NewzIntel.com

Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Son of ‘El Chapo’ and a Head of Sinaloa Cartel—Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO – OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ, who succeeded his father—Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo”—as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.

    Guzman Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of knowingly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  The guilty plea was entered as part of a multi-district plea agreement with the government that resolves charges against Guzman Lopez brought by grand juries in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of New York.

    U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date.  Guzman Lopez has been detained without bond following his extradition from Mexico to the United States in 2023.

    The guilty plea is the result of a collaboration between the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of New York, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Jose A. Perez, Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, Steven Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona, and Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the DEA.  Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Justice Department’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Erika Csicsila, and Michelle Parthum of the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, and David J. Robles of the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California; and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.

    The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals, including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), as well as protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).

    “Today’s historic guilty plea sends yet another crystal-clear message that this Administration is going to shut down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  Our enforcement work will also extend to drug trafficking organizations, narcotics traffickers, and other dangerous criminal enterprises that seek to poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs.  Our successes stem from our close partnership with federal prosecutors across the country as well as our tight collaboration with our many law enforcement partners.”

    As heirs to the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Lopez stated in his plea agreement that he and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed their father’s leadership role following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York.  Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he coordinated the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms.  Guzman Lopez used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, and other means, the plea agreement states.

    After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez used bulk cash transport, wire transfers, trade of goods, and cryptocurrency to launder the illicit proceeds and ensure that the money was transmitted to Guzman Lopez and other members of the cartel in Mexico, the plea agreement states.  Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, civilians, and rival drug traffickers in order to protect the cartel’s drug trafficking activities.

    As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of an $80 million forfeiture money judgment.

    “Today’s guilty plea is another major step toward holding the Sinaloa Cartel and its leaders accountable for their role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic that has plagued so many Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Clayton.  “We remain committed to dismantling the Cartel’s entire fentanyl infrastructure and ensuring that the Chapitos and their violent organization can no longer flood our communities with this poison.”

    “With each passing day, you are seeing the sunset of the Sinaloa cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.  “The Chapitos’ latest violence reflects their fading future.  Their leaders who remain free are now paranoid, distrusted and desperate.”

    “The guilty plea by Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of ‘El Chapo,’ is a real victory for both the United States and Mexico but also a clear win for the rule of law,” said HSI Acting SAC Rede.  “So much blood and violence lay with the Guzman family as well as spreading terror and plaguing both sides of the border with deadly drugs and weapons–no more.  It’s impossible to measure the amount of work HSI and partner agencies have spent in securing this guilty verdict, but what is clear and evident is that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement and our nation’s laws.  Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today’s victory.”

    Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and remains detained in U.S. custody without bond.  He pleaded not guilty to charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois and is awaiting trial.  Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.  The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions.  [See the reward information here and here.]

    The public is reminded that the charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Inflation Remains Right on Target Under President Trump

    Source: US Whitehouse

    “Every month since President Trump took office, core inflation — the best measure of inflation — has beat or matched expectations. The data proves that President Trump is stabilizing inflation and the Panicans continue to be wrong about tariffs raising prices.” — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

    Under President Donald J. Trump, America continues to beat back inflation after years of Biden-induced price hikes.

    Here’s what you need to know from the latest Consumer Price Index:

    • June data confirms inflation is right on track. The annualized rate of inflation is below the year-earlier pace, showing that prices are right on track.
    • Core inflation beat expectations for another month. Since President Trump took office, core inflation has tracked at just 2.1% — levels not seen since the first Trump Administration, when prices were low and stable — and has come in below or at economists’ expectations every single month.
    • Wage growth remains strong under President Trump. Real wages for production and nonsupervisory workers are up 1.3% over last year.
    • Prices for everyday Americans continue to fall. Prices for new and used vehicles and airfares fell last month, while annualized shelter inflation dropped to its lowest in nearly four years — with prices for gas, fuel oil, energy commodities, hotels, airfare, public transportation, and fresh vegetables all down over last year.

    Here’s what they’re saying:

    • CNBC’s Rick Santelli: “Inflation is going to ebb and flow. If we want to really isolate it in terms of what this Administration is doing or Liberation Day, I would benchmark it to the beginning of the year. January and February reads being warmer gives you a lot of information that some of the policies have not been detrimental in boosting inflation.”
    • CNBC’s Rick Santelli: “The death of the labor market has been greatly exaggerated based on recent data, and I think that all in all, the inflation numbers — they’re pretty respectable here.”
    • Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo: “You’ve got to look at this report as another victory for President Trump, who has focused on reigning in inflation — and that’s what we’re seeing from this report again.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Carjacking

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –MILTON CARTER (“CARTER”), age 34, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1).

    According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded to a 911 call that CARTER was in the parking lot of a business on Bienville Street threatening to shoot his romantic partner. When officers arrived, CARTER was wearing a backpack with a Ruger Model EC9S nine-millimeter handgun inside. The Ruger handgun was stolen during a carjacking at a retail establishment on St. Bernard Ave. approximately 36 hours earlier. The victim of the carjacking identified CARTER in a photo line-up as the perpetrator of the carjacking. As the victim was getting out of her car to walk into the store, CARTER approached with a sawed-off shotgun pointed at the head of the victim and commanded the victim to get out of the vehicle. CARTER then drove off in the victim’s car. When the car was recovered, the Ruger handgun CARTER possessed when he was arrested was missing from the glove compartment.

    CARTER faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Platte Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Guadalupe Ramirez, 40, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2025 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Ramirez to 324 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez is released from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.

    Beginning in 2021, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and task force officers with the Cooperative Organization for Drug Enforcement (CODE) began a large-scale investigation into drug dealing in central and west-central Nebraska. Ramirez, also known as “Shrek,” quickly emerged as a key player in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy that saw methamphetamine being trafficked into Nebraska mainly through mailings originating from California and Mexico. Members of the conspiracy would receive the mailed packages loaded with narcotics and distribute the drugs throughout Nebraska, including as far east as Omaha. At the time of sentencing, the Court found between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine were moved through Nebraska as a part of this conspiracy.

    The investigation also revealed an association between Ramirez and firearms. Ramirez’s Facebook profile included discussions between himself and others in the conspiracy about firearms and a public video of Ramirez discharging a firearm out the window of a vehicle he used to deal drugs.

    While imposing the sentence, Judge Bazis commented that Ramirez was essentially “the second in command” of this operation and told Ramirez that “a lot of drugs moved through Nebraska because of you.”

    The years’ long investigation that led to this conviction was recognized by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)’s 2024 Community Impact Operation of the Year. In presenting the award, Midwest HIDTA Director Dan Neill noted that the case was up against other jurisdictions with much larger cities, including St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. The award recognized the hard work of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies during this investigation.

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “The trafficking of drugs into our communities is not a victimless crime. It has a destructive effect on our neighborhoods and families. The investigation of Ramirez and his co-conspirators resulted in 36 federal indictments, 22 local arrests, the seizure of illicit drugs, cash, and firearms, and dismantled a pernicious drug trafficking organization in central Nebraska. We’ll continue to join forces with our partners to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in both urban and rural communities across the state, and to impose consequences on those responsible for selling drugs to mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters in our community.”

    U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods said, “The outstanding work of the CODE Task Force demonstrates that full prosecutorial and investigation collaboration can accomplish tremendous outcomes in the interest of making Nebraska an even safer place for its citizens to call home.”

    These cases were investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, and Army National Guard Counter Drug Unit.  The investigation and arrests were also assisted by the U.S. Postal Service, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, La Vista Police Department, the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force, the Western Intelligence Narcotics Group (WING) Task Force, the Capitol Region Safe Streets Task Force (CRSSTF), the Lincoln/Lancaster County Metro Fugitive Task Force, the Lincoln and Keith County Attorney’s Offices, and Nebraska District 11 Probation Office.   

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Scottsdale Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brandon Scott Menaged, 22, of Scottsdale, Arizona was sentenced on July 9, by Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $751,000 in restitution. Menaged previously pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud.

    Between January 2023 and December 2024, Menaged defrauded multiple victims by soliciting their money for investments that did not exist. For example, Menaged misrepresented to victims the nature of the investments and referenced phantom investors to convince the victims to provide him with funding. Meanged then diverted victims’ funds for his personal expenses. When victims asked Menaged to return their funds, he provided them with a series of excuses for why the funds could not be returned or blocked their communications. Through this scheme, Menaged fraudulently received $1,000,000 from victims and used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle by gambling at casinos, traveling internationally, and purchasing luxury vehicles, firearms, and Rolex watches.

    The FBI’s Phoenix Division conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kevin M. Rapp, District of Arizona handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-01974- PHX-DGC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-112_Menaged

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: McKenzie unveils R6.3 billion budget to boost local talent in sports and arts

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has tabled a R6.3 billion budget this morning that he believes will help unlock local talent in both the sports, and arts and culture sectors.

    “Change is difficult, but it’s necessary… Access and opportunity matter, and even the greatest of talents need that opportunity. That is why, to invest in all our talent, both in sport, and arts and culture, as well as preserving our heritage, the department has a budget of R6.3 billion for the 2025/26 financial year,” McKenzie said on Tuesday in Parliament. 

    Under Programme 2, Recreation Development and Sport Promotion, the Minister announced that the department will allocate R1.281 billion. 

    To continue supporting sports in the country, McKenzie said R98.5 million will be allocated toward federation support.

    “One of the biggest changes coming for our federations will be the provision of an office building for them to share, as many have been running their sports out of the boots of their cars.” 

    WATCH | 

    [embedded content]

    To support and develop local talent, the department has allocated over R627 million through the conditional grant for this financial year. 

    According to the Minister, funding will be used for the purchase of equipment and attire for schools, clubs and hubs, as well as for training individuals in coaching, technical officiating, administration courses, and employment opportunities.

    Repatriation

    Under Programme 4, Heritage Promotion and Preservation, the department has allocated R2.787 billion, which includes R1.6 billion for the construction, maintenance, upgrading, and operation of valued libraries.

    “Following the success of our inaugural programme to return the remains of South African fallen heroes from Zimbabwe and Zambia last year, we shall continue to repatriate the human remains of freedom fighters who fell outside the country during the struggle.

    “I am told that there could still be 5 000 bodies that need to be returned, and we should not rest until they are home.” 

    READ | Government, judiciary reaffirm commitment to justice

    The Minister said they are currently negotiating with Scottish authorities to repatriate the remains of Khoi and San ancestors from the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum by September 2025. 

    He also mentioned that government is nearing the conclusion of the reburial process for 58 ancestral remains from the Northern Cape.

    This effort is guided by the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team, which includes representatives from the Nama, Griqua, Korana, and San communities.

    Museums

    The ministry is also driving a campaign, under the theme: “Reimagining South African Heritage for a New Era”, which is aimed at making museums relevant to a new, curious generation, ultimately increasing visitor numbers.

    “One of the first projects we are focusing on is Robben Island, which is undergoing a major revamp and facelift.”

    Creative arts

    Under Programme 3, focused on Arts and Culture Promotion and Development, his department is allocating R1.725 billion. 

    To enhance skills and transform the cultural and creative industries, he stated that they will continue to recruit and place approximately 300 young people. 

    This initiative aims to improve their chances of gaining employment and becoming self-employed in creative fields.

    Sector clusters

    He announced that the interim boards for the 17 sector clusters within the cultural and creative industry are now fully operational. 

    These boards are responsible for organising their respective sectors, promoting collaboration, and addressing challenges such as copyright protection, fair labour practices, and equitable distribution of funding. 

    According to the Minister, they will receive a total budget of R34 million to support their operations.

    “We understand the frustration of our creatives. For the past 30 years and the years before that, they have not seen their lives change for the better.”

    In support of the preservation and development of the Khoi and San languages, the N|uu language in particular, the department is setting aside R2 million for a targeted call for proposals to preserve these languages. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Panamanian and U.S. medical experts change lives aboard the USNS Comfort

    Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND

    For three years, Jesús, a local bus driver from Colón, wore a cap to hide the large, painful scars on his ears. The disfigurement was a lingering reminder of a devastating vehicle accident that changed his life. This week aboard the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), he received reconstructive surgery that marked a new beginning, thanks to a combined team of U.S. and Panamanian medical professionals.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning strikes kill 21 in India

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    NEW DELHI, July 15 (Xinhua) — At least 21 people were killed and many others injured by lightning strikes in India’s eastern states of Jharkhand and Bihar in the past 48 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

    Most of the victims were reported to be working in their fields when the lightning struck. Jharkhand reported 12 deaths, while neighbouring Bihar reported nine.

    “At least 12 people have been killed and seven others seriously injured due to lightning strikes in various parts of Jharkhand in the last 48 hours,” the official said.

    “At least nine people have been killed and several injured in lightning strikes in Bihar,” state broadcaster All India Radio reported. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: 875 people confirmed dead trying to source food in recent weeks

    Source: United Nations 4

    “As of 13 July, we have recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food; 674 of them were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites,” said Thameen Al-Kheetan, OHCHR spokesperson, referencing the US-Israeli run private organization which has bypassed regular humanitarian operations.

    The remaining 201 victims were killed while seeking food “on the routes of aid convoys or near aid convoys” run by the UN or UN-partners still operating in the war-shattered enclave, Mr. Al-Kheetan told journalists in Geneva.

    Killings linked to the controversial US and Israeli-backed aid hubs began shortly after they started operating in southern Gaza on 27 May, bypassing the UN and other established NGOs.

    The latest deadly incident happened at around 9am on Monday 14 July, when reports indicated that the Israeli military shelled and fired towards Palestinians seeking food at the GHF site in As Shakoush area, northwestern Rafah.

    According to OHCHR, two Palestinians were killed and at least nine others were injured. Some of the casualties were transported to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hospital in Rafah. On Saturday medics there received more than 130 patients, the “overwhelming majority” suffering from gunshot wounds and “all responsive individuals” reporting they were attempting to access food distribution sites.

    Deadly hunger

    The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, expressed deep concerns about the continuing killing of civilians trying to access food, while deadly malnutrition spreads among children.

    “Our teams on the ground – UNRWA teams and other United Nations teams – have spoken to survivors of these killings, these starving children included, who were shot at while on their way to pick up very little food,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications.

    Speaking via video from Amman, Ms. Touma insisted that the near-total Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to babies dying of the effects of severe acute malnutrition.

    “We’ve been banned from bringing in any humanitarian assistance into Gaza for more than four months now,” she said, before pointing to a “significant increase” in child malnutrition since the Israeli blockade began on 2 March.

    Ms. Touma added: “We have 6,000 trucks waiting in places like Egypt, like Jordan; it’s from Jordan to the Gaza Strip it’s a three-hour drive, right?”

    In addition to food supplies, these UN trucks contain other vital if basic supplies including bars of soap. “Medicine and food are going to soon expire if we’re not able to get those supplies to people in Gaza who need it most, among them one million children who are half of the population of the Gaza Strip,” Ms. Touma continued.

    West Bank: ‘Silent war is surging’

    Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, Palestinians continue to be killed in violence allegedly linked to Israeli settlers and security forces, UN agencies said.

    According to OHCHR, two-year-old Laila Khatib was shot in the head by Israeli security forces on 25 January while she was inside her house in Ash-Shuhada village, in Jenin.

    On 3 July, 61-year-old Walid Badir was shot and killed by Israeli security forces, reportedly while he was cycling back home from prayers, passing through the outskirts of the Nur Shams camp, the UN rights office continued, pointing to intensifying “killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians in past weeks.

    “This includes the demolition of hundreds of homes and forced mass displacement of Palestinians,” OHCHR’s Mr. Al-Kheetan noted, with some 30,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced since the launch of Israel’s operation “Iron Wall” in the north of the occupied West Bank earlier this year.

    “We should recall that international law is very clear about this in terms of the obligations of the occupying power,” he said. “Bringing about a permanent demographic change inside the occupied territory may amount to a war crime and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

    “We continue to have a silent war that is surging, where heavy restrictions on movement continue, where poverty is increasing as people are cut off from their livelihoods and unemployment soars,” said UNRWA’s Ms. Touma.

    With its current focus on the northern occupied West Bank, the Israeli military operation has impacted the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams.

    “It is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967,” Ms. Touma continued.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services 
    The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
     
    The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
     
         “The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
     
    The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government.
    Issued at HKT 20:52

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services 
    The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
     
    The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
     
         “The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
     
    The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government.
    Issued at HKT 20:52

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services 
    The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
     
    The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
     
         “The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
     
    The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government.
    Issued at HKT 20:52

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    TAC welcomes Government’s proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services 
    The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government’s submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
     
    The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, “The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government’s adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market.”
     
         “The TAC welcomes the Government’s legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers’ safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers’ diversified transport demands.” Professor Cheung continued.
     
    The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government.
    Issued at HKT 20:52

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Enovix Releases Supplemental FAQ to Support Warrant Dividend Distribution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FREMONT, Calif., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enovix Corporation (Nasdaq: ENVX) (“Company” or “Enovix”), a global high-performance battery company, today released a supplemental Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document relating to the previously announced warrant dividend distribution. The supplemental FAQ provides important clarifications on logistical and eligibility-related topics raised by shareholders and brokers, including:

    • Potential limitations for shareholders who hold Enovix stock in margin accounts
    • Timing of share purchases in relation to warrant eligibility

    “This update reflects our commitment to ensuring a smooth and transparent experience for our shareholders as we approach the warrant dividend record date,” said Ryan Benton, CFO of Enovix. “In particular, we want to raise awareness of how certain brokerage practices—such as securities lending in margin accounts—could prevent shareholders from receiving exercisable warrants unless proactive steps are taken.”

    Shareholders are encouraged to review the new supplement along with the original FAQ, which are both available on the Investor Relations page (https://ir.enovix.com) (https://www.enovix.com/enovix-warrant-dividend/), and in addition, to contact their broker directly with any specific questions about their account status.

    Details of Warrant Distribution
    Stockholders will receive one (1) warrant for each seven (7) shares of common stock held as of the record date of July 17, 2025, rounded down to the nearest whole number for any fractional warrant. As an example, a stockholder who owns 1,000 shares of common stock would receive 142 warrants, and a stockholder who owns 7,000 shares of common stock would receive 1,000 warrants.

    Holders of the Convertible Notes as of the record date will also receive warrants based on the same ratio in the manner determined by the indenture governing the Convertible Notes. As an example, holders of each $1,000 face amount of Convertible Notes will receive 9.1543 warrants, rounded down to the nearest whole number for any fractional warrant.

    After the distribution date, warrant holders may exercise their warrants for cash as specified under the terms of the warrant agreement that we expect to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by the distribution date.

    The Early Expiration Price Condition will be deemed satisfied if, during any period of twenty (20) out of thirty (30) consecutive trading days, the VWAP of the common stock equals or exceeds $10.50 (the “Early Expiration Trigger Price”) whether or not consecutive (such final day, the “Early Expiration Price Condition Date”). If this condition is met, the warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Business Day immediately following the Early Expiration Price Condition Date or such other date as the Company may elect in accordance with the warrant agreement.

    If the Early Expiration Price Condition occurs, Enovix will make a public announcement to that effect, which will include the corresponding expiration date.

    Otherwise, the warrants will expire at 5:00 pm EST on October 1, 2026.

    About Enovix Corporation

    Enovix is a leader in advancing lithium-ion battery technology with its proprietary 3D cell architecture designed to deliver higher energy density and improved safety. The Company’s breakthrough silicon-anode batteries are engineered to power a wide range of devices from wearable electronics and mobile communications to industrial and electric vehicle applications. Enovix’s technology enables longer battery life and faster charging, supporting the growing global demand for high-performance energy storage. Enovix holds a robust portfolio of issued and pending patents covering its core battery design, manufacturing process, and system integration innovations. For more information, visit https://www.enovix.com.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    The issuance of the warrants has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as the distribution of a warrant for no consideration does not constitute a sale of a security under Section 2(a)(3) of the Securities Act. A Form 8-A registration statement and prospectus supplement describing the terms of the warrants will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Holders should read the prospectus supplement carefully, including the Risk Factors section included and incorporated by reference therein. This press release contains a general summary of the warrants. Please read the warrant agreement when it becomes available as it will contain important information about the terms of the warrants.

    Forward‐Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, about us, the warrant dividend and our business that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and can be identified by words such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, possible, potential, predict, should, would and similar expressions that convey uncertainty about future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, our expectations regarding the warrant dividend distribution; the anticipated distribution date; the potential limitations of the distribution for shareholders who hold Enovix stock in margin accounts; our ability to provide clarification on logistical and eligibility-related topics raised by shareholders and brokers, including, without limitation, the timing of share purchases in relation to warrant dividend eligibility; the acceptance to trading of the warrants on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the existence of a market for the warrants; and our ability to raise awareness of relevant brokerage practices and commitment to facilitating a seamless process for our shareholders as we approach the warrant dividend distribution date. Actual results and outcomes could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties and other potential factors set forth in our filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of our most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that we have filed, or that we will file, with the SEC. For a full discussion of these risks, please refer to Enovix’s filings with the SEC, including its most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, available at https://ir.enovix.com and www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements made by us in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made and subsequent events may cause these expectations to change. We disclaim any obligations to update or alter these forward-looking statements in the future, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Investor Contact:
    Robert Lahey
    ir@enovix.com

    Chief Financial Officer:
    Ryan Benton
    ryan.benton@enovix.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Rethinking the MBA: Character as the educational foundation for future business leaders

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

    Questions about the role of business education have led to introspection among business school leaders and researchers. Supatman/iStock via Getty Images

    Programs to help students discern their vocation or calling are gaining prominence in higher education.

    According to a 2019 Bates/Gallup poll, 80% of college graduates want a sense of purpose from their work. In addition, a 2023 survey found that 50% of Generation Z and millennial employees in the U.K. and U.S. have resigned from a job because the values of the company did not align with their own.

    These sentiments are also found in today’s business school students, as Gen Z is demanding that course content reflect the changes in society, from diversity and inclusion to sustainability and poverty. According to the Financial Times, “there may never have been a more demanding cohort.”

    And yet, business schools have been slower than other schools to respond, leading to calls ranging from transforming business education to demolishing it.

    What are business schools creating?

    Historically, studies have shown that business school applicants have scored higher than their peers on the “dark triad” traits of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These traits can manifest themselves in a tendency toward cunning, scheming and, at times, unscrupulous behavior.

    Over the course of their degree program, other studies have found that business school environments can amplify those preexisting tendencies while enhancing a concern for what others think of them.

    And these tendencies stick after graduation. One study examined 9,900 U.S. publicly listed firms and separated the sample by those run by managers who went to business school and those whose managers did not. While they found no discernible difference in sales or profits between the two samples, they found that labor wages were cut 6% over five years at companies run by managers who went to business school, while managers with no business degree shared profits with their workers. The study concludes that this is the result “of practices and values acquired in business education.”

    But there are signs that this may be changing.

    Questioning value

    Business leaders play a significant role in society, but they aren’t always trusted.
    miniseries/E+ via Getty Images

    Today, many are questioning the value of the MBA.

    Those who have decided it is worth the high cost either complain of its lack of rigor, relevance and critical thinking or use it merely for access to networks for salary enhancement, treating classroom learning as less important than attending recruiting events and social activities.

    Layered onto this uncertain state of affairs, generative artificial intelligence is fundamentally altering the education landscape, threatening future career prospects and short-circuiting the student’s education by doing their research and writing for them.

    This is concerning because of the outsized role that business leaders play in today’s society: allocating capital, developing and deploying new technologies and influencing political and social debates.

    At times, this role is a positive one, but not always. Distrust follows that uncertainty.

    Only 16% of Americans had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in corporations, while 51% of Americans between 18 and 29 hold a dim view of capitalism.

    Facing this reality, business educators are beginning to reexamine how to nurture business leaders who view business not only as a means to making money but also as a vehicle in service to society.

    Proponents such as Harry Lewis, former dean of Harvard College; Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University; Harold Shapiro, former president of Princeton University; and Anthony Kronman, former dean of the Yale Law School, describe this effort as a return to the original focus of a college education.

    Not ethics, but character formation

    Character education could challenge business students to consider what type of leaders they aspire to be.
    MoMo Productions/Digital Vision via Getty Images

    Business schools have often included ethics courses in their curriculum, often with limited success. What some schools are experimenting with is character formation.

    As part of this experimentation is the development of a coherent moral culture that lies within the course curriculum but also within the cocurricular programming, cultural events, seminars and independent studies that shape students’ worldviews; the selection, socialization, training and reward systems for students, staff and faculty; and other aspects that shape students’ formation.

    Stanford’s Bill Damon, one of the leading scholars on helping students develop a sense of purpose in life, describes a revised role for faculty in this effort, one of creating the fertile conditions for students to find meaning and purpose on their own.

    I use this approach in my course on vocation discernment in business, shifting from a more traditional academic style to one that is more developmental.

    This is relational teaching that artificial intelligence cannot do. It involves bringing the whole person into the education process, inspiring hearts as much as engaging heads to form competent leaders who possess character, judgment and wisdom.

    It allows an examination of both the how and the why of business, challenging students to consider what kind of business leader they aspire to be and what kind of legacy they wish to establish.

    It would mark a return to the original focus of early business schools, which, as Rakesh Khurana, a professor of sociology at Harvard, calls out in his book “From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The Social Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled Promise of Management as a Profession,” was to train managers in the same vocational way we train doctors “to seek the higher aims of commerce in service to society.”

    Reshaping business education

    Most business school curricula are similar, but there are examples that break the mold.
    Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images

    The good news is that there are emerging exemplars that are seeking to create this kind of curriculum through centers such as Notre Dame University’s Institute for Social Concerns and Bates College’s Center for Purposeful Work and courses such as Stanford University’s Designing Your Life and the University of Michigan’s Management as a Calling.

    These are but a few examples of a growing movement. So, the building blocks are there to draw from. The student demand is waiting to be met. All that is needed is for more business schools to respond.

    Andrew J. Hoffman 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. Rethinking the MBA: Character as the educational foundation for future business leaders – https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-mba-character-as-the-educational-foundation-for-future-business-leaders-259223

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Rethinking the MBA: Character as the educational foundation for future business leaders

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

    Questions about the role of business education have led to introspection among business school leaders and researchers. Supatman/iStock via Getty Images

    Programs to help students discern their vocation or calling are gaining prominence in higher education.

    According to a 2019 Bates/Gallup poll, 80% of college graduates want a sense of purpose from their work. In addition, a 2023 survey found that 50% of Generation Z and millennial employees in the U.K. and U.S. have resigned from a job because the values of the company did not align with their own.

    These sentiments are also found in today’s business school students, as Gen Z is demanding that course content reflect the changes in society, from diversity and inclusion to sustainability and poverty. According to the Financial Times, “there may never have been a more demanding cohort.”

    And yet, business schools have been slower than other schools to respond, leading to calls ranging from transforming business education to demolishing it.

    What are business schools creating?

    Historically, studies have shown that business school applicants have scored higher than their peers on the “dark triad” traits of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These traits can manifest themselves in a tendency toward cunning, scheming and, at times, unscrupulous behavior.

    Over the course of their degree program, other studies have found that business school environments can amplify those preexisting tendencies while enhancing a concern for what others think of them.

    And these tendencies stick after graduation. One study examined 9,900 U.S. publicly listed firms and separated the sample by those run by managers who went to business school and those whose managers did not. While they found no discernible difference in sales or profits between the two samples, they found that labor wages were cut 6% over five years at companies run by managers who went to business school, while managers with no business degree shared profits with their workers. The study concludes that this is the result “of practices and values acquired in business education.”

    But there are signs that this may be changing.

    Questioning value

    Business leaders play a significant role in society, but they aren’t always trusted.
    miniseries/E+ via Getty Images

    Today, many are questioning the value of the MBA.

    Those who have decided it is worth the high cost either complain of its lack of rigor, relevance and critical thinking or use it merely for access to networks for salary enhancement, treating classroom learning as less important than attending recruiting events and social activities.

    Layered onto this uncertain state of affairs, generative artificial intelligence is fundamentally altering the education landscape, threatening future career prospects and short-circuiting the student’s education by doing their research and writing for them.

    This is concerning because of the outsized role that business leaders play in today’s society: allocating capital, developing and deploying new technologies and influencing political and social debates.

    At times, this role is a positive one, but not always. Distrust follows that uncertainty.

    Only 16% of Americans had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in corporations, while 51% of Americans between 18 and 29 hold a dim view of capitalism.

    Facing this reality, business educators are beginning to reexamine how to nurture business leaders who view business not only as a means to making money but also as a vehicle in service to society.

    Proponents such as Harry Lewis, former dean of Harvard College; Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University; Harold Shapiro, former president of Princeton University; and Anthony Kronman, former dean of the Yale Law School, describe this effort as a return to the original focus of a college education.

    Not ethics, but character formation

    Character education could challenge business students to consider what type of leaders they aspire to be.
    MoMo Productions/Digital Vision via Getty Images

    Business schools have often included ethics courses in their curriculum, often with limited success. What some schools are experimenting with is character formation.

    As part of this experimentation is the development of a coherent moral culture that lies within the course curriculum but also within the cocurricular programming, cultural events, seminars and independent studies that shape students’ worldviews; the selection, socialization, training and reward systems for students, staff and faculty; and other aspects that shape students’ formation.

    Stanford’s Bill Damon, one of the leading scholars on helping students develop a sense of purpose in life, describes a revised role for faculty in this effort, one of creating the fertile conditions for students to find meaning and purpose on their own.

    I use this approach in my course on vocation discernment in business, shifting from a more traditional academic style to one that is more developmental.

    This is relational teaching that artificial intelligence cannot do. It involves bringing the whole person into the education process, inspiring hearts as much as engaging heads to form competent leaders who possess character, judgment and wisdom.

    It allows an examination of both the how and the why of business, challenging students to consider what kind of business leader they aspire to be and what kind of legacy they wish to establish.

    It would mark a return to the original focus of early business schools, which, as Rakesh Khurana, a professor of sociology at Harvard, calls out in his book “From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The Social Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled Promise of Management as a Profession,” was to train managers in the same vocational way we train doctors “to seek the higher aims of commerce in service to society.”

    Reshaping business education

    Most business school curricula are similar, but there are examples that break the mold.
    Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images

    The good news is that there are emerging exemplars that are seeking to create this kind of curriculum through centers such as Notre Dame University’s Institute for Social Concerns and Bates College’s Center for Purposeful Work and courses such as Stanford University’s Designing Your Life and the University of Michigan’s Management as a Calling.

    These are but a few examples of a growing movement. So, the building blocks are there to draw from. The student demand is waiting to be met. All that is needed is for more business schools to respond.

    Andrew J. Hoffman 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. Rethinking the MBA: Character as the educational foundation for future business leaders – https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-mba-character-as-the-educational-foundation-for-future-business-leaders-259223

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

    When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

    The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

    A sustainability conundrum

    Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

    Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

    Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
    AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

    Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

    This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

    A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

    Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

    In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

    When climate promises become greenwashing

    The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

    Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

    However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

    For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

    Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
    Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

    Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

    Finding practical solutions

    Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

    These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

    Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

    Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

    There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

    Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:

    • Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.

    • While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.

    • Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.

    • Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.

    • You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.

    Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

    In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

    Brian P. McCullough 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. When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-like-fifa-world-cup-expand-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

    When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

    The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

    A sustainability conundrum

    Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

    Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

    Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
    AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

    Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

    This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

    A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

    Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

    In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

    When climate promises become greenwashing

    The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

    Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

    However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

    For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

    Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
    Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

    Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

    Finding practical solutions

    Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

    These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

    Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

    Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

    There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

    Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:

    • Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.

    • While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.

    • Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.

    • Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.

    • You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.

    Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

    In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

    Brian P. McCullough 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. When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-like-fifa-world-cup-expand-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin told how Volgogradsky Prospekt will be transformed after improvement

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In Moscow, thousands of improvement projects are implemented annually in different areas – most of the objects are located outside the center.

    “This year, specialists are putting in order about

    700 streets. Among them are the outbound highways: Profsoyuznaya Street with 60th Anniversary of October Avenue, Shchyolkovskoye Highway with Krasnoprudnaya and Bolshaya Cherkizovskaya Streets. On Volgogradsky Prospekt, one of the city’s largest outbound highways, work is underway on the section from the Garden Ring to the Moscow Ring Road with a total length of 12.5 kilometers. The project also includes Marxist Street. The area will become even more comfortable for residents, while the transport function of the highway will be preserved,” the Moscow Mayor said in on your telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    Volgogradsky Prospekt is one of the largest outbound highways in Moscow. More than 860 thousand people live in the houses located next to it. More than 110 thousand cars drive along this avenue per day, and the passenger flow of 24 city transport routes is 120 thousand people daily.

    The comprehensive improvement of Volgogradsky Prospekt and Marxistskaya Street began in April 2025. Work is being carried out on the section from the Garden Ring to the Moscow Ring Road. Its total length is 12.5 kilometers.

    The main objective is to make the urban environment more functional and comfortable for local residents, while maintaining the transport purpose of the highway.

    Instead of the outdated stops along the avenue, 30 modern pavilions will be installed. Thanks to the infrastructure upgrade, as well as due to the adjustment of traffic lights and the provision of priority to city transport, its speed will increase by 20 percent.

    About 490 benches and trash bins will be placed on sidewalks and in other suitable places. 26 informational steles will help to find your way around.

    It will be lighter and safer in the evening and at night thanks to the installation of more than a thousand energy-saving lamps. In addition, 1055 old gas-discharge lamps will be replaced with LED ones. Contrast lighting poles will be installed at unregulated pedestrian crossings.

    Volgogradsky Prospekt will become much greener: previously lost lawns will be restored here. More than 1,300 large trees will be planted along the highway, including in the area of the exit to the Moscow Ring Road. Four green islands with decorative compositions of coniferous plants will be arranged on the scenic sections of the highway.

    To improve the appearance of the avenue, decorative fencing with an individual pattern will be installed along industrial enterprises and garage complexes. Ventilation shafts and other engineering structures will receive decorative cladding. In addition, the dog walking area near house 187/16 will be updated.

    Specialists will replace the pavement surfaces (about 105.3 thousand square meters) and roads (111.4 thousand square meters). Overhead cable lines will be moved underground and an additional drainage system will be installed.

    Over 380 people and over 70 units of equipment are involved in the work. The improvement of Volgogradsky Prospekt with Marxistskaya Street is planned to be completed this fall.

    More than 700 streets in Moscow will be improved by the end of the yearSergei Sobyanin announced plans for the development of the Moscow tram network

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – “Wedding without a dowry”: the Chinese Catholic community promotes the gratuitousness of married life in a secularized society

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 15 July 2025

    xinde.org

    Taiyuan (Agenzia Fides) – Archbishop Meng Ningyou of Taiyuan, in the Chinese province of Shanxi, recommended in his homily at a church wedding last Sunday, July 13, that marriage, in the spirit of faith, be seen as a gift characterized by gratuitousness. He invited everyone to free themselves from the custom of demanding a “dowry” for marriage, which is still widespread in large parts of society.In the current social context, especially in rural areas, the practice of dowry (the assets in the form of money, real estate, jewelry, or cars that families of origin must provide to future spouses at the time of marriage) continues to be a burden for young future spouses and their families of origin, causing the union to break up for many young couples. Families often go into debt to comply with the custom.Bishop Meng praised the Honggou parish, the home parish of the two young couples, and also the newlyweds’ courage, who have testified that the Christian faith can free lives and hearts from unnecessary burdens and lead to true happiness.In his homily, Bishop Paul Meng recalled the sacrament of marriage as a union of free, mutual self-giving blessed by God and called on spouses to accept one another, support each other in the Christian upbringing of their children, and care for one another, following the example of the Good Samaritan, whose figure was the focus of Sunday’s Gospel.In China, too, various economic, cultural, and psychological factors are hindering the desire of young couples to start families and bring children into the world.Meanwhile, Chinese Catholic communities are offering Christian marriage preparation courses that take this situation into account and attempt to address these new challenges.The Cathedral of the Diocese of Beijing recently opened registration for the third 2025 Marriage Preparation Course, which begins next Sunday, July 20. Every Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., young people planning to marry will participate in meetings covering topics such as “the Christian family” and “the sacrament of marriage.” The courses generally begin six months before the planned wedding date and include discussions with priests. The courses are also open to non-Christian couples, who can attend as listeners. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: GraniteShares Launches Three New Leveraged Single-Stock ETFs: PDDL, NOWL, and AVGU

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GraniteShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF (PDDL), GraniteShares 2x Long NOW Daily ETF (NOWL) and GraniteShares 2x AVGO Long (AVGU) Launch Today.

    GraniteShares, a provider of exchange traded funds (ETFs), today announced the launch of three new leveraged single-stock ETFs:

    GraniteShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF (NASDAQ: PDDL), 
    GraniteShares 2x Long NOW Daily ETF (NASDAQ: NOWL) and
    GraniteShares 2x Long AVGO Daily ETF (NASDAQ: AVGU).

    An investment in the ETFs provides investors daily leveraged exposure to the three respective underlying stocks: PDD Holdings (NASDAQ: PDD) ServiceNow (NASDAQ: NOW) and Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ: AVGO).

    GraniteShares’ leveraged ETFs seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the respective common stocks. These funds are designed for sophisticated investors looking to capitalize on short-term movements in the underlying stocks.

    New GraniteShares Leveraged Single-Stock ETFs


    Underlying Companies

    • PDD Holdings Inc., established in 2015 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global commerce company managing a portfolio of businesses aimed at integrating people and enterprises into the digital economy. It operates Pinduoduo, an e-commerce platform offering diverse products such as agricultural goods, apparel, electronics, and household items, alongside Temu, a global marketplace connecting buyers, merchants, and manufacturers across various categories. The company emphasizes enhancing local communities and small businesses through improved productivity and opportunities, supported by its robust network of sourcing, logistics, and fulfillment capabilities. Formerly known as Pinduoduo Inc., it rebranded to PDD Holdings Inc. in February 2023.
    • ServiceNow, Inc., based in Santa Clara, California, is a global leader in cloud-based Al solutions for business transformation. It’s Now Platform helps organizations digitize workflows using Al, automation, analytics, and low-code tools. The platform supports four key workflow areas: technology, customer and industry, employee, and creator-enhancing IT services, customer and employee experiences, and custom workflows. Its offerings span IT service management, security operations, HR delivery, and more. Serving industries worldwide, ServiceNow partners with providers and resellers to drive digital transformation. Founded in 2004, it remains at the forefront of Al-powered workflow automation.
    • Broadcom Inc., headquartered in Palo Alto, California and founded in 1961, is a global technology company specializing in the design, development, and supply of a wide range of semiconductor devices and enterprise software solutions. Operating through two primary segments—Semiconductor Solutions and Infrastructure Software—the company delivers complex digital and mixed-signal CMOS-based and analog III-V-based semiconductor products. Its offerings include RF front-end modules, Ethernet switching and routing chips, optical and copper interconnect components, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth SoCs, custom touch controllers, storage adapters, and a variety of industrial and optical solutions. These technologies support applications across data centers, telecommunications, mobile devices, broadband access, factory automation, and more. In software, Broadcom provides tools and platforms for cloud, mainframe, and hybrid environments, focusing on application development, security, automation, and infrastructure management.

    Designed for Tactical Traders

    The new leveraged ETFs provide traders with a tool to gain leveraged exposure to these stocks, making them a potential consideration for those looking to execute short-term tactical trades.

    “We continue to expand our suite of leveraged ETFs to meet the demand for high-conviction trading opportunities,” said Will Rhind, Founder of GraniteShares. “With the launch of PDDL, NOWL, and AVGU, we are providing investors with targeted tools to access some of the most exciting companies in AI, cloud computing, semiconductors and technology.”

    For more information on the new GraniteShares leveraged ETFs, read the Prospectus.

    About GraniteShares

    GraniteShares is an entrepreneurial ETF provider focused on high-conviction investment solutions. The firm offers a range of innovative ETFs spanning leveraged, inverse, and high-yield strategies, empowering investors with differentiated tools for portfolio construction. Founded in 2016, GraniteShares has grown rapidly by delivering cutting-edge solutions tailored to modern market needs. For more information, visit www.graniteshares.com.

    Media Contact:
    GraniteShares Inc.
    Attn: Media Relations
    222 Broadway, 21st Floor
    New York, NY 10038
    844-476-8747
    info@graniteshares.com

    RISK FACTORS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by a Prospectus. Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives risk factors, charges and expenses before investing. Please read the prospectus before investing. The fund does not directly invest in the underlying stock.

    The Fund is recently organized July 15, 2025. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions. There can be no assurance that the Funds will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

    The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The investment program of the funds is speculative, entails substantial risks and include asset classes and investment techniques not employed by most ETFs and mutual funds. Investments in the ETFs are not bank deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged (2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Underlying Stock’s performance increases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day.

    The Fund seeks daily leveraged investment results and are intended to be used as short-term trading vehicles. This Fund attempts to provide daily investment results that correspond to the respective long leveraged multiple of the performance of its underlying stock (a Leverage Long Fund).

    Investors should note that such Leverage Long Fund pursues daily leveraged investment objectives, which means that the Fund is riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the Fund magnifies the performance of its underlying stock. The volatility of the underlying security may affect a Funds’ return as much as, or more than, the return of the underlying security.

    Because of daily rebalancing and the compounding of each day’s return over time, the return of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will be the result of each day’s returns compounded over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% of the return of the Underlying Stock over the same period. The Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock’s performance is flat over time, and as a result of daily rebalancing, the Underlying Stock volatility and the effects of compounding, it is even possible that the Fund will lose money over time while the Underlying Stock’s performance increases over a period longer than a single day.

    Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the ETF. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for ETF shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue or remain unchanged. Buying or selling ETF shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions and frequent trading may incur brokerage costs that detract significantly from investment returns.

    An investment in the Fund involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The Fund is non-diversified and includes risks associated with the Fund concentrating its investments in a particular industry, sector, or geographic region which can result in increased volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. Risks of the Fund include Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk, Leverage Risk, Market Risk, Counterparty Risk, Rebalancing Risk, Intra-Day Investment Risk, Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk, and risks specific to the securities of the Underlying Stock and the sector in which it operates. These and other risks can be found in the prospectus.

    This information is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of any Funds to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. You could lose money by investing in the ETFs. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Funds will be achieved. None of the Funds should be relied upon as a complete investment program.

    The Fund is distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc, which is not affiliated with GraniteShares or any of its affiliates ©2024 GraniteShares Inc. All rights reserved. GraniteShares, GraniteShares Trusts, and the GraniteShares logo are registered and unregistered trademarks of GraniteShares Inc., in the United States and elsewhere. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OSS Announces New Awards Totaling $3.9 Million to Support P-8A Poseidon Reconnaissance Aircraft

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ESCONDIDO, Calif., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS or the Company) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in rugged Enterprise Class compute for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and sensor processing at the edge, today announced an aggregate $3.9 million in new awards from a leading U.S. based prime defense contractor to support the P-8A Poseidon Reconnaissance Aircraft. OSS expects to recognize the majority of the revenue from these awards in the second half of 2025.

    Under this latest order, OSS will deliver military-spec, Enterprise Class data storage units (DSU) that support the U.S. Navy’s C5ISR mission capabilities onboard the P-8A Poseidon. OSS’s proprietary design includes rugged, hot-swappable canisters of high-capacity NVMe flash storage, enabling rapid and secure data offload in airborne environments where reliability, speed, and data integrity are paramount. OSS has supported the Poseidon platform for over eight years, recognizing lifetime contracted revenue of over $50 million to-date.

    “The P-8A Poseidon is a critical national defense platform and OSS is honored to provide the compute and storage technologies that help power its mission,” said Mike Knowles, OSS President and CEO. “These latest awards further validate our platform-focused strategy that aims to support defense programs from development to production, sustainment, support, and modernization.”

    “Our continued expansion on the Poseidon and other defense platforms reflects our commitment to becoming the compute and storage provider of choice for next-generation AI-driven applications at the edge. As defense missions become more data-intensive and reliant on real-time analytics, OSS is uniquely positioned to deliver the rugged, Enterprise Class infrastructure required to keep warfighters ahead of emerging threats,” concluded Mr. Knowles.

    The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft used for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. OSS’s storage solutions play a key role in enabling secure, high-speed data capture and transfer necessary for the aircraft’s advanced sensor suite. Enterprise Class data storage units engineered by OSS are designed to thrive in the harshest operational environments, where size, weight, power, and thermal constraints are critical.

    OSS’s 3U-SDS system, the Company’s most flexible, PCIe enabled rugged solution for AI at the edge, is at the core of this platform. Designed for deployments in anything that moves, from autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to naval platforms and mobile medical devices, the 3U-SDS delivers datacenter-class compute performance in compact, ruggedized form factors. 

    About One Stop Systems
    One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

    OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

    OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

    As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

    OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    One Stop Systems cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by One Stop Systems or its partners that any of our plans or expectations will be achieved. Factors that may contribute to our plans or expectations not being achieved include but are not limited to the potential and/or the results of program awards and renewals with the U.S. Department of Defense and defense contractors, any actual revenue derived from the awards, the future adoption of technologies or applications that may compete with One Stop Systems, the expansion of One Stop Systems’ offerings and/or relationship with different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and/or other geopolitical or economic instabilities. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Media Contacts:
    Robert Kalebaugh
    One Stop Systems, Inc.
    Tel (858) 518-6154
    Email contact

    Investor Relations:
    Andrew Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    Tel (216) 464-6400
    Email contact

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Electric Car Grant launched

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Written statement to Parliament

    Electric Car Grant launched

    Car manufacturers can apply for vehicle eligibility for the grant from 16 July 2025.

    The government is making it easier and cheaper to own an electric vehicle. Today (15 July 2025), the government has launched an Electric Car Grant to support the transition to zero emission vehicles and incentivise sustainable automotive manufacturing. This intervention gives clarity about the government’s commitment to the zero emission vehicle transition, at a time of unprecedented uncertainty for the automotive sector.

    £650 million of grant funding will be available to purchase new zero emission cars priced at or under £37,000. Grants of £1,500 or £3,750 will make these cars more affordable and enable even more people to access the savings associated with driving electric. The grant will help unlock potential further savings of up to £1,500 a year in running costs for drivers, it will back UK and other manufacturers, with eligibility dependent on the highest manufacturing sustainability standards, driving growth in our automotive and charging sectors.

    Grants are available from tomorrow (16 July 2025), subject to confirmation of vehicle eligibility by the Department for Transport. A list of eligible vehicles will be updated on the department website as vehicles are approved. The scheme has funding available until financial year 2028 to 2029. The closure date will remain under review and the scheme will be subject to amendment or early closure, with no notice, should funds become exhausted.

    The Electric Car Grant has 2 bands. £3,750 for the most sustainably produced cars and £1,500 for cars that meet some environmental criteria. This is in recognition of the need to address embedded carbon emissions across a vehicle’s lifetime, as well as tailpipe emissions. Vehicles that do not meet minimum sustainability standards will not be eligible for a grant.

    The minimum environmental criterion is for manufacturers to hold a verified science based target. Science based targets are commitments corporate entities make to reduce their environmental impact, in line with the UK’s international climate commitments, which are verified by the independent Science Based Targets Initiative. The amount of grant available per vehicle will depend on the level of emissions associated with production of the vehicle. Emissions from vehicle production are assessed against the carbon intensity of the electricity grid in the country where vehicle assembly and battery production are located.

    The government has also announced a wider package of measures to support the continued deployment of charging infrastructure. These include £25 million of funding to deliver cross-pavement charging channels, £30 million grant funding to install chargepoints at depots for vans, coaches and HGVs, supporting the transition of the road freight and coach sectors, £8 million of funding to install chargers at NHS sites and changes to allow EV hubs to be signed from major roads. All of these measures will support the more than £6 billion of private funding already in the pipeline to further boost the UK’s chargepoint roll-out by 2030.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government launches SEPs Consultation to Boost UK Innovation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government launches SEPs Consultation to Boost UK Innovation

    Businesses and stakeholders invited to respond by 7 October 2025

    Further details:

    • Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) are building blocks of our connected future, enabling our devices to communicate seamlessly. They help power our connected economy and deliver real technological change for real people

    • the Government is seeking views on proposed Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) measures to support the UK’s technology-driven economic growth

    • proposals aim to address challenges in transparency, dispute resolution and licensing efficiency

    • further evidence sought on ways to address knowledge and information gaps between parties in SEPs negotiations, helping avoid complex and costly litigation

    • interested parties from across the SEP ecosystem are invited to submit views and evidence by 7 October 2025

    The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has today launched a consultation on potential measures to address challenges in the UK’s Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) ecosystem.

    A patent that protects technology which is essential to implementing a technical standard (such as 5G) is known as a Standard Essential Patent (SEP). SEPs help our devices to communicate seamlessly – from smartphones to electric vehicles, smart manufacturing to innovations in healthcare. They are the building blocks of our connected future and help deliver real technological change.

    However, available evidence points to inefficiencies in the UK’s SEP ecosystem that may create barriers to innovation – particularly for smaller businesses when seeking to implement standardised technologies.

    These challenges include knowledge and information gaps between SEP holders and implementers, a lack of transparency in the SEPs licensing process, and a costly and often complex dispute resolution environment. Resolving disputes can be costly and time-consuming – one recently reported case cost £31.5 million.

    The Government is consulting on policy options to ensure the UK’s SEP framework operates more efficiently, supporting both patent holders and technology implementers. The proposals aim to reduce frictions in licensing, achieve greater efficiency in dispute resolution, and more effectively deal with knowledge and information gaps between parties.

    The proposed measures aim to enable businesses of all sizes, including start-ups and scale-ups, to navigate the SEP framework more confidently.

    Proposed measures include

    Specialist rate determination track: Introducing a specialist track to provide licence rates for SEP portfolios on a case-by-case basis. This could increase consistency and transparency in SEP pricing. It could give businesses of all sizes a more efficient and cost–effective route to obtain a SEP licence rate.

    Mandatory provision of searchable information: Requiring patent holders to disclose standard-related patent information to the IPO. This would help address the current lack of transparency around SEPs and licensing obligations.

    We are gathering further evidence on

    The use of pre-action protocols: We are seeking further evidence on pre-action protocols to establish if they work well in SEPs negotiations, by encouraging early disclosure of relevant information.  This will help establish if a specialist SEP pre-action protocol may be needed in cases where negotiations are less likely to reach agreement and may move towards litigation.

    Essentiality checking solutions: Conducting a landscape review of essentiality checking solutions, to establish whether they are accessible for all parties, and establish if there is a case for government to introduce an essentiality determination opinion service.

    SEP remedies:  We are seeking to better understand whether the patent framework provides adequate remedies for SEP disputes.

    Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) measures: We are also looking to understand the current provision of ADR services that can resolve SEP disputes, and the extent to which they are used and accessible for all businesses, especially smaller businesses.

    Minister for Intellectual Property Feryal Clark MP said:

    Intellectual property is central to the Government’s growth mission and underpins the technologies that power our connected future, from 5G and electric vehicles to smart manufacturing and healthcare.

    This consultation will help make the licensing of these technologies more straight forward and accessible – driving innovation, reducing costly litigation, and helping UK firms lead in developing the technologies of tomorrow.

    President of the IP Federation Sarah Vaughan said:

    The IP Federation welcomes the Government’s open and evidence-based approach in launching this consultation on standard essential patents (SEPs). As long-standing advocates for a balanced and effective IP framework, we support measures that enhance transparency, facilitate timely and fair licensing negotiations, and promote efficient dispute resolution.

    President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) Bobby Mukherjee said:

    The UK patent profession is one of the most skilled and experienced in the world in the SEP arena and we welcome the IPO’s energy and vision in initiating activity in a vital support area for our market leading offering. CIPA members welcome the opportunity to participate in this evidence-led consultation openly, reflecting the spectrum of views from SEP rights holders to implementers.

    Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office Adam Williams said:

    This consultation is a critical opportunity for all stakeholders to help build a SEP ecosystem that works for everyone. We particularly want to hear from businesses developing or using standardised technologies about how proposed measures could affect their innovation, investment and growth plans.

    The proposals outlined seek to address the diverse needs within our innovation ecosystem and take a balanced approach. By combining possible regulatory interventions with market-driven solutions, we want to create a framework that enhances the UK’s competitiveness while ensuring fairness and transparency across the technology value chain.

    The Government is encouraging responses from interested parties across the SEP ecosystem.  These include patent holders and innovators who develop standard-essential technologies, technology implementers who incorporate SEPs into their products, legal services and academia. We are also encouraging views from start-ups and scale-ups who may face particular challenges with the current licensing system.

    Industry bodies and standards organisations, intellectual property experts and research institutions involved in standardized technologies, and consumer groups representing end-users of SEP-enabled technologies are also encouraged to share their views.

    The evidence and insights gathered will help ensure our proposed measures address a broad set of needs across the innovation ecosystem and support balanced growth across the UK economy.

    The consultation is open until 7 October 2025. Full details and response information are available at the consultation page.

    END

    Additional information:

    1. The consultation document is available on GOV UK.

    2. A technical standard is an agreed or established technical description of an idea, product, service, or way of doing things, which enables the sharing of knowledge. Standards can encourage innovation, enable jobs and growth, and ensure the interoperability, safety and quality of products.

    3. The number of patents declared as essential (SEPs) worldwide has been estimated to have more than tripled over the last decade, growing from 82,000 in 2010 to around 305,000 in 2021.

    4. This number is expected to continue to increase. Standard development organisations (SDOs), like ETSI, publish thousands of new technical standard specifications every year. Standards are currently being developed for emerging technologies, such as 6G and artificial intelligence, to support interoperability.

    5. The telecommunications sector alone adds over £40 billion annually to UK GDP, with SEP-dependent technologies playing an essential role.

    6. The consultation follows extensive research since 2021 to establish if the current system of licensing SEPs is functioning effectively.

    7. In July 2024, the IPO launched the world’s first SEP resource hub to help UK businesses navigate the SEP ecosystem more confidently.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pedestrian priority at King Street junction10 July 2025 As part of ongoing improvements to the town centre, a key outcome of the recent public realm project is the creation of a continuous pedestrian-priority route across the King Street and New Street… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    10 July 2025

    As part of ongoing improvements to the town centre, a key outcome of the recent public realm project is the creation of a continuous pedestrian-priority route across the King Street and New Street junction. 

    The Minister for Infrastructure has signed a Ministerial Decision to change the previous traffic arrangements on New Street and New Cut for an initial 12-month trial period. The main changes from the previous arrangements is the removal of access across King Street for buses and taxis, along with a minor alteration to permitted access times for commercial unloading. 

    A recent traffic survey showed that during core retail hours, 10am-4pm, around 50% of vehicles using this route were taxis, with buses accounting for 8%. Removing taxi access southbound from New Street into Library Place and rerouting buses will support pedestrian safety and reduce congestion. 

    Only pedal cycles and essential commercial deliveries between 8pm and 10am will be permitted to cross King Street via New Cut. 

    Engagement with Liberty Bus and the taxi industry is ongoing, while work is also underway to identify new taxi rank locations in town to support better and more convenient access – for the avoidance of any confusion it should be noted that the rank at Library Place will remain. 

    Officers are working with disabled minibus services and the Parish of St Helier to ensure continued access for those who need it. The number of Blue Badge car parking spaces will not be affected. The number of spaces in the area has been increased and there is an ongoing piece of work to review how the Blue Badge facilities parking can be further improved. We will shortly be launching a new map of Blue Badge spaces across the Island to help improve accessibility. 

    This change supports the Public Realm Movement Strategy and the Sustainable Transport Policy, both of which aim to prioritise pedestrian access in the town centre.​​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft uses domestic special equipment to improve the efficiency of power transmission line maintenance

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Orenburgneft, Rosneft’s key production asset in the Volga region, has increased the reliability of power supply to oil production facilities by servicing 6 (10) kV power lines with truck-mounted hydraulic lifts on high-traffic chassis.

    The unique tracked model has high technical and off-road capabilities. In particular, the driver of the special vehicle can automatically level the working platform and control the equipment remotely from the control panel.

    The equipment also allows for the safe delivery and lifting of people and large loads (metal structures, construction equipment), and the performance of transport and technological operations in particularly difficult road and climatic conditions of marshy terrain, afloat and virgin snow.

    The use of hydraulic lifts increases the speed of response to technological shutdowns of network infrastructure during periods of adverse weather conditions by reducing the time it takes for special equipment to arrive at the site of damage, which ensures uninterrupted operation of oil-producing wells and reduces transportation costs.

    The Company’s enterprises regularly replenish their fleets of specialized equipment with new models from domestic developers. Domestic all-terrain vehicles also help the enterprise maintain reliable power supply at any time of year on any site. Last year, the fleet of Orenburgneft’s special equipment was replenished with ten such high-traffic vehicles.

    Reference:

    JSC Orenburgneft, a subsidiary of Rosneft Oil Company, carries out production activities in the Orenburg, Samara and Saratov regions. The company’s fields are supplied with electricity by 51 35-110 kV substations with a total length of 6-110 kV networks – more than 4,000 km. From 2019 to 2024, as part of the implementation of the program to improve the reliability of power supply to oil production facilities, Orenburgneft commissioned seven 35-110 kV electrical substations, 170 km of overhead lines of 35-110 kV voltage class were built.

    Department of Information and AdvertisingPJSC NK RosneftJuly 15, 2025

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mauritius’ Economy Depends on Sustainable Public Finances

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The island of Mauritius was once the native habitat of the dodo—a striking, flightless bird that went extinct in the face of unsustainable hunting by sailors. Today, the dodo is a national symbol for the country, representing the importance of conservation and sustainability efforts.  

    Economies are also shaped by human action, including fiscal policy. Mauritius has a strong policy track record that has engendered a transition from an agricultural economy to a diversified upper-middle-income country. 

    However, Mauritius now faces challenges from high public debt, significant public investment needs, low productivity, and an ageing society. To address them, fiscal policy would need to be recalibrated to preserve today’s dodo: inclusive economic prosperity.

    Fiscal sustainability measures 

    The Mauritian authorities recently announced their 2025-26 budget, which prioritizes reforms to support sustainable fiscal policy. These reforms aim to increase tax revenue by over two percent of GDP in 2025-26, while reducing government spending by over one percent of GDP in the same period. Overall, the authorities expect to reduce government debt from 87 percent of GDP in 2024 to 75 percent in 2030.  

    Our recent annual economic health check of the island nation—our Article IV Staff Report and Selected Issues Papers—offers policy options to achieve sustainable fiscal policy in Mauritius, including (i) strengthening revenue mobilization, (ii) reforming the pension system, and (iii) increasing spending efficiency. The announced budget is in line with many of our proposed policy options. 

    Increasing fiscal revenue 

    Given that tax exemptions are high—they accounted for 4.6 percent of GDP in 2024-25—the new budget aims to discontinue selected exemptions from VAT and excise duties, such as those for construction, real estate, and electric vehicles. The budget also lowers tax payment thresholds and raises new taxes. The implementation and sequencing of these reforms would need to limit any potential adverse impact on economic growth, while also protecting the most vulnerable.  

    Reforming pensions 

    On the expenditure side, there is room to make pension spending more sustainable. Benefits paid to individuals through the Basic Retirement Pension program (BRP)—received by all Mauritians aged 60 and older—have more than doubled since 2019. On top of higher benefits, fiscal pressures are mounting from a relative increase in the number of pensioners. As society ages, Mauritius is expected to face a doubling in the old-age dependency ratio over the next thirty years, resulting in a fast-growing pension bill.  

    Maintaining the present system would imply significant intergenerational redistribution from younger to older generations, as the (relatively small) younger cohort would likely face higher taxes to finance pensions for the (larger) older one. An option to help contain the growing cost of the BRP is a gradual alignment of the eligibility age from 60 to the official retirement age of 65. Given demographic trends, the alignment in the BRP eligibility age would help make the pension system more sustainable, while containing intergenerational inequalities and protecting the most vulnerable. The announced budget is a step in this direction.

    Spending efficiently 

    There is also scope for streamlining broadly targeted and regressive fiscal transfers. Social subsidies in Mauritius, in many cases, reach relatively few poor individuals. For example, only 11 percent of beneficiaries of the social aid program are defined as poor. The announced budget proposes savings by gradually unwinding some broadly targeted subsidies. The resulting savings will help create fiscal space to finance targeted schemes for the most vulnerable, while making fiscal policy more sustainable.  

    Unlike the dodo, now extinct, Mauritius’ economy will continue to thrive so long as fiscal sustainability is secured.

    – on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: CECO Environmental to Release Second Quarter Earnings and Host Conference Call on July 29

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ADDISON, Texas, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CECO Environmental Corp. (Nasdaq: CECO), a leading environmentally focused, diversified industrial company whose solutions protect people, the environment and industrial equipment, today announced that it will report its second quarter of 2025 financial results on July 29, 2025, premarket. The Company will also host its earnings call starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. CT). The Company’s financial results and presentation will be posted on its website at www.cecoenviro.com.

    The details for the webcast are:

    When: Tuesday, July 29 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

    Where: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/ox29vy4b

    How: Live over the internet – Simply log on to the web at the address above

    Register to receive the dial-in info and a unique pin:
    https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI97d5b1d01e0d42ad9f05df63ff2dda73

    A replay to the conference call will be available on the Company’s website shortly after the live webcast has concluded.

    ABOUT CECO ENVIRONMENTAL
    CECO Environmental is a leading environmentally focused, diversified industrial company, serving a broad landscape of industrial air, industrial water, and energy transition markets globally through its key business segments: Engineered Systems and Industrial Process Solutions. Providing innovative technology and application expertise, CECO helps companies grow their business with safe, clean, and more efficient solutions that help protect people, the environment and industrial equipment. In regions around the world, CECO works to improve air quality, optimize the energy value chain, and provide custom solutions for applications in power generation, petrochemical processing, refining, midstream gas transport and treatment, electric vehicle and battery production, metals and mineral processing, polysilicon production, battery recycling, beverage can production, and produced and oily water/wastewater treatment along with a wide range of other industrial applications. CECO is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “CECO.” Incorporated in 1966, CECO’s global headquarters is in Addison, Texas. For more information, please visit www.cecoenviro.com.

    Company Contact:
    Peter Johansson
    Chief Financial and Strategy Officer
    888-990-6670
            
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Steven Hooser and Jean Marie Young
    Three Part Advisors
    214-872-2710
    Investor.Relations@OneCECO.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: UK air quality is improving but pollution targets are still being breached – new study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Weber, Lecturer in Atmospheric Radiation, Composition and Climate, University of Reading

    Tony Skerl/Shutterstock

    An estimated 4.2 million deaths can be attributed to poor air quality each year. Poor air quality is the largest fixable environmental public health risk in the world.

    Our new study presents analysis of the UK-wide trends for three major pollutants – nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃) and tiny particulate matter known as PM₂.₅ – between 2015 and 2024 to calculate how often air quality targets were breached.

    Both nitrogen dioxide and PM₂.₅ showed robust decreases over the period 2015-2024, declining on average by 35% and 30% respectively. In 2015-2016, the average Defra monitoring site exceeded the nitrogen dioxide target on 136 days per year. By 2023-2024, this had dropped to 40 days per year.

    For PM₂.₅, the number of days the average Defra site breached the target went from 40 to 22 days per year. While this is an improvement, the World Health Organization advises that these targets should not be breached on more than four days per year.

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

    To examine the sources of pollution, we studied how pollutants were influenced by factors including time of day, day of week, wind direction and origin, location of monitoring station and even interactions between pollutant. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations are highest at monitoring sites located next to busy urban roads, lower at urban background sites (which are located at sites further from traffic such as parks) and much lower in rural sites.

    Profiles over 24-hour periods show strong nitrogen dioxide peaks coinciding with the morning and evening rush hours and clear decreases at weekends. This all points to local traffic emissions being the major source. While PM₂.₅ is also higher in urban than rural locations, it exhibits more muted rush hour peaks and is more consistent between the week and weekend, suggesting traffic plays a smaller role.

    We explored how wind direction and origin influenced nitrogen dioxide and PM₂.₅ by running a weather forecast model backwards for three UK locations: Reading, Sheffield and Glasgow. While nitrogen dioxide showed only a weak correlation with wind origin, PM₂.₅ was much more dependent.

    For example, the probability of PM₂.₅ breaching air quality targets on a given day exceeded 15% only when the air had come from continental Europe and, for Sheffield and Glasgow, passed over much of the UK too.

    NO₂ and PM₂.₅ pollution reduced over the last decade but remains too high while O₃ pollution has worsened.
    James Weber, CC BY

    While nitrogen dioxide and PM₂.₅ showed clear improvements, ozone exhibited a less positive picture. Ozone increased in 115 of the 121 sites considered, growing by 17% on average. A similar trend was observed across much of northern Europe. The average number of days ozone exceeded the World Health Organization target doubled from seven to 14 per year.

    This may seem modest at present, but several factors are conspiring to drive ozone higher. In much of the UK, the relatively high levels of nitrogen dioxide effectively suppress ozone: as a result, ozone is higher in rural rather than urban areas and, as nitrogen dioxide decreases, ozone will increase further.

    Unless, that is, we also target nitrogen dioxide’s partner in crime, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are critical to the production of ozone and are emitted from human sources such as traffic and industry, plus certain types of vegetation like oak trees. While emissions of nitrogen dioxide fell by 20% between 2015-2024, human-driven VOC emissions declined by only 1%.

    Ozone also increases in periods of hot weather due to elevated VOC emissions from vegetation and greater mixing of air from higher up in the atmosphere into the layer closest to the surface. Incidents of hot weather are only going to become more frequent in the UK, making it even more critical to crack down on human-driven VOC emissions to limit ozone pollution.

    Up in the air

    In the UK, considerable efforts have been made to improve air quality. Its importance has been enshrined in law for nearly 70 years. An extensive network of air quality monitoring sites is maintained by the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) plus devolved and local authorities.

    Local authorities are required to monitor air quality and develop air quality management areas in places where targets are unlikely to be met. Clean air or low emission zones have been introduced as a result.

    However, air quality policy must be designed to reflect the complex nature of each pollutants’ drivers. Nitrogen dioxide is dominated by local sources, PM₂.₅ by transport from further afield and ozone by a combination of both.

    An air quality monitoring station.
    Chemival/Shutterstock

    Local and national policies that cut traffic emissions by incentivising the replacement of older cars with newer, cleaner vehicles, retrofitting buses and restricting entry of the most polluting vehicles into towns and cities will probably reduce nitrogen dioxide further.

    But, if nitrogen dioxide decreases are not accompanied by reductions to VOC emissions, locally and internationally, ozone will continue to rise, especially with more frequent hot weather.

    By contrast, most PM₂.₅ comes from sources further afield, including industry and agriculture from other parts of the UK and beyond, so reductions hinge on stronger national and global policies that target emissions at source rather than just local efforts.

    Air pollution doesn’t respect borders and while the technologies to facilitate continued improvements exist, they must be deployed in joined-up, international efforts.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    James Weber 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. UK air quality is improving but pollution targets are still being breached – new study – https://theconversation.com/uk-air-quality-is-improving-but-pollution-targets-are-still-being-breached-new-study-260961

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: UK air quality is improving but pollution targets are still being breached – new study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Weber, Lecturer in Atmospheric Radiation, Composition and Climate, University of Reading

    Tony Skerl/Shutterstock

    An estimated 4.2 million deaths can be attributed to poor air quality each year. Poor air quality is the largest fixable environmental public health risk in the world.

    Our new study presents analysis of the UK-wide trends for three major pollutants – nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃) and tiny particulate matter known as PM₂.₅ – between 2015 and 2024 to calculate how often air quality targets were breached.

    Both nitrogen dioxide and PM₂.₅ showed robust decreases over the period 2015-2024, declining on average by 35% and 30% respectively. In 2015-2016, the average Defra monitoring site exceeded the nitrogen dioxide target on 136 days per year. By 2023-2024, this had dropped to 40 days per year.

    For PM₂.₅, the number of days the average Defra site breached the target went from 40 to 22 days per year. While this is an improvement, the World Health Organization advises that these targets should not be breached on more than four days per year.

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

    To examine the sources of pollution, we studied how pollutants were influenced by factors including time of day, day of week, wind direction and origin, location of monitoring station and even interactions between pollutant. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations are highest at monitoring sites located next to busy urban roads, lower at urban background sites (which are located at sites further from traffic such as parks) and much lower in rural sites.

    Profiles over 24-hour periods show strong nitrogen dioxide peaks coinciding with the morning and evening rush hours and clear decreases at weekends. This all points to local traffic emissions being the major source. While PM₂.₅ is also higher in urban than rural locations, it exhibits more muted rush hour peaks and is more consistent between the week and weekend, suggesting traffic plays a smaller role.

    We explored how wind direction and origin influenced nitrogen dioxide and PM₂.₅ by running a weather forecast model backwards for three UK locations: Reading, Sheffield and Glasgow. While nitrogen dioxide showed only a weak correlation with wind origin, PM₂.₅ was much more dependent.

    For example, the probability of PM₂.₅ breaching air quality targets on a given day exceeded 15% only when the air had come from continental Europe and, for Sheffield and Glasgow, passed over much of the UK too.

    NO₂ and PM₂.₅ pollution reduced over the last decade but remains too high while O₃ pollution has worsened.
    James Weber, CC BY

    While nitrogen dioxide and PM₂.₅ showed clear improvements, ozone exhibited a less positive picture. Ozone increased in 115 of the 121 sites considered, growing by 17% on average. A similar trend was observed across much of northern Europe. The average number of days ozone exceeded the World Health Organization target doubled from seven to 14 per year.

    This may seem modest at present, but several factors are conspiring to drive ozone higher. In much of the UK, the relatively high levels of nitrogen dioxide effectively suppress ozone: as a result, ozone is higher in rural rather than urban areas and, as nitrogen dioxide decreases, ozone will increase further.

    Unless, that is, we also target nitrogen dioxide’s partner in crime, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are critical to the production of ozone and are emitted from human sources such as traffic and industry, plus certain types of vegetation like oak trees. While emissions of nitrogen dioxide fell by 20% between 2015-2024, human-driven VOC emissions declined by only 1%.

    Ozone also increases in periods of hot weather due to elevated VOC emissions from vegetation and greater mixing of air from higher up in the atmosphere into the layer closest to the surface. Incidents of hot weather are only going to become more frequent in the UK, making it even more critical to crack down on human-driven VOC emissions to limit ozone pollution.

    Up in the air

    In the UK, considerable efforts have been made to improve air quality. Its importance has been enshrined in law for nearly 70 years. An extensive network of air quality monitoring sites is maintained by the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) plus devolved and local authorities.

    Local authorities are required to monitor air quality and develop air quality management areas in places where targets are unlikely to be met. Clean air or low emission zones have been introduced as a result.

    However, air quality policy must be designed to reflect the complex nature of each pollutants’ drivers. Nitrogen dioxide is dominated by local sources, PM₂.₅ by transport from further afield and ozone by a combination of both.

    An air quality monitoring station.
    Chemival/Shutterstock

    Local and national policies that cut traffic emissions by incentivising the replacement of older cars with newer, cleaner vehicles, retrofitting buses and restricting entry of the most polluting vehicles into towns and cities will probably reduce nitrogen dioxide further.

    But, if nitrogen dioxide decreases are not accompanied by reductions to VOC emissions, locally and internationally, ozone will continue to rise, especially with more frequent hot weather.

    By contrast, most PM₂.₅ comes from sources further afield, including industry and agriculture from other parts of the UK and beyond, so reductions hinge on stronger national and global policies that target emissions at source rather than just local efforts.

    Air pollution doesn’t respect borders and while the technologies to facilitate continued improvements exist, they must be deployed in joined-up, international efforts.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    James Weber 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. UK air quality is improving but pollution targets are still being breached – new study – https://theconversation.com/uk-air-quality-is-improving-but-pollution-targets-are-still-being-breached-new-study-260961

    MIL OSI Analysis –