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Category: Tourism

  • MIL-OSI China: Green, healthy lifestyle revolution boosts China’s consumer market

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

    Cyclists compete during Stage 5 at the 16th Tour of Hainan cycling race from Dongfang to Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, April 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

    With policy support and improving environmental awareness and growing health consciousness of the public, a green and healthy lifestyle revolution is gaining momentum in China, driving the growth of eco-friendly and healthy industries and unlocking new economic potential.

    For 38-year-old Cao Bin, a daily office worker, the highlight of his day now comes after hours: lacing up his running shoes, changing into sportswear, and hitting the park for a 10-kilometer jog. “Running gives me back to myself. I often finish with a clearer mind — that’s why I start and keep going,” he said.

    A dedicated fitness enthusiast who frequents gyms and runs marathons, Cao estimates that he spends around 2,000 yuan (about 279.54 U.S. dollars) monthly on his routine, including gym memberships, athletic gear and high-protein organic meals.

    His story mirrors a broader trend as more and more people in China are embracing a “sweat over indulgence” lifestyle, with activities like running, cycling, climbing, and gym workouts driving growth across sports retail, event tourism, and related sectors.

    Health-conscious demand has catapulted sportswear to become China’s second-most popular apparel category, trailing only casual wear, according to a 2025 report by iiMedia Research. Cycling’s surging popularity, for instance, has boosted sales of premium bikes, while plant-based meats and functional foods are gaining ground as consumers prioritize post-pandemic wellness.

    This fitness craze is also fueling a boom in event tourism. Trail running, mountaineering, and cycling events now draw participants from across the country, injecting vitality into local economies. A 2024 trail race in Shaowu, Fujian Province, hometown of legendary Taoist master Zhang Sanfeng, attracted over 1,300 participants and generated more than 10 million yuan in revenue for local accommodation, catering, and retail sectors alone.

    Sports industry expert Zhang Qing notes that policy support, including China’s national fitness strategy, weight management initiatives, and recent plans to upgrade public fitness infrastructure, such as sports parks and trails, is fueling this growth. These measures build on May’s mandate for a “15-minute community life circle” in all cities, ensuring residents have easy access to fitness facilities and essential services within a 15-minute walk.

    Alongside health, sustainability has emerged as a key priority for Chinese consumers, driving demand for eco-friendly fashion, low-carbon food delivery, and energy-efficient appliances, unlocking new economic opportunities, industry experts note.

    Leading sportswear brands are responding, with Anta and Li-Ning utilizing recycled materials and eco-friendly manufacturing processes to enhance product performance while expanding their eco-conscious lines. Anta’s 2024 ESG Report shows sustainable products accounted for over 30 percent of its total offerings last year, with 26 carbon-neutral certified items launched.

    In the food delivery sector, this shift is reflected in Meituan’s “Green Mountains Initiative,” launched in 2017. The program has spurred a widespread move toward sustainable consumption. By early June, about 500 million users had opted for utensil-free deliveries, while more than 1 million merchants had joined eco-actions ranging from plastic reduction to food waste prevention.

    China’s nationwide consumer goods trade-in program further underscores this trend. Ministry of Commerce data reveals that in 2024, over 60 percent of newly purchased vehicles were new energy vehicles, and more than 90 percent of new appliance sales involved Tier-1 energy-efficient models. This has driven four consecutive months of double-digit sales growth for smart and high-efficiency appliances.

    “Green appliances are now the preferred choice, offering consumers a premium lifestyle while advancing sustainability,” noted Xu Dongsheng, vice chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association.

    As China’s support for new quality productive forces accelerates shifts in consumption patterns, driven by enterprises offering greener, smarter products and services, companies are racing to innovate.

    In the fitness sector, supply chains are advancing rapidly, driven by intensified research and development (R&D) and quality upgrades. Official data show that 146 national “Little Giant” enterprises — specialized, high-tech small and medium-sized firms — now operate in sports-related fields, ranging from smart wearables to bicycle parts manufacturing and fitness and rehabilitation equipment.

    Global players are also actively expanding their presence to tap into China’s fitness boom. Last Saturday, French sports retailer Decathlon simultaneously opened stores in Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing. These hubs offer one-stop sports gear and host community activities such as cycling, hiking and running, catering directly to China’s fitness boom, the company’s communications department said.

    Cao’s running passion has taken him from a half-marathon in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, to training for Beijing’s premier marathon later this year. “This fitness craze is no fad, it’s our new lifestyle,” he says. “And as it grows, so will our drive to live healthier, greener lives.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: $22 million to enhance wildlife visitor experiences

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Toitū te marae a Tāne-Mahuta me Hineahuone, Toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, Toitū te tangata.
    Significant investment into supporting native species and tackling invasive pests in national parks has been announced by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.
    Mr Potaka visited the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust facility near Christchurch today, where he announced $22 million from the International Visitor Levy will go to restoring unique wildlife in national parks, islands and other popular visitor sites over the next three years. 
    Last year, nearly three-quarters of international visitors said they did a hike, walk or tramp while in Aotearoa New Zealand, and around half visited a national park. 
    “Conservation-related tourism is worth around $3.4 billion a year,” says Mr Potaka.
    “By backing conservation and sustainable tourism, the government also boosts our economy. This funding is strategically split between supporting our native species and tackling invasive pests—giving birds, bush, marine life and landscapes respite to recover.
    “We’re putting $4.15 million into expanding predator control, plus $11.5 million on the recovery of highly threatened species, including tara iti, at national parks and popular sites so visitors can enjoy thriving natural areas where their funds have contributed.
    “Almost $7 million will target feral goats which remove the forest undergrowth and prevent regeneration.  
    “People fly here with the dream of enjoying our world-class environment and we want to make that experience even better for them. It’s about generations of whānau camping out and struggling to sleep because of noisy kiwi calling outside; later waking to find only precious footprints. 
    “I’m delighted $1.7 million of this will go towards protecting critically endangered Canterbury locals—kakī/black stilts and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeets. 
    “There are only about 400 of these parakeets in the world. They nest in trees, cared for by both parents – but parent birds are no match for rats and stoats. If these invasive predators are around, eggs and chicks are quickly wiped out. 
    “We want to protect and grow rare species like these so more people can enjoy them at places closer to home like at The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary near Nelson. 
    “Budget 2025 allocates $55 million per annum to DOC for new investments from money raised under the new $100 IVL rate. 
    “New Zealand attracts visitors who care about nature and every cent that goes into conservation is an investment in our environment and our economy.”   
     
    Additional information for editors on the IVL projects:
    Expanding landscape scale predator control ($4.15m over 26/27 and 27/28)
    Additional work in National Parks and priority sites, to grow populations of iconic bird species.     
    The IVL funding will allow DOC to boost predator control operations in 2 or potentially 3 priority areas in response to the beech mast forecast for 2026.    
    Potential locations (triggered by monitoring and need for urgent beechmast response) include: Fiordland, Mt Aspiring, Arthur’s Pass, and Kahurangi National Parks in 26/27.   
    IVL funding will also enable the government to maintain the gains of philanthropic projects, maximising predator control outcomes from the NEXT Foundation investment: e.g. in Abel Tasman, Taranaki Mounga and Predator Free South Westland.   
    Goat management in National Parks and popular visitor areas ($6.9m over 3 years from 25/26) where damage results in visitors experiencing forests with limited understory.  
    Priority locations for focus:   

    Whanganui and Kahurangi National Parks    
    Iconic landscapes of Marlborough.      

    In some places it is viable to eradicate (totally remove) goats, creating huge cost efficiencies over the long-term, and reducing the impact of goats on forests.    
    Priority locations include:    

    Westland Tai Poutini National Park   
    Kaimai Forest Park   
    Nelson Lakes National Park  

    Increasing populations of threatened species in national parks, islands and popular sites ($11.5m over 3 years).  
    While increased weed and predator control will help many threatened species, there are targeted actions needed to ensure recovery of our most threatened and iconic species.    
    Initial focus of the IVL funding will be on the recovery of priority, highly threatened species that occur in national parks and high visitation sites, so that visitors can enjoy thriving natural areas where their funds have contributed.    
    2025/26 IVL funded species include:    

    Fauna: Southern NZ dotterel, kakī, Tara iti, kākāriki karaka, Paparoa giant wētā, Canterbury knobbled weevil, Awakopaka skink, Kakarakau skink, Oligosoma St Arnaud lowland skink.   
    Threatened plants: e.g., Brachyglottis rotundifolia, Solenogyne christensenii, Cardamine mutabilis, Carmichaelia carmichaeliae, Craspedia (Fyfe River).   

    Enhancing biodiversity on islands in popular visitor areas and ensuring appropriate protection is in place for biosecurity on high priority islands. For 2025/26, funding is allocated to the Hauraki Gulf, Marlborough Sounds, Kapiti and Fiordland islands. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Summer blitz on town centre crime

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Summer blitz on town centre crime

    Over 500 town centres have signed up to the Home Secretary’s Safer Streets summer blitz that will see increased police patrols and local action .

    Thousands of shoppers and businesses will see increased police presence, stronger prevention and enforcement action by police and councils to support safer high streets this summer.   

    Over recent years street crime has sky-rocketed, with theft from the person more than doubling between December 2022 and December 2024, and there has been record levels of shop theft, up by more than 60% – with offenders increasingly using violence and abuse against shopworkers.

    This marks a key step in delivering the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which from July will see named, contactable officers in every community, increased peak time patrols in town centres and anti-social behaviour leads in every force.  

    Commissioned by the Home Secretary, Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales have developed bespoke local action plans with police, businesses and local councils to crackdown on crime this summer.  

    The aim is to support town centres to be vibrant places where people want to live, work and spend time, and restore faith in community policing after years of declining police officer presence on Britain’s streets.  

    These plans include increased visible town centre policing and ramping up the use of targeted enforcement powers against troublemakers – including banning perpetrators from hotspots.  

    Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:  

    High streets and town centres are the very heart of our communities. Residents and businesses have the right to feel safe in their towns. But the last government left a surge in shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour which has left too many town centres feeling abandoned. 

    It’s time to turn this round, that’s why I have called on police forces and councils alike to work together to deliver a summer blitz on town centre crime to send a clear message to those people who bring misery to our towns that their crimes will no longer go unpunished. 

    The fact that 500 towns have signed up shows the strength of feeling on this issue. 

    Through our Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change, we are putting officers back on the beat where you can see them and making our town centres safe again.

    The summer initiative will also support young people, making sure there are activities across the 500 towns for young people to be involved in throughout the holidays. 

    The Home Office, alongside police, retailers and industry are also launching a new Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy, which will use shared data to assist in disrupting not just organised criminal gangs, but all types of perpetrators including prolific offenders who are stealing to fund an addiction and ‘opportunist’ offenders. 

    Creating thriving town centres where businesses and communities can flourish supports the government’s growth mission, raising living standards, backing local economies and supporting communities. 

    Initiatives taking place this summer include:  

    • in Humberside, police are using real-time mapping to deliver dynamic patrols to target emerging problem locations while reassuring local communities
    • in Devon and Cornwall, police are embedding specialist anti-social behaviour lawyers to fast-track enforcement activity
    • in Derbyshire, police have developed a Night Time Economy Charter to help deliver consistent proactive policing and coordinated management across the four largest local town centres
    • in Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police are targeting seasonal, tourist towns through early police visibility, deterrence and community reassurance
    • in Nottinghamshire, police have introduced a new diversionary intervention programme for Out of Court Resolutions with conditions attached for problem offenders

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 

    We are on the side of local businesses, and our Plan for Change is helping create the right conditions for our great British high streets to thrive.  

    The Safer Streets Summer Initiative will play a vital role in achieving this by keeping footfall high, communities and those that work in them safe, and the economy growing. 

    Shop theft and the abuse of shopworkers has become an endemic problem for Britain’s high streets with many shopworkers victimised in the same communities where they live.

    The government is set to introduce a new law to protect shop workers from this vile abuse. 

    Record levels of shop theft have been driven not just by organised crime gangs but drug addiction for some prolific offenders and opportunism for others. 

    The new Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy will bring together multiple sources of data from industry and policing to create a single avenue for intelligence to help better target and respond to perpetrators. 

    Police and retailers will also team up with security firms and local communities to locate the highest harm areas and identify the role offender management programmes can play in breaking the cycle of crime for repeat offenders.   

    Anthony Hemmerdinger, Managing Director, Boots said:  

    Retail theft alongside intimidation and abuse of our team members is unacceptable, so we welcome this additional support from government and the police to strengthen shopworker protection.  

    While we continue to invest significantly in schemes to deter and disrupt crime, including our state-of-the-art CCTV monitoring centre and bodycams for our team members in stores, it is only through collaboration with government, police forces, and local communities, that we can ensure high streets feel like welcoming and safe spaces for people to work, shop and visit, all the time.

    Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Emily Spurrell said: 

    Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Deputy Mayors know how much people want to rid their neighbourhoods of criminal and anti-social behaviour (ASB) that blights too many communities. Tackling retail crime and ASB is essential to allowing our town centres to flourish. People have a right to feel safe and shop workers shouldn’t have to defend their stores against regular and organised theft, putting themselves at risk of violence.  

    As the public’s voice in policing, we have long understood that neighbourhood policing is key to addressing these issues which is why we welcomed the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. It will see thousands more officers on our streets and introduce specialist training for them to operate effectively within local communities, building trust.  

    With our local police forces and other partners in support of the Safer Streets Summer initiative, PCCs and Deputy Mayors will be working harder than ever to target criminal and anti-social behaviour so that people feel safe and have pride in where they live and work. We are determined to deliver real and demonstrable change so that communities and town centres can thrive and prosper.

    The initiative launches today at an event hosted by the Home Office and the English Football League at Derby County Football Club, attended by partner representatives from police, businesses, local councils and local government.  

    It will see increased collaborative community-led interventions across sectors such as schemes to keep kids out of trouble during the summer holidays and targeted prevention activity with businesses, to not only tackle crime, but prevent crime and anti-social behaviour happening in the first place. 

    English Football League’s Director of Community Debbie Cook said:  

    Today at Derby County Football Club, EFL in the Community was proud to stand alongside the Home Office as the government reaffirmed its commitment to working hand-in-hand with trusted local organisations — like our clubs — to prioritise public safety and tackle town centre crime, street violence, and anti-social behaviour. 

    Beyond the pitch, football clubs and their charities across England and Wales play a transformative role in people’s lives. Through innovative initiatives — like Bristol City Foundation’s free ‘turn-up and play’ sessions in supermarket car parks and South Yorkshire clubs uniting to combat violence against women and girls — our clubs are contributing to creating safer, stronger, and more connected communities. We look forward to this work continuing and growing.

    Harvinder Saimbhi, CEO of ASB Help, said:  

    We welcome the Safer Streets Summer Initiative as we know that ASB can increase during these months with lighter nights and improved weather. One of the most effective ways to address shop theft, street theft and anti-social behaviour is through effective partnerships that work proactively in addressing and tackling issues at the forefront.  

    This proactive initiative will contribute towards communities and businesses in feeling safer by seeing boosted police presence and council operations working together to make town centres safer. We are pleased to see that this initiative will not be only enforcement driven but will focus on creating more positive activities for young people and keeping vulnerable groups safer where everyone can feel secure.

    Hetal Patel, National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) said:  

    This crackdown on shop theft, street theft and anti-social behaviour is timely and welcome. Shop theft is often seen as a victimless crime but this is not the case. It takes a heavy toll mentally, physically and financially on shop owners, their families and their employees. At the same time, the financial costs of retail crime will eventually impact on customers through inflated prices. 

    ASB, meanwhile, can cost independent retailers dear in terms of cleaning and clearing up, as well as increasing premiums, deterring footfall and shoppers. 

    A recent Fed survey found that 72% of respondents had experienced shoplifting, break ins and damage to their property and they and their staff had been physically or verbally threatened.  A whopping 91% of respondents called for more police patrols on streets. 

    Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.

    Richard Walker, Executive Chairman of Iceland Foods said:  

    Our colleagues and customers are our number one priority at Iceland, and I hope this increase in visible policing will give them more confidence to enjoy our high streets and communities in safety this summer.

    Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: 

    With the huge rise in retail theft and the continued impact of violence and abuse on retail colleagues, we welcome the announcement of increased police patrols and local action to tackle town centre crime and anti-social behaviour. We must stamp out this scourge of crime up and down the country, and this announcement is certainly a step in the right direction.

    Superintendent Lisa Maslen of the National Business Crime Centre said:  

    Retail crime continues to have a significant impact on businesses, staff, and communities across the country. The Tackling Retail Crime Together strategy and campaign is about strengthening the vital partnerships between policing and the retail sector to deliver meaningful action. The NBCC received £2 million of funding from the Home Office to support police and partners in tackling retail crime and we have used some of the funding to develop the first national campaign to highlight the amount of work being done to respond to, prevent and detect retail crime offences across the country.

    There will also be increased collaborative community led interventions across sectors such as schemes to keep kids out of trouble during the summer holidays and targeted prevention activity with businesses, to not only tackle crime but prevent crime and anti-social behaviour happening in the first place.

    Jason Towse, Managing Director, Business Services, Mitie said: 

    We all deserve to live and work in a safe environment and the Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy has been developed to fuse industry knowledge and data with policing powers.   

    With momentum building as towns across the country rally behind this initiative, the intelligence shared will inform a collaborative approach across regions and enable the right interventions to be deployed to break the cycle of offending.  

    Together, our actions will deter potential offenders, ensure criminals face consequences and ultimately create safer, thriving communities.

    The APCC joint leads for Business and Retail Crime, Katie Bourne OBE, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, and Andy Dunbobbin, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, said: 

    This strategy is an acknowledgement of the urgent need to focus on tackling unacceptable levels of shop theft and violence against retail workers.  

    We are delighted that the success of the Police and Crime Commissioner-led Pegasus partnership of retailers, Home Office and police has been recognised and is being built upon.  

    Through the work of Pegasus and policing’s Opal team, a hugely effective, data-led and intelligence-sharing approach has been developed that focuses on organised retail crime gangs with greater police and retailer working at its heart.

    Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for retail crime, said:  

    We know retail crime has a significant impact on victims, damages businesses and communities and goes far beyond financial loss. We also know it is a complex problem with a diverse offender profile and is something which requires a strong partnership approach, tackling the issues together. 

    Over the last two years we have made significant strides in our fight against retail crime, strengthening relationships with retailers and greatly improving information sharing which has resulted in a number of high harm offenders being brought to justice and the new Retail Crime Strategy builds on this even further. It brings together policing, retailers, the security industry and academia in a shared strategy which makes best use of our collective resources to turn the tide on the volume of offending blighting our communities. 

    A collective approach is key, ensuring everyone can enjoy where they live, work and spend their leisure time safely. 

    Clare Sumner, Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer at the Premier League said: 

    The Premier League welcomes the government’s proposals to create opportunities for young people as part of its Safer Streets Summer Initiative. For the last 20 years, our Premier League Kicks programme has provided support for young people who need it the most, funding free weekly football sessions across 93 Premier League, EFL and National League clubs.  

    Through the power of football, we offer real opportunities for young people to develop vital life skills and reach their potential, supported by club coaches from similar backgrounds who help to inspire, guide and mentor them to a better future.

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    Published 4 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Makes Our National Parks Great Again

    Source: US Whitehouse

    PUTTING AMERICANS FIRST: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order investing in our national treasures by increasing fees for foreign tourists visiting our national parks to improve services, access, and affordability for Americans.

    • The Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to increase fees only for foreign visitors, while making national parks more affordable and enjoyable for American families.  
    • The Order increases national park access to American families by directing the National Park Service to ensure that U.S. residents receive priority access in any permitting or reservation systems.

    MAKING OUR NATIONAL PARKS BEAUTIFUL AGAIN: The increased fee revenue from foreign tourists will raise hundreds of millions for conservation projects that improve our national parks.

    • Charging higher entrance fees to foreign tourists is a common policy at national parks throughout the world that supports both conservation and affordable access for residents.
    • Increasing entry fees at national parks for foreign visitors will fuel investment in our national parks, reduce the maintenance backlog, construct critical infrastructure improvements, and support conservation projects that improve our majestic national parks.
    • Increasing fees for foreign visitors will also ensure fairness. American citizens fund national parks and public lands with their tax dollars, yet they are currently charged the same rate as foreign visitors who do not pay taxes, meaning that American citizens pay more to see their own national treasures than foreign visitors do. President Trump is ending this unfair situation and putting Americans first.
    • When President Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog was $14.9 billion. Under the Biden Administration’s mismanagement, the maintenance backlog grew to over $22.9 billion. This Order will improve our national parks and reduce the maintenance backlog.

    HONORING OUR CONSERVATION LEGACY: Since the days of Republican President Teddy Roosevelt, America has led the world in conservation policy. This Order builds on America’s conservative, conservationist history and reinvests in our natural treasures while putting Americans first.

    • During President Trump’s first term, he signed the Great American Outdoors Act—the single largest investment in America’s national parks and public lands in history and the most significant conservation achievement since Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency.
    • This Order builds on President Trump’s legacy as a conservation President and fulfills his promise to put Americans first.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks

    Source: US Whitehouse

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Policy.  From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America’s national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories.  It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America’s splendid national treasures.

    Sec. 2.  Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks.  (a)  The Secretary of the Interior shall develop a strategy to increase revenue and improve the recreational experience at national parks by appropriately increasing entrance fees and recreation pass fees for nonresidents in areas of the National Park System that charge entrance fees or recreation pass fees as defined in 16 U.S.C. 6801.  Additionally, to the extent consistent with applicable law, the Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of Agriculture as appropriate, shall take steps to increase the prices at which the America the Beautiful Pass — the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass — and any site-specific agency or regional multi-entity passes are sold to nonresidents.

    (b)  The Secretary of the Interior shall use any increased fee revenue generated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to improve the infrastructure of, or otherwise enhance enjoyment of or access to, America’s Federal recreational areas, consistent with 16 U.S.C. 6807.

    (c)  The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of Agriculture as appropriate, shall take steps to improve services and affordability for United States residents visiting national parks, as consistent with applicable law.

    (d)  The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of State, shall work to encourage international tourism to America’s national parks and outdoor recreation areas, and especially wider utilization of America’s many such areas that may be underutilized.

    (e)  The Secretary of the Interior shall review the maintenance backlog within the National Park Service and take all appropriate action to fully implement the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund established in the Great American Outdoors Act (Public Law 116-152), invest in the infrastructure of national parks, and increase visitor capacity to allow more Americans to visit national parks.

    (f)  The Secretary of the Interior shall review all of the Department of the Interior‘s rules and policies related to public use of national parks and take actions consistent with applicable law to ensure that the National Park Service manages national parks consistent with the policy of this order.  The Secretary of the Interior shall review all of the Department’s recreational access rules and take steps to rescind any that unnecessarily restrict recreation in national parks.  In conducting this review, the Secretary of the Interior shall especially scrutinize all recreational access rules or other restrictions promulgated or enacted during the prior administration.  The Secretary of the Interior shall take appropriate actions to grant American residents preferential treatment with respect to any remaining recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules, consistent with applicable law.

    Sec. 3.  Revocation.  The Presidential Memorandum of January 12, 2017 (Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters), is hereby revoked.

    Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:  

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or 

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.  

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.  

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.  

    (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Interior.

                                 DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,

        July 3, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting economic growth in rural communities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – What if Europe restored its primary forests? – 03-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Initiatives to restore European primary forests and thereby reverse centuries of decline are gaining traction. Such restoration could deliver significant ecological, environmental, climate-related and socio-cultural benefits, ranging from biodiversity conservation, water regulation and climate mitigation, to ecotourism and renewed human relationships with nature. However, a number of challenges and trade-offs need to be addressed, including the lack of primary forest mapping, concerns over human exclusion and potential economic losses.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Demand Accountability for President Trump’s Discriminatory Travel Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Demand Accountability for President Trump’s Discriminatory Travel Ban

    Lawmakers: “We write to express our strong opposition to President Trump’s recent decision to issue a sweeping travel ban that will deny entry to thousands of individuals from 19 different countries.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined 68 Democratic lawmakers in urging President Trump to rescind his discriminatory travel ban that will keep families apart and devastate the U.S. economy. The members demanded transparency into President Trump’s decision-making process and answers about how the travel ban will impact communities across the United States.  
    In a letter addressed to President Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the lawmakers outlined the disastrous consequences that President Trump’s travel ban will have on families and the American economy. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28) led the letter.
    “The effects of President Trump’s discriminatory travel ban will be devastating. In the last year alone over 126,000 visas have been issued to nationals from just the twelve countries on the fully restricted list. These are individuals who are looking to come to the United States to reunite with family, support our economy, or otherwise enrich our country in innumerable ways,” wrote the lawmakers.
    During his first term, President Trump enacted extreme travel bans that disrupted thousands of lives and weakened our nation’s economy and global standing. On his first day in office, President Joe Biden rescinded these bans, but President Trump enacted another sweeping, discriminatory travel ban last month.
    President Trump is imposing full restrictions on entry into the United States from nationals of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, as well as partial restrictions on entry from nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — meaning individuals from these countries cannot come to the United States permanently or apply for certain visas. President Trump is also reportedly considering imposing travel restrictions on an additional 36 countries.
    “President Trump’s actions once again disgrace the founding principles of our nation and enshrine cruelty into our immigration system,” continued the lawmakers. “Additionally, this travel ban will harm our economy by depriving the United States of workers in key fields experiencing labor shortages like medicine and agriculture and further devastating our domestic tourism industry which is already expected to decline by $12.5 billion in 2025.”
    The members demanded accountability and answers from the Trump Administration, pushing the President to immediately rescind his cruel travel ban.
    Senator Padilla helped introduce a pair of bills earlier this year aimed at combating the chaos caused by Trump’s Muslim Ban in his first term. To prevent some of the most egregious violations from Trump’s first travel ban, Padilla is leading the Access to Counsel Act, which would ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports. Padilla is also cosponsoring Coons and Chu’s NO BAN Act, legislation to prevent any president from implementing a discriminatory travel ban by strengthening the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion. The bill would also require that any suspension of entry into the United States be narrowly tailored, backed by credible evidence, and subject to appropriate consultation with Congress.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear President Trump, Secretary Noem, Secretary Rubio, and Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to express our strong opposition to President Trump’s recent decision to issue a sweeping travel ban that will deny entry to thousands of individuals from 19 different countries. This discriminatory ban will not improve our country’s national security, but it will needlessly rip families apart. We urge President Trump to rescind it immediately.
    During President Trump’s first term, his administration implemented a range of travel restrictions on nationals from several countries, many of which were majority-Muslim countries. These travel bans faced continual legal challenges because of their blatantly discriminatory designs. President Biden terminated the latest version of President Trump’s travel ban when he took office in 2021, but the damage had already been done. The first Muslim Ban wreaked havoc on families, forcing over forty thousand people who had cleared one of the most exhaustive immigration vetting systems in the world to miss weddings, funerals, graduations, and births. What’s more, there is no evidence that this ban or any further iteration did anything to improve national security or prevent terrorism.
    Despite the failure of the original Muslim and travel bans, President Trump has now issued an even broader travel ban. This new extreme travel ban will prevent nationals from twelve countries (Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen) from entering the United States, with seven other countries (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela) facing partial restrictions, meaning individuals from these countries cannot come to the U.S. permanently or apply for certain visas. The administration is reportedly considering imposing restrictions on an additional 36 countries.
    The effects of this discriminatory travel ban will be devastating. In the last year alone over 126,000 visas have been issued to nationals from just the twelve countries on the fully restricted list. These are individuals who are looking to come to the United States to reunite with family, support our economy, or otherwise enrich our country in innumerable ways. President Trump’s actions once again disgrace the founding principles of our nation and enshrine cruelty into our immigration system.
    Additionally, this travel ban will harm our economy by depriving the United States of workers in key fields experiencing labor shortages like medicine and agriculture and further devastating our domestic tourism industry which is already expected to decline by $12.5 billion in 2025.
    Given these severe impacts, we condemn this proclamation and urge President Trump to rescind it immediately. We also seek transparency into President Trump’s decision-making process and, accordingly, request answers to the following questions by July 3rd, 2025:
    1. President Trump’s proclamation banned travel from countries based on a report that “identified countries for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full suspension of admissions and countries that warrant a partial suspension of admission,” as well as considered “various factors, including each country’s screening and vetting capabilities, information sharing policies, and country-specific risk factors — including whether each country has a significant terrorist presence within its territory, its visa-overstay rate, and its cooperation with accepting back its removable nationals.”
    a. Will your administration release this report in full to Congress and the public?
    b. How are screening and vetting processes determined to be “deficient?”
    c. What are the specific criteria by which your administration will continuously evaluate a country’s “conditions and vetting standards?” What are the parameters for a country to have a system that is considered sufficient?
    2. What is the status of your administration’s deliberations to add more countries to the travel ban?
    3. What is the estimate of the economic impacts on tourism, jobs, and foreign direct investment as a result of this travel ban?
    4. What metrics will your administration use to evaluate the effectiveness of the travel ban in protecting national security?
    5. Section 4(c) and (d) of the proclamation contemplates exceptions when in the national interest.
    a. What procedures and guidelines will your administration use to determine who receives an exemption from your travel ban?
    b. Will your administration make these procedures and guidelines public, and will your administration allow individuals to apply for exceptions?
    6. President Trump’s proclamation identifies insufficient vetting as a reason to bar immigrant visas from certain suspended countries. However, his proclamation exempts immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who can show “clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g. DNA).”
    a. Given that your administration accept DNA tests as a valid form of identification and evidence of familial relationship, why has your administration categorically suspended the entry of all other family-based immigrant visa applicants, including those who could also prove their identity in that manner?
    7. For several countries (Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Togo, and Turkmenistan), President Trump’s proclamation lists no reason for a suspension of visas other than the visa overstay rates of individuals on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, which are nonimmigrant visas. However, President Trump’s proclamation fully suspends all immigrant visas for those countries, including all family and employment-based visas.
    a. How does your administration justify suspending all immigrant visas on the basis of an unrelated nonimmigrant visa overstay rate?
    b. Did your administration conduct individualized analyses for all nonimmigrant visa types, or rely solely on the B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visa overstay rates?
    We thank you for your attention to this important manner.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

    Another week, another Cook Strait ferry breakdown. As the winter maintenance season approaches and the Aratere prepares for its final months of service, New Zealand faces a self-imposed crisis.

    The government has spent NZ$507.3 million on cancelled iReX ferry plans, the country’s fleet has an average age of 28 years, and the earliest New Zealanders can hope for promised replacements is 2029.

    The Marlborough Chamber of Commerce warns unreliable ferries already shake tourist confidence. Several more years of duct-tape solutions won’t help.

    The recent pattern of breakdowns and cancellations has become so routine that New Zealand risks normalising what should be viewed as a national crisis: a serious infrastructure failure.

    It is also a textbook example of how short-term political cycles, coupled with chronic under-investment, create far more expensive problems than the ones they promise to solve.

    Cost blowouts

    While ministers claim to have spared taxpayers a $4 billion blowout on new ferries, Treasury papers show almost 80% of the cost escalation lay in seismic upgrades for wharves, not in the vessels themselves. Those land-side works will be required no matter what ferries the country eventually orders.

    Justifying the original contract cancellation, Finance Minister Nicola Willis quipped that iReX was a Ferrari when a Toyota Corolla would do. But the cost of finding a suitable Corolla is adding up fast.

    Annual maintenance costs are projected to nearly double to $65 million, just to keep the existing ageing ferries running. Additionally, $300 million had to be earmarked to cover fees for breaking the original ferry replacement contract.

    By retiring the Aratere this year – New Zealand’s only rail-capable ferry – the government is also severing the interisland rail link for almost five years.

    KiwiRail will “road-bridge” rail freight, an expensive workaround that involves loading train cars onto trucks, putting those trucks on ferries, then reversing the process at the other end. This will increase truck traffic, produce more emissions and add more wear to already strained infrastructure.

    Forcing more than $14 billion worth of annual freight from rail to road could also negatively affect New Zealand’s climate change commitments. Freight moved by rail generates only about 25% of the CO₂ per tonne-kilometre of the same load produced when hauled by truck.

    The cancelled hybrid ferries would have also cut emissions by 40%. Instead, New Zealand is locking in higher emissions for another half decade or longer.

    Unrealistic timelines

    The ferry saga reflects New Zealand’s infrastructure problem in a nutshell. The country tends to underestimate costs, create unfeasible timelines, then shows dismay when projects blow up or limp home at double the price.

    Auckland exemplifies the pattern. The city has seen decades of cancelled harbour crossing proposals and a scrapped light rail project, with nothing to show but consultancy fees.

    When New Zealand does build –Transmission Gully, for example – the final bill bears little resemblance to initial quotes. The 27 kilometre motorway north of Wellington was nearly 50% over budget and took eight years to build – two years longer than promised.

    The systematic underestimation of costs reflects a flawed approach to infrastructure planning. Politicians need quick wins within three-year electoral cycles, while infrastructure projects take decades to deliver.

    Projects are approved based on lowball estimates, with the outcome inherited by another administration. This has crossed party lines and created a system that rewards short-term thinking and punishes long-term planning.

    Just consider the second crossing for Auckland Harbour. For 35 years, the government has commissioned study after study – from the 1988 tunnel plans to the 2010 business cases – each time backing away when the price tag appeared, or the government changed.

    The iReX cancellation marks the first time the government has actually signed contracts and then walked away. As with the second Auckland Harbour crossing, each delay has only made the inevitable solution more expensive.

    Other countries have, to a degree, addressed this problem. Infrastructure Australia, for example, provides independent cost assessments and long-term planning that transcends political cycles. New Zealand’s Infrastructure Commission, established in 2019, lacks similar teeth and independence.

    Ultimately this isn’t really about ferries. It’s about how New Zealand consistently fails to deliver, on time and at cost, the infrastructure that keeps its economy moving.

    Timothy Welch 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. NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning? – https://theconversation.com/nz-will-soon-have-no-real-interisland-rail-ferry-link-why-are-we-so-bad-at-infrastructure-planning-260279

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

    Another week, another Cook Strait ferry breakdown. As the winter maintenance season approaches and the Aratere prepares for its final months of service, New Zealand faces a self-imposed crisis.

    The government has spent NZ$507.3 million on cancelled iReX ferry plans, the country’s fleet has an average age of 28 years, and the earliest New Zealanders can hope for promised replacements is 2029.

    The Marlborough Chamber of Commerce warns unreliable ferries already shake tourist confidence. Several more years of duct-tape solutions won’t help.

    The recent pattern of breakdowns and cancellations has become so routine that New Zealand risks normalising what should be viewed as a national crisis: a serious infrastructure failure.

    It is also a textbook example of how short-term political cycles, coupled with chronic under-investment, create far more expensive problems than the ones they promise to solve.

    Cost blowouts

    While ministers claim to have spared taxpayers a $4 billion blowout on new ferries, Treasury papers show almost 80% of the cost escalation lay in seismic upgrades for wharves, not in the vessels themselves. Those land-side works will be required no matter what ferries the country eventually orders.

    Justifying the original contract cancellation, Finance Minister Nicola Willis quipped that iReX was a Ferrari when a Toyota Corolla would do. But the cost of finding a suitable Corolla is adding up fast.

    Annual maintenance costs are projected to nearly double to $65 million, just to keep the existing ageing ferries running. Additionally, $300 million had to be earmarked to cover fees for breaking the original ferry replacement contract.

    By retiring the Aratere this year – New Zealand’s only rail-capable ferry – the government is also severing the interisland rail link for almost five years.

    KiwiRail will “road-bridge” rail freight, an expensive workaround that involves loading train cars onto trucks, putting those trucks on ferries, then reversing the process at the other end. This will increase truck traffic, produce more emissions and add more wear to already strained infrastructure.

    Forcing more than $14 billion worth of annual freight from rail to road could also negatively affect New Zealand’s climate change commitments. Freight moved by rail generates only about 25% of the CO₂ per tonne-kilometre of the same load produced when hauled by truck.

    The cancelled hybrid ferries would have also cut emissions by 40%. Instead, New Zealand is locking in higher emissions for another half decade or longer.

    Unrealistic timelines

    The ferry saga reflects New Zealand’s infrastructure problem in a nutshell. The country tends to underestimate costs, create unfeasible timelines, then shows dismay when projects blow up or limp home at double the price.

    Auckland exemplifies the pattern. The city has seen decades of cancelled harbour crossing proposals and a scrapped light rail project, with nothing to show but consultancy fees.

    When New Zealand does build –Transmission Gully, for example – the final bill bears little resemblance to initial quotes. The 27 kilometre motorway north of Wellington was nearly 50% over budget and took eight years to build – two years longer than promised.

    The systematic underestimation of costs reflects a flawed approach to infrastructure planning. Politicians need quick wins within three-year electoral cycles, while infrastructure projects take decades to deliver.

    Projects are approved based on lowball estimates, with the outcome inherited by another administration. This has crossed party lines and created a system that rewards short-term thinking and punishes long-term planning.

    Just consider the second crossing for Auckland Harbour. For 35 years, the government has commissioned study after study – from the 1988 tunnel plans to the 2010 business cases – each time backing away when the price tag appeared, or the government changed.

    The iReX cancellation marks the first time the government has actually signed contracts and then walked away. As with the second Auckland Harbour crossing, each delay has only made the inevitable solution more expensive.

    Other countries have, to a degree, addressed this problem. Infrastructure Australia, for example, provides independent cost assessments and long-term planning that transcends political cycles. New Zealand’s Infrastructure Commission, established in 2019, lacks similar teeth and independence.

    Ultimately this isn’t really about ferries. It’s about how New Zealand consistently fails to deliver, on time and at cost, the infrastructure that keeps its economy moving.

    Timothy Welch 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. NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning? – https://theconversation.com/nz-will-soon-have-no-real-interisland-rail-ferry-link-why-are-we-so-bad-at-infrastructure-planning-260279

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigerian business leverage African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to grow the country’s intra-African trade opportunities

    Source: APO – Report:

    Nigeria is working towards fast-tracking implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to unlock opportunities for businesses in the country across the continent.

    Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Hon. Jumoke Oduwole noted that intra-African trade has been improving.

    “Intra African trade exports grew by over 13% from last year supported by new trade corridors and the initial success of AfCFTA’s guideline initiatives. Nigerian businesses are already key participants, exporting, ceramics, garments, pharmaceuticals and agro products across the continent,” Hon. Jumoke said in a keynote address to government officials, the Nigerian trade community, business leaders and investors attending the Nigeria IATF2025 Business Roadshow.

    “As we talk about expanding and unlocking new trade markets, we must recognize the creative economy as a serious trade frontier. Platforms such as Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) led by Afreximbank are proving that African culture is bankable not just beautiful.” She added.

    The event that was attended by over 700 people focused on promoting intra-African trade under the theme: ‘Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation and Global Competitiveness through AfCFTA.’

    The Nigeria IATF2025 roadshow is one of the five in a series of five high-level events in key cities including Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg, and Algiers ahead of the fourth edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) that will be held in Algiers, Algeria from 4 – 10 September 2025 under the theme ‘Gateway to New Opportunities’. IATF is Africa’s premier trade and investment event that serves as a crucial platform for fostering economic growth, collaboration, and innovation across the continent.

    Addressing the forum, Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni noted that IATF offers an unparalleled platform for the exchange of trade and investment information and is Africa’s marketplace of ideas, opportunities, and partnerships.

    “With frameworks like AFCFTA and platforms like IATF we now have the tools to bridge the trade gap, boost Intra African trade and tremendously grow our economies in a sustainable and inclusive way. We need to build structured, sustainable and competitive value chains that can power inclusive growth both here in Nigeria and across the continent in Africa. We know that AfCFTA promises to be the largest single market in the world, connecting 1.3 billion people across 54 countries in Africa,” Ms Ayeni said.

    Building on this, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, Mrs. Kanayo Awani highlighted the tangible results borne out of the trade fair across the continent and in Nigeria specifically.

    “In just three editions, IATF has achieved what once felt aspirational: over $100 billion in trade and investment deals, more than 70,000 participants, and 4,500+ exhibitors from across 130 countries. This is not just a conference, it is Africa’s trade engine, designed to connect our producers, unlock demand, and operationalise the promise of the AfCFTA. And in every edition—whether in Cairo, Durban, or beyond, Nigeria has not just participated. Nigeria has led. At IATF2023 alone, Nigerian enterprises generated over $11 billion in signed deals, the highest of any country,” Mrs Awani added.

    IATF is a platform for boosting trade and investment in Africa. The last edition held in Cairo attracted nearly 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries and generated US$43.7 billion in trade and investment deals.

    Some of the activities lined up for the week-long IATF2025 include a trade exhibition by countries and businesses; the CANEX programme with a dedicated exhibition and summit on fashion, music, film, arts and craft, sports, literature, gastronomy and culinary arts; a four-day Trade and Investment Forum featuring leading African and international speakers; and the Africa Automotive Show for auto manufacturers, assemblers, original equipment manufacturers and component suppliers.

    Special Days will also be held at IATF2025, dedicated for countries as well as public and private entities to showcase trade and investment opportunities, and tourism and cultural attractions, as well as Global Africa Day to highlight commercial and cultural ties between Africa and its diaspora, featuring a Diaspora Summit, market and exhibition, cultural and gastronomic showcase.

    Also planned is a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) platform for matchmaking and business exchanges; the AU Youth Start-Up programme showcasing innovative ideas and prototypes; the Africa Research and Innovation Hub @ IATF targeting university students, academia and national researchers to exhibit their innovations and research projects; the Trade Exhibition offering large corporations and SME’s the opportunities to showcase their goods and services, the Trade and Investment Forum, a four day conference featuring sessions and training discussing trade opportunities and barriers.

    Others include the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), a showcase of African and Diaspora creative talent, the Special Days segment offering countries, private and public sectors the opportunity to sponsor their special event on specific days, the Africa Automotive show, a platform for auto manufacturers to exhibit their products and interact with potential buyers, IATF Virtual, an interactive online platform that will continue after the live event is over, Diaspora Day highlighting the commercial and cultural ties between Africa and its diaspora and the African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) to promote trade, investment, educational and cultural exchanges at the local level. The IATF Virtual platform is already live, connecting exhibitors and visitors throughout the year.

    To participate in IATF2025 please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.

    – on behalf of Afreximbank.

    Media contact:
    media@intrafricatradefair.com 
    press@afreximbank.com

    About the Intra-African Trade Fair:

    Organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fourleaf Air Show at Jones Beach Over July 4th Weekend

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and FourLeaf Federal Credit Union today announce that the annual FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach will take place on Sunday, July 5 and Monday, July 6 of 2026 as part of the Semiquincentennial (250th) celebration of the United States.

    “To celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we are excited to hold the FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach over Fourth of July Weekend to be part of an amazing semiquincentennial celebration in New York,” Governor Hochul said. “The air show is a popular summer tradition that millions of New Yorkers and visitors alike have enjoyed throughout its history. I encourage all to get offline, get outside and take advantage of these opportunities to enjoy all the unique recreational activities that New York has to offer.”

    Traditionally the air show is held on Memorial Day Weekend at Jones Beach State Park. The change of date for the 2026 FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach will occur in conjunction with Fleet Week New York which has also moved from Memorial Day Weekend to the July 4th Weekend. The United States Navy Blue Angels have announced that they will headline the air show in 2026 as part of the celebration and it is expected that there will be many additional military performers, as well as internationally known civilian aerobatic performers.

    New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said “What better way to celebrate the semiquincentennial in 2026 than with a great summer tradition on Long Island moved to the Fourth of July Weekend time period. Jones Beach State Park is a major recreational facility and the perfect location to spend this semiquincentennial celebration and enjoy all year round with family and friends.”

    FourLeaf Federal Credit Union President and CEO Linda Armyn said, “As the title sponsor of the FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach, we are thrilled to join New York State in celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday with our amazing air show on the July 4th weekend. This is a once-in-a-generation milestone, and we are proud to showcase the spirit of freedom, innovation, and community that the air show embodies. It will be an unforgettable weekend of awe-inspiring aviation and patriotic pride, as we honor our nation’s legacy and future.”

    The 2025 FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach saw over 300,000 attendees despite overcast and cool temperatures. The attendees also generated $35.8 million in potential economic impact, further highlighting the air show’s impact on the local economy and regional tourism.

    Although the air show will not take place Memorial Day weekend in 2026, Jones Beach State Park will still host events that weekend to continue the tradition of honoring those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The FourLeaf Air Show will return on Memorial Day Weekend in 2027.

    The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 88 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit  parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app  or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on  Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the  OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow has become a blooming garden thanks to the unification of the city and business

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Festival “Gardens and Flowers” — one of the most beloved city initiatives among Muscovites and tourists. Real oases with waterfalls, tropical forests and even bright compositions of bougainvilleas and rose bushes are appearing in the capital. For several years now, the city has been turning into a bright garden, where you can find green ferns in the squares, have lunch in the shade of lemon trees and have a photo shoot against the backdrop of pink flowers.

    As part of a large-scale urban project “Summer in Moscow” Business traditionally joins the festival. More than a thousand organizations, from large banks to small cafes, together decorate the city with bright flowers and green compositions.

    Thus, the capital’s companies transformed the main business center “Moscow-City”, took part in the creation of the green wall of the Moscow Zoo, planted plants on the stairs of the sports complex “VTB Arena”, and decorated Chistoprudny Boulevard with flowers. Soon, landscape projects created by large corporations will appear on Bolotnaya Embankment, Balchug Island and Novaya Basmannaya Street.

    Small and medium businesses are also not standing aside. Restaurants all over the city have opened summer verandas, surrounded by flower beds or small climbing plants. The facades of buildings housing cafes and shops have literally blossomed: each entrepreneur approaches decoration creatively, turning their establishments into real photo zones.

    Thanks to the joint efforts of the city and the capital’s entrepreneurs, people of all ages enjoy the summer, take beautiful photo sessions and enjoy walking along the streets.

    Flagship venues of the Gardens and Flowers festival opened in the center of the capital

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

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156253073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 1,000 km of roads leading to national parks and reserves will be updated under the national project

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    By the end of 2025, thanks to the national project “Infrastructure for Life,” more than 1,000 km of regional and local roads leading to national parks, reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries in Russia will be brought up to standard, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

    “High-quality roads with safe interchanges and convenient roadside services play an important role in the development of tourism infrastructure. This is especially important for auto tourists who explore regions by car. The more comfortable the routes, the more accessible interesting places are for guests, including remote natural attractions and reserves. According to the national project “Infrastructure for Life”, this year it is planned to bring more than 1 thousand km of regional and local roads leading to protected areas up to standard; 151 road facilities are included in the work program,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    Convenient and safe road infrastructure is becoming one of the drivers of development of ecotourism in Russian regions.

    “This year, under the federal project “Regional and Local Road Network”, we will renew 2 thousand km of regional and local roads leading to tourist attractions: architectural monuments, historical sites and, of course, unique natural complexes. Work will be carried out on 434 road facilities,” said Transport Minister Roman Starovoit.

    Tourist routes that were previously difficult to access are becoming more attractive as the road network is modernized. In recent years, active work has been carried out in this direction. In addition, without reliable access roads, neither the development of ecotourism nor the prompt work of environmental protection services is possible.

    “Investments in infrastructure are an investment in preserving unique ecosystems. Work at most sites is carried out in a comprehensive manner and includes not only the renewal of asphalt concrete pavement, but also the strengthening of the roadbed and shoulders, the organization of water drainage and a number of other measures that ensure the durability of the road surface. The better the quality of the work, the lower the risk of its repetition. This is the only way to minimize the impact on the natural landscape and ensure a balance between accessibility and the preservation of protected areas,” emphasized Igor Kostyuchenko, Deputy Head of the Federal Road Agency.

    In the south of the Murmansk region, two sections of the Umba-Kandalaksha highway with a total length of more than 7 km have been repaired this year. This is the only road that connects two districts of the Murmansk region. In addition, it is a popular tourist destination. One of the attractions is the Kandalaksha State Nature Reserve, which is included in the list of specially protected natural areas and sites of Russia. The total length of the Umba-Kandalaksha highway is 109 km. Since 2019, it has been gradually brought up to standard. During this time, selected sections with a total length of more than 25 km have been repaired, including a bridge crossing over the Veres stream, located at the 59th km of the road.

    Large-scale works are taking place in the Kargopolsky District of the Arkhangelsk Region. Here, 13.6 km of the Dolmatovo-Nyandoma-Kargopol-Pudozh highway will be overhauled, providing access to the Kenozersky National Park. It plays a huge role in preserving the historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Russian North. In 2004, the Kenozersky National Park was included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In addition, people continue to live on its territory, preserving centuries-old original Russian traditions.

    In the Kingisepp district of the Leningrad region, a bridge across the Luga River is being overhauled at the 6th km of the Luzhitsy – Pervoe Maya highway. The old bridge, built in 1958, can no longer cope with the load. Due to the active development of the Ust-Luga port, car traffic here has increased from 600 cars per day to 10 thousand cars. The structure ensures transport accessibility of the Kurgalsky Reserve. It includes the Kurgalsky Peninsula, as well as the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Finland with the islands of the Kurgalsky and Tiskol reefs, Reymosar Island and others. This is one of the most important places of migration stopovers for tens of thousands of waterfowl and near-water birds. Also, at least 45 species of mammals live in the reserve.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev: The Jewish Autonomous Region will present key investment projects at the exhibition “Far East Street”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Important industry and investment projects, prospects for international business cooperation and plans for infrastructure development will be presented to guests of the Jewish Autonomous Region (JAR) pavilion at the Far East Street exhibition, which will be held as part of the tenth, anniversary Eastern Economic Forum – 2025 in Vladivostok. The exposition focuses on the tourism, industrial, agricultural and logistics potential of the region. The exhibition is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District.

    “A new team has arrived in the Jewish Autonomous Region, headed by Maria Fedorovna Kostyuk. She has actively taken up the work. The region is not easy. It needs to be supported, it needs to be helped. At the same time, there are prerequisites for future development in the region. The built cross-border railway bridge Nizhneleninskoye – Tongjiang creates opportunities for new logistics routes and cargo handling. A powerful transport, logistics and production complex will appear here. This will provide an economic stimulus for the development of the region and the entire Far East, will create jobs – both for blue-collar workers and for highly qualified specialists. Hemostatic tourniquets and other medical equipment are delivered to the front from the region, helping fighters in the SVO zone. On the instructions of the President of Russia, a master plan for Birobidzhan has been developed, and it is planned to create a “Far Eastern quarter”. The pavilion at the exhibition “Far East Street” will tell about how the region is developing, what new directions are emerging in the economy, and what makes the region attractive,” said Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum Yuri Trutnev.

    Visitors to the pavilion will be able to get acquainted with the unique national color, natural beauty and investment potential of the region. The key component of the exhibition will be the rainbow bridge, since the rainbow is the main element of the flag of the Jewish Autonomous Region, a symbol of peace, happiness and goodness. A robot will act as a tour guide, telling guests about the history of the region, its traditions and features.

    A video about the region is planned to be shown on the large screen inside the pavilion. Information about the region’s existing industrial enterprises, investment projects that are in a high state of readiness, and promising offers for potential financial partners will also be posted here. Among them are the production of iron ore concentrate, the extraction of brucite and graphite, projects in the field of power generation, the forestry complex, and a logistics center. Visitors will also be able to see the products of the region’s enterprises and even take them as a souvenir.

    The stand will tell about promising projects, their characteristics, and also present data on the activities of a number of enterprises. In particular, initiatives will be presented on the formation of an agro-industrial park, the arrangement of greenhouses and the cultivation of berries, the construction of a soybean processing plant and a mineral fertilizer plant, the creation of a transshipment terminal and a petrochemical terminal at the Nizhneleninskoye – Tongjiang border crossing. On the touch panel, one can see an investment map and the possibilities of the bridge area with an image of areas already occupied by projects and free for the placement of production facilities, as well as get acquainted with the implementation of the Birobidzhan master plan.

    “Thanks to the implementation of national projects approved by the President, federal programs, with the support of Yuri Petrovich Trutnev, social facilities, cultural institutions are being modernized in our region, new public spaces are appearing. The region is becoming cozier, brighter, more comfortable. And people see it. The Jewish Autonomous Region is a small region, but with great potential. Our unique logistics capabilities, nature, tourist routes are attractive to investors and guests from all over Russia. These advantages will improve people’s lives, create new jobs, and replenish the budget with tax revenues. Every ruble attracted to the region should benefit people, and every project should change their lives for the better,” said Acting Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region Maria Kostyuk.

    A “live newspaper” will be dedicated to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the exploits of the heroes of the special military operation. The structure with built-in screens and texts in the style of a printed spread will tell about the participants of the Great Patriotic War and the Special Military Operation from the region.

    Stands dedicated to the region’s tourism opportunities will be located nearby. Among them are the “Jewish Place” brand, the museum and memorial complex on top of the June-Koran hill in Volochayevka, the Bastak nature reserve, the Foma and Zmeinaya Mountain ski resorts, and the resort area of the village of Kuldur. Data on the objects is accompanied by QR codes, which make it possible to learn more about the projects. A separate optical mark leads to the “Far East – Land of Adventure” competition page.

    The cultural zone is designed as a large-scale rack, recreating the atmosphere of a cozy home living room, where guests of the Jewish Autonomous Region can get acquainted with the rich cultural heritage and creative achievements of the region. The trade zone will be represented by products of small and medium-sized businesses. At the stand, you can buy honey, clothes of the Pravda brand, knitwear of the Signalnaya brand, and souvenirs.

    The open area opposite the pavilion will feature a recreation area for guests – swings, poufs, pillows, benches, a kiosk with a coffee machine and soft drinks. Three brucite rocks will be presented as art objects. Five-meter lighting poles in the shape of menorahs will be installed on both sides of the pavilion. The stand will host various master classes, sports and cultural programs, including one on the theme of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    The violin ensemble will perform famous Jewish folk melodies and world classics. Soloists Vyacheslav Tetyuev and Alexandra Prokina will perform songs in Yiddish. The Kamyshinka folk ensemble and the Russkaya Dusha ensemble will delight the audience with bright stylized compositions and original works. Timur Vedernikov and Katya Kotyonochkina from Moscow will also perform here. A retro program with world and domestic hits of the 70s and 80s is planned separately. In addition, the site will host performances by artists of the Surprise Dance Theater.

    The concert programs will include various activities for spectators, including prize drawings for connoisseurs of Jewish culture.

    The 10th Eastern Economic Forum will be held on September 3–6 at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. During these days, the exhibition will be available to forum participants, and on September 7, 8, and 9, it will be open to everyone. The EEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Hainan draws global tourists with visa-free travel, streamlined tax refunds

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

    Hainan draws global tourists with visa-free travel, streamlined tax refunds

    Updated: July 3, 2025 21:44 Xinhua

    China’s tropical island province of Hainan is becoming a “shopping paradise” for international travelers, boosted by expanding visa-free entry policy and hassle-free tax refunds.

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Hainan draws global tourists with visa-free travel, streamlined tax refunds

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

    Hainan draws global tourists with visa-free travel, streamlined tax refunds

    Updated: July 3, 2025 21:44 Xinhua

    China’s tropical island province of Hainan is becoming a “shopping paradise” for international travelers, boosted by expanding visa-free entry policy and hassle-free tax refunds.

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The 7th Heilongjiang Tourism Development Conference was held in Fuyuan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) — The 7th Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Development Conference was held from July 2 to 3 in Fuyuan, known as the “East Pole of China.” Under the theme of “Sunrise in the East, Grace in Heilongjiang,” the event introduced six distinctive features of the province, offering a multifaceted cultural feast to tourists at home and abroad.

    According to the website of the Heilongjiang Provincial People’s Government, the conference is deeply integrated into the Belt and Road Initiative. It invited government and business representatives from nearly 20 countries and regions, including Russia and the Republic of Korea, to deepen international cooperation in culture and tourism. Relying on the trans-border river and lake resources of Heilongjiang Province, the event brought together 18 border counties and cities such as Suifenhe, Hulin and Raohe, introducing premium tourism routes including sunrise at the “East Pole”, ethnic traditions and ecological exploration.

    Fuyuan, as China’s leading window for cooperation with Northeast Asia, is the golden spot of ecotourism on Heixiazi Island and a vibrant platform for the interpenetration of Chinese and Russian cultures. Holding such a conference at the county level for the first time, Fuyuan has implemented 17 specialized cultural tourism projects, creating a new model for integrating county economy with cultural tourism to strengthen the brand of “China’s East Pole”.

    The city of Fuyuan is separated from Russia by the rivers Usulijiang /Ussuri/ and Heilongjiang /Amur/ on the eastern and northern sides, respectively. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 300 Chinese companies are ready to take part in the 9th China-Russia EXPO in Yekaterinburg – Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) — The 9th China-Russia Expo will be held from July 7 to 10, 2025, in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian said at a regular ministry press conference on Thursday.

    More than 300 Chinese companies are ready to participate in the Expo. The exhibits of these enterprises cover such fields as electromechanical products, agriculture, medicine, digital economy and new energy, He Yongqian said.

    According to her, this year’s EXPO is held under the motto “Practical Cooperation between China and Russia: Sustainable Development.” Five main exhibition zones will be created, including the central exhibition zone, interregional cooperation zones, trade and economic exchanges, industrial projects, and cultural and tourism consumption zones.

    In addition, the upcoming EXPO will also host a number of events to promote bilateral trade in order to create favorable platforms for interregional cooperation and interaction between the business communities of the two countries, she said.

    “We invite partners at home and abroad to actively participate in the 9th China-Russia EXPO to deepen mutual understanding and share development opportunities through this platform,” she said. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Russia/Azerbaijan: Authorities must investigate alleged abuses against detainees amid tit for tat policing operations  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to reports of mass detentions, torture and other ill-treatment of dozens of members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia and Russian nationals in Azerbaijan, which led to the deaths of two ethnic Azeris in Russia’s Yekaterinburg, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

    “The authorities in both Russia and Azerbaijan have shown complete disregard for human dignity and open contempt for their human rights obligations. Torture and other ill-treatment are absolutely prohibited under international law and there is no justification for it. This appears to be nothing more than tit for tat policing operations targeting people based on their ethnicity and nationality.”

    “Due process and respect for human rights of people in detention must prevail over political tensions between states. Russian and Azerbaijani authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently and impartially investigate allegations of unlawful killings and torture and other ill-treatment and bring those responsible to justice.”

    The authorities in both Russia and Azerbaijan have shown complete disregard for human dignity and open contempt for their human rights obligations

    Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

    Background

    On 27 June, Russian law enforcement carried out mass detentions of around 50 ethnic Azeris in Yekaterinburg, among them Russian and Azerbaijani nationals, reportedly in connection with an investigation into a killing committed in 2001 and other past crimes. Six individuals were charged and placed in pre-trial detention, while others were released after questioning.

    According to one of the survivors, all those detained were beaten: slammed to the floor, hit with chairs and tortured with electric shocks for about an hour. Several people were hospitalized and two individuals, brothers Ziyaddin and Guseyn Safarov, died in custody. Azerbaijani authorities claim that the brothers, who both held Russian passports, died from torture and multiple injuries caused while in Russian custody. The Russian authorities have cited heart failure as the cause of death of one of the brothers and stated that they are clarifying the other’s cause of death. Heart failure is often given by authorities as the cause of death in Russian custody in cases where torture and other ill-treatment has been alleged.

    In what appears to be retaliatory action, the Azerbaijani authorities detained at least eight Russian nationals in Baku between 30 June and 1 July, under accusations ranging from espionage to drug trafficking to computer hacking. These include two journalists – Igor Kartavykh and Evgeny Belousov – detained during a raid on the office of Sputnik Azerbaijan, a state-run Russian media outlet which the Azerbaijani authorities had earlier deprived of accreditation. Others included IT specialists who had left Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and at least one person who was reportedly visiting Azerbaijan as a tourist. Videos and photos of the arrests distributed by Azerbaijani law enforcement channels and photos taken in court during the remand hearing show Russian detainees with visible facial bruising and head injuries.

    MIL OSI NGO –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérémy Lemarié, Maître de conférences à l’Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

    Invented in Hawaii, surfing gained popularity in the United States and Australia in the 1950s before becoming a global phenomenon. Now practiced in more than 150 countries, its spread has been driven by media and tourism. Surf tourism involves travelling to destinations to catch waves, either with a surfboard or through activities such as body surfing or bodyboarding. Tourists range from seasoned surfers to beginners eager to learn.

    The allure of California

    For many, surf tourism evokes exotic imagery shaped by California production companies. Columbia Pictures in 1959 and Paramount Pictures in 1961 introduced surfing to the middle class, showcasing the sport as a gateway to summer adventure and escape. However, it was the 1966 movie The Endless Summer, directed and produced by Bruce Brown, that became a box office success. The film follows two Californians travelling the globe in search of the perfect wave, which they ultimately find in South Africa. Beneath the seemingly lighthearted portrayal of a “surf safari”, it carries undertones of colonial ambition.

    In the film, the Californians tell people in Africa that waves are untapped resources ready to be named and conquered. This sense of Western cultural dominance over populations in poorer countries has permeated surf tourism. Since the 1970s, French surfers have flocked to Morocco for its long-breaking waves, Australians have flocked to Indonesia and Californians to Mexico. The expansion of surfing to Africa, Asia and Latin America was enabled by easier international travel and economic disparities between visitors and hosts.

    Surfing’s impact on local communities

    Indonesia, for instance, became a surfing hotspot after Australian surfers started to explore the waves of Bali and the Mentawai Islands in the 1970s. Once remote regions with modest living standards, these areas saw tourism infrastructure mushroom to meet demand. Today, destinations such as Uluwatu in Bali and Padang Padang in Sumatra attract surfers of all skill levels.

    Similarly, Morocco has experienced a surge in surf tourism, with spots such as Taghazout drawing European visitors in search of affordable waves and sunshine. While this has boosted local economies, it has also raised concerns about environmental degradation and the strain of tourism on previously untouched areas.

    The challenges of overtourism in coastal areas

    Although surfing is often seen as an activity in harmony with nature, mass tourism has created tensions between local surfers and visitors. Overtourism refers to the negative impact of excessive tourist numbers on natural environments and local communities.

    One response to overtourism is localism – where local surfers assert ownership of waves, sometimes discouraging or even intimidating outsiders. This has been particularly pronounced in economically dependent surf destinations. For example, in Hawaii during the 1970s and 1980s, local surfers protested against the influx of professional Australian surfers and international competitions. Today, localism persists globally, from Maroubra in Sydney to Boucau-Tarnos in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. These places are not systematically off-limits to beginners, but major conflicts can arise during peak tourist seasons.

    Surf schools, while crucial for teaching newcomers, also exacerbate crowding. During high seasons, beaches such as Côte des Basques in Biarritz become overcrowded, straining relations between experienced surfers, instructors and novices. Beginners, often unaware of surf etiquette and safety rules, contribute to frustrations among seasoned surfers.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    The role of public authorities

    In response to these challenges, public initiatives have emerged to promote sustainable surf tourism. For instance, the Costa Rican government has established marine protected areas and regulated tourism activities to preserve a part of the coastal environment. Local authorities have also begun capping the number of surf schools and making access to the practice more difficult.

    In southwestern France, municipalities use public service delegations (DSP), temporary occupation authorisations (AOT) and other tools to regulate surf schools operating on public beaches. Environmental awareness programmes have been launched to educate tourists on responsible behaviour toward beaches and oceans.

    Gaps in regulation

    Despite these measures, many coastal regions face insufficient action to address the environmental and social challenges posed by surf tourism. In Fiji, a 2010 decree deregulated the surf tourism industry, eliminating traditional indigenous rights to coastal and reef areas. This allowed unregulated development of tourism infrastructure, often ignoring long-term ecological impacts.

    Similar issues are seen in Morocco, where lax regulations allow foreign investors to exploit coastal land for hotel development, often providing little benefit to local communities.

    Yet, there are success stories. In Santa Cruz, California, the initiative Save Our Shores mobilises citizens and tourists to protect beaches through anti-pollution campaigns and regular cleanups.

    Surf tourism has brought significant economic benefits to many coastal regions. However, it has also introduced social and environmental challenges, including localism, overcrowding and ecological strain. Managing these issues requires a collaborative approach, with governments, local stakeholders and tourists working together to preserve the sport’s connection to nature.

    This article was published as part of the 2024 Fête de la Science, of which The Conversation France was a partner. The year’s theme, “Oceans of Knowledge,” explored the wonders of the marine world.

    Jérémy Lemarié is a member of the Fulbright network, as the recipient of the “Chercheuses et Chercheurs” grant from the Franco-American Commission in 2022-2023.

    – ref. Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave – https://theconversation.com/bali-to-biarritz-surf-spot-overcrowding-and-the-fight-to-protect-the-essence-of-catching-a-wave-244550

    MIL OSI –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérémy Lemarié, Maître de conférences à l’Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

    Invented in Hawaii, surfing gained popularity in the United States and Australia in the 1950s before becoming a global phenomenon. Now practiced in more than 150 countries, its spread has been driven by media and tourism. Surf tourism involves travelling to destinations to catch waves, either with a surfboard or through activities such as body surfing or bodyboarding. Tourists range from seasoned surfers to beginners eager to learn.

    The allure of California

    For many, surf tourism evokes exotic imagery shaped by California production companies. Columbia Pictures in 1959 and Paramount Pictures in 1961 introduced surfing to the middle class, showcasing the sport as a gateway to summer adventure and escape. However, it was the 1966 movie The Endless Summer, directed and produced by Bruce Brown, that became a box office success. The film follows two Californians travelling the globe in search of the perfect wave, which they ultimately find in South Africa. Beneath the seemingly lighthearted portrayal of a “surf safari”, it carries undertones of colonial ambition.

    In the film, the Californians tell people in Africa that waves are untapped resources ready to be named and conquered. This sense of Western cultural dominance over populations in poorer countries has permeated surf tourism. Since the 1970s, French surfers have flocked to Morocco for its long-breaking waves, Australians have flocked to Indonesia and Californians to Mexico. The expansion of surfing to Africa, Asia and Latin America was enabled by easier international travel and economic disparities between visitors and hosts.

    Surfing’s impact on local communities

    Indonesia, for instance, became a surfing hotspot after Australian surfers started to explore the waves of Bali and the Mentawai Islands in the 1970s. Once remote regions with modest living standards, these areas saw tourism infrastructure mushroom to meet demand. Today, destinations such as Uluwatu in Bali and Padang Padang in Sumatra attract surfers of all skill levels.

    Similarly, Morocco has experienced a surge in surf tourism, with spots such as Taghazout drawing European visitors in search of affordable waves and sunshine. While this has boosted local economies, it has also raised concerns about environmental degradation and the strain of tourism on previously untouched areas.

    The challenges of overtourism in coastal areas

    Although surfing is often seen as an activity in harmony with nature, mass tourism has created tensions between local surfers and visitors. Overtourism refers to the negative impact of excessive tourist numbers on natural environments and local communities.

    One response to overtourism is localism – where local surfers assert ownership of waves, sometimes discouraging or even intimidating outsiders. This has been particularly pronounced in economically dependent surf destinations. For example, in Hawaii during the 1970s and 1980s, local surfers protested against the influx of professional Australian surfers and international competitions. Today, localism persists globally, from Maroubra in Sydney to Boucau-Tarnos in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. These places are not systematically off-limits to beginners, but major conflicts can arise during peak tourist seasons.

    Surf schools, while crucial for teaching newcomers, also exacerbate crowding. During high seasons, beaches such as Côte des Basques in Biarritz become overcrowded, straining relations between experienced surfers, instructors and novices. Beginners, often unaware of surf etiquette and safety rules, contribute to frustrations among seasoned surfers.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    The role of public authorities

    In response to these challenges, public initiatives have emerged to promote sustainable surf tourism. For instance, the Costa Rican government has established marine protected areas and regulated tourism activities to preserve a part of the coastal environment. Local authorities have also begun capping the number of surf schools and making access to the practice more difficult.

    In southwestern France, municipalities use public service delegations (DSP), temporary occupation authorisations (AOT) and other tools to regulate surf schools operating on public beaches. Environmental awareness programmes have been launched to educate tourists on responsible behaviour toward beaches and oceans.

    Gaps in regulation

    Despite these measures, many coastal regions face insufficient action to address the environmental and social challenges posed by surf tourism. In Fiji, a 2010 decree deregulated the surf tourism industry, eliminating traditional indigenous rights to coastal and reef areas. This allowed unregulated development of tourism infrastructure, often ignoring long-term ecological impacts.

    Similar issues are seen in Morocco, where lax regulations allow foreign investors to exploit coastal land for hotel development, often providing little benefit to local communities.

    Yet, there are success stories. In Santa Cruz, California, the initiative Save Our Shores mobilises citizens and tourists to protect beaches through anti-pollution campaigns and regular cleanups.

    Surf tourism has brought significant economic benefits to many coastal regions. However, it has also introduced social and environmental challenges, including localism, overcrowding and ecological strain. Managing these issues requires a collaborative approach, with governments, local stakeholders and tourists working together to preserve the sport’s connection to nature.

    This article was published as part of the 2024 Fête de la Science, of which The Conversation France was a partner. The year’s theme, “Oceans of Knowledge,” explored the wonders of the marine world.

    Jérémy Lemarié is a member of the Fulbright network, as the recipient of the “Chercheuses et Chercheurs” grant from the Franco-American Commission in 2022-2023.

    – ref. Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave – https://theconversation.com/bali-to-biarritz-surf-spot-overcrowding-and-the-fight-to-protect-the-essence-of-catching-a-wave-244550

    MIL OSI –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérémy Lemarié, Maître de conférences à l’Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

    Invented in Hawaii, surfing gained popularity in the United States and Australia in the 1950s before becoming a global phenomenon. Now practiced in more than 150 countries, its spread has been driven by media and tourism. Surf tourism involves travelling to destinations to catch waves, either with a surfboard or through activities such as body surfing or bodyboarding. Tourists range from seasoned surfers to beginners eager to learn.

    The allure of California

    For many, surf tourism evokes exotic imagery shaped by California production companies. Columbia Pictures in 1959 and Paramount Pictures in 1961 introduced surfing to the middle class, showcasing the sport as a gateway to summer adventure and escape. However, it was the 1966 movie The Endless Summer, directed and produced by Bruce Brown, that became a box office success. The film follows two Californians travelling the globe in search of the perfect wave, which they ultimately find in South Africa. Beneath the seemingly lighthearted portrayal of a “surf safari”, it carries undertones of colonial ambition.

    In the film, the Californians tell people in Africa that waves are untapped resources ready to be named and conquered. This sense of Western cultural dominance over populations in poorer countries has permeated surf tourism. Since the 1970s, French surfers have flocked to Morocco for its long-breaking waves, Australians have flocked to Indonesia and Californians to Mexico. The expansion of surfing to Africa, Asia and Latin America was enabled by easier international travel and economic disparities between visitors and hosts.

    Surfing’s impact on local communities

    Indonesia, for instance, became a surfing hotspot after Australian surfers started to explore the waves of Bali and the Mentawai Islands in the 1970s. Once remote regions with modest living standards, these areas saw tourism infrastructure mushroom to meet demand. Today, destinations such as Uluwatu in Bali and Padang Padang in Sumatra attract surfers of all skill levels.

    Similarly, Morocco has experienced a surge in surf tourism, with spots such as Taghazout drawing European visitors in search of affordable waves and sunshine. While this has boosted local economies, it has also raised concerns about environmental degradation and the strain of tourism on previously untouched areas.

    The challenges of overtourism in coastal areas

    Although surfing is often seen as an activity in harmony with nature, mass tourism has created tensions between local surfers and visitors. Overtourism refers to the negative impact of excessive tourist numbers on natural environments and local communities.

    One response to overtourism is localism – where local surfers assert ownership of waves, sometimes discouraging or even intimidating outsiders. This has been particularly pronounced in economically dependent surf destinations. For example, in Hawaii during the 1970s and 1980s, local surfers protested against the influx of professional Australian surfers and international competitions. Today, localism persists globally, from Maroubra in Sydney to Boucau-Tarnos in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. These places are not systematically off-limits to beginners, but major conflicts can arise during peak tourist seasons.

    Surf schools, while crucial for teaching newcomers, also exacerbate crowding. During high seasons, beaches such as Côte des Basques in Biarritz become overcrowded, straining relations between experienced surfers, instructors and novices. Beginners, often unaware of surf etiquette and safety rules, contribute to frustrations among seasoned surfers.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    The role of public authorities

    In response to these challenges, public initiatives have emerged to promote sustainable surf tourism. For instance, the Costa Rican government has established marine protected areas and regulated tourism activities to preserve a part of the coastal environment. Local authorities have also begun capping the number of surf schools and making access to the practice more difficult.

    In southwestern France, municipalities use public service delegations (DSP), temporary occupation authorisations (AOT) and other tools to regulate surf schools operating on public beaches. Environmental awareness programmes have been launched to educate tourists on responsible behaviour toward beaches and oceans.

    Gaps in regulation

    Despite these measures, many coastal regions face insufficient action to address the environmental and social challenges posed by surf tourism. In Fiji, a 2010 decree deregulated the surf tourism industry, eliminating traditional indigenous rights to coastal and reef areas. This allowed unregulated development of tourism infrastructure, often ignoring long-term ecological impacts.

    Similar issues are seen in Morocco, where lax regulations allow foreign investors to exploit coastal land for hotel development, often providing little benefit to local communities.

    Yet, there are success stories. In Santa Cruz, California, the initiative Save Our Shores mobilises citizens and tourists to protect beaches through anti-pollution campaigns and regular cleanups.

    Surf tourism has brought significant economic benefits to many coastal regions. However, it has also introduced social and environmental challenges, including localism, overcrowding and ecological strain. Managing these issues requires a collaborative approach, with governments, local stakeholders and tourists working together to preserve the sport’s connection to nature.

    This article was published as part of the 2024 Fête de la Science, of which The Conversation France was a partner. The year’s theme, “Oceans of Knowledge,” explored the wonders of the marine world.

    Jérémy Lemarié is a member of the Fulbright network, as the recipient of the “Chercheuses et Chercheurs” grant from the Franco-American Commission in 2022-2023.

    – ref. Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave – https://theconversation.com/bali-to-biarritz-surf-spot-overcrowding-and-the-fight-to-protect-the-essence-of-catching-a-wave-244550

    MIL OSI –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Jérémy Lemarié, Maître de conférences à l’Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

    Invented in Hawaii, surfing gained popularity in the United States and Australia in the 1950s before becoming a global phenomenon. Now practiced in more than 150 countries, its spread has been driven by media and tourism. Surf tourism involves travelling to destinations to catch waves, either with a surfboard or through activities such as body surfing or bodyboarding. Tourists range from seasoned surfers to beginners eager to learn.

    The allure of California

    For many, surf tourism evokes exotic imagery shaped by California production companies. Columbia Pictures in 1959 and Paramount Pictures in 1961 introduced surfing to the middle class, showcasing the sport as a gateway to summer adventure and escape. However, it was the 1966 movie The Endless Summer, directed and produced by Bruce Brown, that became a box office success. The film follows two Californians travelling the globe in search of the perfect wave, which they ultimately find in South Africa. Beneath the seemingly lighthearted portrayal of a “surf safari”, it carries undertones of colonial ambition.

    In the film, the Californians tell people in Africa that waves are untapped resources ready to be named and conquered. This sense of Western cultural dominance over populations in poorer countries has permeated surf tourism. Since the 1970s, French surfers have flocked to Morocco for its long-breaking waves, Australians have flocked to Indonesia and Californians to Mexico. The expansion of surfing to Africa, Asia and Latin America was enabled by easier international travel and economic disparities between visitors and hosts.

    Surfing’s impact on local communities

    Indonesia, for instance, became a surfing hotspot after Australian surfers started to explore the waves of Bali and the Mentawai Islands in the 1970s. Once remote regions with modest living standards, these areas saw tourism infrastructure mushroom to meet demand. Today, destinations such as Uluwatu in Bali and Padang Padang in Sumatra attract surfers of all skill levels.

    Similarly, Morocco has experienced a surge in surf tourism, with spots such as Taghazout drawing European visitors in search of affordable waves and sunshine. While this has boosted local economies, it has also raised concerns about environmental degradation and the strain of tourism on previously untouched areas.

    The challenges of overtourism in coastal areas

    Although surfing is often seen as an activity in harmony with nature, mass tourism has created tensions between local surfers and visitors. Overtourism refers to the negative impact of excessive tourist numbers on natural environments and local communities.

    One response to overtourism is localism – where local surfers assert ownership of waves, sometimes discouraging or even intimidating outsiders. This has been particularly pronounced in economically dependent surf destinations. For example, in Hawaii during the 1970s and 1980s, local surfers protested against the influx of professional Australian surfers and international competitions. Today, localism persists globally, from Maroubra in Sydney to Boucau-Tarnos in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. These places are not systematically off-limits to beginners, but major conflicts can arise during peak tourist seasons.

    Surf schools, while crucial for teaching newcomers, also exacerbate crowding. During high seasons, beaches such as Côte des Basques in Biarritz become overcrowded, straining relations between experienced surfers, instructors and novices. Beginners, often unaware of surf etiquette and safety rules, contribute to frustrations among seasoned surfers.


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    The role of public authorities

    In response to these challenges, public initiatives have emerged to promote sustainable surf tourism. For instance, the Costa Rican government has established marine protected areas and regulated tourism activities to preserve a part of the coastal environment. Local authorities have also begun capping the number of surf schools and making access to the practice more difficult.

    In southwestern France, municipalities use public service delegations (DSP), temporary occupation authorisations (AOT) and other tools to regulate surf schools operating on public beaches. Environmental awareness programmes have been launched to educate tourists on responsible behaviour toward beaches and oceans.

    Gaps in regulation

    Despite these measures, many coastal regions face insufficient action to address the environmental and social challenges posed by surf tourism. In Fiji, a 2010 decree deregulated the surf tourism industry, eliminating traditional indigenous rights to coastal and reef areas. This allowed unregulated development of tourism infrastructure, often ignoring long-term ecological impacts.

    Similar issues are seen in Morocco, where lax regulations allow foreign investors to exploit coastal land for hotel development, often providing little benefit to local communities.

    Yet, there are success stories. In Santa Cruz, California, the initiative Save Our Shores mobilises citizens and tourists to protect beaches through anti-pollution campaigns and regular cleanups.

    Surf tourism has brought significant economic benefits to many coastal regions. However, it has also introduced social and environmental challenges, including localism, overcrowding and ecological strain. Managing these issues requires a collaborative approach, with governments, local stakeholders and tourists working together to preserve the sport’s connection to nature.

    This article was published as part of the 2024 Fête de la Science, of which The Conversation France was a partner. The year’s theme, “Oceans of Knowledge,” explored the wonders of the marine world.

    Jérémy Lemarié is a member of the Fulbright network, as the recipient of the “Chercheuses et Chercheurs” grant from the Franco-American Commission in 2022-2023.

    – ref. Bali to Biarritz: Surf spot overcrowding and the fight to protect the essence of catching a wave – https://theconversation.com/bali-to-biarritz-surf-spot-overcrowding-and-the-fight-to-protect-the-essence-of-catching-a-wave-244550

    MIL OSI –

    July 3, 2025

  • Wildfire on Greek island of Crete scorches forest, forces evacuation of over 1,000

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Hundreds of firefighters battled a blaze Thursday on Crete island, which burnt swathes of forest and olive groves and forced the evacuation of over 1,000 people, officials said, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to destructive wildfires.

    At least 230 firefighters, along with 46 engines and helicopters, were deployed to contain the conflagration, which broke out a day earlier near Ierapetra townon the southeastern coast of Greece’s largest island.

    Stoked by gale-force winds, the blaze reached houses and hotels, fire brigade and local officials said, with local media reporting damage to some homes but no injuries.

    Scores of residents and tourists were evacuated and moved to a temporary shelter at an indoor stadium in Ierapetra. Some left Crete by boats, authorities said.

    “Three settlements were evacuated and more than 1,000 left their homes. Some were taken to health centres with respiratory problems,” Crete’s deputy civil protection governor, George Tsapakos, told public broadcaster ERT.

    ERT footage showed a water bomber flying over an area thick with grey smoke.

    Alongside reinforcements from Athens on Thursday, firefighters fought to tame several resurgent blazes whipped up by winds, fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

    “There are wind gusts in the area, some measuring 9 on the Beaufort scale, which are triggering rekindling and hindering firefighting efforts,” Vathrakogiannis said.

    July tended to be the most difficult month of the fire season due to high temperatures and strong winds, he said.

    Greece and other countries in the Mediterranean are in an area scientists have called “a wildfire hotspot” – with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years, authorities say, due to a fast-changing climate.

    Thousands havefled wildfires in Turkey and at least eight people have died as a result of a heatwavein Europe.

    (Reuters)

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Earlier starts, later finishes for York’s Park and Ride

    Source: City of York

    First Bus and City of York Council have announced extended hours for all six of York’s Park and Ride services to support residents, commuters, visitors and York’s hospitality industry.

    • From 20 July, Buses to operate from 05:30am Monday-Saturday and 07:30am on Sunday
    • Last services to leave the city centre at 10:30pm all week
    • Early and late-night connections offer greater flexibility for residents, commuters and visitors
    • Increased frequency for school holidays and summer season

    From Sunday 20 July, the first bus will leave each Park and Ride site at 5.30am. The new timings will allow shift workers and those catching early trains to use the Park and Ride, which costs just £3.90 for an adult return. For example for residents travelling out of York, five of the six sites directly serve York railway station and the first service will arrive at the station by 5.45am – Rawcliffe (2/2A), Monks Cross (9), Designer Outlet (7), Poppleton (59) and Askham Bar (3). The remaining one, Grimston (8), serves Piccadilly, in the city centre.

    In the evening, the last services will leave the city centre at 10.30pm, bringing all sites up to the same time for the first and last bus.

    The timings extension is being funded by York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, supported by the Department for Transport.

    Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said:

    “Residents, commuters and visitors have asked us to run the Park and Ride earlier in the morning and later into the evening, and we’re delighted to confirm these extended hours will start from 20 July.  

    “Whether you’re catching an early morning train, finishing an overnight shift or enjoying a night out in York, this expansion is part of our commitment to giving people more travel options and making York a cleaner, more affordable and more sustainable city.

    “The six Park and Ride sites cover every corner of York and with up to three children traveling free with a paying adult, offers an excellent alternative to driving in to York. They also make an invaluable contribution to reducing congestion across our city. We’ve also recently unveiled plans to open up two sites for overnight parking and will be announcing the next steps on these shortly.”

    Andy Cullen, Managing Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said:

    “This will help commuters and shift workers with connections to train services at the very start and end of the day.

    “The extension of services into the late evening will also be a real boost for visitors to York’s leisure and entertainment venues, as well as supporting the hospitality sector.

    “It reflects our continued commitment to work in partnership with City of York Council to build the Park and Ride network for the benefit of local people and visitors to help grow the city’s economy.”

    David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:

    “For too long, public transport hasn’t always worked for everyone, especially those with early starts or late finishes. 

    “For the first time all of York’s Park and Ride sites will operate on a single, consistent timetable from 5.30am right up until 10.30pm. It’s the kind of public transport our region deserves.

    “We’re putting passengers first, with more affordable and greener journeys that everyone can benefit from – from shift workers and commuters to those enjoying the city’s night life.” 

    Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:

    “When public transport is affordable and reliable, it transforms lives—helping people get to work, attend medical appointments, access opportunities and stay connected with their community. 

    “I’m delighted that Mayor Skaith is already delivering major improvements with our £12 million investment and moving ahead with their plans to bring buses under local control. 

    “From cheaper fares to extended Park & Ride hours, these changes are kickstarting a bus revolution that drives economic growth and ensures people have proper access to jobs and opportunities, as we deliver the Plan for Change.” 

    Sarah Loftus, Managing Director of Make It York, said:

    “York Park and Ride is a vital link in supporting our hospitality and tourism sectors, making it easier and more affordable for everyone to access the city centre, this helps all businesses to recruit and retain talent.

    “The new operating hours of York Park and Ride improves accessibility for everyone, offering a reliable and inclusive transport option.

    “For visitors, it’s a convenient way to explore the wider city, stay longer and enjoy more of what York has to offer, and these longer running hours will offer a real boost to our local economy.”

    First Bus is also introducing more frequency on the Park and Ride network to support anticipated demand during the school holidays and summer tourism season.

    From Sunday 20 July until 7 September, additional buses will operate Monday-Friday on all services and also Saturdays on routes 7 and 8. Normal timetables will run on Sundays.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s grassroots ‘World Cup’ ignites football frenzy

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

    Players of Yangzhou greet supporters after winning the third round match against Changzhou at the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League (JSCL) in Changzhou, May 31, 2025. (Xinhua)

    Those eager to catch a glimpse of next year’s FIFA World Cup magic a little early may want to head to eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, where an amateur football league is offering an unlikely but extraordinary alternative.

    With a cheeky nod to both the English Premier League and the Chinese Super League, the Su Super League, or the Jiangsu Football City League, features a seven-month, 85-match grassroots showdown between 13 cities, packed with local pride, derby drama and an atmosphere that is nothing short of electric.

    The league has taken China by storm, even eclipsing the domestic buzz surrounding the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. On June 29, 43,617 fans packed into the stands to watch Suzhou take on Yangzhou, a crowd even larger than the average attendance of Italy’s Serie A last year.

    And that might just be the warm-up. The upcoming July 5 clash between Suzhou and Nanjing, moved to a stadium with over 60,000 seats, is expected to set a new attendance record. Ticket demand has been so wild that hundreds of thousands have scrambled online just for a shot at entry.

    Since its May 10 kick-off, the league had racked up a jaw-dropping 11 billion views on Chinese short video platforms by June 21, according to Jiangsu’s statistical authorities. That’s not a typo – billion with a “B.”

    Despite China’s struggles on the international football stage, the passion for the sport runs deep at home. And the Su Super League is a living proof. Unlike its professional counterparts, the league’s players come from everyday backgrounds like students, office workers and repairmen.

    But they deliver no fewer spectacles on the pitch. In that June 29 match, Suzhou scored just one minute and 18 seconds into the game, setting a league record for the fastest goal. The scorer was a 17-year-old high schooler who netted twice more in the second half, leading his team to victory.

    Even in defeat, the league finds its heroes. Changzhou, a team yet to register a win in five games, has become a fan favorite for their fight, grit and refusal to give in. Fans flood social media with affectionate memes, and the team’s underdog charm has sparked a local tourism and spending boom.

    “We never used to watch football,” said Xu Huaiyu, a housewife from Changzhou. “Now our whole family gathers for every match and cheers for our home team!”

    On weekends, the league streams across more than 20 platforms. According to Jiangsu TV, the past weekend’s locally televised broadcasts alone pulled in a combined audience of 83.7 million viewers.

    The fever is just as real offline. Bars, plazas and even cinemas across Jiangsu have seen surging crowds for public viewings – scenes typically reserved for the World Cup.

    In Nantong, 34 viewing spots in parks and commercial districts have become makeshift stadiums, filled with chants and applause. In Wuxi, outdoor screens and football-themed night markets serve up beer, barbecue and 90 minutes of grassroots glory under the stars.

    “The phenomenon reflects people’s rising enthusiasm for diverse, mass-participation sports events,” said Li Chao, a spokesperson of China’s National Development and Reform Commission. “It also reveals the immense potential for growth in China’s sports, cultural and tourism industries.”

    Suzhou has gone all in. More than 100 local restaurants, malls and scenic spots are offering discounts to traveling fans. Match ticket holders and visitors from opposing cities can enjoy free entry to over 40 attractions across the city.

    In Nantong, the economic impact is already measurable. On a recent home game Sunday, the city welcomed over 730,000 visitors and generated 420 million yuan (around 58 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, a 44.5 percent and 52.3 percent jump year-over-year, respectively.

    A Jiangsu statistical department’s recent survey of over 3,000 local residents found that nearly 59 percent plan to increase household spending on sports this year – be it gear, training or participation – thanks to the league’s influence.

    “The Su Super League has broken through the walls of traditional competitive sports,” said Ding Xiang, associate professor at Nanjing University. “It’s creating a culture where everyone can talk football, watch football and be part of the experience,” he said. “It’s much like the World Cup at street level, with a ripple effect on diverse consumer behavior.”

    Multiple Jiangsu cities have already moved to capitalize, listing the league as a strategic economic priority for the second half of 2025. At a recent provincial briefing, Jiangsu Governor Xu Kunlin urged officials to “fully leverage the league to drive integration of culture, tourism, sports and commerce, and spark a consumption-led economy.”

    Beyond economic gains, the league is casting new light on youth development. Powerhouse teams like Nantong, who have netted 12 goals in four matches, are largely made up of players from local youth academies. The city has already made football part of high school entrance assessments and boasts over 240 national-level school football programs.

    Even Changzhou, winless but undaunted, is stepping up. The city is preparing a new three-year action plan to expand its youth training system and bring football further into schools.

    In March, German football giants Borussia Dortmund opened a youth training base in Changzhou. Bundesliga-level coaches now train local PE teachers and run regular sessions for students, embedding a global football philosophy into local roots.

    “The Su Super League reminds us of football’s raw passion and purity,” said Bai Yufei, professor at Beijing Sport University. “It’s getting longtime fans even more excited, and it’s bringing new ones into the game. That’s how you grow the sport at the grassroots level.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Concerts, master classes, film screenings will be held as part of the Friendship of Nations festival

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The fifth festival of national hospitality “Friendship of Peoples” will be held at VDNKh from July 3 to 6. Business, entertainment and cultural programs have been prepared for guests.

    The program will include concerts, family entertainment, the International Festival of Culture, Fashion and National Hospitality “Uzoryfest” and much more. In addition, for the first time, the festival will feature two national holidays – the republics of Chuvashia and Udmurtia, as well as a special program for Karachay-Cherkessia. Entrance to most events is free, but some require pre-registration. You can view the program on the official website VDNKh.

    As reported earlier Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, as part of the festival “Friendship of Nations” Around 100 events of various formats are planned: expert discussions, art exhibitions, sports competitions, culinary master classes and tastings.

    The participants of the business program will gather in the congress hall of the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center. They will discuss current issues related to business tourism, fashion, and culture. On July 3 at 1:00 p.m., there will be a panel discussion on the topic of “Going beyond the showcase: how museums are becoming living mediators,” and at 3:00 p.m., there will be a panel discussion on “MICE tourism: a look into the future.” On July 4 at 1:00 p.m., the plenary session “Friendship of Peoples: a variety of formats for interstate events” will begin. To participate in the business program, you must register.

    The festival will take place from July 4 to 6 “Patterns Fest”. It will include two blocks: business and cultural and entertainment. They will be held from 11:00 to 20:00.

    On July 5, from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, a concert program will be held on the main stage of the festival, located on the square between Pavilion No. 1 “Central” and the “Friendship of Peoples” fountain. It will feature the Moscow State Dance Ensemble “Russian Seasons”, the folk ensemble “Matrena-art”, the Udmurt State Theater of Folk Song and Dance “Aikai”, the folk group “Buranovskie Babushki”, the State Academic Choreographic Ensemble “Berezka” named after N.S. Nadezhdina, the State Academic Honored Dance Ensemble of Dagestan “Lezginka”, the State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Republic of Tatarstan, the State Academic Koryak National Dance Ensemble “Mengo” named after Alexander Gil (Gubernatorsky). The State Song and Dance Ensemble “Sayany” will present the world premiere of a fragment of the first Tuvan ballet “Subedei”. The main role will be played by People’s Artist of Russia Farukh Ruzimov.

    In addition, the People’s Artist of Russia Nadezhda Krygina, the folk song ensemble “Lyubo-milo”, the folk-metal group “Kalevala”, the neofolk group “Balakir”, the ethno-electropunk group Hagrin, as well as the poet and composer Lena Vasilek, the performer from Donetsk Natalia Kachura, the singer Islam Itlyashev, and the first Mari rapper Ship Liy will perform.

    Exhibitions, sports competitions, master classes

    On July 4, events prepared by the Karachay-Cherkess Republic will be held. A documentary photo exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Cherkessk will open in the southern rose garden. It will introduce visitors to archival and historical footage of the city. The Cosmonautics and Aviation Center will host a tourism presentation of the region as part of the business program. At 1:00 p.m., the VDNKh Culture House will show the play The Marriage of Balzaminov by the Russian Drama and Comedy Theater of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, and at 4:00 p.m., the feature film The Aul Test will be shown.

    On July 5, the traditional holiday of the Udmurt Republic Gerber will be held. It is held after the end of spring field work to express gratitude to nature, perform symbolic rituals, conduct the first haymaking, cook barley porridge cooked in meat broth, and treat yourself to perepechi. The holiday will begin at 07:00 with a sports race on the northern loop of the VDNKh ring road. The route of the distances can be found atwebsiteYou can also register for the race here.

    Guests will be able to visit an exhibition-fair of goods from young republican entrepreneurs and artisans, an exhibition called “Udmurtia is proud”, lessons in the Udmurt language and film screenings in it, a presentation of books by national writers, as well as watch a concert program and take part in various master classes.

    On July 6, the national holiday of the Chuvash Republic, Akatuy, will take place. Sports competitions in kereshu wrestling will be organized for guests, as well as a special program in the “House of Russian Cuisine”: master classes, a concert, tastings. At 13:45, all those wishing to will walk around the “Friendship of Peoples” fountain in a round dance with the participation of artists in Chuvash costumes.

    At 14:30 there will be a grand opening of the festival, an award ceremony for outstanding Chuvash people, a fashion show in national costumes, and a concert featuring the Chuvash State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, the classical group “Belcanto”, the folklore and pop ensemble “Syaval”, the vocal group “Yardy” and Avgustina Ulyandina, the Chuvash vocal ensemble “Sespel”, groups of the Chuvash State Philharmonic, and artists of the republican pop scene. From 12:00 to 21:00, an exhibition and fair of products from Chuvash manufacturers will be held at the site near pavilion No. 64.

    Outdoor events of the festival’s information partner are planned on the territory of the Orion Family Theme Park. The program “World Family Starts” will be held on July 3-4 from 17:00 to 20:00 and on July 5 and 6 from 13:00 to 20:00.

    National Pavilion Program

    Pavilion No. 4 (Exhibition and Trade Center of the Kyrgyz Republic) will participate in the festival for the first time. On July 3 and 4, guests will be able to attend a tea ceremony in a decorative yurt, take part in master classes on playing the komuz, attend Kyrgyz language lessons, play the folk board game “ordo” (“alchiki”), and take photos in national costumes.

    On July 3, the exhibition “80 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War” will open in Pavilion No. 18 (Exhibition and Trade Center of the Republic of Belarus). It is dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus.

    On July 3, the Bel Canto Foundation’s concert “Beauty of Uzbekistan” will be held in Pavilion No. 66 (Exhibition, Cultural and Exposition Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan). Guests will listen to vocal numbers, as well as violin and guitar pieces. In addition, from July 3 to 6, it will be possible to view the interiors of the pavilion.

    On July 5, a master class on cooking the national dish “harisa” with tasting will be held in Pavilion No. 68 (Exhibition and Trade Center of the Republic of Armenia). In addition, musical and dance groups will perform for the guests.

    Good Neighborliness Festival, Equestrian Ceremony, Film Festival

    On July 4, the Children’s Embassy will host the circus program “Circus Lights Up the Lights,” and on July 5, it will host a good-neighborliness festival. Guests will visit a performance, workshops, a beauty gallery, get face painting, and see a clown and jugglers perform.

    On July 5 at 11:45, the equestrian ceremony of the riders of the Kremlin Equestrian School will begin. The route runs from the Center of National Equestrian Traditions to the Druzhby Narodov Square, where a performance with the participation of the orchestra will be held for the spectators. In pavilion No. 42, the Center of National Equestrian Traditions, a program dedicated to Caucasian horse breeds will be presented. It will include educational stories and creative master classes. On July 6 at 12:00, sports events will be held for guests of VDNKh on the site of pavilion No. 27, Physical Education and Sports.

    The Druzhba Narodov film festival will be held at the Cinema Museum at VDNKh. On July 3 at 4:00 PM, guests will be introduced to the festival program and the film Girl with a Guitar will be shown. On July 5 at 4:00 PM, the drama Little Sister will be presented, and on July 6 at 4:00 PM, the film Don’t Bury Me Without Ivan. Detailed information can be found on the website Cinema Museum.

    The Atom Museum invites you to the Atom Unites tour from July 4 to 6 at 19:00, which will open the world of international nuclear energy to visitors. You can register atwebsite. On July 3 at 17:00, there will be a master class “Radiation around: from the Urals to Kamchatka” and a quiz “Through the Arctic ice”. And on July 3 and 4 at 16:00, young visitors will be introduced to social geography at the master class “Across Eurasia with Atom”. You can find out more about it atwebsite.

    The Glavvino pavilion has prepared a special summer set, “Hospitality,” consisting of five Russian wines and snacks to go with them. The set is available for order from July 3 to 6.

    On July 5 at 16:00 in the hall “Krasnostop” (2nd floor of the pavilion “Glavvino”) there will be a tasting “Hospitality” with chef-caviste Vladimir Glukhov. In honor of the festival on the site in front of the pavilion from 15:00 to 22:00 there will be a DJ.

    Holding events for VDNKh guests corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” and is the most important part of the VDNKh strategy until 2030.

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

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

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156166073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Active Citizens” to evaluate the program of events of circus tents

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    This summer, new entertainment awaits the residents of the capital. For the first time, within the framework of the project “Summer in Moscow” grand performances will take place “Circus Divertissements”with the participation of Russian circus artists.

    City residents and tourists can attend performances in picturesque places of Moscow: the Moskino cinema park, Izmailovsky Park and the Yuzhnoye Butovo landscape park. Spectators will see majestic lions and graceful tigers, funny clowns, mysterious illusionists and much more.

    The Active Citizen project invites Muscovites to join new vote, in which participants will have to evaluate summer circus programs.

    From Safari to Magic

    Thus, the circus in the Moskino cinema park has prepared a fascinating journey through the African savannah. The main characters of the program are Algerian lions. Guests will be shown unique numbers: the animals will demonstrate their strength, and aerial gymnasts on silk canvases will perform mesmerizing somersaults. A clown duo will present sparkling scenes with the participation of four-legged artists.

    “Active citizens” will have to appreciate another circus tent site. It is located near the Round Pond in Izmailovsky Park. Here they have prepared a program with the cinematic name “Striped Flight” – a dynamic show with the participation of Bengal tigers. Spectators will also see how bear acrobats from the legendary circus dynasty ride a bicycle, aerial gymnasts and a tightrope walker perform risky tricks, and a well-coordinated juggling duo performs in the arena.

    In the landscape park “Yuzhnoye Butovo” visitors will see “Magic of the Circus” – a bright and modern show with incredible pirouettes of gymnasts and acrobats, tricks of equilibrists, mysterious tricks of illusionists and show balletThe troupe of the Great Moscow Circus, under the direction of People’s Artists of the Russian Federation Edgard and Askold Zapashny, will also amaze you with their skills.

    For participating in the voting, users will be awarded points for the city’s loyalty program “A Million Prizes”. They can be used to receive goods and services from the program’s partners, including souvenirs with logos of Moscow’s electronic projects. In addition, “active citizens” can donate points to charity, top up their Troika transport card account and the Parking of Russia app.

    Chance to win tickets

    Muscovites will be able to take part in special promotion and win two invitation tickets to the show “Algerian Lions” in the circus tent at the Moskino cinema park. To do this, you need to vote and enter the promo code SHAPITO in the “My Profile” section on the website or in the project’s mobile app between July 3 and 13 “Active Citizen”. At the end of the promotion, a random number generator will select 50 winners.

    Project “Active Citizen” has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined it, and in total, over seven thousand votes have been held. Every month, 30 to 40 decisions are implemented in the city. The project is being developed by the State Institution “New Management Technologies” and the capital Department of Information Technology.

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

    Three tent circuses will operate in the capital as part of the Summer in Moscow project

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

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

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156193073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft and Voronezh Oblast to Promote Automobile Tourism

    Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    At the XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Rosneft and the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Trade and Tourism of the Voronezh Oblast signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to promote domestic tourism.

    According to the document, the parties plan to implement measures aimed at meeting the demand for domestic automobile tourism, promoting the tourist potential of the region, and improving the comfort of automobile tourists through development of motorway service and Rosneft retail network infrastructure.

    Earlier, Rosneft and the Voronezh Tourist Information Center (TIC) presented a joint project to develop automobile tourism including a tourist route through the motorway service facilities available at Rosneft filling stations. The project covers four routes for automobile travel in Voronezh and across the Voronezh Oblast in the following directions: North, South, West, and East. The routes include popular tourist destinations located both in Voronezh and nearby federal highways such as M-4 Don.

    Rosneft retail network in the Voronezh Oblast consists of 80 filling stations. Of these, 15 are located on the M4 highway to Voronezh, the main regional transportation artery used by residents of Central Russia to travel to the seaside.

    Development of the motorway service facilities and improvement of the customer services provided at Rosneft filling stations is one of the Company priorities.
    This contributes to the development of domestic automobile tourism, as the Company retail network is not only the largest in Russia in terms of geographical coverage and number of filling stations (around 3,000 stations), but also one of the leaders in terms of fuel recognition and quality.

    Rosneft undertakes a number of actions aimed at creating comfortable conditions for automobile travelers. In addition to the Voronezh Oblast, the Company has so far presented joint tourist routes running through the Rosneft filling stations in the Republic of Karelia, as well as the Tula, Arkhangelsk, and Ulyanovsk Regions, as well as key routes between Moscow and Krasnaya Polyana, and between the two capitals.
    On top of that, the Company has previously signed memoranda of cooperation to promote domestic tourism with the Moscow City Tourism Committee, the Government of the Samara Oblast, the Ministry of culture of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, the Altai Territory Department for Tourism and Resort Development, Tourism Agencies of the Ulyanovsk Oblast and the Republic of Udmurtia, and the Republic of Bashkortostan.

    Reference:

    Rosneft retail network is the largest in the Russian Federation in terms of geographical coverage and number of stations, and the Rosneft brand of petrol stations is one of the leading brands in Russia in terms of fuel recognition and quality. The Company operates approximately 3,000 filling stations in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Abkhazia.

    In addition to high-quality fuel, the Company offers its customers a wide range of goods and services, from stores and cafes to roadside service. For example, customers can stay for the night and get some rest from the long road in roadside hotels and multifunctional complexes of the Company in a number of regions.

    The Company is also developing a new customer service at filling stations – food trucks (mobile retail outlets). The Café on Wheels service is available at filling stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other regions where the retail network operates.

    Rosneft
    Information and Advertising Department
    June 7, 2024

    These materials contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and expectations. All statements contained in these materials that do not relate to matters of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any expected results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update the data contained herein to reflect actual performance or results, changes in underlying assumptions or factors affecting the forward-looking statements.

    Keywords: Social News 2024

    Please note; this information is the raw content received directly from the information source. This is exactly what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 3, 2025
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