Category: Transport

MIL-OSI: Quick Personal Loans in the US for 2025 : Low Credit Finance
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Austin, June 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

With inflation persisting in today’s economy, a recent survey reveals that 70% of Americans are experiencing financial stress. None of us desire financial difficulties, but when they arise, it is crucial to address them appropriately. Often, it is during these times that we seek assistance from financial institutions.

However, only some who turn to these institutions receive the desired help. Various creditworthiness metrics are used, and as a result, many individuals with low credit scores and poor credit history do not qualify for loans, leaving them in a difficult situation.

To bridge this gap, we have compiled a list of recommended companies that offer quick personal loans to all Americans, regardless of their credit rating. These companies provide benefits such as the lowest APR, speedy approvals and disbursements, and the freedom to use the funds as needed.

If you are seeking a quick personal loan, overview our recommendations below and obtain the necessary funds to be deposited directly into your account.

Recommended Brokers for Quick Personal Loans

Getting a quick personal loan from any of the above companies is an easy task that a newbie can carry out as swiftly as a person who has accessed the platform. What are you waiting for? Click on the respective company to get a quick personal loan.

If you want more information on the above companies, read on to explore how the various companies differ. This will enlighten you and help you make well-informed decisions.
1. Low Credit Finance: For fast approvals for quick personal loans
With instantaneous approvals for quick personal loans, Low Credit Finance is undoubtedly the perfect company for individuals with bad credit. With them, you don’t have to worry about late approvals or delayed fund disbursement, as they understand the urgency of financial hunches.

Low Credit Finance grants quick personal loans of between $100 and $5,000. With such amounts at your disposal, you can have any expense covered and emergency catered to. Additionally, the interest rates at which they offer loans are among the lowest in the market, making their quick personal loans affordable.

Here are reasons Low Credit Finance is your best shot at getting quick personal loans:
- It is welcoming to all credit types.
- It offers flexible repayment terms.
- Low-interest rates.
- No paperwork is involved.
- It has an easy application process.
- User-friendly interface.
Low Credit Finance offers the alternative of taking a quick personal loan and repaying it on terms that suit you, making it the company with the most flexible terms in the market.

What Is a Quick Personal Loan?

A quick personal loan is similar to a personal loan, but only in this case, the application process is streamlined and expedited to make the funds available faster. Quick personal loans are commonly taken to meet unexpected short-term expenses or emergencies that require some sort of liquidity to get through. As much as these quick personal loans address the needs at hand, it is vital to note that they come with certain trade-offs, such as interest rates that are relatively higher than the loans offered by conventional financial institutions.

Understanding Quick Personal Loans: How They Work

As much as quick personal loans stand out from other loan types, they share how they work. For instance, to get a personal loan, you must scout for the best lender to serve your financial needs accordingly. You will then proceed to make an application that will be evaluated by the relevant parties to the loan. If all is well, your application will be approved and funds disbursed to your account.

It is worth noting that quick personal loans have requirements that must be met for approval. The following are some things that get assessed before your quick personal loan is approved. They check whether:
- You are a citizen or a permanent US citizen
- You have attained 18 years.
- You have a verifiable source of income.
- You have a bank account.
- You have a valid means of communication.
With these being the only things they check, you have a high chance of being approved for a quick personal loan. Regardless, some lenders go the extra step of performing soft credit checks. They are, however, not meant to discard borrowers with poor credit scores.

Pros and Cons of Quick Personal Loans

Pros
- Fast access to funds – Quick personal loans provide a means to achieve quick liquidity when you need it most.
- Convenient application process – Quick personal loan application is available online, eliminating the need for long queues and hefty paperwork.
- Simplified eligibility requirements – Quick personal loans have lenient eligibility criteria, making them accessible even to borrowers with less-than-perfect credit scores.
- Potential for improving credit – Timely repayment of quick personal loans positively impacts the credit history and, as a result, improves the credit score.
- Increased financial flexibility – Due to their fast accessibility, quick personal loans provide additional financial muscle, especially when covering emergencies and unexpected situations.
Cons
- Higher interest rates – Quick personal loans often come with higher interest rates compared to traditional loans. This is attributed to the risk associated with providing fast access to funds and potentially accepting borrowers with less-than-ideal credit scores.
- Limited negotiation power – When applying for a quick personal loan, borrowers have limited negotiation power, resulting in less favorable terms than they would with a traditional loan.
- Potential for debt cycle – If a quick personal loan is not managed responsibly, it has the potential of leading one to a debt cycle that may be hard to come out of.
Impact of Quick Personal Loans On Credit Score

As credit score is a metric based on several factors, one of the key aspects that influence it is an individual’s borrowing activities. Depending on your interaction with debts, your score could improve or deteriorate.

So, when it comes to quick personal loans, they have the same impact. As mentioned earlier, these companies do not consider your credit score before approving your quick personal loan, but that doesn’t mean they can’t affect your credit scores.

When you make timely payments of the agreed amounts, your credit score is bound to improve. On the other hand, delayed or missed payments only make your credit score worse. Therefore, you are advised to maintain a clean slate on making the repayments as per your agreement with the lender.

Are Quick Personal Loans Good for You?

Yes, quick personal loans are a good idea if you need fast access to funds. This is because they give you a suitable means for addressing urgent financial needs and emergencies. The streamlined application process and relaxed eligibility criteria make them accessible to many, including those with less-than-perfect credit scores. However, it’s important to carefully consider the trade-offs associated with them before getting one. Moreover, you should assess your ability to repay the loan within the designated timeframe and choose reputable lenders with fair terms to make quick personal loans a helpful financial tool that works in your favor.

Conclusion

In conclusion, quick personal loans are a valuable opportunity to meet short-term financial needs. Be it consolidating debt, funding a major purchase, or managing unexpected expenses, you can count on them. With a variety of lenders available, it is up to you to exercise due diligence and give enough time to research so that you get the terms, rates, and repayment plans that best suit your circumstances. By ensuring affordability and understanding the terms and conditions before committing, you are in an excellent position to tread these waters. By all means, you ought to harness the power of personal loans to achieve your financial objectives and improve your overall financial well-being. Remember, personal loans are not just about the money you borrow but the financial responsibility you exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are quick personal loans only meant for emergencies?

Quick personal loans are often associated with emergencies but can also be used for various purposes, such as funding travel expenses, pursuing educational endeavors, or supporting business ventures. They provide flexibility in how you use the funds.

Can I repay a quick personal loan early without penalties?

Early repayment options vary among lenders. Some lenders may allow early repayment without penalties, while others may charge prepayment fees. It’s essential to evaluate the loan agreement’s terms and conditions to determine if early repayment is allowed and if any additional charges apply.

Can I get a quick personal loan if I have an irregular income or am self-employed?

Yes, quick personal loans can be accessible for individuals with irregular income or who are self-employed. While traditional lenders may require steady employment or income verification, some lenders specialize in providing loans to individuals with non-traditional income sources. They often consider other factors, such as bank statements or tax returns, to assess repayment capacity.

Are quick personal loans suitable for funding educational pursuits?

Yes, quick personal loans can finance educational endeavors such as taking professional courses, attending workshops, or pursuing higher education degrees. These loans can help cover tuition fees, textbooks, and other educational expenses.

Can I get a quick personal loan with bad credit?

Quick personal loans are designed to accommodate borrowers with diverse credit backgrounds. While having good credit can enhance your chances of securing favorable terms, some lenders specialize in providing loans to individuals with less-than-perfect credit scores. However, it’s important to note that interest rates may be higher for borrowers with lower credit scores.
- Email Support: support@lowcreditfinance.com
- Phone Number: 1-844-870-5672
Disclaimer and Disclosure

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, legal counsel, or professional recommendations of any kind. The content has been prepared based on publicly available information and subjective opinion. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, completeness, and reliability, no guarantees are made regarding the correctness or applicability of the information contained herein. Readers are encouraged to consult with a licensed financial advisor or certified professional before making any financial decisions.

Neither the publisher nor any syndication partners accept responsibility for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may result from the use of this information, whether direct or indirect. Any references to financial services, lending institutions, or loan products are made without warranty, and inclusion in this article does not constitute endorsement or guarantee of service quality, performance, or suitability.

This content may contain affiliate links, which means the publisher may receive a commission at no additional cost to the reader if a product or service is purchased through the provided links. These commissions do not influence editorial content, recommendations, or rankings. The decision to engage with any third-party service featured in this article is solely at the reader’s discretion.

All trademarks, service marks, product names, and company names cited herein are the property of their respective owners. Any errors, omissions, or outdated information that may be present are unintentional. The publisher and distribution networks disclaim liability for any typographical or factual inaccuracies.

By reading this article, you agree that the publisher, content creators, and all affiliated distribution partners are held harmless from any and all liability, and that any action taken is at your own risk.

The MIL Network –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Loans for People with Bad Credit: Overview of Low Credit Finance
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Miami, June 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Do you often find yourself in a troubling financial situation and have no one to turn to for a loan or a financial institution that can lend you money? You are not alone. Many Americans go through the same issue day in and day out.

However, worry not! We have created a list of lenders who can help you, regardless of your credit score. These recommended lenders willingly provide loans for people with bad credit and extend the loans to the borrowers in the shortest time possible to help meet their needs.

Read our list of the top companies offering loans for people with bad credit in the US in 2025 and find the best rates for amounts ranging from $100 to $5000+.

Top Company Offering Loans for People with Bad Credit

The above lenders are the best providers of loans for people with bad credit in the US in 2025. They are quick to provide financial aid regardless of one’s credit history or rating.

We have discussed each lender’s features further to help you make an informed decision and choose the one that best meets your needs. Read on to find the lender that best suits your financial needs.
1. Low Credit Finance: Same-day instant transactions
Low Credit Finance is a lender that gives loans to people with bad credit without considering their credit background or credit scores. Low Credit Finance is known for its quick loan processing times, as a borrower can have their money in their account in as short as 60 minutes once approved. All FICO scores are welcome, making it easier for you to secure a loan even with a bad credit history.

Benefits of choosing Low Credit Finance:
- All credit types are welcomed
- Repayment terms that suit your needs
- Same day decisions
- Loan deposited instantly to account once approved
- Secure application process
Low Credit Finance fiancé provides a top alternative to you as a borrower with a bad credit score. It uses other criteria to approve loans other than the creditworthiness or history of the borrower

A failure to meet the minimum requirement makes it harder for people with bad credit to secure loans from most lenders.

How to get a loan with bad credit

Even with a poor credit score, getting a personal loan has been made easier in the US in 2025. As you take your time to work on your credit, it is necessary to consider the following tips for finding the best loan options when you have a bad credit score or history:

Checking your credit score

It is important to be up to date with your credit score, which helps gauge the type of lenders that would be willing to extend their loans to you. Online sites can help in checking your credit score, or you can do the same through your financial institution. The credit score report is used to generate the credit score, and it is possible to request such reports through bureaus such as AnnualCreditReport.com.

Check whether you prequalify for a loan

Loan prequalification tests help you understand the possibility of getting a loan with a bad credit history or score. The process of inquiring for qualification does not in any way affect your credit score. It is also a way of knowing how much it would cost you if you obtained a loan for people with bad credit from the recommended online lenders.

Comparing loan offers

Different companies offer different rates on their loans. It is necessary to compare such offers to ensure that you get the best offer that best meets your financial needs within the market

Submitting an application

After requesting a pre-qualification, narrow down your options and submit a formal application for the loan. This will trigger a hard inquiry, which could affect your credit score.

Who offers loans for people with bad credit?

Various institutions offer loans to people with poor or bad credit. Below are some of the lending institutions that are likely to offer such loans:

Banks– in most cases banks rely on the credit history to extend loans to consumers. However, some banks such as Wells Fargo offer personal loans. They might however require the lender to go to the bank in person at their nearest branch for further application.

Online lenders– they are the easiest way of getting a loan with poor credit. The process is solely done online and can be done from the comfort of your home. Once you have applied, you will be requested to verify some information such as your identity and income status.

Credit unions– they also provide personal loans but have a drawback as an individual has to be a member of the institution. Individuals with bad credit can get personal loans from credit unions if they have guarantors who must also be members of the credit union.

Knowing your credit score category

If you desire to take out a loan and have poor credit, it is important to understand the different categories of credit score as it influence the loan repayment loan terms. Individuals with poor credit scores fall between the 300 and 579 marks. Below is a schedule of different categories of credit scores and the estimated interest rate on loans for each category:

The data on the table shows that individuals with the lowest credit score are more likely to get expensive loan terms, ten times more than individuals with a high credit score.

How to compare lenders for loans for people with bad credit

The repayment terms

The repayment terms determine the amount of money that the borrower pays back to the lender. It is important to have the most favorable loan terms that are within your financial capabilities. That would ensure repayment of the loan without the stress of getting deeper into debt. Longer repayment terms are most advisable as they reduce the principal and interest amounts that are paid each month. It is, however, necessary to note that a higher repayment period leads to a higher rate of interest (APR) on the loan.

Additional fees

Most borrowers fail to understand the additional fees associated with a loan, which makes the loan unnecessarily expensive. The lender selected might charge a fee in addition to the annual interest earned on the loans. Some of the hidden costs of loans lenders fail to communicate about include administrative fees that are deducted upfront from the amount borrowed, loan origination fees, late payment fees, and prepayment penalties. A lender with unnecessary loan fees should always be the last resort.

The APRs

The annual percentage rate (APR) is considered the cost of the loan and signifies the amount the lender will charge you on top of the principal amount. A lower APR leads to a lower cost of the loan, and vice versa applies. As a borrower, understand all the possible lenders and their APRs and choose the one offering the lowest APR on their loans for people with bad credit.

Can I be conned by lenders online?

The simple answer is yes! It is possible to get scammed online by individuals posing as legit lenders. Such people understand your urgent need for cash and take advantage of the same. Loans for people with bad credit seem too good to be true. It is therefore necessary to look for the following signs to avoid being scammed:

Demand for upfront fees to get a loan– legitimate lenders do not need the borrower to pay an upfront fee to process a loan. Legitimate lenders do not ask for payments before you are approved and have received your loan. In the case that a legit lender requires application fees, they are taken directly from the amount that you borrow.

Unregistered lender– all lenders have to be registered as per the federal law of the US. The Federal Trade Commission requires all lenders to be registered within their state of operations. To find out whether your lender of choice is registered, contact the state attorney general’s office.

Lender communicates first– in such a scenario, it is like a doctor looking for the patient rather than the patient seeking the doctor’s services. If you did not initiate the contact, there is a high probability of being scammed. Credible lenders do not call borrowers to ask for their personal information with the promise of offering loans to the borrower.

Types of loans for people with bad credit

Secured loans

A borrower who takes a secured loan will have to provide the lender with collateral, such as a car or a home mortgage. The collateral is valuable, and it makes it easier for the borrower to get a loan at a better rate despite their poor credit score status.

It is the best form of loan for people with poor credit but valuable collateral they can afford to lose if they default on their loan. In default, the lender may legally confiscate the collateral and use it to recover owed amounts and any additional damages.

Unsecured loans

Such loans do not rely on the availability of collateral; therefore, other factors such as the borrower’s credit history or ability to pay back the loan should be considered. On default of the unsecured loan, the lender cannot seize the lender’s assets, and thus, such loans attract high interest rates, making them more expensive.

Payday loans

They are alternative loans for people with bad credit. They are considered dubious loans due to their high fees and interest rates. The lender relies on the borrower’s income to pay back borrowed amounts, which are often taken directly from the paycheck. The high interest rates lead to borrowers taking additional loans to service existing ones, thus tying them in a circle of debt.

Cash advances

They are small short-term loans that an individual with a poor credit score can get from their credit company. They are primarily appropriate for individuals with emergencies or quick need for cash. Most lenders do not carry out credit checks on borrowers, making it easier for them to get approved and receive funds as individuals with poor credit.

How can I improve my credit score?

Loans for people with bad credit attract high interest rates and poor repayment terms compared to loans extended to people with better credit scores. It is, therefore, important to improve credit ratings to ensure access to better loans and loan terms in the future. The following are some of the ways that you can improve your credit score:
1. Register as a voter- it increases the credit score in that it confirms your address to the lender
2. Check the credit reports regularly- it helps identify the mistakes on the report that hurt credit ratings. For errors, contact the credit reference agency to make amendments
3. Pay bills on time
4. Avoid making too many loan applications
5. Keep the utilization ratio of your credit low by trying not to use more than 50% of the credit limit
6. Close any unused credit card accounts
FAQS

How easy is it to get a loan with a bad credit score?

It is fairly easy to get a loan with a poor credit score. However, one should excel in other factors that determine the ability to repay the loan. The easiest way to get loans for people with bad credit is through payday loans and pawn shop loans.

What is the best personal loan company in the US?

Our list above provides information on the best companies that offer loans for people with bad credit in the US in 2025. It is necessary to go through the pros and cons of each of the lenders and carry out due diligence and further research to understand the lender that best meets your financial needs.

How much money can I borrow with a poor credit score?

Depending on other factors other than your credit score, the amount of loans offered to borrowers changes from lender to lender. Loans can range from $200 to as much as $50000

Are there risks associated with bad credit loans?

Unfortunately, there are huge risks associated with loans for people with bad credit. For instance, it becomes hard to get out of debt, especially when you are already struggling financially.

What happens if I miss loan repayment?

Missing a loan repayment is likely to attract additional loan fees and interest. It would also negatively impact your credit score, making it harder to get loans at better offers when you are in dire need of emergency cash.
- Email Support: support@lowcreditfinance.com
- Phone Number: 1-844-870-5672
Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure

The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the content at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor any syndication partners assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies, including typographical mistakes or outdated data. Readers are strongly encouraged to verify all terms, rates, and offerings directly with the lending institutions or financial service providers mentioned herein.

This article may contain affiliate links. If a reader clicks on such a link and proceeds to make a purchase or take action, the publisher may earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader. These commissions help support the creation of educational content and do not influence the integrity or objectivity of the editorial process.

The publisher and all affiliated entities, including but not limited to content distributors, media platforms, and downstream partners, disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage resulting from the use or interpretation of the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the availability, approval, or terms of any loan or financial product. Lending decisions, terms, and timelines remain at the sole discretion of the respective financial institutions.

This article does not endorse or recommend any specific lender, loan product, or financial solution. Individuals are urged to conduct their own independent research and consult with qualified professionals before making any financial decisions.

The MIL Network –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Loans for People with Bad Credit: Overview of Low Credit Finance
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Miami, June 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Do you often find yourself in a troubling financial situation and have no one to turn to for a loan or a financial institution that can lend you money? You are not alone. Many Americans go through the same issue day in and day out.

However, worry not! We have created a list of lenders who can help you, regardless of your credit score. These recommended lenders willingly provide loans for people with bad credit and extend the loans to the borrowers in the shortest time possible to help meet their needs.

Read our list of the top companies offering loans for people with bad credit in the US in 2025 and find the best rates for amounts ranging from $100 to $5000+.

Top Company Offering Loans for People with Bad Credit

The above lenders are the best providers of loans for people with bad credit in the US in 2025. They are quick to provide financial aid regardless of one’s credit history or rating.

We have discussed each lender’s features further to help you make an informed decision and choose the one that best meets your needs. Read on to find the lender that best suits your financial needs.
1. Low Credit Finance: Same-day instant transactions
Low Credit Finance is a lender that gives loans to people with bad credit without considering their credit background or credit scores. Low Credit Finance is known for its quick loan processing times, as a borrower can have their money in their account in as short as 60 minutes once approved. All FICO scores are welcome, making it easier for you to secure a loan even with a bad credit history.

Benefits of choosing Low Credit Finance:
- All credit types are welcomed
- Repayment terms that suit your needs
- Same day decisions
- Loan deposited instantly to account once approved
- Secure application process
Low Credit Finance fiancé provides a top alternative to you as a borrower with a bad credit score. It uses other criteria to approve loans other than the creditworthiness or history of the borrower

A failure to meet the minimum requirement makes it harder for people with bad credit to secure loans from most lenders.

How to get a loan with bad credit

Even with a poor credit score, getting a personal loan has been made easier in the US in 2025. As you take your time to work on your credit, it is necessary to consider the following tips for finding the best loan options when you have a bad credit score or history:

Checking your credit score

It is important to be up to date with your credit score, which helps gauge the type of lenders that would be willing to extend their loans to you. Online sites can help in checking your credit score, or you can do the same through your financial institution. The credit score report is used to generate the credit score, and it is possible to request such reports through bureaus such as AnnualCreditReport.com.

Check whether you prequalify for a loan

Loan prequalification tests help you understand the possibility of getting a loan with a bad credit history or score. The process of inquiring for qualification does not in any way affect your credit score. It is also a way of knowing how much it would cost you if you obtained a loan for people with bad credit from the recommended online lenders.

Comparing loan offers

Different companies offer different rates on their loans. It is necessary to compare such offers to ensure that you get the best offer that best meets your financial needs within the market

Submitting an application

After requesting a pre-qualification, narrow down your options and submit a formal application for the loan. This will trigger a hard inquiry, which could affect your credit score.

Who offers loans for people with bad credit?

Various institutions offer loans to people with poor or bad credit. Below are some of the lending institutions that are likely to offer such loans:

Banks– in most cases banks rely on the credit history to extend loans to consumers. However, some banks such as Wells Fargo offer personal loans. They might however require the lender to go to the bank in person at their nearest branch for further application.

Online lenders– they are the easiest way of getting a loan with poor credit. The process is solely done online and can be done from the comfort of your home. Once you have applied, you will be requested to verify some information such as your identity and income status.

Credit unions– they also provide personal loans but have a drawback as an individual has to be a member of the institution. Individuals with bad credit can get personal loans from credit unions if they have guarantors who must also be members of the credit union.

Knowing your credit score category

If you desire to take out a loan and have poor credit, it is important to understand the different categories of credit score as it influence the loan repayment loan terms. Individuals with poor credit scores fall between the 300 and 579 marks. Below is a schedule of different categories of credit scores and the estimated interest rate on loans for each category:

The data on the table shows that individuals with the lowest credit score are more likely to get expensive loan terms, ten times more than individuals with a high credit score.

How to compare lenders for loans for people with bad credit

The repayment terms

The repayment terms determine the amount of money that the borrower pays back to the lender. It is important to have the most favorable loan terms that are within your financial capabilities. That would ensure repayment of the loan without the stress of getting deeper into debt. Longer repayment terms are most advisable as they reduce the principal and interest amounts that are paid each month. It is, however, necessary to note that a higher repayment period leads to a higher rate of interest (APR) on the loan.

Additional fees

Most borrowers fail to understand the additional fees associated with a loan, which makes the loan unnecessarily expensive. The lender selected might charge a fee in addition to the annual interest earned on the loans. Some of the hidden costs of loans lenders fail to communicate about include administrative fees that are deducted upfront from the amount borrowed, loan origination fees, late payment fees, and prepayment penalties. A lender with unnecessary loan fees should always be the last resort.

The APRs

The annual percentage rate (APR) is considered the cost of the loan and signifies the amount the lender will charge you on top of the principal amount. A lower APR leads to a lower cost of the loan, and vice versa applies. As a borrower, understand all the possible lenders and their APRs and choose the one offering the lowest APR on their loans for people with bad credit.

Can I be conned by lenders online?

The simple answer is yes! It is possible to get scammed online by individuals posing as legit lenders. Such people understand your urgent need for cash and take advantage of the same. Loans for people with bad credit seem too good to be true. It is therefore necessary to look for the following signs to avoid being scammed:

Demand for upfront fees to get a loan– legitimate lenders do not need the borrower to pay an upfront fee to process a loan. Legitimate lenders do not ask for payments before you are approved and have received your loan. In the case that a legit lender requires application fees, they are taken directly from the amount that you borrow.

Unregistered lender– all lenders have to be registered as per the federal law of the US. The Federal Trade Commission requires all lenders to be registered within their state of operations. To find out whether your lender of choice is registered, contact the state attorney general’s office.

Lender communicates first– in such a scenario, it is like a doctor looking for the patient rather than the patient seeking the doctor’s services. If you did not initiate the contact, there is a high probability of being scammed. Credible lenders do not call borrowers to ask for their personal information with the promise of offering loans to the borrower.

Types of loans for people with bad credit

Secured loans

A borrower who takes a secured loan will have to provide the lender with collateral, such as a car or a home mortgage. The collateral is valuable, and it makes it easier for the borrower to get a loan at a better rate despite their poor credit score status.

It is the best form of loan for people with poor credit but valuable collateral they can afford to lose if they default on their loan. In default, the lender may legally confiscate the collateral and use it to recover owed amounts and any additional damages.

Unsecured loans

Such loans do not rely on the availability of collateral; therefore, other factors such as the borrower’s credit history or ability to pay back the loan should be considered. On default of the unsecured loan, the lender cannot seize the lender’s assets, and thus, such loans attract high interest rates, making them more expensive.

Payday loans

They are alternative loans for people with bad credit. They are considered dubious loans due to their high fees and interest rates. The lender relies on the borrower’s income to pay back borrowed amounts, which are often taken directly from the paycheck. The high interest rates lead to borrowers taking additional loans to service existing ones, thus tying them in a circle of debt.

Cash advances

They are small short-term loans that an individual with a poor credit score can get from their credit company. They are primarily appropriate for individuals with emergencies or quick need for cash. Most lenders do not carry out credit checks on borrowers, making it easier for them to get approved and receive funds as individuals with poor credit.

How can I improve my credit score?

Loans for people with bad credit attract high interest rates and poor repayment terms compared to loans extended to people with better credit scores. It is, therefore, important to improve credit ratings to ensure access to better loans and loan terms in the future. The following are some of the ways that you can improve your credit score:
1. Register as a voter- it increases the credit score in that it confirms your address to the lender
2. Check the credit reports regularly- it helps identify the mistakes on the report that hurt credit ratings. For errors, contact the credit reference agency to make amendments
3. Pay bills on time
4. Avoid making too many loan applications
5. Keep the utilization ratio of your credit low by trying not to use more than 50% of the credit limit
6. Close any unused credit card accounts
FAQS

How easy is it to get a loan with a bad credit score?

It is fairly easy to get a loan with a poor credit score. However, one should excel in other factors that determine the ability to repay the loan. The easiest way to get loans for people with bad credit is through payday loans and pawn shop loans.

What is the best personal loan company in the US?

Our list above provides information on the best companies that offer loans for people with bad credit in the US in 2025. It is necessary to go through the pros and cons of each of the lenders and carry out due diligence and further research to understand the lender that best meets your financial needs.

How much money can I borrow with a poor credit score?

Depending on other factors other than your credit score, the amount of loans offered to borrowers changes from lender to lender. Loans can range from $200 to as much as $50000

Are there risks associated with bad credit loans?

Unfortunately, there are huge risks associated with loans for people with bad credit. For instance, it becomes hard to get out of debt, especially when you are already struggling financially.

What happens if I miss loan repayment?

Missing a loan repayment is likely to attract additional loan fees and interest. It would also negatively impact your credit score, making it harder to get loans at better offers when you are in dire need of emergency cash.
- Email Support: support@lowcreditfinance.com
- Phone Number: 1-844-870-5672
Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure

The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the content at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor any syndication partners assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies, including typographical mistakes or outdated data. Readers are strongly encouraged to verify all terms, rates, and offerings directly with the lending institutions or financial service providers mentioned herein.

This article may contain affiliate links. If a reader clicks on such a link and proceeds to make a purchase or take action, the publisher may earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader. These commissions help support the creation of educational content and do not influence the integrity or objectivity of the editorial process.

The publisher and all affiliated entities, including but not limited to content distributors, media platforms, and downstream partners, disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage resulting from the use or interpretation of the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the availability, approval, or terms of any loan or financial product. Lending decisions, terms, and timelines remain at the sole discretion of the respective financial institutions.

This article does not endorse or recommend any specific lender, loan product, or financial solution. Individuals are urged to conduct their own independent research and consult with qualified professionals before making any financial decisions.

The MIL Network –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Small Payday Loans Online with No Credit Check – Low Credit Finance Overview
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York, June 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Factors such as bad credit, little to no credit history, unemployment, and low income can create barriers between you and an urgently needed loan, ultimately denying you the chance to access the necessary funds.

To address these challenges, we have compiled a list of the top small payday loans online no credit check lenders. These lenders do not conduct credit checks, making it seamless to obtain the funds you require to meet your unexpected financial obligations.

If you are seeking a small payday loan online with no credit check, please continue reading for our recommended lenders.

Best Small Payday Loans Online Lenders

You can easily get a small payday loan online from any of these lenders at your convenience. Want to learn more about them? Keep reading for a review of each.
1. Low Credit Finance: For customizable small payday loans
With instant decisions and repayment terms that can be customized to your liking, Low Credit Finance is the best small payday loan online lender with no credit checks. The flexible repayment terms allow you to borrow amounts of up to $5,000 for as long as you need.

Its security protocols and low APR make it a viable go-to small payday loan online no credit check lender for many borrowers with bad credit scores.

Below are some other benefits of choosing Low Credit Finance as your small payday loan lender:
- Hassle-free online application.
- Flexible repayment terms.
- Negotiable loan policies.
- High approval rates.
- All credit types are feasible for lending.
- Quick funding.
Low Credit Finance offers borrowers with bad credit a great opportunity to access small payday loans online no credit checks at their convenience.

What Is a Small Payday Loan?

A small payday loan is a short-term loan that is offered to individuals who need quick access to cash to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies. These loans are usually intended to be repaid often on the borrower’s next payday. However, with the flexibility of some of the lenders’ repayment terms, they could be repaid within a few weeks or months.

Small payday loans are unsecured as borrowers do not need to provide any collateral to secure the loan. Instead, the following are the requirements to meet for one to be qualified for a small payday loan:
- The minimum age requirement is 18 years or older.
- Be a citizen of the United States or have permanent resident status.
- Have a verifiable and stable source of income.
- Maintain a healthy debt-to-income ratio.
- Possess a valid and active bank account.
- Provide a valid email address and phone number for communication purposes.
While small payday loans are a convenient way to access some much-needed quick cash, they often come with high fees and interest rates, making them a potentially expensive form of borrowing.

How to Apply for an Online Small Payday Loan

The application process for an online small payday loan is easy and convenient. The following are the steps to follow to get your much-needed loan today:
- Select a payday lending company of your choice from our list of recommended providers.
- Visit the lender’s official website.
- Complete a brief and straightforward application form.
- Submit your application and await an approval decision from the lender.
- Upon approval, the loan amount will be transferred to your bank account.
By following the above steps, you are guaranteed a small payday loan from any of our recommended lenders.

Who can access a Small Payday Loans?

Many people turn to small payday loans as a way to access quick cash in an emergency or to cover unexpected expenses. Here, we will discuss some of the most common payday loan borrowers. They are:

Individuals with bad credit

People with bad credit can use small payday loans because they are usually unable to qualify for traditional forms of credit, such as credit cards or personal loans. With a poor credit history, this group is usually seen as a higher risk by lenders, making it harder for them to access credit or to secure favorable terms. Payday loans may be seen as a way to access cash quickly as they have no credit checks.

Low-income earners

Individuals with low incomes are often the most frequent users of payday loans because they struggle to make ends meet and may not have access to other forms of credit. With limited savings and a low credit score, they find it challenging to borrow from traditional lenders. Small payday loans offer a quick and convenient way to access cash for this lot.

Young adults

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely to use small payday loans than any other age group. This is due to limited credit history and income, as most of them are still in the early years of their careers and may not have established credit or savings. Lack of access to other sources of funding is also another reason why young adults turn to small payday loans.

Minorities

Minority communities can also utilize payday loans due to limited access to traditional forms of credit and systemic economic disparities. It is for this reason that small payday loan providers tend to be more prevalent in neighborhoods with high minority populations.

Freelancers

Freelancers, or better yet, gig economy workers, often have unpredictable income streams that make it challenging to qualify for traditional loans. Small payday loans can provide a quick and easy source of cash for these individuals to cover unexpected expenses or manage their cash flow. Lenders typically do not require collateral, and they have no credit checks, making them a more accessible option.

Impact of Small Payday Loans On Consumers

Positive Impacts
- Access to emergency funds – Small payday loans provide consumers with access to quick cash in case of an emergency. Unlike traditional loans, payday loans often have a quick and straightforward application process, which helps consumers access the funds they need more quickly.
- Improved credit score – If the borrower repays the loan on time, small payday loans can help improve their credit score by showing a history of timely payments. This can be particularly beneficial for borrowers who have limited credit history or poor credit scores. By demonstrating that they can manage their debts, borrowers can build a positive credit history and potentially qualify for better loan terms in the future.
- Avoiding greater financial problems – Small payday loans help consumers avoid more significant financial problems, such as defaulting on a loan or having their utilities shut off. Taking out a payday loan helps borrowers avoid late fees and penalties for other obligations that could further exacerbate their financial situation.
Negative impacts:
- High-interest rates and fees – Small payday loans often come with interest rates and fees that are relatively higher compared to conventional loans. This can cause borrowers to fall into a debt cycle and struggle to repay the loan.
- Predatory lending practices – Some small payday loan lenders engage in predatory practices, such as aggressive marketing, hiding fees, targeting low-income or minority communities, and even encouraging borrowers to take out multiple loans at once, which can make it even harder to repay the debt.
- Debt cycle – As small payday loans are designed to be repaid within a short period, there is a chance that some consumers may find it difficult to repay the loan within that period and end up taking out another loan to cover the first one. This can lead to a debt cycle that can be difficult to break.
Conclusion

In conclusion, small payday loans can be a double-edged sword. They offer quick financial relief to those in need but also create a cycle of debt that is difficult to escape. While they can be a solution for immediate financial needs, borrowers ought to be cautious and considerate of the long-term implications of taking out a small payday loan. They should also be aware of their financial situation and ensure that they can repay the loan on time.

Overall, the decision to take out a small payday loan should be made carefully, weighing the pros and cons and exploring all options before committing. Financial stability should be the ultimate goal, and small payday loans should only be considered a last resort.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get approved for a small payday loan?

The approval process for a small payday loan can vary depending on the lender, but most lenders provide instant approval and can deposit the loan funds directly into your bank account within 24 hours or even less. You must, however, make the application during working hours to ensure no delays.

What happens if I can’t pay back my small payday loan on time?

If you can’t pay back your small payday loan on time, the lender may charge additional fees and interest, and the outstanding balance will continue to accrue interest until it is paid in full.

Can I get a small payday loan if I have bad credit?

Yes, you can still qualify for a small payday loan even if you have bad credit. Most payday lenders do not require a credit check; instead, they focus on your ability to repay the loan.

Can I get more than one small payday loan at a time?

While it is possible to have multiple small payday loans at the same time, it is generally not recommended as it can lead to a debt cycle and further financial difficulties.

Are small payday loans regulated by the government?

Yes, small payday loans are regulated by state and federal laws, including caps on interest rates and maximum loan amounts.

Are small payday loans a good idea?

Small payday loans can be a good option in certain situations when you need money quickly and have no other alternatives. However, they should be used sparingly and only for emergency expenses.

What should I do if I am having trouble paying back my small payday loan?

If you are having trouble paying back your small payday loan, you should contact your lender immediately to discuss your options. Some lenders may be willing to work out a payment plan or offer an extended repayment period.
- Email Support: support@lowcreditfinance.com
- Phone Number: 1-844-870-5672
Disclaimer and Disclosure

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own independent research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any financial decisions. The content herein reflects general information that may not be applicable to all individuals or jurisdictions.

Neither the publisher of this article nor its syndication partners assume any responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies, typographical errors, outdated information, or omissions that may be present in this content. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of publication, no guarantees are made regarding its completeness or reliability. Any actions taken by the reader based on the content of this article are strictly at their own risk.

The publisher and its affiliates do not endorse any specific lender, financial product, or service mentioned in this content. Any product or brand references are provided solely for educational and illustrative purposes.

This article may contain affiliate links. This means the publisher may receive compensation if readers click on a link or make a purchase through an affiliate partner. Such compensation does not influence the editorial content, which remains independent and unbiased. The presence of affiliate links does not constitute an endorsement of any product, service, or provider.

By reading this content, the reader agrees to hold the publisher, its writers, editors, and all affiliated syndication platforms harmless from any and all liability, damages, or claims arising directly or indirectly from the use of any information presented herein.

The MIL Network –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Iranian FM calls on Trump to change “disrespectful tone” towards Iran’s Supreme Leader

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

TEHRAN, June 28 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday that if U.S. President Donald Trump is sincere in his desire to reach an agreement with Tehran, it should abandon its “disrespectful tone” toward Iran’s supreme leader.

The diplomat made the statement in a post on the X social network, condemning the American leader for repeatedly using “disrespectful” language in his remarks about Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“If President Trump really wants to make a deal, he should drop his disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader and stop hurting millions of his sincere followers,” Araqchi said, noting that “goodwill begets goodwill, and respect begets respect.”

“The complexity of the Iranian character and tenacity are well known from our magnificent carpets, woven through countless hours of hard work and patience,” he stressed, adding that, however, “the basic principle of our people is very simple and clear: we know our worth, value our independence and never allow anyone else to decide our destiny.”

Since April, with the assistance of Oman, delegations from Iran and the United States have held five rounds of indirect talks on the issue of Tehran’s nuclear program and the lifting of American sanctions against it.

However, talks were suspended earlier this month after Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and other parts of the country. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Exclusive: New agenda for “green” cooperation is being formed within the framework of the “Belt and Road” initiative between Central Asian countries and China – scientist from Uzbekistan

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Tashkent, June 28 (Xinhua) — In the context of global challenges related to climate change and ecosystem degradation, combating desertification and promoting a “green” transition have become the most important state tasks for Uzbekistan, Dean of the Faculty of Economics of the Berdakh Karakalpak State University, Associate Professor Kishibay Kudiyarov said in an interview with Xinhua.

According to him, against the backdrop of the Aral Sea environmental crisis, the country is deeply aware that environmental safety is an integral part of national security. In this key area, China is seen as a reliable partner with valuable practical experience in green technologies, environmental management and sustainable development.

“In recent years, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries have made significant progress in cooperation with China in combating desertification and restoring vegetation,” the expert noted. In particular, in the Aral Sea region, experts from the two countries are jointly conducting research, introducing technologies for planting salt-resistant plants and adaptive agriculture. These measures not only improve the environmental situation, but also contribute to raising the standard of living of the population, confirming the sustainability of the “green” partnership.

K. Kudiyarov emphasized that a new agenda of “green” interaction is being formed within the framework of the “Belt and Road” initiative between the Central Asian countries and China. He drew attention to the development of wind and solar energy projects, as well as the growing interest in investing in “green” finance and environmental initiatives. All this contributes to the region’s transition to a low-carbon and sustainable development model.

The expert also noted that the concept of “ecological civilization” promoted by China has acquired special significance and has become an example for the entire region. China’s “green” development model not only serves as a guideline in the field of environmental protection, but also provides Central Asian countries with effective tools for achieving a balance between economic growth and nature conservation,” he emphasized.

Optimistically assessing the prospects for further cooperation, K. Kudiyarov expressed Uzbekistan’s readiness for even deeper institutional interaction with China in the fight against desertification and promoting the “green” transition. “Whether it is scientific cooperation, the development of regional standards or environmental education, we are ready to promote the construction of the “green” Silk Road” together with China and contribute to environmental safety and sustainable development of the entire Central Asian region,” he concluded. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on Melissa and Mark Hortman

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
MINNESOTA – Today we lay to rest two incredible Minnesotans who we lost too soon. While I was able to meet with the family and join thousands of Minnesotans at the Capitol yesterday to pay my respect, potential votes later today and the gravity of the budget bill before the Senate do not allow me to attend the funeral in person. My husband John will be there and I will be watching the service by live stream. My statement:
“I join the state and the country in honoring our beloved friends Melissa and Mark Hortman. In speaking with their children Sophie and Colin yesterday at the Minnesota Capitol, I know that their Melissa and Mark’s legacy of goodness and service to others is in the best of hands.
“Between the two of them, Melissa and Mark represented the best of leadership and citizenship. They met as volunteers working to help kids, and that dedication to serving others never wavered. Because of Melissa’s tenacity as a legislator, Minnesota kids get free school lunch, Minnesota parents get paid leave to care for their newborns, and our state is on track to achieve 100% clean energy. Mark’s friends knew him for his love of nature and of trying new things. Whether he was repairing cars, brewing beers, or woodworking, it was clear he enjoyed building things and making them better. Melissa and Mark had no greater joy in their lives than their two children, who loved them fiercely.
“Sophie and Colin said that the best way to honor their parents is ‘to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.’ I can think of no better way to honor Melissa and Mark.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI China: PLA Navy’s aircraft carrier Shandongto visit Hong Kong 2025-06-28 21:18:37 A Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy task group comprising of aircraft carrier Shandong (Hull 17), guided-missile destroyers Yan’an (Hull 106) and Zhanjiang (Hull 165), andguided-missile frigate Yuncheng (Hull 571) will visit Hong Kong from July 3 to 7, 2025.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
loading…

MIL OSI China News –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Shaping the Development of NYS Transportation
Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the draft 2050 New York State Transportation Master Plan, which will shape the development of New York’s transportation infrastructure for the coming decades, is now available for the public to review. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), in partnership with transportation agencies across the state, drafted this forward-looking plan and is now seeking input from the public to help inform the completion of the final document planned for later this summer. Members of the public are encouraged to review the draft plan and attend one of two virtual public forums planned for July 8.

“New York State is making historic investments to rebuild our infrastructure to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and we want to keep this momentum going well into the future,” Governor Hochul said. “I encourage everyone to read this draft master plan and offer their feedback so that we can ensure that New Yorkers get a transportation network that meets their needs, not only for today but in the decades to come as well.”

NYSDOT recognizes that transportation is about more than infrastructure — it is about people, places and experiences. Every day, millions of New York residents and visitors rely on the State’s network of roads, public transit, bicycle trails, and sidewalks to access jobs, education, health care and recreation. New York’s highways, railways, airports and ports support the movement of essential products and goods and connect communities across the state and the world. Decisions about transportation today will have long-lasting impacts.

At the same time, rapid change is occurring and there are new challenges and issues to consider — such as travel behavior changes, new technology advancements and more extreme weather resulting from climate change. As a result, there is a vital need to look beyond specific transportation projects today and create a holistic vision for the future of transportation in our communities.

The draft New York State Transportation Master Plan lays out a vision for “community-centered transportation” throughout New York State with an outlook to 2050. It identifies policies and priorities to support thriving communities, economic vitality, a clean and healthy environment, and other community-based goals. Specifically, it:
- Describes New York’s existing transportation system and how it is performing;
- Discusses key trends and issues affecting transportation that are anticipated to be important in the future;
- Identifies transportation goals, objectives and performance measures for tracking progress; and
- Defines strategic directions, policies and priorities for New York State’s multimodal transportation system
Input from the public is vital to ensure that the plan addresses the transportation needs of all state residents and visitors. Members of the public are encouraged to visit the New York State Transportation Master Plan 2025 website to review the draft document, provide feedback and register for future updates. Information is also available on the website about how to register for virtual public forums that are planned for Tuesday, July 8, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

NYSDOT is committed to engagement across all regions of the state, including outreach to historically underserved communities and providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate. To ensure that those who need assistance can access the Draft Plan and attend the Virtual Public Forums, accommodations can be requested by emailing Colleen Smith-Lemmon at [email protected].

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “In order to truly fulfill our mission of providing a safe, reliable, accessible and resilient transportation system that serves all New Yorkers, we must look to the future transportation needs of coming generations and be prepared to meet them. This draft master plan is a step in that process and in order to succeed we need everyone’s input. I encourage everyone to read the draft master plan and give us feedback so that we can work toward a fully accessible transportation network for all New Yorkers.”

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “Transportation is woven through the daily lives of millions of New Yorkers. From commuting to work and school to accessing healthcare and essential services, transportation is vital to maintaining thriving, connected communities. Governor Hochul’s draft Transportation Plan offers an opportunity to assess the future of mobility in New York — addressing emerging technologies, infrastructure upgrades, and climate resilient solutions. I am reviewing the plan and encourage all New Yorkers to attend public forums and help us ensure a future of transportation that works for everyone.”

Assemblymember William Margnarelli said, “The release of the draft 2050 Master Transportation Plan for New York State is an important step as New York seeks to build out a safe, efficient, resilient, and modern transportation network. I look forward to reviewing the draft and its recommendations.”

About the Department of Transportation

It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!
For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X or Instagram, or visit our website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: PLA Navy flotilla led by aircraft carrier Shandong to visit Hong Kong /detailed version-1/

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) — With the approval of the Central Military Commission, a PLA naval flotilla led by the aircraft carrier Shandong will visit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) from July 3 to 7, an official statement said Saturday.

The flotilla, which also includes the guided-missile destroyers Yan’an and Zhanjiang and the guided-missile frigate Yuncheng, will conduct a series of public tours and cultural exchange activities.

These events aim to give Hong Kong compatriots a more direct and in-depth understanding of China’s achievements in developing national defense and the armed forces in the new era. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: Iran emerged weakened and vulnerable after war with Israel − and that could mean trouble for country’s ethnic minorities

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Shukriya Bradost, Ph.D. Student of Planning, Governance and Globalization, Virginia Tech

Iranians celebrate the ceasefire in downtown Tehran, but many blame their own leaders for the escalation. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The 12-day confrontation between Iran and Israel in June 2025 may not have escalated into a full-scale regional war, but it marks a potentially critical turning point in Iran’s internal political landscape.

Though the Islamic Republic has entered into direct conflict with a foreign adversary before, it has never done so while so militarily weakened, internally fractured and increasingly alienated from its own population.

And unlike the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, when national unity coalesced around the defense of Iranian sovereignty, this time the government appeared to fight without significant public support. While accurate polling from within Iran is hard to come by, the lack of pro-government rallies, the low approval numbers for the government ahead of the war and the government’s subsequent crackdown since tell their own stories.

As a researcher of different ethnic groups within the country, I know that many Iranians – especially those from historically marginalized communities – viewed the conflict with Israel not as a defense of the nation but as a reckless consequence of the government’s ideological adventurism and regional proxy campaigns. It puts the Islamic Republic in its most vulnerable position since its establishment after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

Hard and soft power diminished

It is worth taking a snapshot of just how diminished the Iranian government is following the recent series of blows.

Its soft power – once built on revolutionary legitimacy, Shiite ideological influence and anti-Western propaganda – has eroded dramatically.

For decades, the Islamic Republic relied on a powerful narrative: that it was the only government bold enough to confront the United States and Israel, defend Muslim causes globally and serve as the spiritual leader of the Islamic world. This image, projected through state media, proxy militias and religious rhetoric, helped the government justify its foreign interventions and massive military spending, particularly on nuclear development and regional militias.

But that narrative no longer resonates the way it once did. The leaders of Iran can no longer claim to inspire unity at home or fear abroad. Even among Shiite populations in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, support during the Israel-Iran confrontation was muted. Inside Iran, meanwhile, propaganda portraying Israel as the existential enemy has lost its grip, especially among the youth, who increasingly identify with human rights movements rather than government slogans.

It is also clear that Iran’s hard power is getting weaker. The loss of senior commanders and the destruction of important military infrastructure have shown that the government’s intelligence and security systems are severely compromised.

Even before Israel’s attack, a number of reports showed that Iran’s military was in its weakest state in decades. The real surprise in the recent war came not from the scale of the damage by Israeli and U.S. bombs but from how deeply Israel had penetrated the upper echelons of the Iranian military and intelligence sectors. The recent conflict amounted to a security as well as a military failure.

Externally defeated, internally adrift

As its power across the region appears diminished, so too is the Iranian government’s grip loosening internally. A 2024 survey by Iran’s Ministry of Culture revealed “discontent” among the population, with over 90% of Iranians “dissatisfied” with the country’s current position. Elections in November 2024 saw a turnout of under 40%, further underscoring Iranians’ discontent with the political process.

And reporting from inside Iran suggests many Iranians blame government policies for the war with Israel. “I place the blame on this country’s decision-makers,” one resident of Rasht told Reuters, “their policies have brought war and destruction upon us.”

The government has responded with a tactic it has used before: repression. According to government-aligned media, over 700 people were arrested during and immediately after the conflict, accused of collaborating with the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency.

As in past crackdowns, ethnic minority regions – particularly Kurdish areas – have been targeted.

One day after the ceasefire with Israel, the government executed three Kurdish cross-border laborers who rely on smuggling goods to survive in Iran’s underdeveloped Kurdish provinces.

These executions, which were done without a trial or legal counsel, fit a pattern of how the government uses ethnic scapegoating to stay in power. And it echoes a historic pattern: When the government feels threatened, it strikes the Kurds first.

A historical pattern of repression

Kurds are estimated to number 10-12 million in Iran, composing roughly 12% to 15% of the country’s total population – making them the third-largest ethnic group after Persians and Azeris. Iran also includes significant Baluch and Arab minorities.

When the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, many ethnic groups supported the revolution. They hoped for a more inclusive and democratic Iran than what preceded it – the brutal autocracy of the shah that had frequently targeted minorities.

Those hopes were quickly dashed. By rejecting pluralism and promoting a unifying ideology centered on Shiite Islam and Persian identity, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini marginalized non-Persian and non-Shiite groups.

Other ethnic groups were viewed with suspicion, while Shiite Azerbaijanis were mainly co-opted into the system.

Khomeini declared jihad against Kurdish resistance groups, labeling them infidels, separatists and agents of Israel and the United States.

Armed with advanced weaponry inherited from the last Pahlavi shah, the government launched a military campaign in Kurdistan province. Many Kurdish villages and towns were destroyed, and approximately 50,000 Iranian Kurds were killed between 1979 and 1988.

The region was turned into a militarized zone – a status that continues today.

Campaign against Kurds

After the Iran-Iraq war ended in August 1988, the government – economically strained and militarily weakened – feared a domestic uprising.

But instead of embracing political reform, it responded with one of the most brutal crackdowns in Iran’s history. Khomeini issued a fatwa, or religious edict, ordering the execution of political prisoners, including large numbers of Kurdish dissidents.

Between late July and September 1988, thousands of political prisoners were executed – many without trial or any legal process. At least 5,000 people were killed and buried in unmarked mass graves, according to Amnesty International.

Khomeini labeled them “mohareb,” or “warriors against God,” and criticized the Revolutionary Courts for not sentencing them to death sooner. This mass execution campaign signaled the government’s resolve to eliminate all dissent, regardless of legal precedent or human rights norms.

In the years that followed, the government systematically assassinated prominent Kurdish leaders and other opposition leaders, both in Iran and overseas.

This targeted elimination of Kurdish leadership, combined with the mass executions of political prisoners, was a deliberate strategy to decapitate any organized opposition before it could challenge the government’s survival.

A new crisis, the same strategy

The Islamic Republic appears to be using the same playbook now, but under far more fragile conditions.

Given the precarious state of the government, it is fair to ask why there are not more protests now, especially in ethnic minority regions. For many, the answer is fear over what happens next.

Many Kurds have learned from previous uprisings – particularly the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” movement – that when they lead protests, they face the harshest crackdown. Over 56% of those killed and persecuted in the subsequent crackdown were Kurds.

Meanwhile, the overall opposition remains fractured and leaderless, both along ethnic lines and in terms of goals. The main opposition groups have traditionally been reluctant to acknowledge ethnic rights, let alone include them in any vision for a future Iran. Rather, they insist on “territorial integrity” as a precondition for any dialogue, echoing the Islamic Republic’s rhetoric.

This is a key legacy of the Islamic Republic: Its propaganda has not only shaped domestic opinion but also influenced the opposition, dividing Iranians at home and abroad. And it has long mobilized the dominant ethnic group against minorities, especially Kurds, by portraying them as internal enemies.

Shukriya Bradost 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. Iran emerged weakened and vulnerable after war with Israel − and that could mean trouble for country’s ethnic minorities – https://theconversation.com/iran-emerged-weakened-and-vulnerable-after-war-with-israel-and-that-could-mean-trouble-for-countrys-ethnic-minorities-259753

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Yemen’s Houthis Claim Ballistic Missile Strike on ‘Sensitive’ Israeli Target

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

SANAA/JERUSALEM, June 28 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthis launched a Zulfiqar ballistic missile that “successfully hit” a “sensitive” site in southern Israel, where an air raid siren was sounded for the first time since the ceasefire with Iran, rebel spokesman Yahya Saria said in an address on Al-Masirah TV on Saturday.

Earlier this week, the Houthis carried out “several military operations” against “sensitive” targets and military installations in the Israeli cities of Beersheba, Jaffa (Tel Aviv) and Haifa, using ballistic missiles and drones, he said. All operations were “successfully carried out,” Saria added.

The actions were “a form of support for the oppressed Palestinian people,” he said, vowing that the Houthis would continue their “supportive military operations until the aggression in Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted.”

In turn, the Israel Defense Forces /IDF/ reported that a rocket flying from Yemen towards Israel on Saturday morning “was most likely successfully intercepted.” –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pledge to protect Armed Forces community as government delivers on manifesto commitment
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Pledge to protect Armed Forces community as government delivers on manifesto commitment

Military personnel, their families and veterans are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central government for the first time under new plans announced by the Prime Minister.

Transformative protections for military personnel, veterans and their families, including the bereaved, have been announced by the Prime Minister today.

Legislation will be brought forward to deliver manifesto promise to bring Armed Forces Covenant fully into law, placing the Armed Forces community at the heart of government decision-making.

Prime Minister visits RAF Valley to celebrate our Armed Forces Day.

Comes after a year of delivery for our Armed Forces and veterans, including “homes for heroes,” new funding for wraparound support and new Armed Forces Commissioner to advocate on behalf of the service community.

Military personnel, their families and veterans are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central government for the first time under new plans announced by the Prime Minister.

As the nation marks Armed Forces Day, the Prime Minister visited RAF Valley in Wales where he met trainee pilots and their families to celebrate Armed Forces Week.

It comes as the Government confirms plans for the first time that all government departments will have to legally consider the needs of the Armed Forces community when making new policy.

More details of the legal duty will be set out in due course, but could include initiatives such as extending travel benefits to the families of veterans and the bereaved, or flexible working for partners of serving personnel who are required to move as part for their role in the Armed Forces.

This delivers on a manifesto promise and is part of the Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and following the Strategic Defence Review, which underscored the role our Armed Forces play in protecting our national security, which is the foundation of this Government’s Plan for Change.

This Government has committed to renewing its contract with the Armed Forces community, delivering two above inflation pay awards for service personnel and an extra £1.5bn investment this parliament to improve forces’ family housing through the Strategic Defence Review.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“Across the country and around the world, our service personnel and their families make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and protect our freedom and our way of life.

“When I became Prime Minister, I made a promise to serve those who have served us. Through the new Armed Forces Covenant, we are delivering on that promise — ensuring our service personnel, veterans and their families are treated with the respect they deserve – that is our duty.

“Our Armed Forces Covenant will put our Armed Forces community at the very heart of government decision-making. Their courage, duty, and sacrifice are the foundation of our national values, and they deserve nothing less.”

The new Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty will ensure:

Fair access to services: Ensures that serving personnel, veterans, and their families are not disadvantaged.

Priority support for those most in need: Provides additional help for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.

Legal duty on public bodies: Local authorities, NHS bodies, and schools must consider the needs of the Armed Forces community in their decision-making.

Annual reporting: The government is legally required to publish an annual report on Covenant delivery and progress.

Announcement follows the Prime Minister’s “homes for heroes” policy guaranteeing housing for all UK Armed Forces veterans, exempting them from local connection rules for social housing.

The Prime Minister also announced £3.5 million of funding for wraparound support services for veterans at risk of homelessness, including mental health, employment, and independent living support earlier this year.

Today’s announcement forms part of a wider commitment to renew the contract with those who have served the country are treated with respect and long-term security.

Under the new legislation all areas of government will for the first time have to have ‘due regard’ for the Armed Forces Covenant when policy and decision making; taking into account the unique circumstances and position of the Armed Forces community to prevent disadvantage.

Currently this is only legally required in areas of housing, healthcare and education and only at local level, so, not applicable to central government. The Legal Duty Extension marks a huge step forward in increasing support for the Armed Forces community.

This extension follows consultation with over 150 organisations and builds on recommendations from the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.

Veterans and People Minister Alistair Carns MP said:

“Service life offers unique opportunities for personal growth and camaraderie, but it also demands exceptional sacrifices. Today, we’re taking bold action to ensure that those who serve our country receive the recognition and support they deserve by embedding these principles into law.

“Whether you serve in the regular or reserve forces, you and your families stand to benefit from the Covenant Legal Duty Extension and its principles as part of our government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.”

The Armed Forces Covenant is built on a simple but powerful principle: no one in the Armed Forces community should face disadvantage in accessing public or commercial services.

Mark Atkinson, Director General, Royal British Legion:

“The Royal British Legion has been calling for a stronger Armed Forces Covenant for over a decade.

“Those who have served in the Armed Forces often face unique challenges, for example moving frequently during service can make it hard for families to receive consistent support from public services or for spouses and partners to build careers. Expanding the Covenant Legal Duty will help public services better respond to these challenges by ensuring the needs of the Armed Forces community are taken into account when making decisions.

“Currently the Covenant Legal Duty only applies to some areas of housing, education, and healthcare. We firmly welcome the decision to bring the Covenant fully into law to make sure all parts of government across the UK are working together and focused on providing the best possible support for those who are serving, have served, their families and the bereaved.

“It will be vital that the impact of the Duty is measured effectively and those who deliver services must also be resourced with funding and training so that they can fully understand the purpose of the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure this change makes a meaningful difference to the lives of all those in the Armed Forces community.”

The new legal duty announced today will extend this commitment across all government departments and devolved administrations. This transformative measure ensures that serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families are considered in every relevant policy decision—giving them a meaningful voice and delivering on the Government’s pledge to strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities.

This builds on existing successes in housing, education, and healthcare, such as dedicated NHS pathways for veterans and the Service Pupil Premium.

Additional information

The extension of the Legal Duty will encompass all UK Government Departments and Devolved Governments, and the following policy areas:

·         Housing

·         Education

·         Healthcare

·         Social care

·         Childcare

·         Employment and service in the armed forces

·         Personal taxation

·         Welfare benefits

·         Criminal justice

·         Immigration

·         Citizenship

·         Pensions

·         Service-related compensation

·         Transport

For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant and the legal duty extension, please visit www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk.

It is our ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, which is required every five years to continue to have an Armed Forces.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 28 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen salutes Armed Forces with impressive parade

Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

More than 1,000 serving military personnel, veterans and cadets were joined by massed pipes and drums and vintage military vehicles in Aberdeen’s Armed Forces Day parade today (Saturday 28 June).

The 30-minute parade started at Albyn Place at 11am, before making its made its way along Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill, Upperkirkgate, Broad Street, and finishing at the Castlegate.

On Broad Street, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, in his role as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant was joined by representatives from the UK’s Armed Forces, to take the salute in front of the City’s official flagpole outside Marischal College, on Broad Street.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, said: “Today’s parade is a tribute to the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of our Armed Forces. It was heartening to see the parade route lined with residents and visitors alike, young and older, waving Aberdeen Armed Forces Day parade flags and showing their support. This parade reminds us of the enduring bond between our community and those who serve.”

Major (Retd) Grenville Irvine-Fortescue, Chairman of The Gordon Highlanders Regimental Association, said: “Armed Forces Day is always special as it honours and recognises the service, dedication and sacrifice of our men and women from across all the Services. In this year of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 that service and sacrifice is brought into even sharper focus. The veterans who march today are immensely proud to do so. They march in memory of those who have gone before. They march in support of our Armed Services of today, both Regular and Reserve Forces. They march out of respect for those servicemen and women who bare the mental and physical scars of their service and they march in deep gratitude to the families who have and continue to provide such amazing support.

“We also acknowledge the Navy, Army and Air Cadet Forces, the commitment they make and the pride they take in being a part of the parade today.

“For us here in Aberdeen we have the special honour of our last WW2 and D Day Gordon Highlander veteran, Jim Glennie BEM, Legion d’honneur, joining His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, Dr David Cameron, to take the salute as the parade marches past.

“On behalf of The Gordon Highlanders Association, I would like to thank the Lord-Lieutenant, Aberdeen City Council and the people of Aberdeen City, the communities of Aberdeenshire and the wider North East, for their wonderful support to this Armed Forces Day and their commitment to continue to stand by the remarkable men and women of our Armed Services. That support is greatly appreciated and makes us all march a bit taller.”

John McLeish, Chief Executive, The Gordon Highlanders Museum, said: “Once again, Aberdeen’s Armed Forces Day Parade has captured the hearts of people across the city and beyond. We are delighted to have been able to support this year’s ‘design a flag’ competition and we look forward to welcoming the winners to The Gordon Highlanders Museum in the near future.”

Members of the public who lined the parade route were given special Aberdeen Armed Forces Day flags to wave, which featured a special design by Marley Smith, a Primary Six Year pupil from the city’s Broomhill School.

The Gordon Highlanders Museum supports the ‘design a flag’ competition by gifting the three age-group category winners, which includes the overall winner, with family passes to the museum.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for Leytonstone murder after detectives extradite him from Sweden

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man who fled the UK in an attempt to evade justice has been jailed for murder.

Sabajet Shuti – 31 (04.07.93) of Upney Lane, Barking was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 27 years following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 27 June.

Shuti had been found guilty of murdering 27-year-old Lumturi Zeqja, along with possession of a knife and GBH relating to a second man at the conclusion of a trial at the same court on 14 April.

Shuti’s brother, Emirlion Shuti – 30 (13.12.94) of Blake Avenue, Barking was found guilty of affray during the same trial. He received a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years.

The court heard how Sabajet Shuti launched his fatal attack on the evening of 16 October 2022 in Church Lane, Leytonstone.

Lumturi was standing outside a café with his friend when the Shuti brothers arrived at around 22:40hrs in two cars. The brothers went to a separate café but shortly after Emirlion Shuti returned to one of the cars and began to drive it erratically along the road, revving the engine and causing a disturbance.

Lumturi’s friend approached Emirlion and told him to stop but instead of doing this, Emirlion got out of the car and spoke to his brother and others who were outside the neighbouring café. The situation quickly escalated after Emirlion Shuti threw a punch at Lumturi’s friend. During the ensuing altercation Sabajet Shuti produced a knife and stabbed Lumturi twice, and his friend once.

Both Shuti brothers then fled the scene leaving Lumturi collapsed and dying on the pavement. The emergency services attended but despite their efforts they could not save him. His friend was taken to hospital for emergency surgery and thankfully survived the attack.

Detectives began to piece together evidence and from accessing CCTV and mobile phone footage were able to identify who was responsible.

The day after the murder, Sabajet Shuti made plans to leave the UK. He changed his appearance by shaving off his beard and then travelled to Folkestone before crossing the Channel into France. A warrant for his arrest was issued and around a year after the attack, on 3 October 2023 Sabajet Shuti was arrested in Sweden. He was extradited back to the UK to face the consequences of his actions.

In the intervening period, detectives had arrested and charged Emirlion Shuti for his role in the attack.

Detective Inspector Brett Hagen who led the investigation said: “Sabajet Shuti went to great lengths to try and evade justice, fleeing the country and regularly changing location in an attempt to avoid being arrested.

“However, his efforts were in vain as while he was on the run, our team of tenacious detectives had built a file of evidence and, working in liaison with international law enforcement colleagues, the net closed in on him.

“The level of violence Sabejet Shuti used was completely unnecessary – he went out that night armed with a knife so had clear intent of causing someone significant harm if the chance arose.

“His actions cost Lumturi Zeqja his life and has caused untold pain to his family and friends. While nothing I can say can alleviate their suffering, I hope they can take some small measure of comfort in seeing the Shuti brothers held to account for their actions.”

MIL Security OSI –

June 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: STATEMENT: Official visit to Ghana by H.E. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

Download logo

The Presidency of the Republic of Ghana is pleased to announce that the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi, will undertake a two-day Official Visit to Ghana from Wednesday, 2nd July, to Thursday, 3rd July, 2025.

The visit highlights the warm and longstanding friendly relations between Ghana and India, as well as the importance both nations place on strengthening their strategic partnership.

The itinerary for the visit includes a bilateral meeting between President Mahama and Prime Minister Modi at the Presidency. The two leaders will engage in discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across various sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, technology, education, healthcare, and energy. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Key highlights of the visit will include the signing of several bilateral agreements to consolidate cooperation frameworks between Ghana and India, followed by a joint Press Conference addressed by President Mahama and Prime Minister Modi. President Mahama will also host a State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi and his delegation.

The visit by Prime Minister Modi is expected to strengthen bilateral ties, foster deeper economic cooperation, and solidify the bonds of friendship between the peoples of Ghana and India.

– on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

MIL OSI Africa –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University

In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.

Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony.

And yet, this wasn’t the work of a global health agency or virology lab. The discovery came from a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, working with our small Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project team in Queen Elizabeth National Park. His only tools: a trail camera, curiosity and ecological instinct.

I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.

For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.

For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.

The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.

But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.

Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.

His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:

many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses

the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.

But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.

If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.

A hunch pays off

In early February 2025, Atukwatse and our small team of local scientists was expanding our long-term African leopard and spotted hyena monitoring grid into a new part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Maramagambo forest.

Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.

This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.

Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.

But that was just the beginning.

The scale of the discovery

When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.

As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.

Read more:
African wild dogs: DNA tests of their faeces reveal surprises about what they eat

Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.

Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.

It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.

This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.

Why does the discovery matter?

For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.

Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.

This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.

These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.

Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.

– ref. How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University

In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.

Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony.

And yet, this wasn’t the work of a global health agency or virology lab. The discovery came from a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, working with our small Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project team in Queen Elizabeth National Park. His only tools: a trail camera, curiosity and ecological instinct.

I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.

For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.

For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.

The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.

But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.

Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.

His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:

many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses

the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.

But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.

If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.

A hunch pays off

In early February 2025, Atukwatse and our small team of local scientists was expanding our long-term African leopard and spotted hyena monitoring grid into a new part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Maramagambo forest.

Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.

This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.

Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.

But that was just the beginning.

The scale of the discovery

When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.

As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.

Read more:
African wild dogs: DNA tests of their faeces reveal surprises about what they eat

Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.

Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.

It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.

This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.

Why does the discovery matter?

For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.

Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.

This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.

These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.

Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.

– ref. How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University

In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.

Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony.

And yet, this wasn’t the work of a global health agency or virology lab. The discovery came from a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, working with our small Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project team in Queen Elizabeth National Park. His only tools: a trail camera, curiosity and ecological instinct.

I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.

For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.

For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.

The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.

But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.

Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.

A leopard grabs a fruit bat at Uganda’s Python Cave. Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project

His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
- many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
- the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.

If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.

A hunch pays off

In early February 2025, Atukwatse and our small team of local scientists was expanding our long-term African leopard and spotted hyena monitoring grid into a new part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Maramagambo forest.

Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.

This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.

A blue monkey with bat in hand at Python Cave. Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project

Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.

But that was just the beginning.

The scale of the discovery

When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.

As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.

Read more: African wild dogs: DNA tests of their faeces reveal surprises about what they eat

Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.

Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.

Bosco Atukwatse.

It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.

This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.

Why does the discovery matter?

For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.

Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.

This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.

These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.

– How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues
– https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806

MIL OSI Africa –
June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Collaborative work between Seychelles and the European Union (EU) continues to bear fruit

Download logo

The Head of the European Union Delegation for the Seychelles, H.E. Ambassador Oskar Benedikt paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Minister Sylvestre Radegonde, on Friday 27th June 2025, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy.

During their meeting, they discussed the cooperation between the European Union and Seychelles, particularly the status of the Port Victoria Rehabilitation and Extension Project and the implementation of the ‘European Solidarity Action Plan with Seychelles’, a Technical Cooperation Facility between the EU and Seychelles signed in 2024. They also touched on the progress of the ongoing negotiation to deepen and broaden the interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Eastern and Southern Africa configuration (the latter comprises of Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Zimbabwe).

They further discussed the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes and the efforts being done by the Government to ensure that Seychelles be removed from the list. The upcoming presidential and legislative elections was also discussed by Minister Radegonde and Ambassador Benedikt.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.

MIL OSI Africa –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Despite efforts towards a political solution, violence still rages in the east

Download logo

As the Foreign Ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a draft peace agreement in Washington this Friday, tensions and violence continue to grip eastern DRC.

Since January, the region has seen a new escalation of violence as the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group launched an offensive in North and South Kivu provinces.

While tensions persist in the DRC, both frontlines and negotiation positions are shifting, paving the way for peace, the Security Council heard this Friday.

The path to lasting peace in the DRC requires “collective action,” said Bintou Keita, Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO.

“Priority must be given to dialogue over division, and national cohesion must be actively preserved,” she said.

Yet, while diplomatic efforts focus on ways to address the current crisis, the situation in other regions within MONUSCO’s area of operations also demands urgent attention.

Humanitarian situation

With seven million people currently displaced across the country, 27.8 million people facing food insecurity and almost 1.4 million children in acute malnutrition, the humanitarian situation is dire.

The security crisis in the east of the country has worsened the humanitarian situation, yet due to funding cuts, MONUSCO does not have sufficient means to respond to it accordingly.

The suspension of funding from MONUSCO’s main donor, which covered 70 per cent of the humanitarian response in 2024, is “forcing humanitarian actors to focus solely on life-saving emergencies,” said Ms. Keita.

“We are at the end of July, and the humanitarian response plan is only 11 per cent funded,” she added.

Insecurity, sexual violence and abductions

Violence in the east of the country continues to disproportionately affect women, boys, and girls, notably as rape and other forms of sexual violence are still being systematically used as weapons of war.

Men and boys accused of links with opposing forces are at risk of abduction, while women and girls who have survived sexual violence face severely limited access to healthcare, as healthcare facilities are often targeted by attacks.

In 2025, over 290 schools were destroyed, with ongoing cycles of violence keeping 1.3 million children out of the education system in Ituri, in the east of the country.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

MIL OSI Africa –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The government established scholarships named after A.N. Krylov

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950

Document

Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950

Students with significant achievements in the field of shipbuilding will be able to receive scholarships named after the outstanding Russian scientist, academician-shipbuilder A.N.Krylov. The decree on the establishment of such scholarships was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Starting from September 1, 2025, 10 full-time students (cadets) will receive a monthly stipend. The amount of the payment will be 15 thousand rubles for each scholarship recipient. The stipend will be assigned for 12 months.

Scholarships will be awarded annually based on the results of a competitive selection by a commission to be created by the Ministry of Education and Science. Students in higher education programs will be able to apply for them. Candidates will be nominated by the academic councils of universities.

Applicants for scholarships must study in the group of specialties and areas of training “Engineering and technology of shipbuilding and water transport”, have “excellent” and “good” grades based on the results of the midterm assessment, and also have results in research or scientific and practical activities in the field of shipbuilding.

Alexey Nikolaevich Krylov (1863–1945) was an outstanding Russian and Soviet mathematician, mechanic and shipbuilding engineer, and an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was the founder of the Russian school of shipbuilding.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: The facades of the UrFU campus in Yekaterinburg are being completed

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

The facades of the buildings of the academic buildings of the world-class campus of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) in Yekaterinburg are being completed, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

“Today is Youth Day. We sincerely value our future specialists. Their ideas, energy and desire for knowledge are the foundation of Russia’s progress. It is important for us that students feel comfortable studying, developing and realizing their talents. Thus, on the instructions of the President, modern university campuses with advanced infrastructure are being created. They will become centers for study, science, creativity and student initiatives. There, students gain knowledge, engage in scientific activities, and participate in cultural events. By 2030, 25 such campuses should be put into operation in our country. Currently, the Single Customer in Construction PPC alone is implementing four projects – in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Orel and Kaliningrad. Thus, in the Sverdlovsk Region, at the Ural Federal University, the installation of facades is being completed in three educational buildings,” said Marat Khusnullin.

The total area of the three buildings – the specialized educational and scientific center for senior schoolchildren (SUNC UrFU), the Institute of Radio Electronics and Information Technology (IRIT-RTF UrFU) and the Institute of Economics and Management (InEU UrFU) – is 100 thousand square meters. The construction of the buildings is planned to be completed by the end of 2025.

Each of them will be equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, co-working spaces and canteens. More than 8 thousand students will be able to study in comfortable conditions on the territory of the new campus.

“Ediny Zakazator” is building the second stage of the campus implementation. Interior finishing works and installation of engineering systems are currently underway in three buildings. The installation of elevators and lifts has also already been completed. The builders are carrying out a large volume of work according to the established schedule. Currently, the project is 70 percent complete,” noted Karen Oganesyan, General Director of PPK “Ediny Zakazator”.

Modern infrastructure for young people plays a key role in attracting talented students from different regions. This creates conditions for the exchange of experience and ideas, which in turn contributes to the development of new technologies.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The government allocated over 5.6 billion rubles to support a number of regions

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

Orders of June 27, 2025 No. 1693-r and No. 1696-r

Documents

Order of June 27, 2025 No. 1696-r

Order of June 27, 2025 No. 1693-r

More than 5.6 billion rubles will be allocated to ensure the balanced budgets of the Kemerovo Region, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The orders to this effect were signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Of the total amount, about 3 billion rubles are intended as subsidies for Crimea and Sevastopol. The funds will be used to continue implementing the activities of the state program “Socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol”. Thanks to this program, hundreds of important facilities have already been built, including utility networks, roads and railways, including the Tavrida highway and the bridge across the Kerch Strait. The Simferopol airport was also renovated, new kindergartens, schools, modern health complexes were opened, hospitals and clinics were built so that residents could undergo qualified examination and treatment. This year, funding for activities under the state program has already exceeded 112 billion rubles.

About 2.7 billion rubles will be allocated from the Government’s reserve fund for additional financial support for the Kemerovo Region. This will help solve socially significant problems for residents of Kuzbass, including ensuring the costs of paying wages to public sector employees.

The issues were discussed atGovernment meeting on June 26“We will continue to do everything necessary to create conditions for improving the quality of life of citizens throughout Russia,” Mikhail Mishustin emphasized.

The President noted that all subjects of Russia have good potential for growth, it is important to help them to reveal, fill this potential and use it, to organize work in promising areas, the head of the Cabinet recalled.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Unconscious person in custody dies in hospital

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

â€‹A 74-year-old male person in custody, who had been found unconscious in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, died in a public hospital today (June 28).

The person in custody suffered from diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He required continuous medical care and follow-up at the institution hospital and a public hospital. At 7.22am today, the person in custody was found unconscious in a hospital ward by a correctional officer. The officer immediately called for reinforcement to provide first-aid treatment to him, and an ambulance was called at once to send him to a public hospital for further treatment. He remained unconscious after being sent to the public hospital. His condition deteriorated and he was certified dead at 9.38am today.

The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner’s Court.

The person in custody was convicted for the offence of arson and detained under a hospital order for psychiatric treatment in June 2025.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Love summer but hate winter? Here’s why your mood shifts so much with the seasons

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

Many people find their mood gets a boost in the summer. Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB/ Shutterstock

Summer is the UK’s best-loved season. It’s easy to see why, with the warmer, sunnier weather it brings. But the temperature isn’t the only reason people prefer midsummer to the dark days of winter. Many also report their mood is better during the warmer months.

But why is it that our mood changes so much through the seasons? While there are many complex reasons why the weather can have such a significant affect on our mood and wellbeing, the key answer lies in our brain – and the way almost all of our body’s systems are hardwired to respond to what’s going on around us.

Your body’s core temperature is set at 37°C. Temperature is regulated by an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. This nerve centre receives information about temperature from all over the body and initiates actions to either cool down or warm up accordingly.

The outside temperature can also affect our biological clock – otherwise known as our circadian rhythms. These govern, among other functions, our sleep-wake cycles.

Our circadian rhythms are also regulated by the hypothalamus – more specifically, a part of it called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The fact that both temperature control and sleep-wake cycles are governed from within the same region of the brain suggests they are inextricably connected.

This connection can also partly help to explain why our moods can shift so much from winter to summer. It’s the interaction between these nervous pathways that are believed to impact mood through their effect on sleep, mood-influencing neurotransmitters, and more.

For instance, in winter, many people find their mood takes a dip – especially during the long, dark days of midwinter. Some people even develop seasonal affective disorder (Sad), a condition associated with depressive episodes that fluctuate with the comings-and-goings of the different seasons – though it’s typically more common in the winter because of the darker days and cold temperatures.

Sad can also cause sleep disturbances, lethargy and appetite changes – particularly cravings for carbohydrates. As the summer months arrive, people with winter Sad usually find their symptoms significantly improve.

There’s some evidence that Sad is linked to secretion of a hormone called melatonin – a hormone that’s also linked to our circadian rhythms. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, which shares nervous connections with the hypothalamus and acts to control timing and quality of sleep.

Dark winter days appear to be the reason our mood takes a dip this time of year.
Nicoleta Ionescu/ Shutterstock

Melatonin levels typically remain relatively low during the day – but levels start to creep up in the evening, reaching their highest levels in the middle of the night. But the lower levels of daylight in the winter can cause dysfunction with melatonin levels, typically increasing it’s secretion. This probably explains why people feel sleepier and more fatigued in winter – and which may in turn trigger depression.

But it’s not just melatonin that’s linked to Sad. Other neurotransmitters which act as mood boosters (such as serotonin) appear to be affected by dark and cold days too. There also seems to be a link with geographical location – with evidence showing the condition is more common in regions furthest from the equator, where there are extremes of daylight and temperature.

Summertime sadness

When summer finally makes an appearance, the effect of sunshine and heat upon the energy-boosting neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) makes a notable difference to mood. This may be partly due to increased amounts of vitamin D – which is made in the skin, and requires sunlight exposure to reach higher levels. Vitamin D has been proven to positively affect serotonin levels.

But not everyone finds themselves pleased by summer’s hotter temperatures and longer days. Some may find they feel more miserable this season.

There’s another variation of Sad, albeit rarer (affecting less than 10% of Sad patients) that actually gets worse in summer.

It’s less clear why some people get Sad in the summertime – and is probably due to a range of factors. It may be due to the heat and humidity or even feelings of self-consciousness. It could possibly even be due to sleep disruptions – since the longer days might disrupt our circadian rhythm.

Read more:
Why it can be harder to sleep during the summer – and what you can do about it

Certain health conditions may also influence how we cope with the warmer temperatures. Take the menopause, where symptoms such as hot flushes may be exacerbated by the warmer weather. Those dealing with these symptoms may find it becomes even more difficult during heat waves – and this may take a toll on their mental wellbeing.

Some research does show that rising temperatures can be a precipitant for acute mental illness. One study examined a population of patients with bipolar disorder and found there was a significant peak in the number of hospital admissions in the summer months compared to patients with other psychiatric disorders. Their statistical analysis demonstrated that higher temperatures and solar radiation levels were the most significant determinants of acute episodes.

Another study has also suggested a link between increased temperatures and risk of suicidal behaviour.

The body’s natural responses to heat also feeds into the biological stress response. The mechanisms by which the body cools down, such as sweating and promoting blood flow to the skin, can cause dehydration and skin flushing. This may make people feel of frustrated and irritable, have trouble concentrating and may even impact the quality of sleep.

The interplay between temperature, sunlight, the body’s circadian clock and mood is a complex and intriguing conundrum – and one which is as unique as each person. While some of us are hard-wired to be sunchasers, others eagerly look forward to the dark days of winter. But in a world where climate change is a definite reality, we need to better understand how a warming world is going to affect our wellbeing.

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

– ref. Love summer but hate winter? Here’s why your mood shifts so much with the seasons – https://theconversation.com/love-summer-but-hate-winter-heres-why-your-mood-shifts-so-much-with-the-seasons-259323

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The Waldorf Astoria: what the history of this legendary hotel says about today’s crisis of the American establishment
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Prior, Lecturer in Politics with International Relations, London South Bank University

The Waldorf Astoria hotel on Park Avenue, New York City. Shutterstock/Gordon Bell

After eight years of renovations, the Waldorf Astoria in New York has reopened and is welcoming new guests. The Waldorf – as most people know it – introduced room service, velvet ropes, red-velvet cake and Thousand Island dressing. It gave its name to a salad, a chain of lunchrooms, as well as a now obscure form of democracy.

In 1907, the novelist Henry James said the Waldorf embodied what he called the “hotel spirit”: it was a place where everyone was equal – as long as they could afford the price of admission. To James, hotels defined America’s emerging culture and ideals. He said this new “spirit” was one of opportunity; of a new elite that was accessible not only by lineage, but by money.

As the historian and journalist David Freeland wrote, the Waldorf generally made room for all who were “able and ready to pay” and who displayed a willingness to “conduct themselves properly”. The Waldorf ethos was developed by its first maître d’, Oscar Tschirky – known simply as “Oscar of the Waldorf” because people struggled to pronounce his name. “Our innovations were startling and sensational”, Tschirky said in his ghost-written autobiography in 1943, “but they were always genteel”.

Those early innovations included the invention of the “presidential suite”, which saw the hotel become an unlikely early force for American feminism when it became a hub of high-level talks between suffragists and President Woodrow Wilson.

The Waldorf, then, is an American institution – or, at least, it used to be.
It is now in the hands of Chinese owners and has been shunned by presidents since Barack Obama, worried over potential security risks. The brand itself has been watered down as there are currently 32 “Waldorf Astorias” dotted around the globe.

The story of the Waldorf encapsulates modern America’s crisis of the establishment. Few places better personify the creation of the US version of the establishment (much more about money than breeding or class). And in the past decade, the hotel’s position, like the US establishment more generally, has come under assault by a rival hotel owner, Donald Trump.

The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.

Trump has his own ideas about how to use these modern palaces to project power – and his innovations are anything but genteel. So what can the beginnings of this former American institution tell us about America today? As a researcher of political and democratic institutions, I have been examining the role of hotels in the story of American democracy. And this particular story begins with a Swiss-born waiter.

Oscar of the Waldorf

Tschirky was born in the Swiss Alpine village of Le Locle in 1866. He and his mother boarded the steamer La France in 1883, bound for New York. In his book, he recalled his mother’s announcement:

Yes, Oscar, we’re going to go to America and live with your brother in that great land of plenty where we can have everything we’ve always wanted.

That night, according to his book, was “the beginning of Oscar’s career as beloved servitor and counsellor to the great and near great of this world”.

Although it would be ten years after arriving in New York, that Tschirky would join the Waldorf (which was just about to open) as maître d’. His contract and salary commenced on January 1 1893, ahead of the grand opening of the Fifth Avenue hotel in March. He would occupy his post for the next half-century as “host to the world”.

Tschirky would remain in place as the hotel expanded in 1897 when John Jacob Astor IV built and connected the larger, taller Astoria Hotel next door. Then in 1931 the hotel was forced to relocate when its Fifth Avenue location was razed for the Empire State Building. The “new” Waldorf Astoria New York reopened on Park Avenue with the addition of its famous towers, making it the tallest hotel in the world at the time.

Tschirky was born just one year after the end of the American Civil War. It was an America of Jim Crow laws and segregation. He would live to see women’s suffrage, but not the civil rights reforms of the mid-1960s.

Read more:
Activists are warning of a return to the Jim Crow era in America. But who or what was Jim Crow?

In this turbulent context, it appears that Tschirky did his best to keep the Waldorf out of politics. He stuck to the advice given by the Waldorf’s manager, George Boldt (himself a German immigrant) who told him that it was “not up to the hotel to settle international affairs”.

Tschirky came to understand, realise, and represent the “hotel spirit” of a new America as he presided over the establishment of hotels as American palaces: not only for visitors, but for the new American aristocracy.

A presidential palace

The Waldorf famously hosted every US president from Grover Cleveland to Franklin Roosevelt. In spring 1897, Cleveland was at the Waldorf with members of his former cabinet, who wanted him as Democratic candidate in the 1900 election. This was the first reported instance of “Waldorf democracy” – in this case, the term was used to identify this new group within (and in some respects differentiate it from) “the democracy”, that was the Democrats.

President Grover Cleveland (sitting on the far left) and his cabinet, between 1895 and 1896.
Shutterstock/Everett Collection

This politics was not embraced by all. As reported in The Ohio Democrat, Congressman Edward W. Carmack of Tennessee dismissed it as “the walled-off Democracy, because they are by themselves, representing nobody, and unable to influence a vote”.

Nevertheless, political elites liked the luxury that the Waldorf offered. Presidential suites were established during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency (1913-21). In the Waldorf, this famous suite emulates the furniture of the White House and still contains several presidential souvenirs, (including John F. Kennedy’s rocking chair).

The hotel was also popular among the famous “Four Hundred of the Gilded Age” – the highest echelons of New York society. The group was originally led by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. The Astors’ ancestral family home, the town of Walldorf, in western Germany, had even given the hotel its name. According to Tschirky’s book, the Waldorf’s grand ballroom was:

… where Teddy Roosevelt had dined, where presidents McKinley, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge and Hoover had spoken historic words to the nation, where princes of royal blood had been welcomed, where the great people in every walk of life had been honored.

The Waldorf proved a suitable palace for US presidents and their entourages and Tschirky, a suitable “servant”. When interviewed by Washington DC’s Evening Star, Tschirky “wouldn’t talk about presidents except to say that Franklin D. Roosevelt calls him, ‘my neighbor across the Hudson’”.

But Tschirky, “for all his celebrity acquaintances, never forgot that he was, in the end, a servant”, as Freeland wrote. The Waldorf likewise applied the term to its staff.

Exclusivity, exclusion and ‘democracy’

The world famous hotelier Conrad Hilton, who acquired the Waldorf in 1949, recalled in his autobiography, Be My Guest:

Originally the Waldorf was said to purvey exclusiveness to the exclusive. Later [the writer and artist] Oliver Herford announced that it ‘brought exclusiveness to the masses’. But that exclusiveness remained whether the hotel catered to a convention of three thousand or a tête-à-tête between crowned heads.

The Waldorf ethos projected “taste” and imbued it in others. Tschirky “subtly schooled Americans in fine European dining”. In 1956 – six years after Tschirky’s death – the New York Times recalled that, alongside Boldt, he undertook to teach people how to spend their money. The Waldorf embodied good taste by enforcing it, for example in its expectation of “proper conduct”.

But with exclusivity comes exclusion. Hence, the hotel’s introduction of the velvet rope. According to the Waldorf’s luxury suite specialists, this was done “to create order … the fact that it created a sense of stature and separation was secondary”.

Tschirky’s statement that “all who pay their bills are on an equal footing” reflects one of his “rules for success”:

… be as courteous to the man in a five dollar room as to the occupant of the royal suite. It is an old rule, but it never changes.

We can see from this mindset how the hotel was seen to possess, as American Studies scholar Annabella Fick put it, “a democratic quality … even though it is also elitist. In that, it invokes the democratic understanding of early America, which also differentiated between land-owning gentry and the mob”.

This was not the only differentiation. Just two years after the Waldorf opened, the 1895 New York State Equal Rights Law (commonly known as the Malby Law) – which aimed to abolish racial discrimination in public places – had aroused Boldt’s indignation. According to Freeland, Boldt described the law to reporters as “an outrage, as it prevents us from making any selection of our patrons. A man who runs a first-class hotel must respect the wishes of his guests as to the sort of people that he entertains, and the law should not dictate to him.”

In his paradoxical desire for the freedom to discriminate and persecute as he wished – and on behalf of his customers, real or imagined – Boldt illustrated the exclusion inherent in exclusivity. Boldt’s statement also presaged a system of informal segregation, in which Black Americans were allowed in the Waldorf (and elsewhere), but were certainly not welcome.

Despite this the Waldorf was at the heart of a fundamental shift in American culture which “invited” ordinary Americans access beyond the velvet rope – as long as they could afford it. As James McCarthy and John Rutherford said in their 1931 book, Peacock Alley: “The average man and woman … frowned upon grand display – chiefly because the average person knew it was beyond his or her own horizon of enjoyment. The arrival of the Waldorf, however, was an invitation to the public to taste of this grandeur.”

And it wasn’t just the paying customers. During its 30th anniversary in 1923, the Waldorf elevated its staff – its servants – to the level of guests. Reporters for the Birmingham Age-Herald noted: “Practically the entire staff of the hotel were guests … the affair reached the topnotch of Waldorf democracy, for the waiters and financiers, telephone girls and captains of industry, coat-room clerks and merchant princes sat side by side and swapped reminiscences with each other.” The article continues:

Oscar sat [at] the head of his own table as guest of honor. For a brief time Oscar was no longer the solicitous host … For an hour or two Oscar was himself the guest, and the entire kitchen menage of the Waldorf-Astoria was kept hopping filling his wants and those of his fellow guests.

Oscar and his wife Louise, in the Birmingham Age-Herald above ‘Father Knickerbocker’ – a personification of New York City (hence The Knicks) – celebrating the Waldorf at 30.
Library of Congress

But being a guest was a temporary experience.

The “Waldorf democracy” described during this event – of people from every walk of life and status mixing and socialising – was very different to that of the Cleveland entourage. It was not party-political, but institutional.

Democracy meant different things, at different times, within the Waldorf; just like in the broader US. The Waldorf, in turn, began to change, and perhaps even lose its meaning within the US by the time of Obama’s presidency.

Chinese ownership

The Waldorf lost its status as presidential palace in 2014. It was bought for $1.95bn by a Chinese company that was later seized by the Chinese government. Security concerns a year later prompted President Obama to stay at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel instead.

Obama’s choice of where to stay – and where not to stay – was widely discussed in the media. The decision was seen to “break with decades of tradition”. ABC News recognised and portrayed it as the end of an era, bidding “Goodbye to the Waldorf Astoria, welcome to the Lotte New York Palace Hotel”. This new era was also framed in geopolitical terms, for example by the New York Times:

With Chinese spies rummaging through White House emails, President Obama has decided not to risk making their spying any easier: He will break with tradition and abandon the Waldorf Astoria … Mr. Obama and other officials will instead take up residence a few blocks away at the Lotte New York Palace.

The same article also pointed out that “hotels have long represented a weak link in security for travelling officials and others”. In fact, Nikita Khrushchev had once got stuck in an elevator at the Waldorf, and “probably thought it was an attempt to assassinate him”.

Covering up an assassination as an “elevator accident” is probably not what Hilton had in mind when he envisaged his hotels as “a means of combating communism”. On the contrary – as Professor Mairi Maclean, a researcher of business elites, put it – Hilton envisaged hotels as a means of “facilitating world peace through international trade and travel”.

Women’s suffrage

It may not have brought about world peace, but the Waldorf did play a part in certain moments of US history because it was always seen as a key arena to lobby rulers, most notably in 1916. Women’s suffrage in America was still four years away. On one side of the debate (and the Waldorf itself) were two hundred suffragists, occupying the East Room. On the other was Woodrow Wilson, occupying the Presidential Suite.

Tschirky recalled being “appointed diplomatic courier … and delegated to carry the first communiqué of the morning … In the midst of it all I stood my ground, swearing myself an ice cold neutral”.

Though neutral on the question of suffrage, Tschirky was willing to reduce boundaries within the hotel, especially if it was good for business. Even as the hotel was being built, Tschirky remembered that “there was not, in all America, such a thing as a motor car, a radio … Nor were cocktails ever seen in private homes; or divorces tolerated in society; nor did women smoke, or wear dresses above their ankles”.

Then in 1907 a notice was put up in the Waldorf: “Women would be served in the hotel restaurants at any time, with or without male escorts.” Freeland noted Tschirky’s simple confirmation that: “We will serve women. What else can you do in a hotel?”

Crowd of women’s suffrage supporters demonstrating with signs reading, ‘Wilson Against Women’, in Chicago on October 20, 1916. Wilson withheld his support for Votes of Women until 1918.
Shutterstock/Everett Collection

A few years later, discussing women’s right to smoke in the dining rooms, Tschirky said: “We do not regulate the public taste. Public taste does and should regulate us.”

During the Waldorf’s 30th anniversary in 1923, newspapers such as El Imparcial celebrated it as “a civic asset of unique importance. And to its other accolades must be added that of contributing effectively to the progress of feminism. It was a memorable day in the women’s rights movement when The Waldorf Astoria granted female access to the Peacock Alley.”

Nevertheless, even the naming of Peacock Alley – a corridor in the hotel that became an important place of congregation, especially for women – was a recognition of exclusivity. It was where people gathered to parade themselves. As the recollection goes in Tschirky’s memoirs: “The Waldorf Hotel was a triumphant picture of the Best People at their best”.

Trump

With their ostentatious decor and gilded interiors, Trump’s hotels could be seen as the modern incarnation of Peacock Alley.

But the tenets of politeness, respect and decorum that Tschirky set down seem like echoes from another age when compared to a recent AI video showing Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting shirtless at a pool with drinks at an imaginary “Trump Gaza hotel”. The video appears to have been a spoof, but that didn’t stop the president from sharing it on Truth Social, his own social media platform, and Instagram.

Like Hilton (who was immortalised in Mad Men, demanding a Hilton on the moon) hotels have always been a part of Trump’s brand. Trump recalled, in How to Get Rich, that his “first big deal, in 1974, involved the old Commodore Hotel site near Grand Central Station” on 42nd Street.

The former Trump International Hotel in Washington DC, opened in 2016, was described as “the epicenter of the president’s business interests in [the capital]”. It was also “a popular choice for lobbyists and Republican Congress members during Trump’s presidency”.

“The Trump Organization sold the hotel’s lease to CGI in 2022, when the hotel was reflagged as a Waldorf Astoria”, though Trump’s firm is rumoured to be in talks to reacquire it.

Another similarity between Hilton and Trump is their use of hotels as symbols for the nation. Each hotel of Hilton’s was envisaged as a “Little America”, “to show the countries most exposed to communism the other side of the coin”.

In the run up to the 2016 US presidential election, at an opening for the Trump International Hotel, Trump “tried to turn the hotel into a metaphor for America”, according to an editorial in Vox. Trump went on to say:

It had all of the ingredients of greatness, but it had been neglected and left to deteriorate for many many decades … It had the foundation of success. All of the elements were here. Our job is to restore our former glory, honor its heritage, but also imagine a brand new and exciting vision for the future.

Forbes commented that this event “could’ve easily been mistaken for a Trump rally”, for example in his statement that “my theme today is five words: ‘under budget and ahead of schedule’ … We don’t hear those words too often in government – but you will!”

Similarly, in an interview with the New York Post, Trump’s son Eric Trump used familiar Maga rhetoric: “Our family has saved the hotel once. If asked, we would save it again”.

What would Tschirky have made of all this? As a political neutral he would have decried Trump’s frequent hotel plugs during political campaigns. No doubt his behaviour would have seemed crass.

Perhaps this reflects two different eras of hotels and their intended functions. Grand hotels such as the Waldorf were shaped by European colonialism, by immigrants like Tschirky and Boldt. But as historian Annabel Wharton describes, the Hiltons “were constructed not, as in the nineteenth century, to meet an established need, but to create one. They suggest that this pressure was not produced simply by the desire for profit, but from a remarkable political commitment to the system that promoted profit-making”. I think we can read Trump’s hotels, and now his politics, in the same way.

The hotel spirit has entered a new phase with Trump’s proposals to “own, level, and develop” the Gaza Strip and create a “Riviera of the Middle East” – riding roughshod over the democratic will of Palestinians in Gaza who dismissed Trump’s vision.

Less than two decades after opening, Tschirky remarked that “many of the great events, financial, diplomatic, political, had had their inception within [the Waldorf’s] stone walls”. For him, it was “an international crossroad where men from all lands came to exchange goods and ideas” and to plan the changes in the world which he would later see come to pass.

Tschirky saw hotels as the most democratic places on Earth. But the “hotel spirit” he espoused – that uniquely American narrative within which he “became a citizen almost overnight” (a feat that seems vanishingly unlikely today) – seems to have been consigned to the past.

“I know that better times will come again”, he says in the preface to his book, “but in terms of the past, I think I have seen the best. New York has changed. America has changed.”

For you: more from our Insights series:

Beatrix Potter’s famous tales are rooted in stories told by enslaved Africans – but she was very quiet about their origins

Engineering hope: how I made it my mission to help rebuild Ukraine’s critical infrastructure

Inside Porton Down: what I learned during three years at the UK’s most secretive chemical weapons laboratory

Ignored, blamed, and sometimes left to die – a leading expert in ME explains the origins of a modern medical scandal

To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.

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

– ref. The Waldorf Astoria: what the history of this legendary hotel says about today’s crisis of the American establishment – https://theconversation.com/the-waldorf-astoria-what-the-history-of-this-legendary-hotel-says-about-todays-crisis-of-the-american-establishment-256372
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Western Japan Zoo Sends Four Pandas to China

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

TOKYO, June 28 (Xinhua) — Japan’s Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama Township, Wakayama Prefecture, sent four giant pandas to China on Saturday.

The 24-year-old female, Raukhin, and her three daughters, 8-year-old Yuyin, 6-year-old Saihin and 4-year-old Fuxin, will be taken to the Chengdu Base of Giant Panda Research and Breeding in China’s Sichuan Province.

Park staff waved flags as the animals left early in the morning, and scores of fans in panda T-shirts waited at a nearby intersection to wave goodbye to the truckload of animals.

Zoo director Koji Imazu told media that despite the pandas’ departure, the park hopes to maintain elements related to the animals to attract visitors. “I hope the pandas will continue to live healthy and long lives after returning to China, and will be presented in good condition to the Chinese people and those who visit them from Japan in the future,” he added.

According to Adventure World staff, all four pandas are healthy. The Chinese specialists who will care for them have been fully consulted about the characteristics and habits of each female.

A joint panda breeding program between Adventure World and the Chinese research base was launched in 1994.

The zoo operator said that since the joint panda protection agreement expires in August this year, the two sides agreed to carry out the transport in June, when temperatures are relatively mild, to reduce the stress on the animals.

Elderly Raukhin will enjoy her old age in a better medical environment in China, and her daughters will be able to take part in a breeding program. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Simplified maternity allowance to boost more birth-friendly China quest

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

An increased number of regions in China are granting maternity allowances directly to individuals instead of via their employers, thereby simplifying the process for mothers to claim this money.

According to the National Health Security Administration, all new mothers in 12 provinces across the country, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, are entitled to receive the allowance directly in their bank accounts.

In addition, most other provinces have granted the allowances directly to part, if not all, of the eligible group, the administration noted.

It said that direct payment of maternity allowances to individuals helps make medical insurance more accessible, therefore better protecting the rights and interests of female employees during maternity leave.

Maternity allowance refers to the living expenses paid to female employees during their absence from work due to childbirth, as stipulated by Chinese laws and regulations.

Historically, these funds were disbursed to employers, who would then distribute them to employees. However, there have been instances where employees did not receive the complete entitlement. The expanding group of flexibly employed women further complicates the situation in China.

“When my first child was born, I had to submit a stack of documents and wait a month or so to get my allowance,” said a woman surnamed Li in north China’s Hebei Province. “For my second child this time, the allowance was credited into my personal account only two to three days after the hospital discharge settlement.”

Quick settlement of this allowance enabled Li to concentrate on taking care of herself and the newborn baby without distractions. “This effectively reduced the burden of childbirth on my family,” she added.

Earlier this month, central authorities issued a set of guidelines on further improving public well-being, which pledged support for locations where conditions permit to distribute maternity allowances directly to maternity insurance participants.

This move is yet another effort by the Chinese government to promote childbirth in the face of challenges of a dwindling number of newborns and a growing aging population. The country’s birth rate and number of newborns both dropped for seven consecutive years before reporting rises in 2024, while the population aged 60 and above reached 310 million last year.

To boost its birth rate, China has implemented a slew of supportive policies in recent years. It phased out the one-child policy by allowing married couples to have two children in 2016 and announced support for couples looking to have a third child in 2021.

In addition to financial support, other incentive measures include increased childcare services, extended maternity leave, and strengthened support in education, housing and employment, all aimed at fostering a birth-friendly society.

This year, generous childcare subsidies have been reported across China as part of the country’s holistic efforts to boost birth rates, making news headlines and sparking significant discussions.

MIL OSI China News –

June 28, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Clock ticking on EU-US trade talks as key divides remain

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

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives for a European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

U.S.-EU trade talks have gone through multiple rounds, but with the July 9 tariff deadline approaching, European leaders remained divided at Thursday’s European Council summit over whether to push for a quick deal or hold out for a more favorable one.

A quick deal or a better one?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that the EU had received the “latest U.S. document” for continued negotiations, though she did not disclose details of the U.S. proposals.

EU leaders now face a strategic dilemma over whether to accelerate talks to secure a deal before the deadline, or risk a prolonged trade dispute in hopes of achieving more favorable terms.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose country is among the EU’s top exporters, is leading calls for a rapid resolution.

“We have less than two weeks until July 9 — you can’t negotiate a sophisticated trade agreement in that time,” he said, warning that key industries, including chemicals, steel and automotive, are already under intense pressure.

But others urged caution, warning that a rushed deal could tilt the balance in favor of the United States.

“We are assessing it,” von der Leyen said. “Our message today is clear. We are ready for a deal. At the same time, we are preparing for the possibility that no satisfactory agreement is reached.” She added that “all options remain on the table,” and the EU would defend its interests if needed.

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed this stance, saying France supports a fast and pragmatic deal but “will not accept unfair terms.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that Washington may consider extending the deadline for countries negotiating in “good faith.”

Key divides remain

To ease tensions, the EU has proposed eliminating tariffs on industrial goods on both sides — a move that has met with a lukewarm response from Washington.

The EU also hopes to narrow the trade imbalance by increasing imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas, arms and agricultural products, and by considering reducing auto tariffs. However, U.S. negotiators continue to press for sweeping EU concessions on value-added tax rules, digital regulation, food safety and environmental standards.

While EU officials say they are open to dialogue, they insist that core regulatory principles are non-negotiable.

“Where it is the sovereign decision-making process in the European Union and its member states that is affected, this is too far,” von der Leyen said recently.

Citing diplomatic sources, AFP reported that EU leaders may be exploring a so-called “Swiss cheese” deal — allowing for broad U.S. tariffs but securing exemptions for sensitive sectors such as steel, automotive, pharmaceuticals and aerospace.

Automobiles remain the most contentious point. Germany has proposed an “offset rule” under which the EU would allow duty-free imports of U.S. cars in exchange for the same number of EU vehicles being exempted from tariffs in the United States. The effectiveness of such a mechanism, however, remains uncertain.

A new trade club without US?

U.S. President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies — marked by abrupt tariff hikes, temporary suspensions and renewed threats — have shaken confidence among traditional allies and reignited global concerns over trade stability.

At Thursday’s summit, von der Leyen floated a new idea about forming a trade alliance with members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes Britain, Japan, and other Asian economies. She said such a coalition could serve as a foundation for reforming the World Trade Organization.

MIL OSI China News –

June 28, 2025