NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted of Hackney murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted of murdering 53-year-old Derek Thomas, who was fatally stabbed outside his home in Hackney in July 2024.

    Today, Monday, 7 July, Kamar Williams, 34 (21.01.91) of West Ferry Road, E14, was found guilty of Derek’s murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

    The court heard how, in the early evening of 30 July 2024, Williams sent threatening text messages to Derek’s daughter, who was William’s ex-partner, warning her to “watch this space”.

    Hours later, CCTV captured Williams driving a grey van along Benthal Road, N16. He stopped directly outside Derek’s home. Williams was wearing a pair of reflective trainers, which made him easily identifiable throughout the CCTV footage.

    Williams was seen pacing along Benthal Road, loitering near Derek’s home, before disappearing out of shot. Moments later, he returned to his van and drove away at 23:03hrs.

    At 23:04hrs, police received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting that a man had been stabbed with a ‘very big knife’. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended, but despite their best efforts, Derek died at the scene.

    Detective Inspector John Marriott, who led the investigation, said: “This was a brutal and premeditated attack on a much-loved father. Kamar Williams showed clear intent that night, driving to Derek’s home, waiting for the right moment, and carrying out this senseless act of violence.

    “The swift response from our officers, combined with extensive CCTV, forensic work, and determination from our investigation team, led to his arrest and conviction.

    “Our thoughts remain with Derek’s family, who have shown immense strength throughout this ordeal.”

    Following the conviction, Derek’s family said: “Derek will be greatly missed by his family and friends, he was a dedicated family man and worked hard to provide for them. He was the life and soul of the family. Derek was always on hand to provide support, knowledge, advice and was a calming influence when it was required. His passing has left a massive hole in the lives of his wife, children, grandchildren, family and all that knew him. He was greatly loved by all and will never be forgotten.”

    The investigation progressed rapidly. On 1 August 2024, police were contacted about an abandoned grey van on Langford Close, E8. Inside, officers recovered a bank card belonging to Williams from the driver’s seat, directly linking him to the vehicle.

    Analysis of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system showed that the van had travelled multiple times between the crime scene and Williams’ home address.

    Enquiries at a local hospital also revealed that Williams had sought treatment for a 5cm cut to his left knee on 31 July, the day after the murder—further evidence tying him to the violent incident.

    Williams repeatedly attempted to evade police. On 3 August, traffic officers tried to stop a silver BMW on Burnt Ash Hill, SE9, but the driver made off. It was later established that Williams was behind the wheel.

    In a further effort to avoid arrest, Williams left London temporarily. However, following a manhunt, officers identified and arrested him within the footprint of Notting Hill Carnival on 26 August 2024. He was charged with murder the following day.

    Kamar Williams was also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon. He will be sentenced on Friday, 18 July at the same court.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Laurel Lee’s Statement on the Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee joined her House Republican colleagues in passing the amended version of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, through the House of Representatives. This landmark legislation delivers the largest tax cut in decades for working- and middle-class American families. It eliminates the looming $3,650 tax hike threatening the average Florida household, protects nearly 400,000 jobs, and preserves critical benefits like the child tax credit and small business deductions that millions of Floridians rely on. The bill now heads to President Trump’s desk.

    Congresswoman Lee issued the following statement:

    “This legislation gives Florida families real relief—protecting their paychecks, lowering their tax burden, and expanding opportunity. It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, ends unfair taxes on tips and overtime, and preserves essential benefits like the child tax credit. It also strengthens critical programs like Medicaid and Social Security to ensure they work better and last longer. In addition, it empowers law enforcement to enforce our immigration laws and restore order at the southern border.

    At its core, the One Big Beautiful Bill stands with the hardworking people who make our country strong—American families, small businesses, and the workers who are the foundation of Florida’s economy and our nation’s future.”

    Key Provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill for Florida:

    • Permanently codifies the 2017 Trump tax cuts, preventing a tax increase of up to 24% for families and 43.4% for small businesses in Florida.
    • Eliminates federal taxes on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, benefiting workers in Florida’s hospitality, tourism, and service sectors.
    • Provides relief to seniors by increasing their standard deduction and exempting more Social Security income from taxation. 
    • Implements Medicaid reforms to ensure program integrity and long-term sustainability by focusing resources on qualified individuals and preventing fraud.
    • Strengthens border security by expanding immigration enforcement capacity through the 287(g) program, allowing state and local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws and detaining individuals who enter the country illegally.
    • Enhances protections for unaccompanied minors by requiring the federal government to coordinate with states to ensure proper placement, track their whereabouts, and prevent trafficking or exploitation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Norwegian carbon storage model may shape India’s net-zero path: Hardeep Puri

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Monday that the government is exploring various projects in Norway to leverage its expertise to upgrade and expand India’s energy capabilities.

    “In our continued quest to provide momentum to India’s efforts to achieve energy security under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I visited the Northern Lights CO₂ Terminal in Bergen, Norway. It is the largest project for carbon storage funded by the Norwegian government and partnered by Equinor, Shell & Total Energies,” Puri said in a post on X.

    “We are reviewing this and similar projects to upgrade and expand India’s energy capabilities. Norway’s expertise in deepwater exploration, seismic oil surveys, offshore wind, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies aligns well with India’s ambitious energy transition agenda,” Puri added.

    He pointed out that Norway’s unique terminal in Bergen can store up to 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. It has an open and flexible infrastructure to transport CO₂ from capture sites by ship to a receiving terminal in western Norway for intermediate storage, before being transported by pipeline for safe and permanent storage in a reservoir 110 km offshore and 2,600 metres under the seabed.

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial sources like power plants and factories, transporting it, and then storing it underground to prevent its release into the atmosphere. This process is a key strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.

    The process involves separating CO₂ from other gases at the source of emission, such as power plants or industrial facilities. Different capture methods exist, including post-combustion capture (separating CO₂ from flue gas), pre-combustion capture (separating CO₂ before fuel combustion), and oxy-fuel combustion (burning fuel with pure oxygen).

    The captured CO₂ is typically compressed into a supercritical state (liquid-like) to be transported via pipelines, ships, or other means. The CO₂ is then injected deep underground into geological formations like depleted oil and gas reservoirs, saline aquifers, or other suitable rock formations.

    These formations are chosen to ensure the CO₂ remains trapped and isolated from the atmosphere for long periods.

    CCS is a crucial technology for mitigating climate change by preventing CO₂ from entering the atmosphere. It can help decarbonise industries that produce significant CO₂ emissions, such as cement and steel production.

    IANS

  • MIL-OSI: Vimeo Announces Winners of First Ever Short Film Grant Program in Partnership with Nikon and RED

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vimeo, Inc. (NASDAQ: VMEO), one of the largest and most trusted private video networks in the world, today unveiled the winners of the Vimeo Short Film Grant, presented by Nikon | RED. Designed to support the next generation of filmmakers, this program offers budding creators production funds, expert mentorship, access to the latest professional video equipment from Nikon and RED, as well as distribution support on Vimeo.

    “Vimeo has long been a home for the world’s most original storytellers, and supporting the next wave of bold, creative talent remains core to our mission,” said Philip Moyer, CEO of Vimeo. “In a time where algorithms shape so much of the content we’re exposed to, human-curated, intentional stories have never mattered more. We believe in the enduring power of human storytelling and are committed to guiding this new era as technology revolutionizes our relationship with video.”

    The grant winners were selected based on originality, artistic merit, project execution, and overall impact by a prestigious jury of filmmakers including Vimeo Staff Picks alumni David Lowery, Charlotte Wells, Sean Wang, Savanah Leaf, and cinematographer Adam Bricker, ASC.

    “What they don’t tell you about being on a jury like this one is that getting to watch the incredible work of so many filmmakers is a reward in and of itself. The completed shorts we viewed were bold, complex and formally daring; the projects we considered for the grant were rich, conscientious and so full of promise that they left us feeling inspired and invigorated,” said the jury in a statement. “Selecting just a handful for the award was a daunting task, and there wasn’t a single filmmaker whose work didn’t invoke a passionate discussion. While five filmmakers will receive the Vimeo Short Film Grant, presented by Nikon | RED, we hope that every director whose work we reviewed – indeed, every filmmaker whose work was submitted – will make their films regardless. We can’t wait to see them!”

    Five talented filmmakers have each been awarded $30,000 to bring their original short film projects to life, along with one-on-one mentorship from the selection jury and Vimeo’s Curation Team. Winners will gain access to state-of-the-art equipment powered by Nikon and RED for the highest possible production quality. This includes the new Z mount V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X cinema cameras, as well as Nikon’s collection of award-winning mirrorless cameras, including the Z9, Z8 and Z6III. Additionally, recipients will receive dedicated distribution support on Vimeo.com, with their films showcased at exclusive in-person screenings in New York City and Los Angeles.

    Winning submissions from the inaugural 2025 program include:

    • Andrew J Rodriguez, Spaceboi: Convinced his father was taken by aliens, a Bronx boy interviews other kids with absent parents—until their stories reveal a deeper, more unsettling truth.
    • Annie Ning, The Only Man to Ever Exist: Arnie goes to the hospital seeking forgiveness after an accident. He will not leave until he gets it.
    • Carmen Pedrero, I remember the house was red: Paula is 28. Bruno is 55. When she was much younger, they had an affair on Facebook that led to his divorce. Now, after running into him years later, Paula sits at a barbecue with him and his new wife.
    • John C Kelley, The Ineffable Hum: Five drifting vignettes spanning a lifetime—snapshots of love, loss, addiction, and memory. Each unfolds in and around cars, which—as both vessel and witness—hold motion and memory.
    • Sofía Camargo, La Selva: When a stray dog follows them home, an overprotective immigrant mother and her daughters discover that healing begins with letting something in, not keeping everything out.

    “The winners selected represent fresh ideas and brave storytelling,” said Naoki Onozato, President and CEO of Nikon Inc. “We are honored to play a part in helping them to deliver their creative vision to a broader audience and tell their unique stories.”

    About Vimeo
    Vimeo (NASDAQ: VMEO) is the world’s most innovative video experience platform. We enable anyone to create high-quality video experiences to better connect and bring ideas to life. We proudly serve our community of millions of users – from creative storytellers to globally distributed teams at the world’s largest companies – whose videos receive billions of views each month. Learn more at www.vimeo.com.

    About Nikon
    Nikon Inc. is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z series mirrorless cameras, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web’s most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.

    About RED
    RED Digital Cinema, Inc., a Nikon Group company, is a leading manufacturer of professional digital cinema cameras and accessories. In 2006, RED began a revolution with the 4K RED ONE digital cinema camera. By 2008, RED had released the DSMC (Digital Stills and Motion Camera) system that allowed the same camera to be used on award winning features, television, commercials, music videos and magazine covers like “Vogue” and “Harper’s Bazaar.” Today, RED cameras are being used on some of the most lauded movies and episodics, including award winners “Conclave,” “Mank,” “Squid Game,” “Hacks,” “Navalny,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “The Deepest Breath.” RED’s latest technology includes the highly advanced V-RAPTOR [X] and V-RAPTOR XL [X] systems, the flagship DSMC3 generation systems and the first available large format global shutter cinema cameras. The RED lineup also includes KOMODO-X and KOMODO, which features a global shutter sensor in a shockingly small and versatile form factor. Also available are RED Cine-Broadcast solutions and RED Connect, unlocking up to 8K 120FPS for live cinematic streaming from the V-RAPTOR line of cameras. Find additional information at RED.com.

    Contact: Frank Filiatrault / frank.filiatrault@vimeo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NanoGraf Names Thomas Redd as Chief Executive Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NanoGraf, the largest silicon oxide anode material producer in the United States, today announced Thomas Redd as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Francis Wang, who has led the company since 2015, will remain at NanoGraf as a technical advisor.

    Redd’s appointment marks NanoGraf’s transition from R&D-driven growth to full commercial execution. He will direct the company’s expansion into new civilian markets, deepen existing defense partnerships, and oversee the ramp-up to large-scale domestic production at NanoGraf’s Chicago manufacturing facilities.

    “NanoGraf combines three attributes that make scaling compelling: a defensible technology platform, an execution-tested team, and clear market momentum,” said Redd. “With a fraction of the capital raised by some peers, Francis and the team have already validated next-generation battery performance in the toughest field conditions. The task now is to manufacture at scale and meet demand.”

    Redd brings more than 25 years of leadership in clean technology, advanced manufacturing, and resource-recovery businesses. As CEO of Continuus Materials, he commercialized a process that converts mixed plastic and fiber waste into composite roof-board products. 

    “Building and leading this team of accomplished and committed researchers and operators as CEO has been the great honor of my career,” said Wang. “We’ve made great progress getting next-gen battery technology into the hands that need it, and I’m excited to support Tom as he takes the reins. With the NanoGraf Board, I looked long and hard for the right person to lead NanoGraf in this new era of commercialization and manufacturing, and we found Tom to be the perfect fit. I’m proud of how far NanoGraf has come since I joined in 2015, and I am even more excited about where we’re going next.”

    Redd joins NanoGraf following a number of recent milestones for the company. Since 2024, NanoGraf:

    Wang, who joined as CEO in 2015, led the company through a period of intense technical advancement, commercialization, and recognition.

    About Thomas Redd

    Thomas Redd is NanoGraf’s newly appointed CEO. A seasoned executive with expertise in clean technology and advanced manufacturing, Redd previously served as CEO of Continuus Materials, where he led the scaled production of recycled plastic and fiber into composite roof cover boards. Prior, he held CEO roles in clean tech where he led commercialization and fundraising efforts. Redd holds engineering degrees from the University of Virginia and Utah State University and an MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

    About NanoGraf

    NanoGraf is the largest silicon oxide anode material producer in the United States. Its patented silicon anode technology, Onyx™, improves energy density by 30% compared to synthetic graphite at cost parity on a per energy basis. NanoGraf’s silicon anode technology is in use by the military and is drop-in ready for use in any lithium-ion battery, across consumer, industrial, and defense applications. NanoGraf is a spinout of Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory. For more information, visit nanograf.com. To request samples of Onyx, contact Tim Porcelli, NanoGraf’s VP of Business Development.

    Media Contact:
    Rache Morrison, rachel@propllr.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/90e7bba4-f3f9-4e8b-9db9-b5185bfbf431

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dassault Systèmes : Half-year statement of the Liquidity contract entered into with Oddo BHF SCA

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — July 7, 2025

    Half-year statement of the Liquidity contract entered into with Oddo BHF SCA

    Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) announces that the following resources appeared on June 30, 2025 on the liquidity contract entered into with Oddo BHF SCA implemented on January 7, 2015 and updated on June 18, 2019:

    •       857,760 Dassault Systèmes shares, and
    • €6,017,034.60 in cash.

    It is reminded that:

          1.   at the time of the implementation of the liquidity contract, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:

    • 0 Dassault Systèmes shares;
    • €10,000,000 in cash.

           2.   Pursuant to the amendment dated October 26, 2017, an additional contribution of €5,000,000 was made, increasing from €10,000,000 to €15,000,000 the resources of the liquidity agreement.

          3.   Pursuant to the amendment dated December 13, 2018, an additional contribution of €5,000,000 was made, increasing from €15,000,000 to €20,000,000 the resources of the liquidity agreement.

          4.   At the time of implementation of the latest liquidity contract on June 18, 2019, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:

    • 62,557 Dassault Systèmes stocks, and;
    • €17,496,140.38 in cash.

    From January 1 to June 30, 2025 the following transactions have been carried out:

    • 17,751 purchases;
    • 19,411 sales.

    During the same period, the volume of securities traded, amounted to:

    • 3,643,224 Dassault Systèmes stocks and €126,147,082.30 purchases;
    • 3,456,479 Dassault Systèmes stocks and €121,024,482.91 sales.

    ___________

    PURCHASES SALES
    Date Transactions quantity Securities quantity Amount in EUR Transactions quantity Securities quantity Amount in EUR
    Total 17,751 3,643,224 126,147,082.30 19,411 3,456,479 121,024,482.91
    02/01/2025 116 23,300 774,615.00 99 16,000 532,836.20
    03/01/2025 116 22,000 717,600.00 19 3,000 98,150.00
    06/01/2025 – – – 338 55,000 1,846,030.00
    07/01/2025 112 30,000 1,032,735.05 178 35,000 1,206,390.00
    08/01/2025 233 41,000 1,407,168.00 218 44,000 1,513,342.09
    09/01/2025 146 24,118 827,832.74 182 30,000 1,032,100.00
    10/01/2025 275 47,000 1,607,700.00 80 15,000 517,870.00
    13/01/2025 203 35,000 1,177,810.00 292 44,625 1,507,672.50
    14/01/2025 199 29,000 987,920.00 103 21,250 725,767.50
    15/01/2025 233 41,000 1,391,860.00 233 41,000 1,397,607.65
    16/01/2025 73 33,000 1,128,830.00 256 43,000 1,474,340.00
    17/01/2025 56 9,250 318,825.00 184 32,250 1,115,922.50
    20/01/2025 168 31,000 1,075,669.22 214 38,000 1,321,535.00
    21/01/2025 150 23,010 800,766.20 203 38,000 1,327,020.00
    22/01/2025 49 7,111 253,994.36 226 35,000 1,251,802.96
    23/01/2025 159 27,000 970,780.00 152 31,000 1,117,210.00
    24/01/2025 41 7,000 253,029.98 128 45,000 1,638,012.52
    27/01/2025 267 45,000 1,646,032.80 190 53,000 1,947,390.00
    28/01/2025 61 10,000 372,135.00 169 27,000 1,009,520.00
    29/01/2025 140 24,000 907,340.00 235 37,000 1,404,194.26
    30/01/2025 159 29,250 1,101,300.00 151 27,000 1,018,900.00
    31/01/2025 118 27,500 1,044,075.00 169 30,000 1,141,730.00
    03/02/2025 164 34,000 1,261,077.50 119 21,000 782,980.00
    04/02/2025 134 30,000 1,125,220.00 309 90,000 3,505,300.00
    05/02/2025 101 17,000 684,550.00 190 31,000 1,254,410.00
    24/02/2025 91 16,000 629,087.60 100 15,135 596,021.15
    25/02/2025 169 33,000 1,289,737.38 54 10,000 392,830.00
    26/02/2025 168 32,500 1,269,362.94 218 37,500 1,466,047.50
    27/02/2025 282 50,000 1,920,850.00 84 12,000 463,210.00
    28/02/2025 229 42,000 1,585,350.00 145 30,500 1,155,159.33
    03/03/2025 17 2,000 77,320.00 289 48,000 1,869,735.00
    04/03/2025 311 47,000 1,825,295.42 116 17,000 665,656.99
    05/03/2025 198 30,000 1,175,247.32 304 46,000 1,808,200.49
    06/03/2025 140 22,000 868,880.00 454 69,500 2,780,452.20
    07/03/2025 343 53,000 2,099,740.00 111 17,000 676,152.00
    10/03/2025 237 35,000 1,386,013.40 416 65,250 2,599,852.80
    11/03/2025 304 55,000 2,175,442.24 94 15,000 601,718.98
    12/03/2025 232 36,000 1,399,125.00 160 27,000 1,057,350.00
    13/03/2025 220 35,529 1,367,220.16 149 25,250 976,092.50
    14/03/2025 127 23,000 885,965.00 286 48,000 1,859,300.00
    17/03/2025 200 34,000 1,329,457.12 237 37,000 1,449,989.55
    18/03/2025 264 40,250 1,566,046.16 143 22,000 860,979.24
    19/03/2025 108 20,250 786,668.82 242 35,000 1,362,745.16
    20/03/2025 253 40,000 1,563,477.80 273 43,000 1,685,279.50
    21/03/2025 275 46,000 1,780,414.10 142 23,000 892,582.46
    24/03/2025 338 50,000 1,921,644.88 259 40,000 1,545,258.86
    25/03/2025 103 17,000 652,538.71 225 32,000 1,232,644.20
    26/03/2025 252 65,000 2,474,240.00 19 3,000 116,030.00
    27/03/2025 132 42,500 1,558,525.00 159 32,500 1,198,172.75
    28/03/2025 88 47,000 1,707,171.01 85 15,000 545,634.50
    31/03/2025 99 33,000 1,169,620.00 6 1,000 35,817.50
    01/04/2025 216 35,000 1,230,850.00 223 39,000 1,375,025.00
    02/04/2025 151 26,060 920,782.60 214 34,000 1,203,199.00
    03/04/2025 222 38,000 1,310,720.00 – – –
    04/04/2025 362 57,000 1,903,281.95 226 42,000 1,416,930.75
    07/04/2025 117 51,000 1,592,845.40 87 21,000 673,318.56
    08/04/2025 27 18,000 581,920.00 309 50,000 1,629,360.00
    09/04/2025 218 70,000 2,230,118.80 235 40,000 1,284,390.00
    10/04/2025 215 47,000 1,574,285.00 251 51,000 1,759,210.00
    11/04/2025 203 53,000 1,709,245.00 132 22,000 710,050.00
    14/04/2025 226 35,000 1,151,310.14 263 42,000 1,386,405.93
    15/04/2025 2 25 826.25 188 30,000 999,100.00
    16/04/2025 175 28,000 923,617.56 147 26,000 863,600.00
    17/04/2025 249 44,000 1,457,075.00 86 12,000 399,933.58
    22/04/2025 70 24,000 781,360.00 168 27,000 883,843.14
    23/04/2025 15 10,000 338,950.00 168 31,000 1,054,693.00
    24/04/2025 72 54,000 1,684,530.00 – – –
    25/04/2025 52 19,000 611,687.60 170 28,000 908,240.00
    28/04/2025 124 46,000 1,491,040.00 129 22,000 719,170.00
    29/04/2025 72 28,168 911,371.44 193 30,000 972,220.00
    30/04/2025 91 32,000 1,034,550.00 306 58,000 1,888,339.64
    02/05/2025 63 33,000 1,097,235.00 284 59,000 1,964,299.04
    05/05/2025 105 38,000 1,265,266.84 116 37,367 1,245,212.43
    06/05/2025 145 43,500 1,438,685.66 152 29,500 976,855.08
    07/05/2025 133 41,000 1,357,250.00 162 46,500 1,540,905.00
    08/05/2025 40 14,000 467,180.00 79 20,000 669,480.00
    09/05/2025 51 16,443 553,229.36 154 27,500 926,505.00
    12/05/2025 110 33,000 1,121,360.00 290 49,000 1,671,732.50
    13/05/2025 64 17,500 596,120.00 215 37,500 1,280,922.50
    14/05/2025 130 32,500 1,104,919.34 27 4,000 137,275.00
    15/05/2025 162 29,000 980,819.39 176 33,000 1,117,975.00
    16/05/2025 112 22,000 747,500.00 117 19,750 672,948.00
    19/05/2025 59 18,000 607,740.00 83 14,000 473,365.00
    20/05/2025 54 17,500 596,440.00 131 20,500 699,440.00
    21/05/2025 115 28,500 965,090.00 200 35,000 1,188,305.00
    22/05/2025 129 35,000 1,182,650.00 172 28,500 964,669.94
    23/05/2025 118 40,500 1,360,714.91 115 22,000 745,220.90
    26/05/2025 76 11,000 367,442.50 54 8,750 293,387.50
    27/05/2025 98 16,500 553,547.88 118 23,250 781,008.36
    28/05/2025 184 31,000 1,039,814.42 164 28,000 940,433.08
    29/05/2025 154 26,000 871,522.50 91 17,250 582,202.50
    30/05/2025 182 30,000 992,161.86 119 21,000 695,730.00
    02/06/2025 202 43,500 1,410,595.00 68 10,000 325,640.00
    03/06/2025 258 46,000 1,487,034.71 275 46,000 1,489,622.69
    04/06/2025 90 18,000 589,167.17 278 50,821 1,667,189.13
    05/06/2025 274 46,096 1,511,153.75 182 28,000 921,580.00
    06/06/2025 230 53,000 1,715,260.00 228 41,000 1,338,140.00
    09/06/2025 97 45,000 1,450,570.00 174 45,000 1,452,670.00
    10/06/2025 187 38,000 1,224,720.00 182 34,000 1,098,331.52
    11/06/2025 277 40,000 1,287,904.94 119 19,000 613,582.50
    12/06/2025 192 31,000 988,336.84 197 35,000 1,118,430.00
    13/06/2025 184 38,000 1,201,200.00 122 24,000 761,350.00
    16/06/2025 73 14,000 448,100.00 137 26,000 831,950.00
    17/06/2025 232 42,000 1,336,324.40 169 26,000 829,416.30
    18/06/2025 157 28,000 884,886.94 110 15,000 476,026.18
    19/06/2025 211 46,000 1,428,300.00 143 24,000 746,995.30
    20/06/2025 185 32,000 987,545.00 151 26,000 804,221.50
    23/06/2025 190 38,000 1,164,454.44 152 27,250 836,674.21
    24/06/2025 137 28,000 869,920.00 144 30,000 938,930.00
    25/06/2025 182 33,000 1,022,557.50 157 24,031 748,909.37
    26/06/2025 184 34,000 1,036,637.50 100 19,250 586,870.00
    27/06/2025 184 31,000 957,732.50 299 50,000 1,544,137.94
    30/06/2025 209 35,864 1,104,319.30 103 20,000 617,970.00

    ____________

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dassault Systèmes : Half-year statement of the Liquidity contract entered into with Oddo BHF SCA

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — July 7, 2025

    Half-year statement of the Liquidity contract entered into with Oddo BHF SCA

    Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) announces that the following resources appeared on June 30, 2025 on the liquidity contract entered into with Oddo BHF SCA implemented on January 7, 2015 and updated on June 18, 2019:

    •       857,760 Dassault Systèmes shares, and
    • €6,017,034.60 in cash.

    It is reminded that:

          1.   at the time of the implementation of the liquidity contract, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:

    • 0 Dassault Systèmes shares;
    • €10,000,000 in cash.

           2.   Pursuant to the amendment dated October 26, 2017, an additional contribution of €5,000,000 was made, increasing from €10,000,000 to €15,000,000 the resources of the liquidity agreement.

          3.   Pursuant to the amendment dated December 13, 2018, an additional contribution of €5,000,000 was made, increasing from €15,000,000 to €20,000,000 the resources of the liquidity agreement.

          4.   At the time of implementation of the latest liquidity contract on June 18, 2019, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:

    • 62,557 Dassault Systèmes stocks, and;
    • €17,496,140.38 in cash.

    From January 1 to June 30, 2025 the following transactions have been carried out:

    • 17,751 purchases;
    • 19,411 sales.

    During the same period, the volume of securities traded, amounted to:

    • 3,643,224 Dassault Systèmes stocks and €126,147,082.30 purchases;
    • 3,456,479 Dassault Systèmes stocks and €121,024,482.91 sales.

    ___________

    PURCHASES SALES
    Date Transactions quantity Securities quantity Amount in EUR Transactions quantity Securities quantity Amount in EUR
    Total 17,751 3,643,224 126,147,082.30 19,411 3,456,479 121,024,482.91
    02/01/2025 116 23,300 774,615.00 99 16,000 532,836.20
    03/01/2025 116 22,000 717,600.00 19 3,000 98,150.00
    06/01/2025 – – – 338 55,000 1,846,030.00
    07/01/2025 112 30,000 1,032,735.05 178 35,000 1,206,390.00
    08/01/2025 233 41,000 1,407,168.00 218 44,000 1,513,342.09
    09/01/2025 146 24,118 827,832.74 182 30,000 1,032,100.00
    10/01/2025 275 47,000 1,607,700.00 80 15,000 517,870.00
    13/01/2025 203 35,000 1,177,810.00 292 44,625 1,507,672.50
    14/01/2025 199 29,000 987,920.00 103 21,250 725,767.50
    15/01/2025 233 41,000 1,391,860.00 233 41,000 1,397,607.65
    16/01/2025 73 33,000 1,128,830.00 256 43,000 1,474,340.00
    17/01/2025 56 9,250 318,825.00 184 32,250 1,115,922.50
    20/01/2025 168 31,000 1,075,669.22 214 38,000 1,321,535.00
    21/01/2025 150 23,010 800,766.20 203 38,000 1,327,020.00
    22/01/2025 49 7,111 253,994.36 226 35,000 1,251,802.96
    23/01/2025 159 27,000 970,780.00 152 31,000 1,117,210.00
    24/01/2025 41 7,000 253,029.98 128 45,000 1,638,012.52
    27/01/2025 267 45,000 1,646,032.80 190 53,000 1,947,390.00
    28/01/2025 61 10,000 372,135.00 169 27,000 1,009,520.00
    29/01/2025 140 24,000 907,340.00 235 37,000 1,404,194.26
    30/01/2025 159 29,250 1,101,300.00 151 27,000 1,018,900.00
    31/01/2025 118 27,500 1,044,075.00 169 30,000 1,141,730.00
    03/02/2025 164 34,000 1,261,077.50 119 21,000 782,980.00
    04/02/2025 134 30,000 1,125,220.00 309 90,000 3,505,300.00
    05/02/2025 101 17,000 684,550.00 190 31,000 1,254,410.00
    24/02/2025 91 16,000 629,087.60 100 15,135 596,021.15
    25/02/2025 169 33,000 1,289,737.38 54 10,000 392,830.00
    26/02/2025 168 32,500 1,269,362.94 218 37,500 1,466,047.50
    27/02/2025 282 50,000 1,920,850.00 84 12,000 463,210.00
    28/02/2025 229 42,000 1,585,350.00 145 30,500 1,155,159.33
    03/03/2025 17 2,000 77,320.00 289 48,000 1,869,735.00
    04/03/2025 311 47,000 1,825,295.42 116 17,000 665,656.99
    05/03/2025 198 30,000 1,175,247.32 304 46,000 1,808,200.49
    06/03/2025 140 22,000 868,880.00 454 69,500 2,780,452.20
    07/03/2025 343 53,000 2,099,740.00 111 17,000 676,152.00
    10/03/2025 237 35,000 1,386,013.40 416 65,250 2,599,852.80
    11/03/2025 304 55,000 2,175,442.24 94 15,000 601,718.98
    12/03/2025 232 36,000 1,399,125.00 160 27,000 1,057,350.00
    13/03/2025 220 35,529 1,367,220.16 149 25,250 976,092.50
    14/03/2025 127 23,000 885,965.00 286 48,000 1,859,300.00
    17/03/2025 200 34,000 1,329,457.12 237 37,000 1,449,989.55
    18/03/2025 264 40,250 1,566,046.16 143 22,000 860,979.24
    19/03/2025 108 20,250 786,668.82 242 35,000 1,362,745.16
    20/03/2025 253 40,000 1,563,477.80 273 43,000 1,685,279.50
    21/03/2025 275 46,000 1,780,414.10 142 23,000 892,582.46
    24/03/2025 338 50,000 1,921,644.88 259 40,000 1,545,258.86
    25/03/2025 103 17,000 652,538.71 225 32,000 1,232,644.20
    26/03/2025 252 65,000 2,474,240.00 19 3,000 116,030.00
    27/03/2025 132 42,500 1,558,525.00 159 32,500 1,198,172.75
    28/03/2025 88 47,000 1,707,171.01 85 15,000 545,634.50
    31/03/2025 99 33,000 1,169,620.00 6 1,000 35,817.50
    01/04/2025 216 35,000 1,230,850.00 223 39,000 1,375,025.00
    02/04/2025 151 26,060 920,782.60 214 34,000 1,203,199.00
    03/04/2025 222 38,000 1,310,720.00 – – –
    04/04/2025 362 57,000 1,903,281.95 226 42,000 1,416,930.75
    07/04/2025 117 51,000 1,592,845.40 87 21,000 673,318.56
    08/04/2025 27 18,000 581,920.00 309 50,000 1,629,360.00
    09/04/2025 218 70,000 2,230,118.80 235 40,000 1,284,390.00
    10/04/2025 215 47,000 1,574,285.00 251 51,000 1,759,210.00
    11/04/2025 203 53,000 1,709,245.00 132 22,000 710,050.00
    14/04/2025 226 35,000 1,151,310.14 263 42,000 1,386,405.93
    15/04/2025 2 25 826.25 188 30,000 999,100.00
    16/04/2025 175 28,000 923,617.56 147 26,000 863,600.00
    17/04/2025 249 44,000 1,457,075.00 86 12,000 399,933.58
    22/04/2025 70 24,000 781,360.00 168 27,000 883,843.14
    23/04/2025 15 10,000 338,950.00 168 31,000 1,054,693.00
    24/04/2025 72 54,000 1,684,530.00 – – –
    25/04/2025 52 19,000 611,687.60 170 28,000 908,240.00
    28/04/2025 124 46,000 1,491,040.00 129 22,000 719,170.00
    29/04/2025 72 28,168 911,371.44 193 30,000 972,220.00
    30/04/2025 91 32,000 1,034,550.00 306 58,000 1,888,339.64
    02/05/2025 63 33,000 1,097,235.00 284 59,000 1,964,299.04
    05/05/2025 105 38,000 1,265,266.84 116 37,367 1,245,212.43
    06/05/2025 145 43,500 1,438,685.66 152 29,500 976,855.08
    07/05/2025 133 41,000 1,357,250.00 162 46,500 1,540,905.00
    08/05/2025 40 14,000 467,180.00 79 20,000 669,480.00
    09/05/2025 51 16,443 553,229.36 154 27,500 926,505.00
    12/05/2025 110 33,000 1,121,360.00 290 49,000 1,671,732.50
    13/05/2025 64 17,500 596,120.00 215 37,500 1,280,922.50
    14/05/2025 130 32,500 1,104,919.34 27 4,000 137,275.00
    15/05/2025 162 29,000 980,819.39 176 33,000 1,117,975.00
    16/05/2025 112 22,000 747,500.00 117 19,750 672,948.00
    19/05/2025 59 18,000 607,740.00 83 14,000 473,365.00
    20/05/2025 54 17,500 596,440.00 131 20,500 699,440.00
    21/05/2025 115 28,500 965,090.00 200 35,000 1,188,305.00
    22/05/2025 129 35,000 1,182,650.00 172 28,500 964,669.94
    23/05/2025 118 40,500 1,360,714.91 115 22,000 745,220.90
    26/05/2025 76 11,000 367,442.50 54 8,750 293,387.50
    27/05/2025 98 16,500 553,547.88 118 23,250 781,008.36
    28/05/2025 184 31,000 1,039,814.42 164 28,000 940,433.08
    29/05/2025 154 26,000 871,522.50 91 17,250 582,202.50
    30/05/2025 182 30,000 992,161.86 119 21,000 695,730.00
    02/06/2025 202 43,500 1,410,595.00 68 10,000 325,640.00
    03/06/2025 258 46,000 1,487,034.71 275 46,000 1,489,622.69
    04/06/2025 90 18,000 589,167.17 278 50,821 1,667,189.13
    05/06/2025 274 46,096 1,511,153.75 182 28,000 921,580.00
    06/06/2025 230 53,000 1,715,260.00 228 41,000 1,338,140.00
    09/06/2025 97 45,000 1,450,570.00 174 45,000 1,452,670.00
    10/06/2025 187 38,000 1,224,720.00 182 34,000 1,098,331.52
    11/06/2025 277 40,000 1,287,904.94 119 19,000 613,582.50
    12/06/2025 192 31,000 988,336.84 197 35,000 1,118,430.00
    13/06/2025 184 38,000 1,201,200.00 122 24,000 761,350.00
    16/06/2025 73 14,000 448,100.00 137 26,000 831,950.00
    17/06/2025 232 42,000 1,336,324.40 169 26,000 829,416.30
    18/06/2025 157 28,000 884,886.94 110 15,000 476,026.18
    19/06/2025 211 46,000 1,428,300.00 143 24,000 746,995.30
    20/06/2025 185 32,000 987,545.00 151 26,000 804,221.50
    23/06/2025 190 38,000 1,164,454.44 152 27,250 836,674.21
    24/06/2025 137 28,000 869,920.00 144 30,000 938,930.00
    25/06/2025 182 33,000 1,022,557.50 157 24,031 748,909.37
    26/06/2025 184 34,000 1,036,637.50 100 19,250 586,870.00
    27/06/2025 184 31,000 957,732.50 299 50,000 1,544,137.94
    30/06/2025 209 35,864 1,104,319.30 103 20,000 617,970.00

    ____________

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) clinic sees nearly triple rise in malnutrition admissions in northern Nigeria

    Source: APO


    .

    • In-patient admissions at IRC clinics increased sharply: from 241 in March to 672 in May, a 178% rise.
    • Approximately 4.6 million people in the northern BAY states (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe) are projected to experience acute food insecurity between June and September.
    • Over 600,000 children under five are at immediate risk of severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of malnutrition.
    • Children with severe acute malnutrition are 11 times more likely to die than healthy children.

    The IRC is alarmed by rising numbers of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition admitted to IRC clinics across the northeast and northwest of Nigeria. Malnutrition rates are expected to intensify as the lean season sets in amidst growing insecurity, increased climate shocks like severe flooding, and aid cuts. 

    During the lean season, between harvesting periods, children face a high risk of complications like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and respiratory infections. Rainfall leads to water contamination and cholera outbreaks, while wet conditions increase mosquito breeding and disease spread. 

    Babatunde Ojei, Country Director, IRC Nigeria, said:

    “It’s heartbreaking to see the needs of children growing while the support to reach them is shrinking. Rising insecurity and violence is cutting off communities, leaving the most vulnerable, especially children, without the care they desperately need.”

    Fewer implementing partners are active as donor reluctance, driven by insecurity, limited access, and global aid cuts, continues to restrict funding. While admissions are slightly lower this year compared to last – 763 children were admitted in May 2024 – this reduction in cases reflects reduced access and coverage rather than an improved situation. Activities have been scaled down within community outreach services, limiting screening and resulting in fewer identified cases. The IRC handed over one inpatient treatment site for children with severe acute malnutrition with complications to the government following funding cuts.

    Aid cuts disproportionately impact countries caught at the intersection of conflict and climate crises. Increasingly frequent seasonal flooding is expected to worsen the already critical crisis of severe acute malnutrition in children by destroying food stocks, disrupting agricultural activities, and displacing families: all leading to heightened food insecurity and more cases of acute malnutrition. Last year’s devastating floods triggered a sharp rise in malnutrition, with adult malnutrition also emerging as a serious concern, including widespread cases of stomach ulcers linked to hunger.

    In Nigeria, the IRC is tackling acute malnutrition with teams working across 7 hospitals and 65 community facilities. In 2024, more than 133,000 children under the age of 5 received treatment for acute malnutrition from our teams.

    The IRC is leading innovation on simplified approaches to treating acute malnutrition, and ensuring more children receive life-saving treatment with the same resources.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Rescue Committee (IRC) .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-China South-South Cooperation High-level Meeting Held in Nairobi

    Source: APO


    .

    On July 4, the high-level meeting of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Project was held at the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Attendees included Mr. Jiang Wensheng, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Ms. Tipo, FAO Representative in Kenya ad interim; Dr. Ronoh, Principal Secretary of Kenya’s State Department for Agricultural Development; and Ms. Guo Haiyan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya. The meeting focused on deepening agricultural South-South cooperation, enhancing food security, addressing climate change, and promoting rural development.

    China has been supporting Kenya for integrated fall armyworm control and low-carbon tea value chain through the FAO SSC/SSTC framework with promising results. The three parties expressed their commitment to further cooperation in promoting Chinese technologies and experience in developing countries to enhance agricultural productivity, facilitate poverty reduction and rural development, and address climate change. The Kenyan side welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in agricultural sector in Kenya and hopes that China provide trade facilitation for Kenyan agricultural exports to its vast market.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Kenya.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Votes to Pass the Big Beautiful Bill, Delivering Big, Beautiful Wins for Montana

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted to pass the Budget Reconciliation Bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a historic win for Montana families, small businesses, and the America First agenda. The legislation delivers on key campaign promises to make life affordable, cut taxes, secure the border, and strengthen essential services; all while protecting public lands. Congressman Zinke successfully led the effort to remove the public land sales provision from the House version of the bill before voting for final passage. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

     “Montanans are struggling to pay their bills, our borders were wide open, and the essential services our citizens rely on were failing,” said Zinke. “Montanans asked for change last November, and today we delivered. This is a win for hardworking Montanans and a win for the country. The bill puts Americans first, delivers real tax relief, secures the border, and protects our public lands from being sold off to the highest bidder. I was never going to back down when it came to public land sales and I’m never going to give up the fight to deliver for Montana. Today we won, and I look forward to the President signing this historic legislation into law.”

     Wins for Montana included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”:

     Tax Relief for Working Families

    • Child Tax Credit boost for Montana families
    • Eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, meaning more take-home pay for workers
    • Ends federal income taxes for 88% of Social Security recipients
    • Death tax relief for family farms, ranches, and small businesses
    • Rolls back the 1099-K reporting threshold

     Secures the Northern and Southern Border

    • Increased funding for Border Patrol
    • More resources for ICE to deport gang members and cartels
    • Ends taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants

     Protects Essential Services

    • Removes 1.4 million illegal immigrants from Medicaid enrollment
    • Restores work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents receiving food stamps

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Votes to Pass the Big Beautiful Bill, Delivering Big, Beautiful Wins for Montana

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted to pass the Budget Reconciliation Bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a historic win for Montana families, small businesses, and the America First agenda. The legislation delivers on key campaign promises to make life affordable, cut taxes, secure the border, and strengthen essential services; all while protecting public lands. Congressman Zinke successfully led the effort to remove the public land sales provision from the House version of the bill before voting for final passage. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

     “Montanans are struggling to pay their bills, our borders were wide open, and the essential services our citizens rely on were failing,” said Zinke. “Montanans asked for change last November, and today we delivered. This is a win for hardworking Montanans and a win for the country. The bill puts Americans first, delivers real tax relief, secures the border, and protects our public lands from being sold off to the highest bidder. I was never going to back down when it came to public land sales and I’m never going to give up the fight to deliver for Montana. Today we won, and I look forward to the President signing this historic legislation into law.”

     Wins for Montana included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”:

     Tax Relief for Working Families

    • Child Tax Credit boost for Montana families
    • Eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, meaning more take-home pay for workers
    • Ends federal income taxes for 88% of Social Security recipients
    • Death tax relief for family farms, ranches, and small businesses
    • Rolls back the 1099-K reporting threshold

     Secures the Northern and Southern Border

    • Increased funding for Border Patrol
    • More resources for ICE to deport gang members and cartels
    • Ends taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants

     Protects Essential Services

    • Removes 1.4 million illegal immigrants from Medicaid enrollment
    • Restores work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents receiving food stamps

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Nations are increasingly ‘playing the field’ when it comes to US and China – a new book explains explains why ‘active nonalignment’ is on the march

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jorge Heine, Outgoing Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University

    Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, center, flanked by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaks at the summit of Group of 20 leading economies in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 19, 2024. Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images

    In 2020, as Latin American countries were contending with the triple challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global economic shock and U.S. policy under the first Trump administration, Jorge Heine, research professor at Boston University and a former Chilean ambassador, in association with two colleagues, Carlos Fortin and Carlos Ominami, put forward the notion of “active nonalignment.”


    Polity Books

    Five years on, the foreign policy approach is more relevant than ever, with trends including the rise of the Global South and the fragmentation of the global order, encouraging countries around the world to reassess their relationships with both the United States and China.

    It led Heine, along with Fortin and Ominami, to follow up on their original arguments in a new book, “The Non-Aligned World,” published in June 2025.

    The Conversation spoke with Heine on what is behind the push toward active nonalignment, and where it may lead.

    For those not familiar, what is active nonalignment?

    Active nonalignment is a foreign policy approach in which countries put their own interests front and center and refuse to take sides in the great power rivalry between the U.S. and China.

    It takes its cue from the Non-Aligned Movement of the 1950s and 1960s but updates it to the realities of the 21st century. Today’s rising Global South is very different from the “Third World” that made up the Non-Aligned Movement. Countries like India, Turkey, Brazil and Indonesia have greater economic heft and wherewithal. They thus have more options than in the past.

    They can pick and choose policies in accordance with what is in their national interests. And because there is competition between Washington and Beijing to win over such countries’ hearts and minds, those looking to promote a nonaligned agenda have greater leverage.

    Traditional international relations literature suggests that in relations between nations, you can either “balance,” meaning take a strong position against another power, or “bandwagon” – that is, go along with the wishes of that power. The notion was that weaker states couldn’t balance against the Great Powers because they don’t have the military power to do so, so they had to bandwagon.

    What we are saying is that there is an intermediate approach: hedging. Countries can hedge their bets or equivocate by playing one power off the other. So, on some issues you side with the U.S., and others you side with China.

    Thus, the grand strategy of active nonalignment is “playing the field,” or in other words, searching for opportunities among what is available in the international environment. This means being constantly on the lookout for potential advantages and available resources – in short, being active, rather than passive or reactive.

    So active nonalignment is not so much a movement as it is a doctrine.

    Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, right, and Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser attend the first Conference of Non-Aligned Countries in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1961.
    Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    It’s been five years since you first came up with the idea of active nonalignment. Why did you think it was time to revisit it now?

    The notion of active nonalignment came up during the first Trump administration and in the context of a Latin America hit by the triple-whammy of U.S. pressure, a pandemic and the ensuing recession – which in Latin America translated into the biggest economic downturn in 120 years, a 6.6% drop of regional gross domestic product in 2020.

    ANA was intended as a guide for Latin American countries to navigate those difficult moments, and it led us to the publication of a symposium volume with contributions by six former Latin American foreign ministers in November 2021, in which we elaborated on the concept.

    Three months later, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the reaction to it by many countries in Asia and Africa, nonalignment was back with a vengeance.

    Countries like India, Pakistan, South Africa and Indonesia, among others, took positions that were at odds with the West on Ukraine. Many of them, though not all, condemned Russian aggression but also wanted no part in the West’s sanctions on Moscow. These sanctions were seen as unwarranted and as an expression of Western double standards – no sanctions were applied on the U.S. for invading Iraq, of course.

    And then there were the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the resulting war in the Gaza Strip. Countries across the Global South strongly condemned the Hamas attacks, but the West’s response to the subsequent deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians brought home the notion of double standards when it came to international human rights.

    Why weren’t Palestinians deserving of the same compassion as Ukrainians? For many in the Global South, that question hit very hard – the idea that “human rights are limited to Europeans and people who looked like them did not go down well.”

    Thus, South Africa brought a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice alleging genocide, and Brazil spearheaded ceasefire efforts at the United Nations.

    A third development is the expansion of the BRICS bloc of economies from its original five members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – to 10 members. Although China and Russia are not members of the Global South, those other founding members are, and the BRICS group has promoted key issues on the Global South’s agenda. The addition of countries such as Egypt and Ethiopia has meant that BRICS has increasingly taken on the guise of the Global South forum. Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leading proponent of BRICS, is keen on advancing this Global South agenda.

    All three of these developments have made active nonalignment more relevant than ever before.

    How are China and the US responding to active nonalignment – or are they?

    I’ll give you two examples: Angola and Argentina.

    In Angola, the African country that has received most Chinese cooperation to the tune of US$45 billion, you now have the U.S. financing what is known as the Lobito Corridor – a railway line that stretches from the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Angola’s Atlantic coast.

    Ten years ago, the notion that the U.S. would be financing railway projects in southern Africa would have been considered unfathomable. Yet it has happened. Why? Because China has built significant railway lines in countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia, and the U.S. realized that it was being left behind.

    For the longest time, the U.S. would condemn such Chinese-financed infrastructure projects via the “Belt and Road Initiative” as nothing but “debt-trap diplomacy” designed to saddle developing nations with “white elephants” nobody needed. But a couple of years ago, that tune changed: The U.S. and Europe realized that there is a big infrastructure deficit in Asia, Africa and Latin America that China was stepping in to reduce – and the West was nowhere to be seen in this critical area.

    In short, the West changed it approach – and countries like Angola are now able to play the U.S. off against China for its own national interests.

    Then take Argentina. In 2023, Javier Milei was elected president on a strong anti-China platform. He said his government would have nothing to do with Beijing. But just two years later, Milei announced in an Economist interview that he is a great admirer of Beijing.

    Why? Because Argentina has a very significant foreign debt, and Milei knew that a continued anti-China stance would mean a credit line from Beijing would likely not be renewed. The Argentinian president was under pressure from the International Monetary Fund and Washington to let the credit line with China lapse, but Milei refused to do so and managed to hold his own, playing both sides against the middle.

    Milei is a populist conservative; Brazil’s Lula a leftist. So is active nonalignment immune to ideological differences?

    Absolutely. When people ask me what the difference is between traditional nonalignment and active nonalignment, one of the most obvious things is that the latter is nonideological – it can be used by people of the right, left and center. It is a guide to action, a compass to navigate the waters of a highly troubled world, and can be used by governments of very different ideological hues.

    Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentina President Javier Milei at the 66th Summit of leaders of the Mercosur trading bloc in Buenos Aires on July 3, 2025.
    Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images

    The book talks a lot about the fragmentation of the rules-based order. Where do you see this heading?

    There is little doubt that the liberal international order that framed world politics from 1945 to 2016 has come to an end. Some of its bedrock principles, like multilateralism, free trade and respect for international law and existing international treaties, have been severely undermined.

    We are now in a transitional stage. The notion of the West as a geopolitical entity, as we knew it, has ceased to exist. We now have the extraordinary situation where illiberal forces in Hungary, Germany and Poland, among other places, are being supported by those in power in both Washington and Moscow.

    And this decline of the West has not come about because of any economic issue – the U.S. still represents around 25% of global GDP, much as it did in 1970 – but because of the breakdown of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

    So we are moving toward a very different type of world order – and one in which the Global South has the opportunity to have much more of a role, especially if it deploys active nonalignment.

    How have events since Trump’s inauguration played into your argument?

    The notion of active nonalignment was triggered by the first Trump administration’s pressure on Latin American countries. I would argue that the measures undertaken in Trump’s second administration – the tariffs imposed on 90 countries around the world; the U.S. leaving the Paris climate agreement, the World Health Organization and the U.N. Human Rights Council; and other “America First” policies – have only underscored the validity of active nonalignment as a foreign policy approach.

    The pressures on countries across the Global South are very strong, and there is a temptation to give in to Trump and align with U.S. Yet, all indications are that simply giving in to Trump’s demands isn’t a recipe for success. Those countries that have gone down the route of giving in to Trump’s demands only see more demands after that. Countries need a different approach – and that can be found in active nonalignment.

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

    – ref. Nations are increasingly ‘playing the field’ when it comes to US and China – a new book explains explains why ‘active nonalignment’ is on the march – https://theconversation.com/nations-are-increasingly-playing-the-field-when-it-comes-to-us-and-china-a-new-book-explains-explains-why-active-nonalignment-is-on-the-march-260234

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Permit parking ballot for parts of Devonport and Ham wards

    Source: City of Plymouth

    People living in some areas of Plymouth’s Devonport and Ham wards are being asked for their views on the potential introduction of residents’ parking permits, following a recent survey.

    The survey, carried out between September and October 2024, asked around 14,000 households for their feedback on issues caused by commuter parking in residential streets around the dockyard.

    We commissioned the survey following resident complaints over a number of years that workers park in their streets and make it difficult for them to park near their homes. The aim was to gauge their views on the scale of the problem and potential solutions, before looking at possible next steps.

    After careful consideration of the feedback we are now balloting residents in seven areas, covering specific streets within Morice Town, Keyham and Weston Mill.

    Each of these seven areas meet both of the following key criteria:

    • residents reported difficulty parking in their streets due to non-residents (commuters) parking there
    • and the majority said they would be open to residents’ parking permits being introduced to tackle the problem

    We are asking residents in each area whether they would or would not like a controlled parking zone to be introduced, explaining what this would involve. A controlled parking zone can only be progressed if more than half of its residents respond and more than half of those who cast a vote are in support.

    Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “People living around the dockyard have been telling us for many years that they struggle to park but opinions vary on how this could or should be tackled.

    “We wanted to get a more detailed insight into what people thought the specific challenges and causes were, which is why we invited so many households to take part in the survey. The feedback has been really useful and it’s clear not everyone shares the same views on what the issues are and what should happen.

    “One thing we do know is there are streets where most people who responded felt that commuter parking was the problem and were very receptive to the idea of permits – which is why we are now balloting these seven zones as a first step.”

    Some survey respondents said they experienced difficulty parking but they felt it was mainly due to the number of cars owned by their neighbours compared to spaces. Residents’ parking permits would not resolve this issue and are therefore not being proposed in these areas.

    Maps showing the zones being balloted, along with some questions and answers, can be viewed on our parking ballot page.

    The ballot will run until Thursday 14 August. Residents in the ballot areas will receive letters advising how to respond online or, if they don’t have internet access, request a paper copy or complete it over the phone.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Gas Prices Plunge Under President Trump’s Energy Policies 📉

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Following the cheapest Independence Day gas prices in four years, drivers across America continue to enjoy plummeting prices — boosting family budgets and fueling economic growth from coast to coast.

    The price decline is being reported nationwide:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Modi govt has planned ₹5,000-crore investment to develop northeast waterways: Sarbananda Sonowal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a major push to boost inland waterways and maritime infrastructure in India’s Northeast, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday announced a slew of initiatives with an investment outlay of ₹5,000 crore. The projects aim to transform the region’s connectivity, trade, tourism, and employment landscape over the next few years.

    Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Sonowal said the Modi government has drawn up comprehensive plans to develop year-round navigable waterways, modern terminals, community jetties, urban water metros, and maritime skill hubs across the region.

    Empowering Northeast Youth

    A key highlight of the plan is the training of 50,000 youth from the Northeast in maritime skills over the next decade. The Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati and a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dibrugarh will spearhead this effort, with an investment of ₹200 crore earmarked for the CoE alone. Together, these centres are expected to generate at least 500 jobs annually.

    “Prime Minister Modi has always envisioned how Yuva Shakti can bring real transformation to the country. Our vision is to train, enable and empower 50,000 youth from the Northeast with world-class maritime skills, ensuring meaningful employment and growth,” Sonowal said.

    Strengthening Connectivity and Trade

    The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has undertaken projects worth ₹1,000 crore in the region’s inland waterways sector in the past two years. Of this, ₹300 crore worth of works have been completed, with the remaining ₹700 crore scheduled for completion by 2025.

    Major initiatives include setting up permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj, and Badarpur; new approach roads to Pandu Port; heritage restoration works in Dibrugarh; and the development of tourist jetties worth ₹299 crore.

    Additionally, 85 community jetties will be built across the Northeast to boost local trade and connectivity. To ensure uninterrupted navigation on major river routes, the government will deploy 10 amphibian and cutter section dredgers at an investment of ₹610 crore.

    A fleet of 100 modern barges operated by German logistics major Rhenus is also expected to become operational on National Waterways 2 and 16 by 2025, significantly enhancing cargo movement across Assam and neighbouring states.

    Kaladan Project to be Operational by 2027

    Providing an update on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) — a crucial link connecting India’s Northeast with Myanmar — Sonowal said the project would be fully operational by 2027.

    “This strategic initiative, born out of the India-Myanmar Friendship Treaty, will provide the Northeast with direct and shorter access to international sea routes. It will unlock new trade opportunities for Northeast India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar, strengthening regional ties with Southeast Asia,” he said.

    The Kaladan corridor connects Sittwe Port in Myanmar to Paletwa via an inland waterway, and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram by road. Goods can also move from Kolkata to Sittwe Port and onward to Teknaf Port in Bangladesh, then by road to Sabroom in Tripura, reducing transit times and logistics costs substantially.

    Focus on Tourism and Urban Transport

    In a bid to boost regional tourism, the government plans to develop tourism and cargo jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, and Guijan with an investment of ₹300 crore. Water Metro projects for modern urban transport have also been proposed for Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh, with feasibility studies already completed.

    Lighthouses will be installed at Pandu, Tezpur, Biswanath, and Bogibeel, equipped with IMD units to provide local weather forecasts. These will be supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

    Sonowal said, “These projects reflect our commitment to transform the Northeast into a vibrant hub for waterways-based trade, tourism, and employment. This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas — ensuring inclusive growth and development for all.”

  • MIL-OSI: Oportun Board of Directors Reiterates Importance of CEO Raul Vazquez’s Continued Stewardship on the Board

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Urges stockholders to vote “FOR” Mr. Vazquez and Carlos Minetti on the GREEN proxy card

    SAN CARLOS, Calif., July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT) (“Oportun” or the “Company”), a mission-driven financial services company, today issued a letter to stockholders ahead of its July 18 Annual Meeting.

    The Board encourages all Oportun stockholders to vote “FOR” Oportun’s two nominees, CEO Raul Vazquez and Carlos Minetti, using the GREEN proxy card or GREEN voting instruction form. Additional information related to Oportun’s Annual Meeting can be found at VoteForOportun.com.

    The full text of the letter to stockholders follows:

    Dear Fellow Oportun Stockholders,

    We write to you as Oportun’s Board of Directors with critical information ahead of this year’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which is scheduled for July 18, 2025. Findell Capital Management, one of our stockholders — who has recently been selling its Oportun stock — is seeking to remove our CEO, Raul Vazquez, from the Board at that meeting.

    This is a highly unusual maneuver and would be greatly damaging to the functioning of the Board and the progress Oportun is making. Under Raul’s leadership, Oportun has been successfully executing a strategic plan to strengthen and reposition the business. These efforts have resulted in improved financial performance and profitability and a stock that is up more than 80% this year.

    Just a few months ago, consistent with its annual practice, the Board — including the two directors previously recommended by Findell — unanimously concluded that Raul is the right leader for Oportun. 

    We are disappointed that Findell would ask stockholders to undermine Raul’s authority and leadership by removing him from the Board. Not only would such an arrangement be unconventional — as nearly all public company CEOs also serve on the board of the company they lead — but it would also erode the confidence of employees, customers, regulators, business partners and other key stakeholders. With our Lead Independent Director retiring this month, it is critical that our chosen executive leader has a clear mandate to direct Oportun’s affairs and speak on the Company’s behalf.

    Moreover, Raul’s presence on the Board promotes clear, effective communication between management and the Board, enabling faster and better-informed decision-making. And Raul — who is a large Oportun stockholder — enhances the functioning of our Board because of his experience on two other public company boards.

    Said plainly, it would be a mistake for stockholders to vote Raul off Oportun’s Board, and there would be very real consequences to doing so.

    Oportun needs strong and steady leadership and disciplined execution. Removing Raul would risk destabilizing Oportun at a critical time. That is apparently not of concern to Findell. But for stockholders who intend to continue to hold their investment in Oportun for the medium- and long-term, it should be of grave concern. It is to us.

    We urge stockholders to vote “FOR” Raul Vazquez by following the instructions on the GREEN proxy card or GREEN voting instruction form.

    Sincerely,

    The Oportun Financial Board of Directors

    Vote the GREEN Proxy Card Today

    To ensure Oportun’s progress continues, the Board urges stockholders to vote “FOR” both of Oportun’s nominees, and “WITHHOLD” on Findell’s candidate, using the enclosed GREEN proxy card ahead of the upcoming Annual Meeting.

    If you have any questions about how to vote your shares, please call the firm assisting us with the solicitation of proxies:

    INNISFREE M&A INCORPORATED
    Shareholders may call:
    (877) 800-5195 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or
    +1 (412) 232-3651 (from other countries)

    About Oportun

    Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT) is a mission-driven financial services company that puts its members’ financial goals within reach. With intelligent borrowing, savings, and budgeting capabilities, Oportun empowers members with the confidence to build a better financial future. Since inception, Oportun has provided more than $20.3 billion in responsible and affordable credit, saved its members more than $2.4 billion in interest and fees, and helped its members set aside an average of more than $1,800 annually. For more information, visit Oportun.com.

    Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this communication are “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this communication, including statements as to our future performance and stockholder returns, are forward-looking statements. These statements can be generally identified by terms such as “expect,” “plan,” “goal,” “target,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “predict,” “project,” “outlook,” “continue,” “due,” “may,” “believe,” “seek,” or “estimate” and similar expressions or the negative versions of these words or comparable words, as well as future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “likely” and “could.” These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events, financial trends and risks and uncertainties that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These risks and uncertainties include those risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as well as our subsequent filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except to the extent required by federal securities laws, we disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there is no assurance that the events or results suggested by the forward-looking statements will in fact occur, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Contact
    Dorian Hare
    (650) 590-4323
    ir@oportun.com

    Innisfree M&A Incorporated
    Scott Winter / Gabrielle Wolf / Jonathan Kovacs
    (212) 750-5833

    Media Contact
    FGS Global
    John Christiansen / Bryan Locke
    Oportun@fgsglobal.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Executive Secretary affirms UNECE support to implement Sevilla Commitment on development financing

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    The Sevilla Commitment adopted under the Chairmanship of Spain at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and its related Platform for Action is a powerful recognition of the need to align financial flows and resources with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

    Leading a UNECE delegation in Sevilla, UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean welcomed the adoption of the Commitment, and highlighted UNECE’s readiness to support member States’ implementation through its normative work and practical tools.  

    Emphasizing financing for development “as a matter of solidarity, coherence, and shared responsibility”, she stressed that “in the UNECE region, we must not only increase the volume of sustainable finance, but also ensure that its use is strategic, equitable, and effective.” She further underscored UNECE’s commitment to deepen its partnerships with governments, investors, international financial institutions, and civil society to translate these commitments into concrete, measurable progress. 

    In a series of high-profile engagements, the Executive Secretary stressed the need to align financial systems with the imperative of sustainability – from public budgets and tax systems to mobilizing private finance at scale – and to invest in resilient infrastructure, green and digital transitions, trade capacity and industrial policy, social protection and care systems, and climate action. UNECE works with countries to embed sustainability into regulatory frameworks and standards, covering areas including infrastructure, transport, trade, housing, and transboundary environmental governance, thus helping to improve investment conditions. 

    Cooperation to unlock financing in shared basins 

    Among areas of focus was the importance of having strong frameworks in place to finance development in shared basins, showcasing the role of the UN Water Convention, serviced by UNECE. As highlighted in in discussions co-organised with Switzerland and the Netherlands in partnership with the UN Capital Development Fund, water is a key enabler for sustainable development yet faces a huge financing gap: according to OECD, $6.7 trillion are needed by 2030 and $22.6 trillion by 2050 to reach SDG 6. Since 60% of global freshwater is in shared basins, strong cooperation – through legal frameworks, joint institutions, and mechanisms for data sharing and coordination – helps attract and de-risk investment and multiplies benefits for countries. 

    Aiming to realise this potential, countries made a call to action to enhance cross-border cooperation for financing in shared basins, recalling the strong momentum for the UN Water Convention. This is illustrated by the accession just last week of Bangladesh as the first Party from South Asia, joining 55 Parties from across the pan-European region, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. 20 more countries are in the process of accession.  

    Leveraging private finance 

    To complement public financing, the Sevilla Commitment highlights the urgency of mobilizing private investment at scale and, crucially, aligning it with sustainable development. Despite the UNECE region being home to major capital markets and global institutional investors, long-term investment in inclusive, green, and resilient development remains insufficient.  

    In various exchanges, Ms. Molcean welcomed the Commitment’s emphasis on ensuring that private finance is additional to public resources, transparent, and aligned with the SDGs. UNECE contributes to this agenda through the development and application of its Public-Private Partnership and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS). Already used to evaluate SDG credentials of 284 projects in 60 countries and 24 sectors worth $118 billion, PIERS assesses projects not only for financial viability, but also for their impact on people, planet, prosperity, partnerships, and governance.  

    Regional cooperation  

    Joining forces at FfD4, the UN Regional Commissions emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in financing for development, from unlocking financial innovation to ensuring follow-up of the Sevilla Commitment’s objectives. In particular, the regional level can help identify collective priorities, share policy innovations, and provide peer support.  

    UNECE continues to facilitate such cooperation by convening platforms, producing policy guidelines, and fostering cooperation in areas ranging from transport and trade facilitation to statistics and urban development.  

    Local action 

    The Executive Secretary further highlighted the importance of action at the local level, considering the direct impact on populations of policies and actions in cities. Addressing the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments, the Executive Secretary urged that the local level must be adequately financed to localize the SDGs and to ensure full implementation. UNECE’s pioneering Forum of Mayors provides a platform to promote exchange between cities and give them a voice at the multilateral level. The 5th Forum of Mayors will be held 6-7 October 2025 in Geneva, addressing issues including local climate finance mechanisms.   

    Image credit: UN

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Visits Latin America to launch UN Global Road Safety Campaign  

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, will visit Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and Brazil (23-27 June), to launch the UN global campaign #MakeASafetyStatement, in partnership with JCDecaux. During his visit, he will meet with key government officials, representatives of the international community, private and public sector leaders, and representatives of civil society to promote road safety initiatives and advocate for enhanced measures. 

    This mission aligns with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which aims to halve road fatalities by 2030. It follows the adoption of a new UN resolution on road safety at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco, earlier this year (18-19February). 

    A Silent Pandemic

    Road traffic crashes claimed more than 145,000 lives across the Americas in 2021, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), representing 12% of global road fatalities that year. Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29 years old globally imposing a significant social and economic burden. According to the World Bank, the cost of road crashes represents between 3% and 6% of GDP in the region.   

    Across the Americas, deaths on the road have registered a 9.37% drop in the decade to 2021. The region’s progress is above the 5% global drop in deaths in the period but is nowhere near fast enough to meet the global goal of halving road deaths by 2030.  

    Latin America is one of the most urbanized regions in the world, making road safety a crucial component of city development strategies. This underscores the urgent need to rethink mobility and invest in road safety. 

    Solutions exist 

    The good news is that solutions exist. Strengthening law enforcement, investing in education and public transport, enhancing road infrastructure and vehicle safety, developing bicycle lanes and pedestrian pathways — especially around schools —and improving post-crash care are all part of a safe and efficient mobility system. Additionally, mobilizing political leadership is crucial to increase funding and action.  

    A 2019 report commissioned by Bloomberg Philanthropies revealed that more than 25,000 lives could be saved and over 170,000 serious injuries prevented by 2030 if United Nations (UN) vehicle safety regulations were applied by four key countries in the region—Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Brazil. 

    “Every year we lose 1.19 million lives on the world’s roads, this is equivalent to the entire population of cities like Monterrey (Mexico), Guatemala or Campinas (Brazil). This is madness, because we know how to stop this carnage. With this campaign we call for urgent action to ensure safe roads for all, everywhere on the continent,” said Jean Todt, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety.   

    Jean-Charles Decaux, Co-CEO of JCDecaux said: “At JCDecaux, we are committed to improving the quality of life for people wherever they live, work and travel, offering innovative, sustainable street furniture and services that meet cities and citizens’ expectations. This is the core of our mission and that is why we are proud to partner with the United Nations and Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, to display this road safety campaign across our global media network. Following its successful rollout in over 50 countries since September 2023, the campaign’s launch in Latin America marks a key milestone, amplifying local road safety efforts and reinforcing public awareness. With our powerful and service-driven media, we are able to relay these vital prevention messages in high-impact locations, promote safe behaviour, and engage all our stakeholders around this major cause. The campaign’s positive tone, supported by international celebrities, helps inspire a new vision for public space: one that is safer, more inclusive, and more harmonious for all.” 

    #MakeASafetyStatement campaign  

    The global #MakeASafetyStatement campaign aims to promote road safety and create secure, inclusive, and sustainable streets worldwide. 

    Celebrities fronting the campaign in Latin America include football icon Ousmane Dembélé, F1 driver Charles Leclerc, tennis legend Novak Djokovic, singer and musician Kylie Minogue, motorcycle racer Marc Marquez, supermodel Naomi Campbell, and actors Patrick Dempsey and Michael Fassbender.  

    Thanks to the support of the International Olympic Committee, Latin American 2024 Olympic champions such as Juan-Manuel Celaya (Mexico, silver medal, diving), Adriana Ruano (Guatemala, gold medal, shooting women’s trap), Atheyna Bylon (Panama, silver medal, boxing), Angel Barajas (Colombia, silver medal, gymnastics), Rebecca Andrade (Brazil, gold medal, artistic gymnastics) have joined the initiative. 

    National focus 

    Mexico 

    In Mexico, 15 to 16,000 people die each year in road accidents.  This puts the fatality rate at 12.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, below the average for the Americas, and for countries such as the USA, Colombia or Brazil, but above Chile or Argentina.  The economic cost of road accidents is estimated at approximately 1.4% of GDP. 

    One third of all road deaths in Mexico are among pedestrians and motorcyclists, so protecting these vulnerable road users should be an urgent priority. It should be noted, however, that road crash statistics are very incomplete. 

    The National Law of Mobility and Road Safety of 2022 called for the adoption of the life-saving ‘safe systems’ approach that makes safety priority in all road-related policies and planning and is laid out in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety. An exemplary amendment to Mexico’s constitution underpinned the law, making ‘mobility under the conditions of safety, accessibility, efficiency, sustainability, quality, inclusion and equality,’ a universal right for all Mexicans.  

    Although the law mandated the use of certified helmets at the federal level, most Mexican states have not yet legislated mandatory use, resulting in low compliance rates. 

    Guatemala 

    Road crashes remain a significant public health issue in Guatemala, with some 2,352 deaths registered in 2024 on the country’s roads. This brings the death rate at 12.6 per 100,000 population, as per WHO estimates.  

    Motorcycles are involved in half of the crashes and riders represent some 60% of the victims.  Road crashes happen predominantly in urban areas and among vulnerable road users. 

    In the recent period, Guatemala has made some progress in addressing road safety, both through institutional strengthening and the improvement of monitoring systems, legislative response, and intersectoral coordination. 

    Guatemala is currently a party to only 1 of the 7 core UN Road Safety legals instruments and legislation on pedestrian protection and child restraint systems remains fragmented. Helmet use is mandatory, but technical standards are not fully aligned with international best practices (e.g., UN-certified helmet standards ECE 22.05). Enforcement also remains a key challenge.  

    Guatemala currently participates in a project of the UN Road Safety Fund (UN RSF) Safe School Zones, which supports infrastructure improvements and awareness campaigns to protect children around schools. 

    Panama 

    Panama achieved a 45% reduction in road fatalities between 2016 and 2021, from 440 to 243 deaths. Its rate of 7.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants is the fourth lowest on the continent.  

    However, it records a very high level of people with serious injuries after a crash, with about 21 cases per death.   

    Panama is currently implementing 2 projects under the UN Road Safety Fund: Safe School Zones, aimed at reducing child fatalities near schools, and Strengthening Road Safety Legislation, aiming at aligning national laws with global best practices. Two legislative improvements are currently under discussion, on pedestrian protection and child restraints. 

    Colombia 

    Some 8,146 people died on Colombia’s in 2022, a 24% increase compared to the average from 2017 to 2019, driven by the rise in the number of motorcycles (+ over 100%)  and cars (+58%) registered between 2010 and 2022Motorcyclists represented 60% of the victims, and pedestrians 21%. The death rate is at 16 per 100,000 population (WHO), for an economic toll estimated at some 3% of GDP. 

    In recent years, through ANSV (Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial), the government has worked with cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali to implement urban safety plans, including developing public transport (express buses and cable cars); upgrading pedestrian infrastructure; developing safer intersections and introducing speed control zones. 

    The new Road Safety strategy (2022-2031) adopted in 2022 officially adopted the Safe System approach. 

    Colombia implements three projects financed by the UNRS, focusing on: institutional strengthening and better crash data systems; Safe and Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning; and an Awareness Campaign for Road Safety and Behavior Change addressing National media and school-based outreach initiatives. 

    Brazil 

    In Brazil, the mortality rate is 15.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.  Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists—compose around 61% of all crash fatalities. The notable rise in motorcycle-related deaths observed over recent years calls for accrued efforts to enforce the use of proper helmets – aligned with UN regulations (e.g., ECE-22.05). 

    Road safety remains a key challenges with the economic toll of road crashes estimated at some 5% of GDP.  This is one powerful reason to rethink mobility and invest in road safety. 

    The adoption of the National Road Safety Plan (2019–2028) , aiming for a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2028, marks a strong direction, and laws exist on helmet usage, child restraints, speed, drink & drug driving, mobile phone ban, etc. However, enforcement gaps remain—especially in speed and seatbelt compliance among rear passengers.   

    Mandatory inspections of vehicles exist, but several modern safety requirements (ABS, Electronic Stability Control, pedestrian protection, etc.) have not yet been made mandatory.   

    The UN RSF Project Improving Crash Prevention on Federal Highways in Brazil develops an interoperable system for road data collection and analysis, enabling effective countermeasures. 

    Photo credit: JCDecaux

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNECE adopts new regulation for emergency lane keeping system and guidance on data storage for automated driving

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    In an effort to harness advanced technologies to strengthen road safety, the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) has adopted a new regulation on emergency lane keeping system, and it endorsed the guidance document on data storage for automated driving. 

    The emergency lane keeping system (ELKS) is a driver assisting system that provides warning to the driver and corrects the trajectory only when the driver is unintentionally leaving the lane. Unintentional drifting over lane markings typically happens during long and monotonous journeys and can be particularly dangerous if another vehicle is in the adjacent lane at the moment of changing lanes. If the driver does not react in time, ELKS can actively and quickly steer the vehicle back into its own lane, thus avoiding an accident. 

    The new UNECE regulation establishes uniform provisions for ELKS fitted to passenger vehicles and vans. It stipulates that the system will automatically detect a potential lane departure, provide the driver with an appropriate warning and correct the vehicle’s trajectory when the driver unintentionally leaves the lane. The driver can maintain control and override the system at any time by taking a deliberate action, such as steering or other control inputs. 

    The regulation will enter into force in February 2026.  

    Guidance on data storage for automated driving  

    The data storage system for automated driving is a device or a function that records and stores a set of data (timestamped flags) during the automated driving sequences of any vehicle equipped with level 3, 4 and 5 automated driving systems (ADS) to provide a clear picture of the interactions between the driver and the system whenever an important safety related event occurs. It is used to establish whether the driver or the system was requested to be in control of the driving task, and who was actually performing the driving task. 

    The guidance on data storage for automated driving endorsed by UNECE’s World Forum provides recommendations to enable the evaluation of ADS performance. It proposes what data elements (e.g. data pertaining to sensing and perception, planning and decision, and control) should be recorded and how they should be stored, with provisions regarding access and confidentiality. It suggests that all of the stored data should be readily accessible to entities as defined under national law, and that the manufacturer should ensure the data is promptly available in a standardized and readable format through an electronic communication interface, preferably an internationally recognized standard. 

    The adoption of this guidance document took place in the context of the development of a global regulation on automated driving system, and discussions have already taken place to cover DSSAD in the new regulation currently in development. 

    In another decision that is expected to improve road safety, the World Forum adopted a new series of amendments to the UN Regulation No. 175 on Acceleration Control for Pedal Error (ACPE) to prevent sudden acceleration when the vehicle is driving very slowly (creeping) and to extend the scope of application to vans in addition to passenger cars with automatic transmission.  

    Note to editors   

    About the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations  

    The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, hosted by UNECE, is a unique global platform responsible for the regulatory frameworks regarding the safety and environmental performance of vehicles, their subsystems and parts.   

    The World Forum manages three global agreements on vehicles: 1958 Agreement (UN Regulations); 1998 Agreement (UN Global Technical Regulations); and 1997 Agreement (UN Rules on Periodic Technical Inspections). Any country that is member of the United Nations may participate in the activities of the World Forum and accede to the Agreements.  

    Image credit: Adobe Stock Images by Livinskiy (AI generated)

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Health Homes Coming to HRM

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Three new health homes in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) are expected to welcome more than 20,000 people from the Need a Family Practice Registry.

    The Hobsons Lake Health Home in Beechville, which just opened last month, currently has a family physician, nurse practitioner and a family practice nurse and will be taking on more patients as more healthcare professionals are added. The Citadel Health Home in downtown Halifax and the Needham Health Home in Halifax’s north end are under renovation and expected to be fully operational by October, barring construction or staffing delays.

    “We continue to build and strengthen health homes across the province so patients have access to comprehensive primary healthcare in their communities,” said Adegoke Fadare, MLA for Clayton Park West, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “These health homes will have a significant impact on further reducing the number of people waiting on the Need a Family Practice Registry.”

    The number of patients and staffing levels at the health homes are expected to be as follows:

    • Hobsons Lake – capacity for about 8,600 patients from the Need a Family Practice Registry; this location will have six physicians, three family practice nurses, two nurse practitioners and one full-time and one part-time licensed practical nurse
    • Citadel – capacity for about 6,000 patients from the registry; four physicians, one nurse practitioner, three family practice nurses and one licensed practical nurse
    • Needham – capacity for about 8,600 new patients from the registry; six physicians, one nurse practitioner, three family practice nurses and one licensed practical nurse.

    Over time, all three locations will also have clerical support and allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, social workers or dietitians.

    Quotes:

    “The development of health homes across Central Zone is a key part of our strategy to strengthen access to primary care and reduce the number of people waiting for a provider. These clinics will not only connect more than 20,000 people from the Need a Family Practice Registry with a primary care team, but also support long-term system transformation through multidisciplinary staffing, improved co-ordination, and a focus on patient-centred care.”
    — Kolten MacDonell, Director of Primary Health Care, Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health

    Quick Facts:

    • a health home is a place where patients receive comprehensive care from a team of healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers and other allied health professionals
    • Hobsons Lake Health Home is located at 168 Hobsons Lake Dr., Beechville
    • Citadel Health Home is in the former Cleve’s Source for Sports location at Park Lane Mall, 5657 Spring Garden Rd., Halifax
    • Needham Health Home is located at 6074 Lady Hammond Rd., Halifax

    Additional Resources:

    Health homes in Nova Scotia: https://www.nshealth.ca/primary-care-and-family-medicine/health-homes-nova-scotia

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

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Naval fleet led by aircraft carrier Shandong concludes Hong Kong visit 2025-07-07 20:16:59 A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    The Yuncheng missile frigate leaves the dock of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base in Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Jia Xiaopeng/Xinhua)

    HONG KONG, July 7 (Xinhua) — A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base.

    Early that morning, locals and student representatives gathered at the dock of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base in Stonecutters Island, where the Zhanjiang missile destroyer and the Yuncheng missile frigate were prepared for departure. In the vibrant waters of Victoria Harbor, the aircraft carrier Shandong and the Yan’an missile destroyer displayed signal flags stating “Thanks for your support” and “Serving the people.”

    Around 10 a.m., the farewell ceremony began, during which the fleet’s commander expressed sincere gratitude to the HKSAR government and the public for their warm welcome. Guests of honor took part in a memorable photo session, capturing the moment.

    After the ceremony, the Zhanjiang and Yuncheng sounded their naval whistles, and the crew lined the sides to wave goodbye to the crowd on the dock. The two vessels then departed to join the Shandong and Yan’an in a designated sea area, escorted by HKSAR helicopters and vessels.

    Throughout their visit, the naval fleet engaged in a variety of activities, including a deck reception, ship tours, training demonstrations, national defense lectures, and cultural exchanges. These events ignited enthusiasm and patriotism among Hong Kong residents.

    Young students proudly unfurled a large national flag on the deck of Shandong, while the elderly moved to tears stood aboard the ships. Residents joined the officers in singing songs, and the dock’s message wall was filled with blessings for the nation and expressions of gratitude for the PLA.

    Statistics indicate that over 30,000 people visited the naval vessels during the fleet’s stay, creating cherished memories for both the naval personnel and their Hong Kong compatriots.

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Li Gang/Xinhua)

    Local people take ferries to see off the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    Citizens taking a ferry see off the aircraft carrier Shandong in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    The Yuncheng missile frigate leaves Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

    The Zhanjiang missile destroyer leaves Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

    Local people in Hong Kong watch the departure of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    The Zhanjiang missile destroyer leaves Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Li Tang/Xinhua)

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Cheng Zijian/Xinhua)

    The Zhanjiang missile destroyer leaves Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

    The Zhanjiang missile destroyer leaves Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

    Local people in Hong Kong watch the departure of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Cheng Zijian/Xinhua)

    Local people in Hong Kong watch the departure of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Cheng Zijian/Xinhua)

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Cheng Zijian/Xinhua)

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Cheng Zijian/Xinhua)

    The Yuncheng missile frigate leaves the dock of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base in Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Feng Li/Xinhua)

    A Hong Kong citizen holding the Chinese national flag sees off the aircraft carrier Shandong under a light tower in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Li Gang/Xinhua)

    Local people taking ferries see off the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    The aircraft carrier Shandong departs from Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Li Yun)

    The Zhanjiang missile destroyer leaves Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Photo by Li Tang/Xinhua)

    Citizens aboard a boat see off the aircraft carrier Shandong in Hong Kong, south China, July 7, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China’s Hong Kong on Monday morning, wrapping up a five-day visit.

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government organized a farewell ceremony at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Social media can support or undermine democracy – it comes down to how it’s designed

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lisa Schirch, Professor of the Practice of Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

    A protester calls out Facebook for facilitating the spread of disinformation. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

    Every design choice that social media platforms make nudges users toward certain actions, values and emotional states.

    It is a design choice to offer a news feed that combines verified news sources with conspiracy blogs – interspersed with photos of a family picnic – with no distinction between these very different types of information. It is a design choice to use algorithms that find the most emotional or outrageous content to show users, hoping it keeps them online. And it is a design choice to send bright red notifications, keeping people in a state of expectation for the next photo or juicy piece of gossip.

    Platform design is a silent pilot steering human behavior.

    Social media platforms are bringing massive changes to how people get their news and how they communicate and behave. For example, the “endless scroll” is a design feature that aims to keep users scrolling and never reaching the bottom of a page where they might decide to pause.

    I’m a political scientist who researches aspects of technology that support democracy and social cohesion, and I’ve observed how the design of social media platforms affects them.

    Democracy is in crisis globally, and technology is playing a role. Most large platforms optimize their designs for profit, not community or democracy. Increasingly, Big Tech is siding with autocrats, and the platforms’ designs help keep society under control.

    There are alternatives, however. Some companies design online platforms to defend democratic values.

    Optimized for profit

    A handful of tech billionaires dominate the global information ecosystem. Without public accountability or oversight, they determine what news shows up on your feed and what data they collect and share.

    Social media companies say they are in the business of connecting people, but they make most of their money as data brokers and advertising firms. Time spent on platforms translates to profit. The more time you spend online, the more ads you see and the more data they can collect from you.

    This ad-based business model demands designs that encourage endless scrolling, social comparison and emotional engagement. Platforms routinely claim they merely reflect user behavior, yet internal documents and whistleblower accounts have shown that toxic content often gets a boost because it captures people’s attention.

    Tech companies design platforms based on extensive psychological research. Examples include flashing notifications that make your phone jump and squeak, colorful rewards when others like your posts, and algorithms that push out the most emotional content to stimulate your most base emotions of anger, shame or glee.

    How social media algorithms work, explained.

    Optimizing designs for user engagement undermines mental health and society. Social media sites favor hype and scandal over factual accuracy, and public manipulation over designing for safety, privacy and user agency. The resulting prevalence of polarizing false and deceptive information is corrosive to democracy.

    Many analysts identified these problems nearly a decade ago. But now there is a new threat: Some tech executives are looking to capture political power to advance a new era of techno-autocracy.

    Optimized for political power

    A techno-autocracy is a political system where an authoritarian government uses technology to control its population. Techno-autocrats spread disinformation and propaganda, using fear tactics to demonize others and distract from corruption. They leverage massive amounts of data, artificial intelligence and surveillance to censor opponents.

    For example, China uses technology to monitor and surveil its population with public cameras. Chinese platforms like WeChat and Weibo automatically scan, block or delete messages and posts for sensitive words like “freedom of speech.” Russia promotes domestic platforms like VK that are closely monitored and partly owned by state-linked entities that use it to promote political propaganda.

    Over a decade ago, tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, and now Vice President JD Vance, began aligning with far-right political philosophers like Curtis Yarvin. They argue that democracy impedes innovation, favoring concentrated decision-making in corporate-controlled mini-states governed through surveillance. Embracing this philosophy of techno-autocracy, they moved from funding and designing the internet to reshaping government.

    Techno-autocrats weaponize social media platforms as part of their plan to dismantle democratic institutions.

    The political capture of both X and Meta also have consequences for global security. At Meta, Mark Zuckerberg removed barriers to right-wing propaganda and openly endorsed President Donald Trump’s agenda. Musk changed X’s algorithm to highlight right-wing content, including Russian propaganda.

    Designing tech for democracy

    Recognizing the power that platform design has on society, some companies are designing new civic participation platforms that support rather than undermine society’s access to verified information and places for public deliberation. These platforms offer design features that big tech companies could adopt for improving democratic engagement that can help counter techno-autocracy.

    In 2014, a group of technologists founded Pol.is, an open-source technology for hosting public deliberation that leverages data science. Pol.is enables participants to propose and vote on policy ideas using what they call “computational democracy.” The Pol.is design avoids personal attacks by having no “reply” button. It offers no flashy newsfeed, and it uses algorithms that identify areas of agreement and disagreement to help people make sense of a diversity of opinions. A prompt question asks for people to offer ideas and vote up or down on other ideas. People participate anonymously, helping to keep the focus on the issues and not the people.

    The civic participation platform Pol.is helps large numbers of people share their views without distractions or personal attacks.

    Taiwan used the Pol.is platform to enable mass civic engagement in the 2014 democracy movement. The U.K. government’s Collective Intelligence Lab used the platform to generate public discussion and generate new policy proposals on climate and health care policies. In Finland, a public foundation called Sitra uses Pol.is in its “What do you think, Finland?” public dialogues.

    Barcelona, Spain, designed a new participatory democracy platform called Decidim in 2017. Now used throughout Spain and Europe, Decidim enables citizens to collaboratively propose, debate and decide on public policies and budgets through transparent digital processes.

    Nobel Peace Laureate Maria Ressa founded Rappler Communities in 2023, a social network in the Philippines that combines journalism, community and technology. It aims to restore trust in institutions by providing safe spaces for exchanging ideas and connecting with neighbors, journalists and civil society groups. Rappler Communities offers the public data privacy and portability, meaning you can take your information – like photos, contacts or messages – from one app or platform and transfer it to another. These design features are not available on the major social media platforms.

    Rappler Communities is a social network in the Philippines that combines journalism, community and technology.
    Screenshot of Rappler Communities

    Tech designed for improving public dialogue is possible – and can even work in the middle of a war zone. In 2024, the Alliance for Middle East Peace began using Remesh.ai, an AI-based platform, to find areas of common ground between Israelis and Palestinians in order to advance the idea of a public peace process and identify elements of a ceasefire agreement.

    Platform designs are a form of social engineering to achieve some sort of goal – because they shape how people behave, think and interact – often invisibly. Designing more and better platforms to support democracy can be an antidote to the wave of global autocracy that is increasingly bolstered by tech platforms that tighten public control.

    Lisa Schirch receives funding from the Ford Foundation. I know the founder of Pol.is and Remesh platforms, mentioned in this article, as well as Maria Ressa of Rappler Communities.

    I will not benefit in any way from describing their work.

    – ref. Social media can support or undermine democracy – it comes down to how it’s designed – https://theconversation.com/social-media-can-support-or-undermine-democracy-it-comes-down-to-how-its-designed-257103

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TUV Action Prompts Investigation into Offensive City Hall Pride Window

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    The TUV has prompted a formal equality investigation into Belfast City Council’s decision to install a “Pride” window in City Hall, following a detailed complaint lodged by party secretary and equality spokesperson Ann McClure.
    The complaint, submitted on 24 June 2025 under Schedule 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, highlights serious breaches of the Council’s own Equality Scheme. Chief among the concerns is the inclusion in the window of a slogan that reads: “Save Sodomy from Ulster.”
    Ann McClure said:
    “Many people – including but by no means limited to those who value  Christian teaching – were appalled to see the slogan ‘Save Sodomy from Ulster’ glorified in a public building funded by ratepayers. This is not a neutral or inclusive message – it’s a provocation, and it makes a mockery of the idea that City Hall belongs to everyone in Belfast. Such vulgar language should have no place in our chief civil building in Belfast. It wouldn’t happen in relation to any other movement and frankly no section of society should be granted an exemption from public decency.
    “Such debasing of public discourse is something which needs to be resisted.
    “The Council had a legal duty to consider how this decision would affect people of faith and those with sincerely held beliefs about marriage and sexuality. That process never happened. No screening, no consultation, no effort to understand how this would impact the people of faith. Once TUV established this via a Freedom of Information  request, I felt compelled to take action.
    “I welcome the fact that following my complaint the Council has confirmed that it will now carry out an internal investigation. Under the Equality Scheme, a substantive response is due within 30 working days.
    “My complaint identifies four key failures:
    •     No Equality Screening: The Council relied on a 2012 EQIA unrelated to this specific window and admitted under FOI that no fresh screening was conducted.
    •     No Consultation with Religious Communities: Despite the Equality Scheme requiring engagement with affected groups, including those of religious belief, there is no evidence that churches or faith organisations were consulted.
    •     No Committee Report Addressing Equality Implications: It remains unclear whether any report was brought to committee with the required equality and good relations section.
    •     No Publication of Screening Outcomes: The absence of any published screening outcome breaches the Council’s duty under Section 4.20.
    “I am now calling on Belfast City Council to:
    1.    Immediately cover or remove the offensive portion of the window pending the investigation;
    2.    Undertake retrospective equality screening and proper consultation;
    3.    Apologise to faith communities who were ignored and disrespected by the process;
    4.    Reassert that shared civic buildings must reflect the diversity of all citizens, not just those with one ideological viewpoint.
    “This complaint is about ensuring that expression doesn’t come at the expense of others – especially in a shared public space and funded with public money.
    “I will continue to monitor this process closely and am prepared to escalate the matter to the Equality Commission if the Council fails to uphold its obligations under its Equality Scheme.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Ministry: China is ready to make positive contribution to global climate governance together with the EU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the European Union in climate change mitigation, adaptation and green transformation to jointly make positive contributions to global climate governance.

    This was stated on Monday by the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, at a regular press briefing, commenting at the request of the media on European proposals to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of energy transformation and green development, which were voiced during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Europe.

    Mao Ning noted China’s commitment to regulating its energy structure and ensuring green development in the country, while at the same time closely cooperating with international partners in global climate governance.

    “China and the EU actively support low-carbon transformation and green development,” she said. “Both sides firmly adhere to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as the cornerstone of the international climate governance system, and the range of common interests and potential for cooperation between the two sides in combating climate change is broad and enormous.”

    China is a firm supporter of green development and has made significant contributions to its promotion, the diplomat stressed, adding that China is willing to work with the EU to uphold multilateralism and the goals of the Paris Agreement, strengthen cooperation in climate change mitigation, adaptation and green transformation, and jointly promote global climate governance. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China ready to work with EU on global climate governance efforts: spokesperson

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

    China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to enhance cooperation on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and the green transition, to make positive contributions to global climate governance, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

    Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press briefing when responding to European proposals for enhanced China-EU collaboration on energy transition and green, low-carbon development, which were raised during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Europe.

    Mao noted China’s commitment to adjusting its own energy structure, promoting green development, and engaging closely with international partners in global climate governance.

    “China and the EU both actively support low-carbon transformation and green development,” she said. Both sides firmly uphold the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as the cornerstone of international climate governance, and the shared interests and potential between the two sides for cooperation in tackling climate change are vast.

    Noting that China is a firm advocate of and significant contributor to green development, Mao said that China was willing to work with the EU to uphold multilateralism and the goals of the Paris Agreement, enhance cooperation in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and green transition, and jointly advance global climate governance. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi pays tribute to martyrs in resistance war against Japanese aggression

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

    Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, paid tribute to martyrs who died in a major campaign in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan of north China’s Shanxi Province on Monday.

    At the monument square honoring the martyrs of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war against Japanese aggression, Xi laid a floral basket to pay tribute to the martyrs, and then visited the memorial hall commemorating this major campaign.

    During the visit, Xi reviewed the history of the CPC leading both the military and civilians in the courageous fight against Japanese invaders, and learned about local efforts to carry out revolutionary history education and promote the great spirit of resisting aggression. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China-led int’l standard for autonomous driving test scenarios released

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

    An international standard on test scenarios for autonomous driving systems has been officially released, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China said on Monday.

    The standard, led by China during its formulation, outlines the evaluation procedures and test methods for the test scenarios of autonomous driving systems.

    The issuance of the standard represents an important international consensus on autonomous driving test and verification technologies, addressing growing industry demands for safety assessment and test verification, according to an official with the ministry.

    The ministry will cooperate with Chinese institutions in the automotive industry including technology research center to further contribute to the formulation and revision of international standards in the field.

    China is at the forefront of autonomous driving development. Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company has forecast that China will become the world’s largest market for self-driving vehicles, with revenue from such vehicles and mobility services exceeding 500 billion U.S. dollars by 2030.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: War-Torn Central America in the 1980s Comes to Life in New Historical Memoir

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Some six decades ago, when Scott Wallace’s parents gifted him a Polaroid Swinger camera and leather-bound diary as a child, the seeds of journalism were planted.

    No one knew back then that Wallace, now an associate professor in the UConn journalism department, would go on to become an award-winning writer, television producer, and photojournalist who’s reported from places including the front lines of war-torn Central America, jungles of South America, and post-Soviet Russia.

    Similarly, no one could have foreseen the foreign policy decisions made by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, from around the same time Wallace opened that gift of a camera and journal, would have an influence on some of today’s most divisive issues.

    That’s the thread woven through Wallace’s new historical memoir, “Central America in the Crosshairs of War: On the Road from Vietnam to Iraq,” which has won Gold in the Foreward INDIES Awards in the category of political and social sciences, along with a Gold IPPY from the Independent Book Publishers Association as best history book (oversized/coffee table).

    He maintains the U.S. government’s decisions, denials, and deceit during Vietnam inevitably led to disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan many decades later, coming through the conflicts, civil wars, and revolutions in Central America in the 1980s.

    “Our country would be less polarized,” he says of what would have happened if the U.S. behaved differently in places like El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala during those years.

    “We would be dealing with a diminished immigration crisis if we had encouraged democracy in Central America and redirected the resources that we gave them for training armies and waging war,” he says. “If we instead used those same resources to build up their economies, there would have been far fewer reasons for them to leave. They’d still be there. We seriously contributed to the tearing apart of the social fabric there, and I think a lot of the people who’ve come here in the last 40 years never would have left their homes.”

    Wallace sat with UConn Today recently to talk about how he got started as a journalist, his unique perspective as a firsthand witness to war, and his advice to others who want to report from the front lines.

    Why have you decided to share your story now?

     
    I was in the middle of a project in Brazil involving the struggles of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and their efforts to defend their territories and the rainforest from predatory logging and other forms of what passes for development down there. Then, the pandemic hit, and I realized I had to move in another direction if I was to work on a monograph during that time. Even after the pandemic passed, it was near-impossible to gain entry to Indigenous communities. Even into 2021 and 2022, it was still too difficult to get into the territories where I’d been conducting my research. Part of the reason I chose the Central America project was to pivot away from Brazil, at least until it was possible to return to those sensitive Indigenous territories. Secondly, there was a lot I’d been wanting to say for a long time about my experiences as a young journalist in Central America and the abiding relevance of so many issues that have come to the fore today, including immigration and the crisis at the border. Very few people understand how much the issue of immigration from Central America has been driven by our policies from 40 years ago, when we were actively involved in supporting and fueling the military conflicts that were going on down there. It drove a lot of the immigration into the U.S. and made the conditions in those countries so difficult that people left en masse. It’s a story of unintended consequences. The third impetus for the project was the very rich trove of images I’d taken while covering those conflicts, most of which had not previously been published, along with detailed notes and compelling stories that have withstood the test of time. Those experiences formed the foundation of my career and what I’ve ended up doing as a journalist over the last 40 years.

    What’s one of your ‘I-can’t-believe-I did-that’ experiences from the front lines?

    We managed to get ourselves into this rural area of El Salvador in the rebel stronghold of Chalatenango Department, where there had been allegations of a massacre perpetrated by the army that the United States was arming and supporting. We managed to bluff our way past a series of roadblocks, got into rebel-controlled territory, and then got permission from the guerrillas to undertake a journey on foot down into the scene of this atrocity.  After most of the day walking, we came upon a dilapidated footbridge stretching across this yawning chasm with a rushing river beneath us. The bridge was such a wreck that, out in the middle, the boards were sagging vertically to the surface of the water, and the wires on one side were basically useless. You had to pick your way across, hand over hand, with your feet on the tops of the boards. The water below was rushing at such a furious speed that the rebels advised us not to look down as we crossed because the rush of the water would make us dizzy, and we’d lose our balance and fall. Had we known what we were getting into, I’m not sure we would have gone there. But by then, we were already so far into the journey there was no going back. When we got to the scene, a horrific stench came from a good way off. It looked like a scene from a plane crash, with clothing and belongings strewn across the brush and hanging from the trees and bodies lying on the ground. It was horrific. I did my best to piece together what had happened from interviews with survivors and what we could see on the ground.

    Something like that must stick with you.

     
    I think you develop a little bit of a thick skin, and you just have to move through it. You’re there to find out what happened, and your own personal feelings are kind of secondary.

    Sandinista Popular Army soldiers forcibly remove peasants to create a free-fire zone to battle Contra rebels in El Ventarrón, Nicaragua, in 1985. (Photo courtesy of Scott Wallace)

    How did you get your start as a journalist?

     
    I was thirsty for adventure and for finding out about the bigger world. I took a year off from college as an undergraduate, and, with advice from some students who were a little older than me and who had done something similar, I lined up a volunteer position in the Peruvian jungle. I went first to Mexico, studied intensive Spanish for the summer, then traveled overland through Central America, down the spine of the Andes, and out into the jungle, where I worked as a literacy instructor in an Indigenous community. During that year I discovered something new about myself. I didn’t know Spanish at all before I left, and through the process of having to put myself out there, I kind of developed a new persona as I interacted with Latin Americans and mastered the language and the culture. I loved the music, the people, and the literature. I returned to college after that, doubled up on Spanish classes, and learned how to write it and read it. I also became fascinated with what was going on in Latin America in the news. I was already a few years out of college when it dawned on me that maybe I could make a career as a journalist covering events in Latin America, since I loved writing, taking pictures, and travel. I decided to go back to school to get a master’s in journalism with the objective of going to Central America when I graduated. By this time, the early 1980s, Central America was in turmoil. The Sandinistas had taken power in Nicaragua, a civil war had erupted in El Salvador, and the Reagan Administration vowed to ‘draw the line’ against what it perceived to be communist aggression in Central America. The region was a tinderbox that seemed poised to become a new Vietnam. I knew that no news organization would send a new graduate straight into a big story. I would have to go as a freelancer, so I decided to learn as many skills as I could, because as a freelancer I knew I would have to have as many skills as possible to earn a living: write news stories, take photographs for my stories, sell my photographs to other news outlets. I also got a tip that doing radio for one of the networks was a really good way to establish yourself and bring in a steady stream of work. Just as I was about to graduate, one of my professors, who had previously been a CBS Radio correspondent, introduced me to network executives when they came to campus, and one thing led to another. They didn’t have anyone in El Salvador at that time, so I was able to land a gig as their freelance ‘stringer’ there.

    What would your advice be for a journalism student or working journalist who’s hungry to do this kind of work today?

     
    It takes a certain kind of person. You have to be passionate about the world, curious about the way the world works. You need to be an avid reader of literature as well as nonfiction, be up on current events, and follow the news closely. In all the writing classes that I teach, I require my students to accompany their stories with images, because everyone should know how to take decent pictures and how to do solid interviews. They should learn how to shoot video and record audio. Of course, now you must have a social media presence and put your stuff out there. It’s also very important to make contacts. Ply your professors or the people you meet, go to places where you’re going to meet the professionals you admire. Follow them on Instagram. See who’s excelling at the kind of work you’re interested in and reach out to them. You also should build a portfolio of writing, images, and multimedia. Persistence and patience are also important.

    Compared to historians and others who’ve studied Central America and the conflicts there, do you think you have a unique perspective seeing it all firsthand?

     
    It’s definitely a unique perspective, but sometimes I’m a little bit daunted by the intellectual capabilities and rigor of my colleagues in other departments at the University. I think my strength lies in bringing personal experiences and storytelling acumen to the narrative. In June, I was asked to do a presentation at a seminar of academics on genocide and its relationship to ‘ecocide’ – the criminal destruction of the environment – based on my work covering Indigenous struggles in jungles of the Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception to my presentation, in which I showed my photographs and told stories of people whose lives are impacted and threatened by deforestation, land grabbing, and the violent destruction of habitats and biodiversity. It was a way of bringing abstract concepts down to ground level. I’m not the only one who does that. All my colleagues in the journalism department similarly bring that kind of ground-truthing and storytelling to the subjects they report on.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scene Summer: UConn Film Student Documenting Underground Music in Connecticut

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Their names are as iconic as some of the musicians that graced their stages.

    CBGB in New York.

    The Troubadour in Los Angeles and Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood.

    The 40 Watt Club in Georgia.

    Toad’s Place in New Haven.

    They’re the places where careers were launched and artists made names for themselves – bands like The Ramones and The Doors; Guns N’ Roses and R.E.M.; singers like Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell and Neil Diamond; and musicians like Frank Zappa and Michael Nesmith.

    But for each iconic venue, there have been hundreds more – smaller, lesser known, underground places packed to the gills on show nights.

    And for each legendary name, there have been thousands more – bands trying to make it big, songwriters looking to write a hit, or artists just looking to share their music with a welcoming audience that will resonate with them.

    Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA) is working on a documentary project about Connecticut’s underground music scene, with support from an Office of Undergraduate Education IDEA Grant. (Contributed photo)

    You don’t have to look to the cities to find those venues and artists either – they’re in areas both urban and rural, and right here in Connecticut as well – some advertised and others hidden from plain sight, but there for the audiences who know where to find them.

    And sometimes in those audiences, and other times behind the scenes, you might find Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA), who grew up in West Hartford and started seeking out those underground venues and those independent artists – often with a camera in hand – when he was 18 years old.

    “About two years ago, I started going to local shows, because some of my friends make music and they perform sometimes,” says Elmore. “They knew someone who hosts shows, so they get to perform, and I just saw what a cool community the local music scene has.”

    Elmore isn’t a musician, but he is an artist – his medium is film, with a little photography thrown in as well. Which is why he started going with his musician friends to their shows.

    “I was kind of backstage, since I was photographing and taking video for my friends, but it was super cool to see how it was all run,” he says. “It was just five bucks to get in, and it was an artist that I didn’t really know, but it was cool to be a part of that and see that, even though it’s on a small scale, kind of in the middle of nowhere, it was still run and still had the same energy as a big concert.”

    That energy has kept Elmore going back to shows in an underground music scene that’s active and alive in Connecticut, he says, at places like Howard’s Bookstore in Torrington, which hosts open mics every Wednesday and regularly produces shows with local rappers and hardcore bands.

    And at Cheery Street Station, a stomping ground for punk and metal bands in Wallingford.

    And at The Dog Pound, a relatively new and inclusive basement venue in Storrs that hosts local bands of all kinds.

    What all three venues and the people who frequent them have in common, Elmore notes, is the same sense of community.

    “I think a lot of people would be surprised how supportive and respectful people are at these shows,” he says. “No matter where you’re coming from, and no matter if it’s bands of different fan bases or genres, everyone’s really supportive. All the bands support each other, and all the crowds are respectful, and everyone just wants to have a good time.”

    It’s the scene’s energy and sense of community that Elmore is hoping to capture and share through a documentary project he’s working on this summer, supported by an IDEA Grant from the UConn Office of Undergraduate Research.

    The IDEA Grant program awards funding up to $6,000 per undergraduate student to support student-designed and student-led projects, including creative endeavors, community service initiatives, entrepreneurial ventures, and research projects and other original and innovative projects. The program is available to undergraduate students of all majors at all UConn campuses.

    Elmore learned about the opportunity for IDEA Grant funding for an original project through the UConn Student Daily Digest as a first-year student, and decided to apply during his sophomore year.

    “I was like, I should take this opportunity and make a documentary, because that’s been done a lot of time before that with the IDEA Grant, and I enjoy documentaries, and I think they’re very doable by yourself,” says Elmore, who watches a lot of documentaries himself. “And also, just on a small scale, even with not a lot of gear or experience, you can really make something that’s impactful.”

    And impact is what he’s going for, as he’s spent the first part of the summer filming at the those three venues in order to share the essence of the local music community; the feel of the venues; the histories they hold within their walls; and the stories of some of the rappers, solo artists, and indie bands who play there.

    For Elmore – who started making YouTube videos when he was 15, which sparked his interest in pursuing film – this IDEA Grant documentary project is a step toward his ultimate goal, which is to start his own business that would partner with music artists and work alongside them to produce visual content.

    “All types of visual content, like graphics, photos – to go on tour with artists and take photos and videos for them,” he says. “Being part of any sort of process of artistic process with music would be super cool.”

    The growing film concentration at UConn, part of the School of Fine Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts program offered through the Department of Digital Media and Design, is helping Elmore work toward that goal as he hones his skills as a young filmmaker.

    During the semesters in Storrs, he also works for the Neag School of Education as a student photographer and multimedia producer and as the advertising director for UCTV, the University’s student television station.

    Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA), a film concentration student in the School of Fine Arts Digital Media and Design program, shoots video on scene. (Contributed photo)

    “It’s pretty good to just get out there, and use gear, and work with other students on ideas and projects, and just make mistakes,” he says. “That’s the best way to learn. Just doing it.”

    He faces a busy summer, though: he spent much of May and June filming, and plans to dedicate most of his time in July and August to editing, as he pushes through an ambitious timeline for his one-man, self-produced, first feature-length documentary production.

    He hopes to advertise, market, and screen his film at UConn Storrs, and at some of the featured music venues, this fall.

    Elmore says that anyone – whether they’re familiar with Connecticut’s underground music scene or brand new to it – would find most of the state’s local venues a welcome place.

    But if you’re brand new, where should you start?

    One place would be by checking out his documentary screening during the fall semester in Storrs.

    But another would be with a Ruby Leftstep show, he recommends.

    “They’re very popular in the local scene,” he says of the three-man, New Hartford-based indie band. “A lot of people know them, and they have a real fan base that knows all their lyrics.

    “And that’s another part of the documentary,” he continues. “Getting a kind of behind-the-scenes look at these bands, their backgrounds, how they make music, how they record it, how they perform, how the band members interact with each other and their fans. That’s a big part of it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CoreNest Capital Announces Investments in 10 Frontier Companies Including Safe Superintelligence (SSI), Neuralink, Perceptive, Orbit Fab and Ottonomy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CoreNest Capital, the Dubai-based venture capital firm focused on foundational technologies, today announced new investments across ten companies operating at the forefront of artificial intelligence, robotics, medtech, fintech, and Web3.

    The latest round includes Safe Superintelligence (SSI), Neuralink, Coverstar, Nilo, Orbit Fab, Pax Markets, Perceptive, Ottonomy, Bond, Cheddr. Each company aligns with CoreNest’s thesis of backing platforms and technologies with the potential to redefine global infrastructure.

    “We’re living through a technological supercycle where yesterday’s playbooks are obsolete. This era belongs to the builders who rethink what’s possible and move fast enough to make it real. At CoreNest, we don’t chase hype. We fund the foundations. The future doesn’t just happen. It gets architected.” – Bob Ras, General Partner & Co-Founder of CoreNest Capital

    CoreNest’s latest investments include:

    Bond: AI Chief of Staff that summarizes, alerts, and aligns teams in real time.

    Cheddr: Social sports gaming platform offering fast, fun, and rewarding experiences.

    Coverstar: Safe social media platform tailored for Gen Alpha users.

    Neuralink: Brain–computer interfaces enabling direct neural control of devices.

    Nilo: AI-powered platform democratizing 3D world-building for immersive content creation.

    Orbit Fab: In-space refueling services extending satellite missions and enabling dynamic operations.

    Ottonomy: Autonomous delivery robots for airports, retail, and last-mile logistics.

    Pax Markets: Hardware-accelerated ATS offering zero-fee and ultra-fast trading.

    Perceptive: AI-driven dental robotics providing precise, automated dental care solutions.

    Safe Superintelligence (SSI): AI lab focused solely on building safe superintelligence.

    CoreNest operates with a stage-agnostic, founder-aligned model, bringing technical depth, strategic guidance, and global reach to every partnership. The firm continues to focus on companies driving large-scale shifts in how societies operate, transact, and interact with emerging technologies.

    About CoreNest Capital

    CoreNest Capital is a global venture capital firm based in Dubai, UAE. The firm invests in bold founders building next-generation infrastructure across AI, robotics, medtech, fintech, and Web3. With a focus on high-impact technologies and long-term value creation, CoreNest provides capital, operating expertise, and deep ecosystem access to support its portfolio at every stage of growth.

    CoreNest’s existing portfolio includes category-defining companies such as OpenAI, xAI, SpaceX, and Artisan, among others. Visit www.corenest.com for more information.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0cbe15b5-37b0-47e3-947c-1b36f6514bdb

    The MIL Network –