the small net tightening in credit standards seen in the first quarter (3%). Perceived risks related to the economic outlook continued to contribute to a tightening of credit standards, whereas competition had an easing impact. For the most part, banks reported no specific additional tightening impact on their credit standards related to geopolitical uncertainty and trade tensions, although they intensified their monitoring of the most exposed sectors and firms. For loans to households for house purchase, the net tightening followed the easing of credit standards seen in the first quarter (-7%) but was lower than banks anticipated (7%). For both housing loans and consumer credit, changes in risk perceptions and the risk tolerance of banks were the main drivers of the net tightening of credit standards. For the third quarter of 2025, banks expect credit standards to remain unchanged for firms (0%), ease slightly for housing loans (-3%) and tighten further for consumer credit (4%).

    Banks’ overall terms and conditions – the actual terms and conditions agreed in loan contracts – eased for loans to firms, remained unchanged for housing loans and tightened for consumer credit.

    In the second quarter of 2025, euro area banks reported a slight net increase in demand for loans or credit lines to firms (Chart 2), with demand remaining weak overall. This followed a small net decrease in loan demand in the previous quarter (-3%) and was broadly in line with banks’ expectations in that quarter (4%). Loan demand was supported by declining interest rates, but dampened by global uncertainty and trade tensions, while the impact of fixed investment and inventories and working capital was neutral. Demand for housing loans continued to increase substantially in net terms. Declining interest rates, improved housing market prospects and, to a lesser extent, consumer confidence, were the main drivers of the continued increase in housing loan demand. Demand for consumer credit and other lending to households increased only slightly, with declining interest rates and other factors offsetting negative contributions from lower consumer confidence and spending on durable goods. In the third quarter of 2025, banks expect a net increase in loan demand from firms (net percentage of 7%), a further substantial net increase for housing loans (net percentage of 21%) and broadly unchanged demand for consumer credit (1%).

    Euro area banks’ access to retail and wholesale funding improved slightly in the second quarter of 2025, driven by short-term retail funding, money markets and debt securities, and remained broadly unchanged for securitisations. Over the next three months, banks expect access to these funding sources to remain broadly unchanged.

    Euro area banks reported that non-performing loan (NPL) ratios and other credit quality indicators had a net tightening impact on their credit standards across all loan categories, as well as a net tightening impact on terms and conditions for loans to firms and consumer credit. Banks expect these trends to continue in the third quarter for loans to firms and consumer credit, driven mostly by pressures related to supervisory or regulatory requirements.

    Changes in credit standards and loan demand were heterogeneous across the main economic sectors in the first half of 2025. Credit standards tightened in commercial real estate (CRE), manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and, to a lesser extent, in construction, while they eased slightly across most services (excluding financial services and real estate) and in residential real estate (RRE). Banks reported a net decrease in loan demand for construction, manufacturing, CRE and wholesale and retail trade, and net increases in RRE and in the transport, accommodation and food services sectors. For the second half of 2025, in most of the main economic sectors, banks expect either broadly unchanged or easier credit standards and overall small changes in loan demand. The exception is RRE, for which banks expect a further moderate increase.

    Banks continue to take firms’ climate performance into consideration in their lending policies, reporting an easing impact on credit standards and terms and conditions for green firms and firms in transition and a tightening impact for high-emitting firms over the past twelve months. Both physical risk and firms’ transition risk had a moderate net tightening impact on banks’ lending policies, while climate-related fiscal support continued to have an easing impact. Banks also reported a net increase in demand for loans to green firms and firms in transition owing to climate change, while uncertainty over future climate regulation was perceived as an obstacle. Banks expect a similar impact overall over the next twelve months.

    Based on a new question on the impact of climate change on housing loans, banks reported an easing impact on credit standards for buildings with high energy performance and a tightening impact for buildings with low energy performance over the past twelve months. They expect a broadly corresponding impact over the next twelve months. As the easing impact for new buildings mostly offset the tightening impact for old buildings, the net impact of energy performance was low overall. The physical risk of real estate was, however, an important driver of further net tightening in lending conditions overall, and an even higher net percentage of banks reported that it will be a driver over the next year. Banks also reported a positive impact on loan demand for buildings with high and medium energy performance but a negative impact for those with low energy performance. Investment in energy performance was the key factor for climate-related loan demand, supported by preferential lending rates for increasing sustainability, whereas uncertainty over future climate regulation was reported as a dampening factor for loan demand.

    Banks indicated that changes in excess liquidity held with the Eurosystem in the first half of 2025 had a neutral impact on bank lending conditions. They expect to see similar effects in the second half of 2025.

    The quarterly BLS was developed by the Eurosystem to improve its understanding of bank lending behaviour in the euro area. The results reported in the July 2025 survey relate to changes observed in the second quarter of 2025 and changes expected in the third quarter of 2025, unless otherwise indicated. The July 2025 survey round was conducted between 13 June and 1 July 2025. A total of 155 banks were surveyed in this round, with a response rate of 100%.

    Chart 1

    Changes in credit standards for loans or credit lines to enterprises, and contributing factors

    (net percentages of banks reporting a tightening of credit standards, and contributing factors)

    Source: ECB (BLS).

    Notes: Net percentages are defined as the difference between the sum of the percentages of banks responding “tightened considerably” and “tightened somewhat” and the sum of the percentages of banks responding “eased somewhat” and “eased considerably”. The net percentages for “Other factors” refer to an average of the further factors which were mentioned by banks as having contributed to changes in credit standards. Data are for the euro area and for the largest four euro area countries.

    Chart 2

    Changes in demand for loans or credit lines to enterprises, and contributing factors

    (net percentages of banks reporting an increase in demand, and contributing factors)

    Source: ECB (BLS).

    Notes: Net percentages for the questions on demand for loans are defined as the difference between the sum of the percentages of banks responding “increased considerably” and “increased somewhat” and the sum of the percentages of banks responding “decreased somewhat” and “decreased considerably”. The net percentages for “Other factors” refer to an average of the further factors which were mentioned by banks as having contributed to changes in loan demand. Data are for the euro area and for the largest four euro area countries.

    For media queries, please contact William Lelieveldt, tel.: +49 170 227 9090.

    Notes

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: COVID, flu, RSV: how these common viruses are tracking this winter – and how to protect yourself

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia

    nimis69/Getty Images

    Winter is here, and with it come higher rates of respiratory illnesses. If you’ve been struck down recently with a sore throat, runny nose and a cough, or perhaps even a fever, you’re not alone.

    Last week, non-urgent surgeries were paused in several Queensland hospitals due to a surge of influenza and COVID cases filling up hospital beds.

    Meanwhile, more than 200 aged care facilities around Australia are reportedly facing COVID outbreaks.

    So, just how bad are respiratory infections this year, and which viruses are causing the biggest problems?

    COVID

    Until May, COVID case numbers were about half last year’s level, but June’s 32,348 notifications are closing the gap (compared with 45,634 in June 2024). That said, we know far fewer people test now than they did earlier in the pandemic, so these numbers are likely to be an underestimate.

    According to the latest Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report, Australia now appears to be emerging from a winter wave of COVID cases driven largely by the NB.1.8.1 subvariant, known as “Nimbus”.

    Besides classic cold-like symptoms, this Omicron offshoot can reportedly cause particularly painful sore throats as well as gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhoea.

    While some people who catch COVID have no symptoms or just mild ones, for many people the virus can be serious. Older adults and those with chronic health issues remain at greatest risk of experiencing severe illness and dying from COVID.

    Some 138 aged care residents have died from COVID since the beginning of June.

    The COVID booster currently available is based on the JN.1 subvariant. Nimbus is a direct descendant of JN.1 – as is another subvariant in circulation, XFG or “Stratus” – which means the vaccine should remain effective against current variants.

    Free boosters are available to most people annually, while those aged 75 and older are advised to get one every six months.

    Vaccination, as well as early treatment with antivirals, lowers the risk of severe illness and long COVID. People aged 70 and older, as well as younger people with certain risk factors, are eligible for antivirals if they test positive.

    Influenza

    The 2025 flu season has been unusually severe. From January to May, total case numbers were 30% higher than last year, increasing pressure on health systems.

    More recent case numbers seem to be trending lower than 2024, however we don’t appear to have reached the peak yet.

    Flu symptoms are generally more severe than the common cold and may include high fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat and a runny or blocked nose.

    Most people recover in under a week, but the flu can be more severe (and even fatal) in groups including older people, young children and pregnant women.

    An annual vaccination is available for free to children aged 6 months to 4 years, pregnant women, those aged 65+, and other higher-risk groups.

    Queensland and Western Australia provide a free flu vaccine for all people aged 6 months and older, but in other states and territories, people not eligible for a free vaccine can pay (usually A$30 or less) to receive one.

    RSV

    The third significant respiratory virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), only became a notifiable disease in 2021 (before this doctors didn’t need to record infections, meaning data is sparse).

    Last year saw Australia’s highest case numbers since RSV reporting began. By May, cases in 2025 were lower than 2024, but by June, they had caught up: 27,243 cases this June versus 26,596 in June 2024. However it looks as though we may have just passed the peak.

    RSV’s symptoms are usually mild and cold-like, but it can cause serious illness such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Infants, older people, and people with chronic health conditions are among those at highest risk. In young children, RSV is a leading cause of hospitalisation.

    A free vaccine is now available for pregnant women, protecting infants for up to six months. A monoclonal antibody (different to a vaccine but also given as an injection) is also available for at-risk children up to age two, especially if their mothers didn’t receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.

    For older adults, two RSV vaccines (Arexvy and Abrysvo) are available, with a single dose recommended for everyone aged 75+, those over 60 at higher risk due to medical conditions, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60+.

    Unfortunately, these are not currently subsidised and cost about $300. Protection lasts at least three years.

    The common cold

    While viruses including COVID, RSV and influenza dominate headlines, we often overlook one of the most widespread – the common cold.

    The common cold can be caused by more than 200 different viruses – mainly rhinoviruses but also some coronaviruses, adenoviruses and enteroviruses.

    Typical symptoms include a runny or blocked nose, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, headache, tiredness and sometimes a mild fever.

    Children get about 6–8 colds per year while adults average 2–4, and symptoms usually resolve in a week. Most recover with rest, fluids, and possibly over-the-counter medications.

    Because so many different viruses cause the common cold, and because these constantly mutate, developing a vaccine has been extremely challenging. Researchers continue to explore solutions, but a universal cold vaccine remains elusive.

    How do I protect myself and others?

    The precautions we learned during the COVID pandemic remain valid. These are all airborne viruses which can be spread by coughing, sneezing and touching contaminated surfaces.

    Practise good hygiene, teach children proper cough etiquette, wear a high-quality mask if you’re at high risk, and stay home to rest if unwell.

    You can now buy rapid antigen tests (called panel tests) that test for influenza (A or B), COVID and RSV. So, if you’re unwell with a respiratory infection, consider testing yourself at home.

    While many winter lurgies can be trivial, this is not always the case. We can all do our bit to reduce the impact.

    Adrian Esterman receives funding from the Medical Research Future Fund.

    – ref. COVID, flu, RSV: how these common viruses are tracking this winter – and how to protect yourself – https://theconversation.com/covid-flu-rsv-how-these-common-viruses-are-tracking-this-winter-and-how-to-protect-yourself-261383

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • UAE Introduces Sugar-Based Tax on Sweetened Beverages to Promote Healthier Choices

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to implement a paradigm shift in its policy regarding excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) from January 2026, announced the Ministry of Finance and Federal Tax Authority (FTA) .The new rule will shift from a flat 50% tax rate to a tiered volumetric model, where the tax per liter is directly linked to the sugar content per 100ml of a beverage. This move aims to reduce sugar consumption, promote healthier dietary habits, and combat lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

    Under the current system, introduced in 2017 and expanded in 2019, all sweetened beverages—including carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and products with added sugars or sweeteners, are subject to a uniform 50% excise tax. The new tiered system will impose higher taxes on beverages with greater sugar content, incentivizing manufacturers to reformulate their products to lower sugar levels. “The updated mechanism encourages manufacturers to reduce added sugars and empowers consumers to make more informed dietary choices,” the Ministry of Finance stated.

    Health experts have praised the initiative as a significant step toward addressing public health challenges in the UAE, where the prevalence of diabetes among adults is approximately 20.7%, according to 2024 statistics from the International Diabetes Federation. This policy is commendable in the fight against obesity, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes.”The policy aligns with the UAE’s broader health strategy and sustainable development goals, developed in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention.The UAE’s innovative approach to taxing sweetened beverages based on sugar content positions the country as a leader in using fiscal policy to drive public health outcomes, with potential ripple effects across the region.

     

  • MIL-OSI Australia: May crime statistics

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Property related crime including house break-ins, shop theft and car theft have continued to decline considerably in South Australia, the latest crime statistics have revealed.

    The May rolling year crime statistics reveal the total number of property related offences has decreased by eight per cent – or 7,604 offences – in the period with significant reductions in most offences within the category.

    Robbery and related offences have also continued to fall with a 10 per cent decline in offences recorded in the period – 80 offences – which is the sixteenth successive decrease in offences within that category.

    The May figures reveal aggravated robberies declined by 14 per cent – from 490 to 432 offences reported and non-aggravated robberies rose by three per cent – from 75 to 77 offences reported.

    Within the property related offences category theft and related offences recorded a 10 per cent decline in the period with a reduction in 5,709 offences – from 56,630 to 50,921.

    Car theft recorded a six per cent decline – from 3,725 to 3,513 offences – and theft from a vehicle recorded a 20 per cent drop in offences – from 9,567 to 7,639 offences. This followed similar falls in the previous three reporting periods.

    Shop theft has continued to fall in South Australia as ongoing proactive operations targeting recidivist offenders pay dividends with a seven per cent decline in the May period when 1,224 fewer offences were reported – from 18,405 to 17,181 incidents. This is the seventh successive decline in reported offences.

    House break-ins have also continued to decline with a 10 per cent decrease recorded in the May period – from 5,822 to 5,228 offences – or 594 fewer incidents reported. This followed an 11 per cent decrease in the April period, eight per cent in March and seven per cent in February.

    Non-residential break-ins also showed another healthy decrease with 318 fewer offences reported – from 3,708 to 3,390. The nine per cent drop followed a seven per cent decline in the April period and five per cent reductions in March and February.

    The May rolling year statistics reveal acts intended to cause injury, which includes serious assault resulting in injury and common assault, increased by four per cent from 23,546 to 24,428 incidents reported.

    Within that category the number of assault police incidents reported decreased by four per cent -from 626 to 601 incidents.

    Reported homicides have returned to traditional levels with 10 recorded in the rolling year period compared with 23 in the corresponding period. A similar number were reported in the March and April periods.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Making a big impression

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

    A sizable asset in the making, or a liability in transition? China’s towering phenom Zhang Ziyu has turned heads at her home Asia Cup, leaving the basketball world wonder how such a unique talent could fit into the fast-paced modern game.

    Standing 2.26 meters tall (7-foot-5), with her giant presence a spectacle to behold, China’s 18-year-old center Zhang, dubbed “Baby-face Shaq” by fans, couldn’t hide from the attention at the FIBA Asia Cup in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, where her insurmountable advantage under the rim, as apparent as her weakness in mobility, agility and conditioning, was put on full display.

    China’s Zhang Ziyu (C) dwarves two Japanese opponents during a friendly in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province, June 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

    Limited by head coach Gong Luming to 14 minutes of court time per game, Zhang finished her international debut at the senior level with a team-high 15.6 points on average across five games, ranking second overall after Lebanon’s Rebecca Akl (16.5).

    Despite being triple teamed whenever she played, Zhang proved almost unstoppable near the basket, easily posting defenders up with her bulk to score free points as long as she settled deep enough in the paint.

    Her slow legs and lack of athleticism, however, took a heavy toll on her game, significantly limiting her defensive coverage and threat in offensive transition.

    As currently the world’s tallest professional female player, Zhang could only contribute 0.4 blocks and 5.6 rebounds per game in Shenzhen, ranking 18th and 14th, respectively, in two key stats that measure a post player’s impact.

    A raw talent playing the game, literally, on a level of her own, Zhang’s emergence is sure to pose a huge challenge for opponents as Team China looks to build its future around her.

    “She’s an extraordinary talent with an untapped potential, and could be a huge asset for Chinese women’s basketball if developed in the right way,” Gong said of Zhang’s performance after Team China beat South Korea 101-66 in Sunday’s bronze-medal playoff to finish third on the podium.

    “She obviously lacks experience at this level, and has so much catching-up to do to get used to the physicality and pace of the senior game.

    “Defensively, she has to improve her movement and rebounding, while, offensively, we hope she can develop a more versatile skillset and get more involved in making plays for teammates.

    “She has a long career ahead of her and a vast room for improvement. This was just her first test at the senior level, and I feel like we put way too much expectation on her, which didn’t help,” said Gong, who returned to the team just three months ago for a second stint after guiding the women’s squad to the 2001 Asia championship and 2002 Asian Games titles.

    Zhang’s current incompatibility with the fast-paced, high-intensity game was exposed in Team China’s disappointing 90-81 semifinal loss to Japan, where the host’s strength in the paint was neutralized by Japan’s run-and-gun game, which featured sharp shooting, spacing and quick transition.

    China’s slow-rotating zone defense, with Zhang settled deep down court whenever she’s in the game, allowed Japan’s teen star Kokoro Tanaka too many uncontested shots on the perimeter, where Japan hit 16 three-pointers, 10 more than China did, to upset the host in front of its home fans.

    Corey Gaines, Japan’s head coach, attributed the critical win to his team’s perfect execution of a game plan tailored against the host’s “too obvious” advantage, following two warm-up losses to Team China last month.

    Still, Zhang’s rise to stardom as a potential game-changer on the international stage will be inevitable, according to Australian legend Lauren Jackson.

    The five-time Olympic medalist said she’s been following Zhang’s game as a fan, and feels excited for her future as a star in the making following the NBA Rising Star tournament in Singapore earlier this month.

    “She’s starting to learn the women’s game after graduating from age-grade basketball, and I just hope she’s enjoying every minute, because, before too long, she is going to be the center of everybody’s attention and dominating the FIBA game,” Jackson told ESPN.

    “Obviously she’s super tall, but the way she plays, she certainly has the ability to completely dominate, purely because of her height,” said the 44-year-old former WNBA star.

    “In saying that, she’s got great touch around the ring, she can catch and she’s got a big, strong body, and has the ability to finish under pressure with three or four people hanging off her.

    “It’s exciting to think about where she’s going to go in the game, and what she’s going to do,” said Jackson, a dominant 1.98-meter center in her prime, who retired after helping Australia qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

    Playing in a major home tournament as a teenager was a perfect start for Zhang, and the next big experience is something Jackson has lived and breathed herself — a potential call from the WNBA.

    The high expectations, though, could be a burden that Zhang will need some extra help and support to overcome, said Jackson, who made her major international debut for the Opals at the 1998 world championships and became a big name at the Sydney Olympics.

    “The Australian team, our coach and the team manager made an effort of trying to protect me from the media and the external pressures. In our lead-in games to Sydney, they made sure I wasn’t doing much media and things like that,” she recalls.

    “It was a very strange, surreal time, and I was ignorant to how much pressure was probably on me. I hope she has the same support as I had to help her out.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 22, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 22, 2025.

    New study finds the gender earnings gap could be halved if we reined in the long hours often worked by men
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndall Strazdins, Professor, Australian National University asylun/Shutterstock There are lots of reasons why people work extra hours. In some jobs, it’s the only way to cover the workload. In others, the pay is poor, so people need to work extra time. And in others still, working back

    New study finds the gender earnings gap could be halved if we reined in the long hours often worked by men
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndall Strazdins, Professor, Australian National University asylun/Shutterstock There are lots of reasons why people work extra hours. In some jobs, it’s the only way to cover the workload. In others, the pay is poor, so people need to work extra time. And in others still, working back

    Sky TV to buy channel Three owner Discovery NZ for $1
    By Anan Zaki, RNZ News business reporter Sky TV has agreed to fully acquire TV3 owner Discovery New Zealand for $1. Discovery NZ is a part of US media giant Warner Bros Discovery, and operates channel Three and online streaming platform ThreeNow. NZX-listed Sky said the deal would be completed on a cash-free, debt-free basis,

    Suffering in Gaza reaches ‘new depths’ – Australia condemns ‘inhumane killing’ of Palestinians
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amra Lee, PhD candidate in Protection of Civilians, Australian National University Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies. Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with counterparts from

    As female independent MPs descend on parliament, they’re fulfilling the dreams of women across history
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Chappell, Post Doctoral Research, University of New England Australia’s 48th parliament has a record 112 women members. Ten of those women are independents. As they take their seats in the chamber, they’ll be realising the aspirations of some of Australia’s first suffragists who, more than a

    Are screenwriters paid for a product or a service? The definition matters for their workplace rights
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Goodwin, Lecturer in Arts Management and Human Resources, The University of Melbourne Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash The film and television sector in Australia employs over 26,000 workers and generated more than A$4.5 billion in income in 2021–22. TV dramas generate a large part of this revenue. Australian screen

    NZ and allies condemn ‘inhumane’, ‘horrifying’ killings in Gaza and ‘drip feeding’ of aid
    RNZ News New Zealand has joined 24 other countries in calling for an end to the war in Gaza, and criticising what they call the inhumane killing of Palestinians. The countries — including Britain, France, Canada and Australia plus the European Union — also condemed the Israeli government’s aid delivery model in Gaza as “dangerous”.

    Everyone’s talking about the Perseid meteor shower – but don’t bother trying to see it in Australia or NZ
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland View of the 2023 Perseid meteor shower from the southernmost part of Sequoia National Forest, US. NASA/Preston Dyches In recent days, you may have seen articles claiming the “best meteor shower of the year” is about to start. Unfortunately,

    Pumped up with poison: new research shows many anabolic steroids contain toxic metals
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Piatkowski, Lecturer in Psychology, Griffith University MilosStankovic/Getty Images Eighteen-year-old Mark scrolls Instagram late at night, watching videos of fitness influencers showing off muscle gains and lifting the equivalent of a baby elephant off the gym floor. Spurred on by hashtags and usernames indicating these feats involve

    How EVs and electric water heaters are turning cities into giant batteries
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bin Lu, Senior Research Fellow in Renewable Energy, Australian National University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock As the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, many worry the increased demand could overload national power grids. In Australia, electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050. If everyone charges their car and

    The end of open-plan classrooms: how school design reflects changing ideas in education
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leon Benade, Professor in the School of Education of Edith Cowan University (ECU), Perth, WA, Edith Cowan University skynesher/Getty Imaged The end of open-plan classrooms in New Zealand, recently announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford, marks yet another swing of the pendulum in school design. Depending on

    Could Rupert Murdoch bring down Donald Trump? A court case threatens more than just their relationship
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dodd, Professor of Journalism, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne If Rupert Murdoch becomes a white knight standing up to a rampantly bullying US president, the world has moved into the upside-down. This is, after all, the media mogul whose US

    PBS and NPR are generally unbiased, independent of government propaganda and provide key benefits to US democracy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University Congress’ cuts to public broadcasting will diminish the range and volume of the free press and the independent reporting it provides. MicroStockHub-iStock/Getty Images Plus Champions of the almost entirely party-line vote

    Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hanri Mostert, SARChI Chair for Mineral Law in Africa, University of Cape Town A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower

    A popular sweetener could be damaging your brain’s defences, says recent study
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Havovi Chichger, Professor, Biomedical Science, Anglia Ruskin University Found in everything from protein bars to energy drinks, erythritol has long been considered a safe alternative to sugar. But new research suggests this widely used sweetener may be quietly undermining one of the body’s most crucial protective barriers

    Why has a bill to relax NZ foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?
    ANALYSIS: By Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process — this time for foreign investment in New Zealand. But it has had almost no public

    PSNA calls on NZ to urgently condemn Israeli weaponisation of starvation
    Asia Pacific Report The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has called on the New Zealand government to immediately condemn Israel’s weaponisation of starvation and demand an end to the siege of Gaza. It has also called for a permanent ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to the besieged enclave. “All political parties and elected officials must break

    Labor to put disclaimer under Mark Latham’s caucus room picture
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The picture of Mark Latham on the caucus room gallery of Labor leaders will have an annotation under it saying he was expelled for life and his actions do not accord with Labor values. The first meeting of the new

    Pacific leaders demand respectful involvement in memorial for unmarked graves
    By Mary Afemata, of PMN News and RNZ Pacific Porirua City Council is set to create a memorial for more than 1800 former patients of the local hospital buried in unmarked graves. But Pacific leaders are asking to be “meaningfully involved” in the process, including incorporating prayer, language, and ceremonial practices. More than 50 people

    Newspoll and Resolve give Labor big leads as parliament resumes after the election
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With federal parliament to sit for the first time since the election on Tuesday, Newspoll gives Labor a 57–43 lead and Resolve a 56–44 lead. In Tasmania,

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New study finds the gender earnings gap could be halved if we reined in the long hours often worked by men

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndall Strazdins, Professor, Australian National University

    asylun/Shutterstock

    There are lots of reasons why people work extra hours. In some jobs, it’s the only way to cover the workload. In others, the pay is poor, so people need to work extra time. And in others still, working back late or on weekends is encouraged and rewarded, explicitly and implicitly.

    Those employees who do the extra hours, willingly and without complaint, are seen as hungry and ambitious. A view expressed in some workplaces is simply “that’s what everyone does”.

    But what if we discovered that people – at least in heterosexual couple households – can only work long hours at their partner’s expense? Would it still be OK for workplaces to expect people to work longer than our standard full time week, and incentivise them for doing so?

    Our study, published this month in the journal Social Indicators Research, found in Australian couple households where both partners had jobs, men earned on average $536 more than women every week. In Germany, the weekly gender earnings gap was €400.

    About half of that income gap in both Australia and Germany was due to men working long hours and women effectively subsidising them to do this by cutting back their own work hours.

    It’s tough to combine a job with running a household, but one person working extra hours makes this almost impossible. In households, a job with long work hours means someone else must pick up the rest. This includes caring for kids, running the house, walking the dog, cooking dinner and more.

    What happens when one partner has to pick up the rest

    One in three Australian employees care for children, and 13% of part-time and 11% of all full-time employees give care to someone else, often an ageing parent. This has knock-on effects which are impacting many people in our workforce. The extra hours don’t come out of nowhere, but they have been invisible in what we think of as fair.

    In our study, we costed this knock-on in terms of earnings and work hours gaps in households, and what this could mean for equality of income.

    We studied between 3,000 and 6,000 heterosexual couples from 2002 to 2019 in Australia and in Germany, estimating their weekly earnings and work hour gaps.

    To understand the dynamics in the household, we used a two-stage instrumental variable Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition – a method that allowed us to model earnings gaps as a function of both partners’ paid and unpaid hours. This helped us estimate what the gender gap in hours and earnings would look like if time weren’t being “borrowed” or “subsidised” within the home.

    Changing the hours men and women work

    The results were striking. We showed how one partner’s paid work hours can increase when the other partner does more unpaid (household) work. This ability for partners to “trade” hours was one of the most important drivers of the work hour (and earning) gap.

    So we re-ran models and recalculated what hours a woman and a man would work if one partner wasn’t “subsidising” the other’s work hours. The model showed women would work more hours and men would work fewer when there was a more even split of home duties. The weekly work hour gap shrank to 5.1 hours in Australia (a 58% reduction) and 6.9 hours in Germany (a 47% reduction).

    The impact on earnings was just as significant. The gender earnings gap would shrink by 43% in Australia and 25% in Germany.

    The gender earnings and work hours gaps are well known, and these are not the only countries facing this problem. What hasn’t been shown before is how it works in households to drive gender inequality across the nation.

    The rest of the earnings gap is largely due to differences in pay across male and female industries and jobs, and the persistent gender pay gap in hourly pay.

    According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average gender gap in hourly pay is 11.1%. This gap reflects the fact, hour for hour, women are generally paid less. The average weekly earnings gap is much larger at 26.4%.

    As things currently stand in Australia, women earn only three-quarters of what men do, a shortfall similar to that in (Germany).

    One part of the earnings gap is the gap in the hourly pay rate, but the other is the gap in how many hours are worked. We show how this would shrink if men worked hours that were closer to Australia’s legislated 38-hour week, and workplaces encouraged them to do so.

    Closing the gap

    If we stopped the time-shifting to partners that our culture of long working hours relies upon, we estimate that in a heterosexual couple, men’s hours would average closer to 41 a week, and women’s would increase to 36.

    We could change the long and short hour compromise that so many households have to face. This change could make a huge difference to gender inequality, and women would no longer carry such a large economic cost from their partner’s work.

    Maybe reining in excess hours should be the new focus for gender equality.

    Lyndall Strazdins has received funding from the Australian Research Council to undertake research on this topic.
    She has served as an expert witness on work hours and well-being for the State and Federal Court.

    Liana Leach receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund. She is a member of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).

    Tinh Doan receives funding from the Australia ComCare and the Department of Health and Aged Care for other works that are not related to this article.

    – ref. New study finds the gender earnings gap could be halved if we reined in the long hours often worked by men – https://theconversation.com/new-study-finds-the-gender-earnings-gap-could-be-halved-if-we-reined-in-the-long-hours-often-worked-by-men-260815

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Are screenwriters paid for a product or a service? The definition matters for their workplace rights

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Goodwin, Lecturer in Arts Management and Human Resources, The University of Melbourne

    Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash

    The film and television sector in Australia employs over 26,000 workers and generated more than A$4.5 billion in income in 2021–22. TV dramas generate a large part of this revenue.

    Australian screen workers, including screenwriters, have traditionally been classified by productions as freelancers or contractors. In many cases, this means they have not been paid entitlements most other workers in Australia have access to.

    A December ruling by the Australian Taxation Office defined many Australian screenwriters as employees, and therefore they should be paid superannuation. Now, the Australian Writers Guild and Screen Producers Australia are each “seeking legal advice” on what this ruling could mean for scriptwriters and Australia’s screen sector.

    Mandated superannuation

    The superannuation guarantee mandates employers make superannuation contributions for eligible employees in line with the minimum contribution rate (now 12%).

    Historically, scriptwriters, like other arts workers, have been mainly engaged as freelancers, not employees. This means they are not always paid superannuation and other legal entitlements that come from being an employee.

    But a December 2024 tax office ruling specifically defined many screen workers as employees.

    This ruling advises that someone who sells an existing script (such as someone who wrote a film at their own initiative, and then sold the script to a producer) is not an employee, but “selling property”. These writers are not eligible for super payments.

    But the ruling found people who are regularly working scriptwriters (such as those working in a writers’ room for a TV series) may be legally considered employees, and are eligible for payments and protections offered to employees.

    Screen Producers Australia sees things differently. Information provided to their members argues scriptwriters are paid for the intellectual property rights associated with their product – meaning they are selling property.

    Opposing this, the Australian Writers Guild argue scriptwriters on long-running TV programs or in writers’ rooms are performing services and are employees of the production companies.

    If the screen production companies do not fall in line with the tax office ruling, the Australian Writers Guild have not ruled out undertaking legal action through a class action suit, or a strike.

    As the guild is not a union, they cannot undertake protected industrial action. But the guild could encourage a “wildcat strike”: a spontaneous work stoppage without union leadership. They recognise, however, this would have the impact on member livelihoods.

    What does this mean for scriptwriters?

    The ruling from the tax office outlines how it would apply the legislation, but it has not yet been tested legally. If the ruling is tested legally – by, say, legal action from scriptwriters seeking superannuation payments – and scriptwriters are found to be employees, it could greatly affect their work and pay.

    Not only could this lead to mandated superannuation contributions, but access to other entitlements such as parental leave, holiday pay and redundancy provisions.

    Australian artists earn on average 26% below the workforce norm, with incomes decreasing in real terms.

    Working conditions for Australians in the screen industries are difficult. Those working in the sector suffer from high levels of burnout and face systemic barriers when not white, male and able-bodied.

    Scriptwriters in Australia often struggle to achieve sustainable careers.
    Aman Upadhyay/Unsplash

    Scriptwriters in Australia often struggle to achieve sustainable careers. Scriptwriting fees often don’t fully cover the research and writing involved in script development, and the rise of streaming services has seen residuals – money made from licence fees of past work – all but disappear.

    Secure work in writers’ rooms for television series is also diminishing as these shrink in both team size and duration, limiting opportunities for emerging writers.

    Freelance scriptwriters may lack basic worker rights like minimum wage, job security, union bargaining and workers’ compensation insurance.

    For those lucky enough to secure work, superannuation and other entitlements can be negotiated into individual contracts. Until now, this has relied on individuals having the power and ability to engage in contract negotiation.

    Creative Workplaces – the division of Creative Australia formed in 2023 to address issues of pay, safety and welfare across the arts – recently launched a website. It offers industrial resources for arts organisations and workers to understand their rights and obligations.

    This is an important tool for all in the creative industries to ensure they receive the minimums under the law. But it is not a regulatory body. The onus is on organisations and workers to put into practice the relevant contracts and employment relationships.

    As the writers guild argues, it should not be up to individual workers to negotiate for basic worker entitlements. The recent tax office ruling, they say, means entitlements should include superannuation for many scriptwriters.

    A sustainable screen career

    As with other workplace issues impacting artists in recent years, scriptwriters deserve basic legal protections. They also deserve the safety and security that comes from being recognised as employees.

    TV drama provides a valuable training ground for Australian creatives. Fostering talent includes the creation of liveable working conditions.

    Initiatives such as Creative Workplaces can provide information, but leaders within creative organisations, production companies and other decision makers must act.

    Producers may choose now to pay super, in line with the tax office ruling, or they may wait for legal precedent to be set. And while they must adhere to legal minimums, production companies must also consider whether those working with them can earn a sustainable living on these minimums, or if they should offer better employment terms.

    If we want a future for screen stories in Australia, support for those working in the sector to build an enduring career is essential.

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

    – ref. Are screenwriters paid for a product or a service? The definition matters for their workplace rights – https://theconversation.com/are-screenwriters-paid-for-a-product-or-a-service-the-definition-matters-for-their-workplace-rights-261463

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Workplace Safety – Road freight body welcomes steady decline in workplace injuries

    Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

    Road freight body welcomes steady decline in workplace injuries
    Transporting New Zealand is welcoming a decline in road freight transport workplace injuries, saying it shows industry commitment to health and safety improvements.
    Data released by ACC shows that annual injury claims have fallen by 35 per cent between 2018 and 2025, showing a consistent decline in workplace injuries despite growth in the national freight task. Claims fell across all 16 regions, with Northland and West Coast recording the largest percentage drops (56 per cent and 54 per cent respectively).
    There were 3,442 new claims in the road freight transfer industry in 2024/25, compared to 5,295 in 2017/18 – a reduction of 1,853 claims. Numbers declined year-on-year from 2018 to 2025.
    Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the data is good news for road freight staff, businesses, and ACC levy payers.
    “The data shows that road transport businesses are steadily improving workplace health and safety for its people, while moving more freight than ever.”
    Kalasih says that the reduction is workplace injuries has been assisted by improvements in workplace culture, as well as technological improvements.
    “In our 2025 National Road Freight Survey, the health, safety and wellbeing of staff was identified as one of the top three issues by 128 surveyed businesses. This data from ACC also indicates that road freight businesses and staff are making training, safe processes, and site and equipment design a priority.”
    “Technological innovation will also be playing an important role, whether it’s automatic chain throwing and tensioning systems on logging trailers that avoid soft tissue injuries, or fatigue management technologies that help ensure people aren’t working while tired. Safety technologies can reduce physical strain on workers and mitigate safety risks, bringing injury rates down.”
    Kalasih says that while the downward trend in workplace injuries is great news, there is more work that can be done.
    “Transporting New Zealand would like to see these injury rates fall even further, and for injured people to be able to safely return to work sooner. The longer people spend away from their workplace, the less likely they are to successfully return to work.”
    “We encourage our members to access Transporting New Zealand’s free consultations from leading health and safety consultants and talk to our membership managers for advice and guidance.”
    “We also encourage road freight businesses to check out ACC’s Recovery at Work resources, to help support staff back into the work following injury – demonstrated in our recent member video.”
    ACC Road Freight Transport Industry Data 2024/2025 (1 April to 31 March)
    Primary Injury Diagnosis by Category (Top four categories by claim frequency)
    1. Soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains, tears, and contusions)
    2. Laceration / Puncture / Sting
    3. Fracture / Dislocation
    4. Foreign Body in Orifice / Eye
    Accident Cause (Top five categories by claim frequency)
    1. Lifting / Carrying / Strain
    2. Loss Balance / Personal Control
    3. Other / Unknown
    4. Pushed or Pulled
    Attached Images:
    1. Top 10 new work-related claims, by industry
    2. New Work-Related ACC Claims in Road Freight Transport
    Source: Created by Transporting New Zealand using ACC data – https://www.transporting.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ACC-Transport-Industry-Data.xlsx
    About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
    Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
    Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Su Chao’ transforms Wuxi into festival of football and flavor

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

    Beneath neon lights and the glow of a towering outdoor screen, a voice rang out – “Goal for Huai’an!” The shout cut through the air, momentarily halting Wuxi local Yuan Yijun mid-bite, her hands suspending a plump crayfish midair.

    “Suddenly,” Yuan laughed, “even my beloved crayfish didn’t taste as good.”

    On July 20, the 1.38-kilometer-long Hubin Commercial Street in Wuxi’s Binhu District, east China’s Jiangsu Province, turned into a stadium of its own. It was lined not with bleachers, but with steaming night market stalls, rows of folding chairs and hungry, hyped-up fans.

    Lu Zhiyong (1st L) of Changzhou goes for a header against Nanjing during the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League in Changzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province on June 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

    The Sunday night saw Wuxi host Huai’an in a much-anticipated match of the wildly popular Chinese grassroots league known as the Su Super League, or “Su Chao.” Online, fans dubbed the derby the “Honey peach vs. Crayfish,” a playful reference to the two cities’ culinary claims to fame.

    “For us, eating crayfish is our own way of cheering for the Wuxi team,” Yuan said, gesturing to the pool of chili oil and glistening carapaces before her.

    “Honestly, I’m not even a hardcore fan. My friends and I came here to hang out, snack and soak up the vibe. It’s all about the ambience,” she added.

    Inside the stadium, chants rattled the rafters. Outside, every goal lit up the squares and parks. On social media, memes and banter about the quirky faceoff spread like wildfire. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup remaining a distant glimmer on the horizon, “Su Chao” has already ignited a football fever in China.

    Since its kickoff in May, the city-based amateur league has drawn staggering attention, with peak single-game attendance surpassing 60,000, over a million fans scrambling for tickets each round and short video platform impressions soaring past 10 billion.

    The July 20 match coincided with the opening of Hubin Commercial Street’s summer shopping festival, infusing the street with an almost orchestral tempo. Over 370 renowned eateries lined the street, but none drew more eager crowds than the competing crayfish stands.

    “This street is famous for its crayfish-fueled night market,” said Ji Chenjie, deputy general manager of a company running the commercial street. “Tonight, we counted nearly 40,000 visitors. Many merchants took it upon themselves to ride the ‘Su Chao’ wave. Some even set up pop-up stalls in whatever open space was left.”

    Even for the vendors, team loyalty was a delicious dilemma. “As someone from Huai’an now doing business in Wuxi, I had mixed feelings,” admitted Sun Wei, a crayfish shop owner originally from Huai’an’s Xuyi County, which is renowned for its crayfish industry.

    Wuxi narrowly lost 2-1 in the Sunday clash, but Sun was far from disappointed. “The city may have lost on the pitch, but it has won in business. I’m all smiles.”

    Residents and tourists enjoy food while watching a game at Hubin Commercial Street in Binhu District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. (Photo by He Leijing)

    According to Ji, the commercial complex has been transformed into a vast, pulsing network of viewing points, with three enormous LED screens beamed matches live and over 40 shops streaming the game indoors. “Even if you’re dining inside, just glance up, and you’re still part of the action,” she said. “It’s full immersion.”

    The “Su Chao” boom has also inspired a flood of creative merchandising. “We’re blending football with food, local crafts and street cultures. Everything from themed menus to local handicrafts and folk art is popping up,” Ji added. “It’s about sport, but also about storytelling and culture.”

    Elsewhere in Jiangsu, similar scenes repeat nightly, as the grassroots league is sparking new life into summer nightlife economies. In Wuxi alone, city authorities have designated 43 public viewing sites for fans to gather, ranging from bustling plazas and parks to neighborhood squares.

    For visiting Huai’an fan Chen Hongzhi, watching the match in Wuxi was only part of a longer holiday. “We watched the game, then took the kids to explore the Ling Shan scenic area,” he said. “They even gave out free peaches to our Huai’an fans! We’re staying a few more days to visit some other attractions.”

    Statistics show that the Ling Shan scenic area drew 40,000 tourists over the weekend, over 60 percent of whom came from Huai’an.

    “Winning or losing in the league doesn’t matter that much,” Chen said. “What matters is that people are part of something – part of a city, part of a story, part of the joy.”

    “I’ve been a football fan for years, but I never thought I’d see football become so woven into our everyday life,” he reflected. “It’s something new. It’s almost moving.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Topnotch Crypto releases AI Mining V3.0.3 cloud mining upgrade, becoming the wealth engine for 8 million users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Houston, Texas, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Topnotch Crypto, a growing force in the blockchain and Web3 space, has officially announced the successful rollout of its latest platform enhancement — AI Mining V3.0.3. With this powerful upgrade, the platform is now offering free cloud mining access for Bitcoin (BTC) and Dogecoin (DOGE), exclusively available at Topnotch Crypto. Users can instantly unlock $15 worth of cloud mining by completing a simple registration process.

    This update marks a major step in Topnotch Crypto’s vision to make crypto mining intelligent, accessible, and open to the global public — no equipment, no hidden fees, and no prior experience required.

    AI Mining V3.0.3: A Smarter, Faster Way to Mine Crypto

    AI Mining V3.0.3 brings a complete overhaul of the backend infrastructure, introducing machine learning-powered optimization to the mining experience. Through adaptive resource allocation and real-time data analysis, the system maximizes output while minimizing energy usage — delivering a more stable and intelligent cloud mining environment.

    Key benefits of the V3.0.3 upgrade include:

    • Enhanced mining speed with updated hashing algorithms
    • Real-time server load balancing for continuous uptime
    • Dual coin mining support (Bitcoin and Dogecoin)
    • Smart energy management for sustainable operation
    • Streamlined user dashboard with instant performance metrics

    Unlike traditional mining setups that demand hardware, electricity, and maintenance, Topnotch Crypto’s AI-powered cloud mining removes the barriers — offering mining from any device, anywhere in the world.

    Sign up for an account and get $15 to experience Bitcoin mining

    Step 1: Go to https://topnotchcrypto.com
    Step 2: Click “Register” – Use your email address quickly!
    Step 3: Log in to your new account.
    Step 4:Get $15 and mine Bitcoin for free.
    Step 5: Start earning crypto rewards in real-time!

    No setup required. No strings attached!

    Mining Without Limits: No Hardware, No Costs, No Technical Setup

    Topnotch Crypto has designed this system with simplicity in mind. All mining operations take place securely in the cloud, managed by advanced AI technology. Users don’t need to install software, configure wallets, or invest in expensive rigs.

    Everything is automated. Once your account is active, mining starts immediately — and you can monitor your BTC and DOGE rewards through a clean, user-friendly dashboard.

    Benefits include:

    • No upfront investment required
    • No equipment or software downloads
    • 100% web-based dashboard
    • Daily rewards and real-time insights
    • Fully scalable architecture

    Whether you’re mining on your laptop, tablet, or mobile, Topnotch Crypto delivers a seamless experience.

    Data Privacy, Security & Transparency at the Core

    Security is fundamental to the Topnotch Crypto platform. All mining activity is secured through advanced encryption and privacy protocols. Real-time stats, payout history, and mining logs are available for full transparency. Users retain control of their accounts and can withdraw rewards as they grow over time.

    The AI Mining engine also ensures fair distribution of mining power, with continuous monitoring for misuse or bot activity. The system auto-adjusts for user performance, ensuring fair and equitable participation.

    Why Topnotch Crypto is Reshaping the Future of Cloud Mining

    As the mining industry evolves, the focus is shifting toward sustainability, intelligence, and ease of access. Topnotch Crypto has positioned itself ahead of the curve by offering a next-gen mining solution that leverages artificial intelligence to remove the friction from mining.

    Rather than targeting technical users or high-investment miners, the platform empowers everyone to start mining from anywhere in the world.

    This is not just a feature update — it’s the foundation for the future of Web3 mining. Topnotch Crypto is building the infrastructure for a more inclusive, intelligent, and efficient digital asset ecosystem.

    Get Started in Minutes — Visit Topnotch Crypto

    The AI Mining V3.0.3 upgrade is now live and open to all users. Anyone can sign up with Topnotch Crypto and start mining immediately, with no mining equipment or technical knowledge required, making it an ideal choice for exploring the world of cryptocurrency mining safely and securely.

    Start your journey now at: https://topnotchcrypto.com

    Media Contact Email: info@topnotchcrypto.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FALQs: 110 Years of the Norwegian Castbergian Child Laws

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    This post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series. 

    This year marks the 110th anniversary of the adoption of six laws on children’s rights in Norway, which became known as the “Castbergian Child Acts” (Castbergske barnelovene) and regulate the relationship between parent and child, in particular strengthening children’s rights over their unwed fathers. The laws are part of UNESCO ‘s Memory of the World.

    The laws are

    Why are they called the Castbergian Child Laws?

    The name of the child laws is derived from Johan Castberg, the President of the Odelsting (the lower chamber of the then two chambers of Norwegian Parliament) who presented the bill in the Norwegian Parliament, and who has been called the father of the Castbergian laws. He has himself called Katti Anker Møller the mother of the child’s act for her advocacy for women’s and children’s rights.

    In addition to the Norwegian child laws, Johan Castberg also lent his name to Norway’s northernmost oil field in the Barents Sea.

    What are the Castbergian Laws?

    As mentioned above, the laws are six laws or amendments to laws that specify rights of the child, in particular in relation to its parents. The laws are described in one combined bill, the Odelstings Proposition Nr. 5 1914 (Ot. Prp. nr 5 (1914)). The bill starts with the following sentence:

    “The hygienic, social, and financial circumstances under which a person is born and raised during their first years of life determine their later development. [These circumstances] to a great extent determine whether the child will become a vigorous individual and a useful member of society.” (Ot. Prp. 5, 1914 at 1, all translations by author.)

    It later continues by explaining the failures of the current laws related to children and paternity at the time.

    “In one area, the society has not, however, yet reached the recognition of the child’s natural rights over the parent. Namely, this applies to children born outside of marriage. Our legislation is still built on the provocative and unnatural fiction, that such a child only has a mother, legally it does not have a father. This applies even when there is no doubt who the father is. The law deprives also in this instance the child of [its natural] child’s right over the father.” (Ot. Prp. 5, 1914 at 2.)

    The bill then goes on to describe the inconsistency of the law, which gives the child all its right over the mother, both in terms of a right to support, name, and inheritance from the mother’s relatives, but none over the father, noting that

     “[r]esponsibility, duty, burden are placed on her – so much heavier because the father in accordance with the law is not carrying his share. This discrepancy between the man and the woman’s responsibility is so much more unjust because the woman is the suffering party and in general the weaker party. The birth of a child disrupts her organism, creates a complete upheaval in her social, physical and economic life, and lessens for a shorter or longer period of time, her ability to work and demands her energies to care for the child. The discrepancy between man’s and woman’s responsibilities is much more conspicuous as it is due to legislation in which women have had no part, a legislation only given by men. This is not only an injustice to the mother and the child, but a demoralizing system, because it releases the man from his natural responsibility and therefore tempts him to carelessness in a relationship that should be the most serious and responsible in a person’s life; that of bringing another human being into the world.” (Id. at 2.)

    The law was thus not intended just to protect the child, but to also solve what Castberg saw as an inherent unfairness between the sexes. Women had gained the right to vote in 1913, through an amendment to the constitution, and the first woman to be elected to parliament was elected in 1921.

    What was the reason for the change in law?

    While the term “illegitimate” child was removed from the law that specified how children born outside of marriage were to be treated before 1915, there were still large differences associated with being born to married or unwed parents under Norwegian law in 1915, ranging from different name rights, to the right to inheritance, and the right to receive monetary support from the father.

    The main reason Castberg invoked for changing the laws was a publication (Socialstatistik, V, Om Børn, fødte udenfor Ægteskab), from the Norwegian Statics Bureau (Statistics Norway) that showed that the rate of infanticide was between twice and three times as prevalent among children born to unwed parents as among children born to wed parents. This, argued Castberg, was because the mother and child born out of wedlock were still stigmatized and that unmarried mothers had less resources to tend to their child than wed mothers. (Ot. Prp. 5, 1914 at 2.)

    How was paternity established?

    These laws set up certain procedures for paternity determination that carry over into our day. The Castbergian laws required that the mother inform the treating midwife who the father was at minimum three months before the child was born. (6 § Lov om barn hvis forældre ikke harindgaat egteskap med hverandre.) Persons familiar with the possible paternity were required to testify and falsely accusing a man of being the father of one’s child was subject to imprisonment for up to two years. (Id.) Children were no longer admitted to the National Population Registry with the designation “father unknown.”

    Norwegian mothers continue to be required to inform their midwives who the father is or may be, and the state has an obligation to find out in cases where the mother does not know or refuses to tell. (1 § Barnelova.)

    What if the father denied paternity?

    The Castbergian laws also removed a previous legal provision by which the father could solemnly swear that he was not the father and thereby release himself of paternity. Under the Castbergian laws, the courts were now free to determine who was more trustworthy, the mother or the contesting father. (10 § Lov om barn hvis forældre ikke harindgaat egteskap med hverandre.) Today, a DNA-test can resolve the issue. (4 § Barnelova.)

    What were other notable changes?

    The perhaps most notable changes at the time were that  children born in and outside of wedlock were given the same rights pertaining to inheritance from the father and father’s family (3 § Arveloven; Ot. Prp. nr. 5, 1914 at 76-78) and the child also had a right to carry his or her father’s surname or his or her mother’s. ( 1§ Lov om barn hvis forældre ikke har indgaat egteskap med hverandre.) The father also had a duty to pay support to the child, and support to the mother for breastfeeding the child the first nine months (opamningsbidrag). (Id. 18 §.) If he was not able, the municipality would pay the mother. The state (through the local bidragsfogd) now also had a duty to collect the payment from the father, including by garnishing wages. (Id. 23-25 §§.)

    Where can I find rules on paternity today?

    Paternity and rules on co-mothers (the role of a same-sex partner to the birthing mother) are regulated in the Children’s Act. (3-4 §§ Lov om barn og foreldre (barnelova)(LOV 1981-04-8-7).) A person wishing to register paternity or co-motherhood can do so at the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV).

    Additional Resources

    The laws themselves are found in the Norwegian Gazette, Norsk Lovtidende, for the year 1915, which is part of the Law Library collection for Norway.

    Library of Congress Collection Holdings authored by Johan Castberg

    Additional Law Library of Congress Online resources on Norway

    Additional Law Library of Congress Online resources on Child law

    If you have a question regarding laws of Norway or on the topic of child law, you can also submit it using the Ask a Librarian form on our website.

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report: Oral Statement to Parliament

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report: Oral Statement to Parliament

    This page provides a copy of the Minister for the Cabinet Office’s Oral Statement to the House of Commons on 21 July, made in response to the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Additional Report on 9 July 2025.

    Mr Speaker, the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Additional Report was published on 9th July. Today, I would like to provide the House with an initial response to that report.

    I am grateful to Sir Brian Langstaff for seeking justice for victims of the Infected Blood Scandal and for the Inquiry’s constructive Additional Report. His ambition to ensure that fair compensation is provided to every person that is eligible without delay resonates across the country.

    Delivery progress

    Mr Speaker, before considering the detail of the report, I wanted to share the latest statistics from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. As of 15 July, IBCA has contacted 2,215 people to begin their claim for compensation, with 1,934 having started the claim process. 808 offers of compensation have been made, with a total value of over £602 million. 587 people have accepted their offer and received payment, with over £411 million paid in compensation. This means approximately 60% of infected people registered with a support scheme have been contacted to begin their claim.

    I am pleased that progress is being made, but I acknowledge the calls from the community highlighting the need for faster payment. This is why the Government wrote to the Public Accounts and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committees last month outlining the steps we are taking to remove administrative barriers to allow IBCA to speed up payments.

    I am also pleased to announce further interim payments of £210,000 to the estates of infected people who were registered to an infected blood support scheme and have sadly passed away. This is in addition to the over 500 interim payments of £100,00 already paid to estates. I will provide further information on this as soon as I am able, including on timelines for applications opening.

    Additional Report Recommendations 

    Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to providing fair compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal, and in the Autumn Budget we set aside £11.8 billion to do just that. The Inquiry has recognised the Government’s commitment, saying ‘there can be no doubt that the Government has done right in ways which powerfully signal its intent.’ 

    However, I agree with Sir Brian’s statement that ‘there is still more to be done to ensure that the detail and operation of the scheme matches up to its intent’. 

    Sir Brian has made a number of recommendations on ways the compensation scheme could be amended to achieve a scheme which works for everyone. We will publish an update on gov.uk today setting out the Government’s approach to the Inquiry’s further recommendations. I will deposit a copy of that update in the House libraries. We will also provide a comprehensive response to all the recommendations in due course.

    The report includes several recommendations for IBCA on speed and transparency. I want to first reiterate that the Government still expects IBCA to contact all registered infected people to begin a claim, and to open the service for affected people, by the end of this year and the announcements I’m about to make do not change that position.

    On Friday, Sir Robert Francis and David Foley confirmed they will be accepting the recommendations the Inquiry made to IBCA. They have committed to working with the community to develop plans for designing and implementing these recommendations.

    IBCA will design and introduce a process for registration. 

    They will also update their sequencing in line with the Inquiry’s recommendation, noting that this will inform the order in which they open up to cohorts this year. 

    IBCA will introduce a process for prioritisation, recognising that community involvement is needed in tackling any uncertainty which this may introduce.

    Alongside this, I have asked for a review of IBCA’s delivery of the scheme to ensure that it is progressing as quickly as possible. This will be supported by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, NISTA, and led by an independent reviewer. I expect the review to begin in August.

    Now the Inquiry has made detailed recommendations across 9 key areas to ensure that infected and affected people feel that they have, overall, been compensated fairly, by a scheme that is designed and delivered with their input. Separate to the delivery of compensation by IBCA, the Inquiry has made recommendations relating to the design and structure of the scheme. Seven of these sub-recommendations, the Government will accept and implement as soon as we can, so that IBCA can get on with paying compensation. Others will require engagement with the community before changes are made, in line with the spirit of the Inquiry’s report.

    Now when I gave evidence to the Inquiry in May, I said that I would take a constructive approach and look at the issues which had been put to me. The Inquiry has made eight sub-recommendations in these areas. I am pleased to confirm that I am either accepting these, or agreeing with the Inquiry that the community should be consulted on next steps. 

    So I can confirm that we will remove the 1982 start date for HIV infection, to ensure anyone infected due to infected blood or blood products with HIV is eligible for the scheme, regardless of infection date. 

    We accept the Inquiry’s recommendation on affected estates; in fact, Mr. Speaker, we are going further than their recommendation. The Inquiry recommended that where someone who would be an eligible affected person sadly died or dies between 21 May 2024 and 31 December 2029, their claim will not die with them but becomes part of their estate. I am actually going to extend that period by an extra two years, to 31 December 2031.

    The Special Category Mechanism, I know has been a concern for members of the community and this House. I am pleased to say that we accept change is needed to acknowledge SCM as part of the supplementary route Severe Health Condition Award, and we will be engaging the community on how to best realise these changes. 

    Another area I committed to consider was to reinstate support payments to partners bereaved after 31 March 2025 until they receive their compensation. We are accepting this recommendation, and will ensure that those impacted will also be able to continue receiving those payments as part of their compensation package. 

    The issue of unethical research is one of the most shocking aspects of this scandal. I can confirm that we will be consulting on revising the approach for the additional autonomy award on unethical research, including the scope and value of the award. 

    The final area I said I would consider was whether further supplementary routes for affected people could be introduced. The Inquiry recommended we consult to understand the feasibility of how these could be implemented, alongside changes regarding the exceptional financial loss award. I agree with the Inquiry that consideration should be given to these issues, and that consideration rightly involves those impacted.

    In addition, we are accepting further Inquiry recommendations to remove the requirement for evidence of the date of diagnosis of Hepatitis B or C, which we hope may allow claims for those mono-infected with hepatitis to be processed more quickly. 

    By accepting these recommendations today, we can start to implement the necessary changes as soon as possible.

    There are several recommendations on areas where changes to the Scheme are needed. We intend to engage the community on how to best achieve them. The Inquiry is clear: people impacted by decisions need to be involved in them. That is what we will seek to do before implementing these changes to the scheme. 

    This includes acting on recommendations regarding compensation for the impacts of Interferon. We will introduce a new core route infection severity band for those who received interferon treatment, and consult on the evidence requirements and threshold for a supplementary route award for severe psychological harm. 

    Additionally, we will work with IBCA to introduce a mechanism that individuals can use to raise concerns to aid continuous improvement of the Scheme.

    I’m sure honourable members will understand that to do this the Government will need to make further regulations. Our top priority is to move quickly, so to make some of the simpler changes we will bring forward a set of regulations as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

    These regulations will not implement all the policy changes recommended by the Inquiry. In evidence to the Inquiry in May, I said that I was open to changes that do not lead to further delays. I believe that by making these changes recommended by the Inquiry it will not delay the speed at which offers are currently being made. 

    A further set of regulations will be needed to implement the more substantial changes, particularly those where we are taking time to engage the community on how those updates can be realised. Therefore, we expect this second, more substantial set of regulations, to be brought before Parliament in 2026. But, we do not expect that this engagement will cause delays to the rollout of the compensation scheme as it currently stands which is absolutely crucial as I said to the Inquiry.

    Mr. Speaker, we are responding swiftly and constructively to Sir Brian, and putting the voices – and needs – of the community first. 

    Progress on Inquiry’s 2024 Report

    Mr Speaker, I would also like to provide a further update on the Government’s response to the Inquiry’s 2024 report. I have continued to engage with the charities named by the Inquiry in recommendation 10. I recognise their concerns about the allocated funding and can confirm that the Department for Health and Social Care is re-examining funding for this year and will look at options for the future. 

    With regard to recommendation 2, on memorialisation, I am pleased to announce that, following engagement with the community, Clive Smith has been appointed as the Chair of the Memorial Committee. I am delighted to be able to appoint a Chair with his wealth of experience. I am confident he will be able to bring the community together to make great progress on this work. 

    Mr Speaker, this Government has made progress on implementing the recommendations made by this Inquiry. But progress is never a foregone conclusion. Sir Brian is clear about the importance of scrutinising progress in delivering what the Government has committed. I agree. Therefore, I am pleased to confirm that I have asked PACAC to take on the role of scrutinising implementation of the Inquiry’s recommendations in both the May 2024 and July 2025 reports. It is for the Committee to outline how they approach this work but I trust that they will see fit to follow the example of the Inquiry thorough scrutiny of the design and delivery of compensation to the community. 

    In addition, today I am publishing a record of Inquiry recommendations and the government response on gov.uk, as promised in our response to the recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. These records will be periodically updated to show implementation progress, and will include all recommendations of future inquiries.

    Mr Speaker, to conclude I would like to quote directly from Sir Brian’s report, where he ends by stating that ‘truly involving people infected and affected in how the state recognises their losses would start to turn the page on the past’.

    He is absolutely right. Our focus as we move forward must be working together with the community, with IBCA, and indeed with each other in this House to not only deliver justice to all those impacted, but essentially, to restore trust in the state to people who have been let down too many times. 

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The main factor in the growth of exports from Georgia in the first half of 2025 was the re-export of passenger cars

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Tbilisi, July 21 (Xinhua) — Georgia’s exports amounted to $3.2 billion in the first half of 2025, up 13 percent year-on-year, the National Statistics Office of Georgia reported on Monday.

    According to published data, the main factor behind the growth was the active re-export of passenger cars, the volume of which increased by 30 percent year-on-year and reached $1.2 billion.

    In terms of total exports, Kyrgyzstan remains Georgia’s largest sales market for the second year in a row. Exports to this country totaled $681 million, up 50 percent from the first half of last year. Kazakhstan ranked second with $414 million, and Azerbaijan third with $342 million.

    As for the export of goods of Georgian origin, it increased by 6.4 percent year-on-year, amounting to $1.473 billion. The largest markets for Georgian goods in the first half of 2025 were Russia /310.6 million dollars/, China /162.3 million dollars/ and Turkey /150.4 million dollars/. The main export goods were ferroalloys, mineral and fresh waters, carbonated drinks containing sugar, wine, nitrogen fertilizers, packaged medicines, as well as unprocessed and semi-processed gold. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Introducing the new Power Apps: Generative power meets enterprise-grade trust

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Introducing the new Power Apps: Generative power meets enterprise-grade trust

    Today, we’re taking another big leap forward in applying AI to the future of app development: you can now work with agents to generate code directly in Microsoft Power Apps. This brings the speed and flexibility of vibe coding together with the connectivity, security, and scale of a robust enterprise platform.

    We first demonstrated this new vision at Microsoft Build 2025 and have been working closely with a select group of Early Access Preview users to hone the capability. We’ve now expanded Preview access to all users across North America and will soon enable the rest of our global regions.

    This rounds out an entirely new, end-to-end app development experience that is agent-first at every step. Power Apps makers can start with a plan, collaborating with a team of agents to shape user stories, requirements, processes, data, and solution architecture. That collaboration continues as they craft and customize fully featured user experiences. Generative pages break free from the rigidity of traditional low-code tools—under the hood, they are built with code written directly by agents, based on multiple rounds of maker input and feedback.

    Agent-first app development represents a major shift. Traditional low-code tools (including the Power Apps canvas) relied on complex abstraction layers to enable drag-and-drop configuration of pre-built components. While this unlocked productivity for those who preferred not to write code, it also came with limitations on what could be customized.

    By generating pages directly in code, we unlock far greater potential for creativity and customization. By bringing this capability to the mature, enterprise-grade Power Apps platform—trusted by millions for mission-critical business apps—we’re making it practical for organizations to adopt at scale. Other tools for agent-based code generation are emerging, but while they may quickly produce visually appealing prototypes, they often lack the robustness and secure integration needed for enterprise systems.

    Power Apps brings the best of both worlds together. The market-leading enterprise low-code platform—with world-class managed governance, security, availability, and operations—now also has the speed and agility of agent-first app generation.

    AI-powered app creation with full control

    With generative pages, you can get from a simple prompt to a fully customized app experience in seconds. Just describe the app you want, optionally upload a whiteboard sketch, choose your Dataverse tables, and a production-ready, fully customized app is instantly generated with no coding required. This builds on the strengths of low-code development, ushering in a new era of app development built on Microsoft’s reliable, scalable platform.

    The agentic AI generates code for your app page that you can review, customize, and refine—keeping you in full control. Built on open standards, your apps remain portable, extensible, and future-proof.

    Generative pages brings together the best of both worlds: seamless AI-assisted app creation paired with full transparency and control over the data, logic, and security layers. This empowers both business users and pro developers to build enterprise-grade applications confidently. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just getting started, you can move fluidly between no-code and pro-code experiences when using Power Apps:

    • No-code to pro-code: Start building by describing what you want in natural language, add elements with code, or build with drag-and-drop components if you choose to—all in the same app.
    • Full transparency: View the React code behind your app, giving you complete visibility and control.
    • Iterative design: Easily update your app by simply saying what you want—like “add a search bar,” “switch to dark mode,” or “make this mobile friendly.” You can even roll back to previous versions with a single click.

    Real customers, real impact

    Organizations are already using Power Apps to solve real business challenges. We are seeing firsthand how customers across industries are using generative pages to work in ways that are truly inspiring.

    • Time tracking, transformed: A global manufacturer finally said goodbye to manual spreadsheets. With generative pages, they quickly built a drag-and-drop time reporting app, complete with analytics and automated reporting, all in record time.
    • Modernizing the old, effortlessly: A financial services firm reimagined a 25-year-old desktop tool as a modern web app for investment simulations. No massive rewrite, just a fresh start with generative pages.
    • Student support, enhanced: At a major university, a team built an advising app to help first-year students stay on track, book appointments, and monitor their progress. It’s making a real difference for students who need it most.
    • Game day, simplified: A youth sports league used generative pages to create a team manager app. Now, the league schedules, stats, and game-day logistics are all in one place—easy for coaches, parents, and players alike.
    • Equipment tracking, streamlined: One retail chain shared how they now track equipment for stores in real time. The result? Less loss, faster audits, and a lot less hassle for their teams.

    These are just a few of the ways customers are unlocking new potential, but the common thread is clear: Teams move faster, modernize with confidence, and keep their focus on what matters most, with Power Apps.

    Enterprise-grade, AI-native

    With generative pages, we’re bringing the power of AI-native app creation to enterprises, backed by the security, governance, and global scale you expect from Microsoft. Power Apps stands apart because it was built for the enterprise from day one. Here’s how:

    • Robust security and governance: Microsoft Power Platform delivers built-in security, monitoring, and governance. Your apps inherit the same enterprise-grade protections that govern the rest of your Microsoft ecosystem. Every app has Microsoft Entra ID authentication, role-based access, monitoring, and auditing. Data loss prevention (DLP) policies, environmental boundaries, and application lifecycle management (ALM) pipelines—all functionalities used to secure scalable deployment.
    • Open, transparent code: Unlike platforms that generate opaque or proprietary code, Power Apps uses open React and TypeScript—no black boxes, no lock-in.
    • Easy Dataverse integration: Built on Microsoft Azure and trusted by enterprises around the world, Dataverse is a battle-tested platform managing petabytes of sensitive customer data with enterprise-grade security and scalability. It’s designed to handle the most demanding workloads and is deeply integrated with Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Azure—giving your apps seamless access to a rich ecosystem of data and services. You can connect to your data instantly and simply choose the tables you need—no complex data modeling required.
    • Rich, interactive user interface (UI): Generative pages support rich UI elements like drag-and-drop, file upload, charts, dark mode theming, and even text-to-speech. These features used to take days or weeks with traditional low-code tools. Now, your ideal UI is only a prompt away.

    Get started

    The future of software development is AI-assisted, agent-powered, and fast. But speed without security is a risk. Flexibility without governance? That’s chaos.

    Generative pages in preview mark a new chapter for Microsoft Power Apps and for enterprise app development. With AI-powered, native creation, open code, and built-in security and governance, every team can go from great idea to amazing app in minutes—no coding, no compromise—all backed by the trust and control of enterprise infrastructure. This is what makes Power Platform the right choice for organizations that need to move fast without breaking things.

    To get started, simply add a page in any model-driven Power App—including those created from plans—and describe what you want to build, or explore our tutorials on the Learn page.  

    Already using generative pages? We’d love to know about your experiences—your opinion is a key factor in how our team works to shape the future of AI-native app development. 

    We can’t wait to see what you build. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Are you ageing well? Take the five-part quiz that could help change your future

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jitka Vseteckova, Senior Lecturer Health and Social Care, The Open University

    Sabrina Bracher/Shutterstock

    Most of us want to enjoy later life feeling strong, connected, and mentally sharp. But how often do we stop to think about whether the things we’re doing right now are helping us get there?

    A new quiz – which we have developed as part of the Take Five to Age Well project, a free, expert-led, month-long challenge from The Open University and Age UK – makes it easier, and more empowering, to ask that question, reflect and take action.

    Healthy ageing doesn’t depend on just one thing. Research shows that our long-term wellbeing is shaped by a mix of physical, mental and social factors. That’s why experts, including us, have identified five key areas – known as the Five Pillars for Ageing Well – that form a strong foundation for staying well and thriving in later life:



    Read more:
    You can’t reverse the ageing process but these 5 things can help you live longer

    1. Are you eating well?

    Are you getting enough fruit and vegetables, limiting ultra-processed foods and meeting your body’s changing nutritional needs? Diets like the Mediterranean plan are linked with a lower risk of dementia and other chronic conditions.

    Malnutrition is a serious concern in older age, especially when it comes to maintaining strong muscles and bones.

    2. Are you staying hydrated?

    Are you drinking enough water to support both your brain and body? Dehydration can creep up easily and affect cognitive function, mood and energy.

    Cutting down on sugary drinks can help you to maintain a healthy weight and staying within recommended alcohol limits can also help lower your risk of conditions like dementia. Hydration really matters.

    For people with life-limiting illnesses or conditions such as advanced dementia, where appetite and oral intake may be severely reduced, sugary drinks may be one of the few sources of calories they can tolerate. In these cases, hydration and comfort take priority over strict nutritional guidelines, and personalised care plans should always guide decisions.

    3. Are you being physically active?

    Are you moving regularly? Enough to raise your heart rate? Are you breaking up long periods of sitting with movement?



    Read more:
    Sitting is bad for your health and exercise doesn’t seem to offset the harmful effects

    A sedentary lifestyle is linked to a wide range of health risks. Simple habits like walking more can boost physical fitness, sharpen the mind and help prevent osteoporosis, especially when paired with good nutrition.

    4. Are you connecting socially?

    Are you keeping in touch with others, spending time in your community and enjoying meaningful connection? Loneliness increases the risk of depression and cognitive decline.

    Building strong social ties earlier in life can help protect wellbeing over the long term.

    5. Are you challenging your brain?

    Are you keeping your mind active by learning, reading, playing an instrument, or trying something new? Research shows that learning about your interests, activities like crossword puzzles or new physical activities can keep the brain healthy and potentially delay dementia. There’s no magic fix, but even small actions can have lasting benefits.

    Why it matters

    We developed the Take Five to Age Well quiz to help people reflect on how they’re doing across these five areas – and where there might be room to grow. The follow-up resources are based on real-life experiences of ageing from diverse communities and offer small, achievable steps you can start today.

    Unlike many online quizzes, this one doesn’t just score you – it supports you. After signing up to the month-long challenge and taking the quiz, the Take Five to Age Well participants receive tips, encouragement and expert-led advice supporting participants’ current habits and needs.

    We’ve also partnered with BridgitCare – organisation that works with Councils, the NHS and Carer Charities across the UK, to help identify carers and scale the support provided with the use of technology – to create Age Well, a free, web-based tool offering personalised daily actions. Whether you want to add more greens to your plate, look for expert tips, and easy ways to stay in control of your health, hobbies, and wellbeing or swap ten minutes of scrolling for a short walk, every step counts.



    Read more:
    Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them

    Age Well can also connect you to local groups and services to help turn good intentions into lasting routines.

    Healthy ageing isn’t just about avoiding illness – it’s about learning how to age well, maintaining independence, confidence and quality of life. And with an ageing population, learning that supports all taking proactive steps to protect our mental and physical health is more important than ever.

    The best part? Many of the most effective actions are small and realistic. You don’t have to run marathons or give up everything you enjoy. Take Five to Age Well meets you where you are – and helps you build a future where you feel stronger, more connected and better supported.

    No matter your age, it’s never too early – or too late – to start your journey to ageing well.

    Jitka Vseteckova is a Trustee with carers Buckinghamshire & Carers MK.

    Lis Boulton Health & Care Policy Manager, in the Charity Influencing Division at Age UK. Lis is also Chair of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group, and also Chair of Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees, her local Age UK in West Yorkshire.

    – ref. Are you ageing well? Take the five-part quiz that could help change your future – https://theconversation.com/are-you-ageing-well-take-the-five-part-quiz-that-could-help-change-your-future-256381

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Is a ‘nanny state’ a price worth paying to keep the NHS free? The evidence shows it could work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

    Nanny says no. SOK Studio/Shutterstock

    The UK government’s new ten-year-plan to transform the NHS includes a focus on preventing ill health rather than treating illness. But to what extent should people depend on the state to help them make healthy decisions?

    Some think any kind of nudge in that direction is symptomatic of a “nanny state” overstepping its boundaries. Others might argue that nanny knows best, or that governments should do whatever works best both economically and to keep people healthy.

    Either way, if a country like the UK wants to keep providing free (or at least tax-payer funded) and universal healthcare, rather than charging every patient for their specific needs, its choices are limited.

    Take obesity for example, which is estimated to cost the NHS around £12.6 billion a year – more than 5% of its total budget.

    In 2022, 28.7% of adults in the UK had obesity, compared to 10.9% in France, 14.3% in Denmark and 22% in Belgium. (In the US, it was 42.8%.)

    Government analysis claims that if everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by just 216 calories a day – roughly equivalent to a single 500ml bottle of fizzy drink – obesity would be halved, and so would the associated costs. It also estimates that cutting the calorie count of a daily diet by just 50 calories would lift 340,000 children and 2 million adults out of obesity.

    But how should it persuade people to cut those calories? Happy to ignore accusations of being a nanny state, the UK government is now working with food retailers and manufacturers to encourage people to make healthier choices.

    Under the plan, products will be made with less sugar and fat. And the data that supermarkets own about your shopping habits (through online shopping and loyalty cards) will be used to nudge you towards more fruits and vegetables and fewer bags of crisps. Businesses that fail to induce changes in customer consumption will face financial penalties.

    And perhaps this is more effective than personal responsibility. Recent alternative policies which relied on individual action like following diets using the NHS weight loss app have not worked.

    The UK has also invested hundred of millions of pounds trying to encourage people to burn calories by walking and cycling more. But the country remains reluctant to reduce its car-dependence, with its cities poorly served by public transport. Walking and cycling are just not that popular.

    So perhaps state intervention is the only policy British people are willing to accept. Understandably, they want the freedom to make their own choices when it comes to exercise, eating and drinking, but they also want to keep the NHS free. Only 7% would support charging people for their use of healthcare.

    Fat tax

    Another option is to tax the consumption of fat and sugar to pay for the cost it imposes on others. In 2016, the UK was among the first countries to introduce a tax on sugary drinks. Since then, the total amount of sugar in British soft drinks has decreased by 46%, because changing the recipes means the producers pay less tax.

    Research shows that the tax also deters younger people from buying too much sugar. However, it does little to reduce consumption among those who have the most sugar-intensive diets, just like alcohol taxes do nothing to convince the most addicted alcoholics to drink less.

    There is also a valid argument that taxing sugar and fat is unfair. Unhealthy food is a much larger proportion of the budget of poorer households than it is for wealthier one, making it a regressive tax.

    Love for the NHS.
    John Gomez/Shutterstock

    Yet policies nudging people towards healthy choices often have a good track record. A study of food labelling policies which placed warning labels on high sugar and high calorie foods in Chile showed that people bought less of them.

    To stay below the threshold, firms then changed their recipes, just like with the tax. In that case, the warnings led to people consuming 11.5% less sugar and 2.8% less fat.

    While paternalistic interventions can be annoying or upsetting, pretending obesity is purely an individual choice is misleading. Obesity starts in childhood, and can destroy future choices. Children with obesity are more likely to be bullied, and don’t do as well at school.

    The state regularly bans harmful products without controversy. Even if you wanted to, you could not insulate your house with asbestos, and the UK is currently busy banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2009.

    With NHS waiting lists remaining at record highs, and a struggling economy, risk of the country becoming a nanny state by trying to encourage healthier food might actually be a pretty minor one.

    Renaud Foucart 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. Is a ‘nanny state’ a price worth paying to keep the NHS free? The evidence shows it could work – https://theconversation.com/is-a-nanny-state-a-price-worth-paying-to-keep-the-nhs-free-the-evidence-shows-it-could-work-260539

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta sets the pace in housing

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ARU graduates lead the region for career success

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    New national data shows that Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) graduates are thriving in their chosen careers, with ARU top in the region for two key measures of graduate success.

    The findings come from the Graduate Outcomes survey, the UK’s largest annual social survey, conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)*.

    The survey captures the views and employment status of graduates 15 months after completing their studies and the latest data focuses on those who graduated from their courses in 2022-2023.

    ARU ranks first in the East of England for the proportion of UK undergraduates working as managers, directors or senior officials 15 months after graduation and shares top position in the region for the overall proportion of UK undergraduates in employment.

    Highlighting the University’s focus on preparing students for fulfilling roles, ARU is ranked fifth in the country for the proportion of full-time UK undergraduates working as managers, directors or senior officials within 15 months of graduating.

    Graduates also report a strong sense of purpose in their work, with ARU in the top 10% of universities in the country for UK students in employment and further study who agree their current activity is “meaningful”.

    These new Graduate Outcome survey results build on the Department for Education’s Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data released last month, which also shows ARU’s impact, particularly for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

    The LEO data places ARU second in the UK for graduate earnings among those who entered university with lower tariff points, and 12th for students from areas with the lowest university participation.

    It also found that 90% of ARU’s first degree undergraduates who live in the UK are in sustained employment or further study one year after graduation, and ARU is in the top 10 in England for graduate earnings in the areas of health and social care, applied and forensic sciences, and architecture, building and planning. 

    “Our students accomplish a great deal during their time at ARU and we’re immensely proud of what they go on to achieve once they graduate.

    “We work closely with employers to ensure our courses are practical and career-focused, and our students benefit from teaching delivered by staff with professional industry knowledge and expertise. This provides students with the skills and experience needed in today’s job market and these latest results show the positive impact of our approach.”

    Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

    *Source: Graduate Outcomes Survey. Country refers to mainstream HEIs in England, excluding specialist institutions and those with fewer than 500 students. Contains HESA Data © HESA 2025 (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/).

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Urges U.S. Sentencing Commission To Consider Impacts Of Chronic Underfunding And Understaffing At BOP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in response to its proposed priorities for the 2025-2026 amendment cycle. In the letter, Durbin urged the Commission to consider the impact that the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) resources and staffing levels have on BOP’s ability to adequately discharge its mission.

    “For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced significant challenges in the performance of its mandate, undermining the Commission’s intent to tailor recommended sentences to anticipated outcomes for incarcerated individuals. I therefore urge the Commission to prioritize ‘[a]ssessing the degree to which certain practices of the Bureau of Prisons are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2) and considering any appropriate responses, including possible consideration of recommendations or amendments’ in the upcoming amendment cycle,” Durbin wrote.

    As Durbin notes in his letter, BOP has been chronically underfunded and understaffed, resulting in longstanding issues related to physical infrastructure of facilities, inadequate medical care for inmates, and concerns about the agency’s ability to ensure the safety and security of inmates and BOP employees, among other challenges.

    “Inadequate funding and staffing levels affect all aspects of BOP’s ability to discharge its mission. We have asked the agency to do far too much with far too little for far too long—and the ripple effects of severe BOP under resourcing are apparent across facilities nationwide,” Durbin wrote.

    Despite BOP’s limitations in carrying out its own mission, the Trump Administration has saddled the agency with additional responsibilities in accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees. Durbin denounced this effort by the Trump Administration, emphasizing that this move further hampers BOP’s ability to address its own shortfalls.

    “Despite these limitations, the Administration has now asked BOP to add an additional mission by accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees. As I have previously written to the Attorney General, this decision further threatens the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals,” Durbin wrote.

    Durbin concluded his letter by calling on the Sentencing Commission to focus on recommendations and amendments that will support BOP in remedying its deficiencies.

    “Given the myriad difficulties facing our federal prison system, I respectfully urge the Commission to consider possible recommendations or amendments in the upcoming amendment cycle that account for the limited ‘nature and capacity of . . . facilities and services available’ to incarcerated individuals,” Durbin concluded his letter.

     

    A copy of the letter can be found here and below:

     

    July 18, 2025

     

    Dear Chair Reeves:

     

    I write in response to the Sentencing Commission’s request for comment on its Proposed 2025-2026 Priorities.

     

    Proposed Priority: Bureau of Prisons practices and effectiveness in meeting the purposes of sentencing.

     

    In the federal criminal justice system, district courts must seek to achieve the purposes of sentencing—retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation—when deciding upon a defendant’s sentence,[1] by imposing one that is “sufficient, but not greater than necessary” to:

     

    (A) reflect the seriousness of the offense, to promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense; (B) to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; (C) to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant; and (D) to provide the defendant with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment in the most effective manner.[[2]]

     

    The United States Sentencing Commission, too, must strive to ensure the Sentencing Guidelines meet these purposes.[3] Though no longer binding, the Sentencing Guidelines nevertheless “serve an important role” by providing courts with “‘a meaningful benchmark’ in the initial determination of a sentence” and guidance “throughout the sentencing process.”[4] Indeed, in Fiscal Year 2024, 28,038 sentences—or 45.7 percent—were imposed within the recommended range, not including cases where a departure applied, evidencing the central role that the Guidelines play in guiding thousands of federal criminal justice outcomes annually.[5]

     

    Of course, the relevance to the goals of sentencing of the type and length of a recommended sentence under the Guidelines will necessarily vary depending on how that sentence is executed. For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced significant challenges in the performance of its mandate, undermining the Commission’s intent to tailor recommended sentences to anticipated outcomes for incarcerated individuals. I therefore urge the Commission to prioritize “[a]ssessing the degree to which certain practices of the Bureau of Prisons are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2) and considering any appropriate responses including possible consideration of recommendations or amendments” in the upcoming amendment cycle.[6]

     

    Chronically underfunded and understaffed, BOP has struggled to maintain safe and effective carceral settings for nearly 156,000 federal inmates, over 143,000 of whom are in BOP custody.[7]Currently, BOP is authorized to have 14,900 correctional officer positions, with 12,766 active officers in pay status.[8] Authorized “other” full time positions were recently reduced from 27,498 to 23,949, and there are 23,896 active employees in pay status.[9] The resulting challenges BOP faces are both longstanding and pervasive:

     

    • Infrastructure. In May 2023, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released the results of an audit of BOP’s “aging and failing infrastructure,” finding issues such as buckling concrete, crumbling façades, water leaks, poor ventilation, and energy inefficiencies.[10] Late last year, BOP announced plans to permanently close one facility and idle six others due in part to “crumbling infrastructure.”[11] That BOP would need to close facilities as a result of unsustainable cost is not new—just three years prior, BOP closed Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) New York “after an in-depth conditions assessment found that substantial building deficiencies jeopardized the safety and security of the staff and inmates who occupied the building.”[12] As of February 2024, then-BOP Director Colette Peters estimated that BOP had a maintenance and repair backlog of approximately $3 billion.[13]
    • Medical Care. In 2023, NPR reported on severely inadequate medical care within BOP facilities.[14] One common complaint among sources was the agency’s failure to timely screen and treat inmates with serious illnesses, and the report found “[m]ore than a dozen waited months or even years for treatment, including inmates with obviously concerning symptoms: unexplained bleeding, a suspicious lump, intense pain.”[15] Many suffered worsened conditions; some lost their lives.[16] These problems persist.[17] In a series of unannounced site inspections, OIG has identified several concerning medical practices and failures across various institutions.[18] Most recently, OIG released an inspection last December of Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens, finding “serious issues with . . . provision of healthcare” even at this dedicated medical facility, including “potentially dangerous medication distribution, lack of preventive healthcare screening, inappropriate placement of inmates in the Memory Disorder Unit (MDU), and inconsistent processes for requesting and accessing care.”[19] Like other BOP institutions across the nation, FMC Devens suffers from a substantial employee shortage, “substantially affect[ing] the health, welfare, and safety of . . . inmates.”[20] It is perhaps unsurprising that in Fiscal Year 2024, district court judges granted compassionate release requests under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A) on the basis, at least in part, of medical-related concerns in a notable number of cases.[21] In one recent order granting compassionate release, a district court judge found BOP’s failure to provide necessary and “relatively straightforward” treatment to the petitioner “incomprehensible and very far below the standards that I expect for anyone held in custody.”[22]
    • Safety and Security. Several factors undermine BOP’s ability to ensure the safety of those in its custody. For example, in 2022, the union representing BOP employees condemned a deadly fight at United States Penitentiary (USP) Beaumont, decrying the “chronic understaffing” that “is jeopardizing the lives of both workers and inmates.”[23] Indeed, in a February 2024 OIG report evaluating issues surrounding inmate deaths, “BOP specifically identified insufficient staffing as an issue in at least 30 of the inmate deaths in [OIG’s] scope.”[24] Correctional staff shortages hinder efforts to prevent and respond to immediate threats, while medical staff shortages limit the ability to provide risk-mitigation treatments and programming.[25] In addition to other challenges, BOP also faces longstanding obstacles to effective interdiction of contraband drugs and weapons, overreliance on mandated staff overtime and augmentation, and “fundamentally ineffective” staff discipline processes—each compounding the serious risk to institutional safety.[26]

     

    While these concerns significantly limit BOP’s ability to effectively meet the purposes of sentencing, they are by no means exhaustive. Inadequate funding and staffing levels affect all aspects of BOP’s ability to discharge its mission. We have asked the agency to do far too much with far too little for far too long—and the ripple effects of severe BOP under resourcing are apparent across facilities nationwide.[27] Despite these limitations, the Administration has now asked BOP to add an additional mission by accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees.[28] As I have previously written to the Attorney General, this decision further threatens the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals.[29]

     

    Given the myriad difficulties facing our federal prison system, I respectfully urge the Commission to consider possible recommendations or amendments in the upcoming amendment cycle that account for the limited “nature and capacity of . . . facilities and services available”[30] to incarcerated individuals.

     

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    [1] Tapia v. United States, 564 U.S. 319, 325 (2011). The Supreme Court explained in Tapia, however, that “a particular purpose may apply differently, or even not at all, depending on the kind of sentence under consideration.” Id. at 326. Retribution, § 3553(a)(2)(A), for example, cannot be considered for imposing supervised release terms, id., and rehabilitative needs, § 3553(a)(2)(D), cannot be used to impose or lengthen a prison term, id. at 335.

    [2] 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2).

    [3] 28 U.S.C. § 994(g).

    [4] Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 585 U.S. 129, 133 (2018) (quoting Peugh v. United States, 569 U.S. 530, 541, (2013)).

    [5] U.S. Sent’g Comm’n, Datafile (2024), https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/annual-reports-and-sourcebooks/2024/Table29.pdf.

    [6] Federal Register Notice of Proposed 2025-2026 Priorities, U.S. Sent’g Comm’n,

    https://www.ussc.gov/policymaking/federal-register-notices/federal-register-notice-proposed-2025-2026-priorities (last visited July 9, 2025).

    [7] Statistics, Fed. Bureau of Prisons, https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/population_statistics.jsp#:~:text=155%2C933%20Total%20Federal%20Inmates&text=Last%20Updated%20July%203%2C%202025,Thursday%20at%2012%3A00%20A.M(last visited July 9, 2025). An additional nearly 12,800 federal inmates are reported to be in “other types of facilities.” Id.

    [8] Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Bureau of Prisons Fact Sheet (2025), https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/docs/fbop_fact_sheet.pdf.

    [9] Id.; Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Bureau of Prisons Fact Sheet (2024), https://web.archive.org/web/20250226151445/https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/docs/fbop_fact_sheet.pdf.

    [10] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., No. 23-064, Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Efforts to Maintain and Construct Institutions 6 (2023), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-064_1.pdf.

    [11] Michael R. Sisak & Michael Balsamo, The US government is closing a women’s prison and other facilities after years of abuse and decay, Associated Press (Dec. 5, 2024), https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-closing-ap-investigation-abuse-decay-c02c96b6f6a3c5535cc3e3025d5d2585.

    [12] U.S. Dep’t of Just., supra note 10 at 5.

    [13] Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal

    Prisons (Feb. 28, 2024), at 00:30:45.

    [14] Meg Anderson, 1 in 4 inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison. Why?, NPR (Sept. 23, 2023),

    https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200626103/federal-prison-deaths-butner-medical-center-sick-inmates.

    [15] Id.

    [16] Id.

    [17] See Walter Pavlo, Cases Show Medical Care Under Scrutiny At Federal Bureau Of Prisons, Forbes (Mar. 13, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterpavlo/2025/03/13/cases-show-medical-care-under-scrutiny-at-federal-bureau-of-prisons/.

    [18] To date, OIG has released the results of five inspections. In the first four inspections, OIG found, in part: at FCI Waseca, inmates with higher care levels than the institutions at which they were housed, significant delays in nonemergency medical care, and limited ability to provide psychology services beyond “crisis focused” care, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 23-068, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Waseca 1, 26–29 (2023),https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-068.pdf; at FCI Tallahassee, suboptimal timing of medication dispensation, such as insulin and psychiatric medication, which can negatively affect drug efficacy, insufficient availability of bilingual staff to communicate with patients, and incomplete health care screenings at intake, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-005, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Tallahassee 1, 34–35 (2023),https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-005.pdf; at FCI Sheridan, a longstanding phlebotomist vacancy that, while eventually filled, led to a backlog at one point of over 700 laboratory orders, barriers to inmates requesting and accessing care for routine conditions, delays in medical and dental care due to lack of medical equipment and supplies, a backlog of outside medical visits, and potentially dangerous medication distribution practices, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-070, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Sheridan 1, 8–13 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-070_0.pdf; and at FCI Lewisburg, intake screening errors, certain prescription medication discontinuation decisions made without speaking with or examining the patients in advance and without tapering as recommended by BOP clinical guidance, colorectal cancer screenings provided to less than half of inmates within the recommended risk range and significant delays in providing colonoscopies to those for whom it was ordered, and failure to provide A1C tests to the majority of qualifying inmates within recommended time frames, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-113, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Lewisburg 1, 10–14 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-113.pdf.

    [19] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 25-009, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Devens i (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/25-009.pdf.

    [20] Id.

    [21] Sentencing courts listed serious physical or medical condition in 12.5 percent of cases, ongoing COVID-19 pandemic concerns unable to be timely mitigated in 3.3 percent of cases, and BOP failure to provide treatment in 1.7 percent of cases, among other reasons. U.S. Sent’g Comm’n, Compassionate Release Data Report 1, 17 (2025), https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/federal-sentencing-statistics/compassionate-release/FY24-Compassionate-Release.pdf.

    [22] Order for Immediate Release of Defendant Bovis, United States v. Bovis, No. 20-cr-00204, Dkt. 100 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 6, 2025); see also United States v. Diggs, No. 02-CR-1129, 2025 WL 1371367, at *8 (N.D. Ill. May 12, 2025) (granting compassionate release after finding “BOP has shown no intention and/or ability to provide the necessary care [to the petitioner], despite its doctors’ recommendations”).

    [23] Angel San Juan, Prison Pay: Low Pay Rates for Correctional Officers is Creating a Staffing Crisis, 6KFDM (May 19, 2023), https://kfdm.com/news/local/prison-pay-low-pay-rates-for-correctional-officers-is-creating-a-staffing-crisis.

    [24] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-041, Evaluation of Issues Surrounding Inmate deaths in Fed. Bureau of Prisons Inst. 1, 65 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-041.pdf.

    [25] Id.

    [26] Id. at 54, 67, 70.

    [27] Though Congress recently provided $5 billion in additional funding to BOP, see Act of July 4, 2025, Pub. L. No. 119-21, this appropriation represents just the first small step needed to begin to correct the institutional problems caused by underfunding BOP. Commission consideration in this area remains imminently necessary given the longstanding and ongoing impacts of BOP challenges on effectuating the purposes of sentencing.

    [28] Letter from Richard J. Durbin, U.S. Senator, Adam B. Schiff, U.S. Senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator, Mazie K. Hirono, U.S. Senator, Cory A. Booker, U.S. Senator, Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator, and Peter Welch, U.S. Senator, to Pam Bondi, U.S. Att’y Gen. (Feb. 25, 2025), https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter%20to%20AG%20Bondi%20re%20BOP%20facilities%20for%20ICE.pdf.

    [29] Id.

    [30] 28 U.S.C. § 994(g).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British Muslim Trust appointed as new partner to monitor and tackle anti-Muslim hatred

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    British Muslim Trust appointed as new partner to monitor and tackle anti-Muslim hatred

    The Combatting Hate Against Muslims Fund was established this year to tackle the record levels of anti-Muslim hate.

    • British Muslim Trust will receive funding as part of a new government drive against record levels of anti-Muslim hate.
    • Funding will boost victim support and strengthen hate crime reporting nationwide.
    • The Trust unites decades of expertise from Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust.

    The British Muslim Trust (BMT) has been selected as the recipient of the government’s new Combatting Hate Against Muslims Fund, a key initiative to address the rise in anti-Muslim hatred across England.

    The fund was established this year to respond to the evolving nature of religious intolerance and targeted hate incidents faced by Muslim communities, which are at the highest level on record.

    BMT will use the funding to develop a robust reporting system that captures both online and offline incidents of anti-Muslim hatred, including those that may go unreported to the police.

    It will also enable the organisation to provide direct support to victims, raise awareness of what constitutes a hate crime, and encourage greater reporting from affected communities.

    Lord Khan, Minister for Faith, said:

    The rise of anti-Muslim hatred in this county is alarming and deeply concerning.

    That’s why we established this new fund: to ensure we’re doing everything we can to deeply understand the situation our Muslim communities are facing, provide them with the support they need and give us the tools needed to tackle this unacceptable hatred.

    I look forward to working with the British Muslim Trust on our shared ambition to create a safer, more tolerant society for everyone as part of our Plan for Change.

    By analysing the data collected, the BMT will help identify the trends and drivers behind these incidents, providing the government with the evidence needed to shape effective policy and inform action to tackle anti-Muslim hate moving forward, helping to deliver on our Safer Streets mission as part of our Plan for Change.

    The BMT brings together the Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust to form a comprehensive organisation, combining their expertise and strong community foundations, gained from over twenty-years of work, to meet the demands of today’s landscape.

    Shabir Randeree, CBE, will serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors, bringing with him a wealth of cross-sector experience, knowledge and a firm commitment to championing the welfare of ethnic minorities in Britain.

    Shabir Randeree, Chair of the Board of Directors at the British Muslim Trust, said:

    Tackling anti-Muslim hatred is essential to building safer, more inclusive communities – and we are proud to have been appointed to deliver this important work.

    The British Muslim Trust will work closely with partners across the country to support victims, listen to communities, and help ensure that every person can live free from fear and hatred.

    Notes to Editors:

    • The British Muslim Trust will begin receiving reports and monitoring incidents from early autumn.
    • In establishing the BMT, The Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust have also worked closely with Akeela Ahmed MBE, who they intend to appoint as CEO, drawing on her decades of experience in working with grassroots organisations and policy-level anti-hate work.
    • Incidents of hate crime directed towards Muslims is at a record high in England and Wales – as set out in recent government statistics: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2024 – GOV.UK
    • The window to bid for this funding under the Combatting Hate Against Muslims Fund ran from 7 April for six weeks. More information about the assessment criteria used to select the grant partner can be found in the fund’s prospectus, linked here: Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus – GOV.UK
    • The Randeree Charitable Trust has spent decades supporting and funding organisations which work to empower young people, support interfaith dialogue, religious understanding and community cohesion. Through this work, the Trust has built a deep and widespread network which will support in establishing the British Muslim Trust’s within communities across the country.

    • The Aziz Foundation supports individuals from British Muslim communities by empowering them to advance their careers and make valuable contributions to society through providing Master’s scholarships and other resources. The foundation has spent a decade nurturing confident leaders of Muslim background to address social challenges and promote positive change within their communities and beyond.

    • NPCC’s National Police Advisor for Hate Crime Paul Giannasi said:

    “The Crime Survey for England and Wales demonstrates that hate crime has a greater impact on victims when compared to non-targeted crime. It damages our society, creating fear and division in communities that are targeted. 

    “We also know that hate crime has traditionally been underreported and have seen evidence that this is a particular challenge with those affected by anti-Muslim hatred.

    “The police will not tolerate hate crime and would encourage all victims to report crimes, whether direct to the police or through third-party facilities provided by community groups. 

    “We welcome the funding that government has committed to address this issue and any initiative that helps victims to seek and receive the services they deserve.”

    • Imam Qasim, Exec. Chairman & Founder, Al-Khair Foundation, said:

    “Al Khair Foundation welcomes the establishment of the British Muslim Trust as a dedicated platform through which members of the public may report hate crimes. 

    “This timely and much-needed initiative constitutes a significant milestone in the advancement of community cohesion and the restoration of trust and confidence among affected communities.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –