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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Joint Statement: Enduring Partnership, Ambitious Agenda

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    1. Today marks a historic milestone as we, the leaders of the European Union and Canada, met to renew our enduring commitment and take a pivotal step to further reinforce the strategic partnership between the European Union and Canada. Our strong partnership is deeply rooted in trust and common values and shaped by a shared history of human connection and robust economic ties. Most importantly, our partnership is grounded in the core values we share: democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and open, rules-based markets. In a rapidly changing world marked by geopolitical uncertainty, shifting economic dynamics, and the accelerating impacts of climate change, this partnership is more important than ever.
       
    2. We stand united in our objective to forge a new ambitious and comprehensive partnership that responds to the needs of today and will evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. This marks the beginning of a long-term effort that will help us promote shared prosperity, democratic values, peace and security. To do this, we have decided to further build on existing ties and launch a process that will move Canada and the EU closer together and that lays out immediate and long-term actions outlined in an ambitious agenda at the end of this document. We also agreed today on an EU-Canada Security and Defence Partnership.
       
    3. Our citizens are looking for responses to the unprecedented challenges we face. This is why it is more important than ever to work together to promote our shared values and the rules-based international order. We will also pursue our common interests, while continuing to promote and deepen our vibrant trade and investment relationship, and our strong people-to-people contacts. We will stand together even more firmly in support of peace, stability, and prosperity in the world, including in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
       
    4. We confirm our unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order with the United Nations and its charter at its core. The EU and Canada will continue to cooperate closely in promoting international peace and security. Our commitment to sustainable development remains a key pillar of our relationship. We will continue to be key partners in promoting democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, gender equality and the rule of law globally. We will take further action to ensure respect for the rights of women and girls, and to end to all forms of discrimination, including against LGBTI persons. We will continue supporting the implementation of the UN Pact for the Future and the ambitious reforms sought under the UN80 Initiative. We reaffirm our steadfast support for the independent functioning of the international criminal justice system, particularly the International Criminal Court. We condemn threats to the independent functioning of the ICC, including measures against individual officials.
       
    5. We are determined to continue working together in responding to the growing challenges to the international economic and trade order. We reiterate our mutual commitment to sustainable, fair and open trade, grounded in the rule of law and in respect for internationally agreed trade rules, as embodied by the World Trade Organization. This is essential to maintain global economic stability and to safeguard our supply chain resilience.
       
    6. We reaffirm our resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter and international law. Our commitment to ensuring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders is unshakeable. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to providing continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed, in full respect of the security and defence policy of certain EU Member States and taking into account the security and defence interests of all EU Member States. We support the conclusion of a just and lasting peace agreement, in full compliance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and join the call for a full, unconditional ceasefire of at least 30 days, which Ukraine has unilaterally committed to. We will continue to support the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada, and we reiterate our urgent call on Russia and Belarus to immediately ensure the safe return of all unlawfully deported and transferred Ukrainian children. We will continue our close coordination of efforts to provide military equipment and training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces —including through the work of the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM Ukraine) and Operation UNIFIER.
       
    7. We will increase pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions and taking measures to prevent their circumvention, and by ensuring that Russian sovereign assets remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused by this war. We are committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and other serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression, including by the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. We also remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction including through the Ukraine Donor Platform and in-country coordination mechanisms. We welcome Canada’s continued support, through the extension of an expert deployment to the Ukraine Donor Platform. The Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome in July 2025 will be particularly relevant in that context.[1]
       
    8. We also reaffirm our continued support for the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, enhancing the country’s resilience in dealing with the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the hybrid activities by Russia to undermine Moldova, in particular in the run-up to the Parliamentary elections. 
       
    9. In relation to the situation and latest developments in the Middle East, we reaffirm our commitment to an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the resumption of unimpeded humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza in line with humanitarian principles, in order to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation on the ground. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, following increased settler violence, the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, and Israel’s military operation. We emphasize the importance of pursuing a lasting and sustainable peace based on the implementation of the two-state solution. We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. 
       
    10. We express our deepest concern at the dangerous escalation following Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s response. We reiterate our strong commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East, including the security of Israel, and call on all sides to show restraint and abide by international law. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. A diplomatic solution remains the best way to address concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. The EU and Canada stand ready to contribute to a negotiated deal, which imposes verifiable constraints on Iran’s nuclear program, with the International Atomic Energy Agency in charge of monitoring and verification. We also remain committed to addressing Iran’s destabilizing behaviour, including its nuclear proliferation risks, military support for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, backing of regional armed groups, transnational repression, and systematic human rights violations.
       
    11. Security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is increasingly interconnected. We reaffirm our shared interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait. We will continue working with regional partners, including ASEAN, to uphold a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region based on international law. We continue to be deeply concerned by DPRK’s ongoing nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and condemn Russia-DPRK military cooperation, which violates UN Security Council resolutions and undermines international security.
       
    12. We will continue deepening our cooperation and dialogue, together with partners from around the world, to address key regional issues, in particular in relation to the broader Middle East – notably Lebanon and Syria. We will also continue engaging with each other on issues related to Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean, including Haiti. We will stay engaged in fragile and conflict-affected countries, facing instability or in complex settings, to support populations, in particular the most vulnerable.
       
    13. The Arctic will remain an area of close collaboration to foster peace and security, stability, and sustainable economic development, in particular of the blue economy, in full respect of the interests, priorities and rights of Indigenous Peoples in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
       
    14. The EU and Canada will continue to be reliable and responsible partners. We reiterate our steadfast commitment to advancing global sustainable development, working with partners across the globe. We are determined to deliver on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, together with international partners and in multilateral fora. We look forward to the upcoming 4th International Conference on financing for Development (FfD4), which will take place in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025. We will continue to deepen our cooperation and dialogue on humanitarian aid, including on respect for International Humanitarian Law and response to humanitarian crises.
       
    15. We recognize the existential threat of the interdependent crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution. The EU-Canada Green Alliance is our steadfast, joint commitment to ambitious environment and climate action on the global stage. Carbon pricing, carbon removal and industrial decarbonization are key to reaching net-zero and decarbonization goals, while a high integrity carbon market can contribute to enhancing the global ambition. The EU is a dedicated participant in Canada’s Global Carbon Pricing Challenge (GCPC). At COP30, the EU and Canada aim to further promote carbon pricing as a tool to combat climate change, foster innovation and to modernize our industries. COP30 will also be an opportunity to highlight the importance of decarbonizing the transport sector and to promote sustainable transportation solutions. We reiterate our commitment to the swift and full implementation of the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including through the Nature Champions Network.
       
    16. We agree that the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) are at the core of the EU-Canada relationship. Through these agreements we are developing and deepening our partnership continuously in response to an evolving global context. We will continue to ensure their effective implementation and remain committed to achieving their full ratification. The SPA and CETA have allowed us to boost our cooperation over the past eight years.
       
    17. We are committed to further enhancing our EU-Canada trade and investment relationship, to advance and diversify our trade, promote our economic security and resilience, create investment opportunities and ensure our long-term security and prosperity. Our relationship is underpinned by CETA and its benefits are clear: bilateral trade has increased by over 65% compared to pre-CETA levels. We welcome the efforts being made to remove barriers to interprovincial trade in Canada and reduce barriers within the EU Single Market as they will further ease trading and doing business for our companies.
       
    18. Ensuring reliable and sustainable supply chains is a mutual priority and we have a shared interest in diversifying our supply chains and strategic investment. We will foster a closer cooperation on targeted industrial matters driving global competitiveness and strategic autonomy, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space, cyberspace, aeronautics, biotechnologies, new energies, minerals and critical metals, advanced manufacturing and cleantech. We intend to maintain a secure transatlantic supply chain on key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), supercomputers and semiconductors. We welcome the recent announcement of a Canadian strategic nickel project under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and will work to identify opportunities for co-investment in projects of mutual interest. We welcome the G7 Global Critical Minerals Action Plan agreed under Canada’s Presidency.
       
    19. We also remain committed to pursuing mutually beneficial collaboration on digital and tech policy issues and bolstering the bilateral digital trade relationship. Through the Canada-EU Digital Partnership, we are already working hand in hand on concrete projects in crucial areas for a robust digital economy, such as research in cutting-edge technologies, and we look forward to Canada hosting the first EU-Canada Digital Partnership Council later this year. We intend to enhance cooperation on AI innovation, including collaboration on AI Factories, to link our high-performance computing infrastructure and to deepen research cooperation in strategic technology areas such as AI and quantum. We also intend to align our frameworks and standards in the regulatory field, to make online platforms safer and more inclusive, to develop trustworthy AI systems and to establish interoperable digital identities and digital credentials to facilitate interactions between our citizens and our businesses.
       
    20. We have agreed today an EU-Canada Security and Defence Partnership, which provides a coherent, high-level political framework for our joint efforts in this field and will strengthen and widen the scope of cooperation and dialogue between the EU and Canada. We remain committed to continuing our strong cooperation, notably through Canada’s contributions to EU missions and operations, and welcome possible further collaboration on crisis management in the future. Canada will strengthen its defence relationship with the EU by posting a defence representative to the EU. We underscore the value of Canada’s participation in the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects and look forward to pursuing additional initiatives within this framework. In line with our shared security interests, we attach particular importance to collaboration on defence. For Canada and those EU Member States who are NATO Allies, NATO remains the cornerstone of their collective defence. Our aim will be to help deliver on our capability targets, including through our defence industries, more quickly and economically and with enhanced interoperability in ways that deliver mutual benefit and reinforce the European contribution to NATO. All of the above is without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain EU Member States, and taking into account the security and defence interests of all Member States, in accordance with the EU Treaties. We appreciate Canada’s continued commitment to European security, which includes the largest deployment of Canadian Armed Forces overseas.
       
    21. Recognizing the importance of the Women, Peace and Security as well as the Youth, Peace and Security agendas, we will continue supporting the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in conflict prevention, mediation, resolution, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and post-conflict reconstruction. We recognize that an enabling environment, is fundamental to ensuring the safe participation of women, and remain committed to fostering such environments. We will ensure that Women, Peace and Security is integrated in all aspects of cooperation on security and defence. Gender equality is a shared political and security priority, and we will collaborate to counter setbacks against gender equality and the rights of women and girls.
       
    22. To ensure comprehensive and sustainable progress, Canada and EU senior officials will meet at regular intervals to review progress and identify opportunities to deepen cooperation, in line with existing CETA and SPA consultation mechanisms, and in view of the next EU-Canada Summit. 

    Annex – The New EU-Canada Strategic Partnership of the Future 

    Together, we will: 

    Increase trade flows and promote economic security 

    • Support businesses to grow and diversify markets by fully and effectively implementing CETA.
    • Modernize our approach to trade by launching work towards a Digital Trade Agreement that would complement CETA.
    • Create tools for businesses to better support trade diversification, such as facilitating B2B matchmaking, cluster-to-cluster cooperation, and supporting the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
    • Advance our collaboration in the EU-Canada Economic Security Dialogue. Political and technical exchanges will allow us to identify trends and risks of mutual concern that could affect our economic security, and cooperation on possible policy responses.
    • Reduce barriers and strengthen agriculture and agrifood trade.
    • Prepare ourselves for the energy needs of the future, by cooperating more closely and exploring options to work together on more resilient, diversified, reliable energy supply chains, including clean tech value chains, LNG, renewables, safe and sustainable low-carbon hydrogen and other safe and sustainable low-carbon technologies, in view of increasing bilateral trade and strengthening energy security.
    • Continue the existing cooperation on nuclear technologies, including fuels and fuel cycle services, through the negotiation of a modernized and comprehensive Canada-Euratom Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
    • Strengthen labour mobility by facilitating the movement of highly skilled workers, and explore shared interests in exchanging information about immigration partnerships. 

    Foster competitiveness and resilience through strengthened cooperation in strategic value chains 

    • Launch a new EU-Canada Industrial Policy Dialogue to boost industrial and supply chain cooperation in strategic sectors.
    • Promote projects and investments that reduce supply chain risks and foster resilience and the competitiveness of our industries and critical goods (e.g. semiconductors), including by promoting projects that abide by environmental, social and governance standards.
    • Work together closely to ensure security and diversity in the supply of minerals and metals critical to our mutual security and the green and digital transitions, including by exploring new opportunities to facilitate the two-way flow of investment, materials and expertise through the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials.
    • Complete the negotiations for a renewed Canada-EU Competition Cooperation Agreement, providing a legal framework to coordinate enforcement activities and share information obtained through investigative powers in full respect of data privacy guarantees in both jurisdictions, as soon as possible. 

    Deepen regulatory alignment 

    • Identify opportunities for increased regulatory alignment between Canada and the EU, including through advancing work under CETA’s Protocol on the Mutual Acceptance of the Results of Conformity Assessment.
    • Bolster formal consultative mechanisms on EU and Canadian legislation and regulations, including CETA’s Regulatory Cooperation Forum. 

    Increase transatlantic security through a new era of EU-Canada security and defence cooperation, including the full implementation of the EU-Canada Security and Defence Partnership 

    • Bolster our bilateral dialogue and operational cooperation in all areas of joint interest in support of peace, security and defence – such as maritime security, cyber issues and hybrid threats.
    • Advance cooperation on the climate-security nexus and expand joint efforts in maritime security by identifying opportunities for coordinated naval activities.
    • Expand cooperation on defence capabilities, in particular by creating opportunities for increased defence industrial cooperation.
    • Secure and protect our democratic institutions by preventing and countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) through increased cooperation through relevant EU, Canadian and multilateral initiatives, such as the Canada-hosted G7 Rapid Response Mechanism.
    • Consider Canada’s further participation in EU Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects, with an aim towards joint development of capabilities and greater interoperability.
    • Increase defence procurement cooperation through Canadian collaboration with ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030:
      • launch work towards a bilateral agreement related to the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument
      • explore the possibility of establishing an administrative arrangement between Canada and the European Defence Agency 

    Shape the digital transition and promote exchanges in education and on innovation for technologies of the future 

    • Deepen cooperation in the framework of the EU-Canada Digital Partnership, and hold the first EU-Canada Digital Partnership Council later this year to drive this process forward.
    • Advance cooperation on AI, cybersecurity, secure digital communication and advanced connectivity, secure and trusted communications infrastructure (including 5G and subsea cables), the transparency and resilience of global tech supply chains, digital identity, quantum science, data spaces, online platforms and fighting FIMI.
    • Advance regulatory cooperation under the Digital Partnership, notably in AI and cybersecurity, so as to work towards the mutual recognition of AI and cybersecurity product certification including under the CETA Protocol on Conformity Assessment.
    • Deepen collaboration by leveraging Canada’s association to Horizon Europe, including on high priority topics, and exploring its potential participation in EU’s 10th Framework Programme.
    • Expand cooperation for access to world-class high-performance computing infrastructure through Horizon Europe.
    • Support research and industrial collaboration in research security, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum sciences, cyber security, climate change, oceans, circular economy, polar research and researcher mobility and training, including through the Canada-EU Digital Partnership and under the EU-Canada Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement.
    • Promote and defend the freedom of academic and scientific research and the protection of scientists.
    • Increase people to people ties, improve mobility and recognition, including in higher education and research through Erasmus+, the European Research Council and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions. 

    Fight climate change and environmental degradation and facilitate the transition to climate neutrality 

    • Support for carbon pricing and industrial decarbonization as priority cooperation areas to combat climate change.
    • Bolster competitiveness through cooperation on carbon pricing systems and carbon border measures.
    • Work with international partners to promote the full, swift and effective implementation of the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
    • Collaborate to achieve an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution covering the full lifecycle of plastics at INC 5.2.
    • Collaborate on the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnerships.
    • Jointly call for ambitious action to implement the Paris Agreement, in line with efforts to keep the 1.5°C warming goal within reach.
    • Continue working with other international partners to promote relevant international instruments to combatting climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
    • Welcome Canada joining the Global Energy Transition Forum launched by the European Commission to deliver on the goals of tripling the world’s renewable energy capacity and doubling the global annual rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030 in parallel to a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems.
    • Work together as co-conveners of the Global Methane Pledge to deliver on the goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
    • Advance cooperation on the climate–security nexus by exploring a Climate-Security Dialogue. 

    Crisis management 

    • Advance public and private investments, notably in sustainable, inclusive, resilient and quality infrastructure, including through our shared G7 commitment under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy. At the same time, we recognize that investments in human development are a key enabling factor for just and sustainable digital and green transitions.
    • Strengthen cooperation on international crisis response and enhance cooperation on emergency management with the signing of an Administrative Arrangement between the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada and the European External Action Service on international cooperation in emergency planning and crisis response.
    • Respond more effectively to humanitarian crises and explore the possibility of a humanitarian administrative arrangement to align priorities and facilitate coordination.
    • Build health security and resilience through enhanced partnerships, including an administrative arrangement on medical countermeasures.
    • Building on the sale of 22 Canadian-built DHC-515 water bombers to the EU and Member States, explore further opportunities to share mutually beneficial technology and expertise in combating disasters. 

    Justice and Home Affairs 

    • Explore cooperation between Eurojust, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Canadian authorities in the field of criminal justice.
    • Advance the implementation, ratification and entry into force of the-EU-Canada Passenger Name Record Agreement.

    [1]We note the reservations of one Member State regarding the strategic direction of certain EU policies towards Ukraine.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shawano Man Indicted for Child Pornography Production

    Source: US FBI

    Richard Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 17, 2025, a federal indictment was returned alleging that Brandon M. Boogren (age: 29) of Shawano, Wisconsin, used a minor child to produce child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).

    According to court documents, in May 2019 Boogren created several videos of himself and a then two-year-old child involved in sexually explicit conduct. Boogren then is alleged to have distributed the images to an individual in Houston, Texas, via the internet.

    If convicted of the charge alleged in the indictment, Boogren faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.     

    # # #

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    414-297-1700

     

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Ranking Member Shaheen, Representative Lieu in Introducing Resolution to Recognize World Refugee Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (June 20, 2025) — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA-36) to introduce the “World Refugee Day Resolution” to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to supporting the safety, health and welfare of refugees and forcibly displaced persons worldwide as they flee persecution, conflict and violence. The resolution was cosponsored by 23 Senators and 49 Representatives.
    “On World Refugee Day, I am reminded of our nation’s history of welcoming those who have been forced to flee from violence, persecution, disease, famine, and climate disaster,” said Senator Markey. “The United States must honor that history and remain a beacon of hope and safety. It is unconscionable that the Trump administration has turned its back on refugees and halted funding to resettlement agencies. Due to these cruel actions, refugees who have been rigorously vetted are being denied entry into the United States and forced to remain in dangerous conditions. While the world is dealing with the growing threats of climate change and ongoing conflicts, the United States mut remain a beacon of hope and safety. I am calling on the Trump administration to resume the resettlement of refugees without any further delays. Today and every day, we must say loudly and clearly that refugees are welcome here.”
    “Conflict, persecution and violence continue to force millions of people from their homes – with more than 123 million people forcibly displaced at the end of 2024, including Afghans, Burmese Rohingya and Sudanese,” said Ranking Member Shaheen. “The United States has long been a leader in supporting refugees overseas and welcoming the most vulnerable, promoting stability around the world and boosting the U.S. economy through refugees’ contributions. Yet the Trump Administration is turning its back on this bipartisan legacy of support, slashing U.S. foreign aid programs that help refugees and host communities and indefinitely suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. On this World Refugee Day, our resolution honors the resilient spirit of forcibly displaced persons globally and calls on the Trump Administration to recommit to supporting refugees and displaced persons.” 
    “There used to be more consensus among Democrats and Republicans that the world’s wealthiest nation has an obligation to help those seeking refuge from violence, persecution, human rights abuses, and other dangers,” said Representative Lieu. “A strong U.S. foreign aid program was once considered both morally correct policy, and a smart return on investment that engendered good will and protected our national security. Now, Trump has turned his back on the world’s most vulnerable people by banning refugees and pulling funding for foreign aid programs. This is a terrible abdication of our duty to help those who need it the most. On World Refugee Day, those of us who want the world to be a more peaceful, prosperous place for everyone reiterate our call to help refugees who are fleeing unimaginable circumstances. Everyone deserves to live freely and safely.”
    “With an ongoing refugee ban leaving so many with no path to protection – it is imperative we take this opportunity to stand in solidarity with all those forced to flee their homes around the world,” said Erol Kekic, Chief Strategy Officer at Church World Service. “CWS thanks Senator Shaheen and Representative Lieu for honoring refugees and leading this year’s congressional World Refugee Day resolution. From 80 years of walking alongside newcomers, CWS knows that refugees and immigrants enrich our communities – culturally, artistically, religiously, and economically. They are our neighbors and friends. They are mothers and fathers working to build better futures for their children.” 
    “Today, more than 123 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes—the highest number in recorded history,” said Myal Greene, President and CEO of World Relief. “On World Refugee Day, we remember that behind every statistic is a person made in the image of God, longing for safety, stability, and hope. This crisis should stir the conscience of lawmakers and citizens alike–particularly those, like me, motivated by the Christian faith. We urge Congress to champion policies that protect the persecuted, restore dignity, and uphold America’s long legacy of welcoming those fleeing violence and oppression.” 
    “On World Refugee Day, we are reminded that the right to seek safety is both a legal commitment and a moral imperative,” said Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). “The United States has the capacity, and the obligation, to uphold its commitments to refugees and asylum seekers. Yet today, tens of thousands of people who were promised protection under the U.S. resettlement program remain stranded due to unlawful and discriminatory policies. We commend this resolution for reaffirming the values enshrined in our Constitution and refugee laws and urge our leaders to restore U.S. leadership in protecting the rights and dignity of those forced to flee.” 
    “There has never been a more urgent moment for Congress to reaffirm America’s support for refugees, both at home and abroad,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, President of Refugees International. “On World Refugee Day, we must renew our pledge to advance refugee protection, including by ensuring refugees have a role in shaping policy; to uphold the right to seek asylum; and to generously welcome those who seek safety and the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity and opportunity.” 
    “RCUSA reminds the Trump administration of the incredible contributions that refugees have made in the 45-year history of the refugee resettlement program,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of Refugee Council USA. “We stand in solidarity with those forced to flee their homes due to violence and persecution – families and individuals continue to seek safety, dignity, freedom, and opportunity in the face of unimaginable hardship. As global displacement reaches historic highs, the United States must lead with compassion and courage. That means rejecting fear-based policies and recommitting to a system that upholds the rights of all people to seek safety. Congress must invest in our nation’s capacity to welcome refugees and asylum seekers — and safeguard the use of public resources in good faith. RCUSA calls on all people of conscience to stand with refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants, not only today but every day. Our work is far from over.” 
    The resolution is also cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).  
    The House resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-D), Yassmin Ansari (AZ-D), Becca Balint (VT-D), Joyce Beatty (OH-D), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-D), Judy Chu (CA-D), Gil Cisneros (CA-D), Steve Cohen (TN-D), Danny Davis (IL-D), Diana Degette (CO-D), Suzan DelBene (WA-D), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-D), Adriano Espaillat (NY-D), Chuy Garcia (IL-D), Robert Garcia (CA-D), Sylvia Garcia (TX-D), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-D), Pramila Jayapal (WA-D), Hank Johnson (GA-D), Ro Khanna (CA-D), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-D), Summer Lee (PA-D), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-D), Stephen Lynch (MA-D), Jennifer McClellan (VA-D), Betty McCollum (MN-D), Jim McGovern (MA-D), Robert Menendez (NJ-D), Gwen Moore (WI-D), Seth Moulton (MA-D), Kevin Mullin (CA-D), Jerrold Nadler (NY-D), Eleanor Norton (DC-D), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-D), Ilhan Omar (MN-D), Nancy Pelosi (CA-D), Mark Pocan (WI-D), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (IL-D), Darren Soto (FL-D), Shri Thanedar (MI-D), Dina Titus (NV-D), Rashida Tlaib (MI-D), Jill Tokuda (HI-D), Paul Tonko (NY-D), Derek Tran (CA-D), Nydia Velazquez (NY-D), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-D) and Nikema Williams (GA-D).
    The resolution is supported by the following organizations: Church World Service, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, Center for Victims of Torture, Climate Refugees, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Franciscan Action Network, Friends Committee on National Legislation, HIAS, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Just Neighbors, National Partnership for New Americans, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Refugee Advocacy Lab, Refugee Council USA, Refugee Congress, Refugees International, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, United Church of Christ, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), World Relief and Women’s Refugee Commission.
    Full text of the resolution is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How to protect your favourite urban trees from increasing danger

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lucy Grace, PhD Candidate, Climate Change and Literature, Nottingham Trent University

    Whether your favourite tree is in a private garden, on wasteland, in a school playground or on the street, your emotional response may be admiration, relaxation, rejuvenation or awareness of the seasons passing. But so many special trees are experiencing a combination of threats.

    According to a new report from environmental charity the Tree Council and government-funded agency Forest Research, introduced pests and diseases, pollution, extreme weather and infrastructure development are all on the increase, which could be a disaster for the UK’s trees. These affect trees’ condition, resilience and capacity to mitigate the climate and nature crises.

    Not only do trees play ecological roles in nature, such as shelter for wildlife and protection from floods, many people have long-standing connections to trees. A report from the Tree Council highlights the role of trees as an important part of the “fabric of human cultures and societies”.

    This demonstrates a move away from appreciating only the ecological benefits provided by urban trees and towards the social and cultural importance they hold for local populations.

    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.

    The ecological and biodiversity values of trees are well-documented. Trees offer homes and food for birds, insects and wildlife. They prevent rainwater reaching the ground by as much as 45%. When combined with grass, surface water flooding is reduced by 99% compared with tarmac. Urban trees reduce air pollution, quieten noise and keep cities shaded and cool.

    Thousands of people cast votes for their favourite trees in the UK and Europe. In a recent study, over half of 1,800 adults surveyed said they had a favourite tree and 74% felt that urban development is the greatest threat to our trees.

    That’s not the only threat, though. Single species planting of street trees, for example, leaves the trees vulnerable to diseases (such as Dutch elm or ash dieback). Rising temperatures and water scarcity leaves trees competing for resources.

    But what does that mean for our urban trees? Approximately 30% of tree cover in England exists outside forest and woodland. Such trees form an essential habitat in urban areas where 83% of the UK’s population live, yet more than ever before our urban trees are facing threats from a deadly combination of environmental change and human development. In Wales, for example, 7,000 mature trees in towns and cities were lost between 2006 and 2013.

    To try to address this growing crisis, woodland charity Forest Research have released a new, national free to use “trees outside woodland” map. This refers to any trees found in settings such as parks, open countryside and farmland, gardens and estates, or beside roads and paths.

    These can be on a street corner, beside a railway track or in a market square and includes very old trees like those listed on the ancient tree inventory plus otherwise unremarkable trees growing in unusual settings, such as the vandalised 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree.

    Why we love trees

    England is dawdling behind many other countries when it comes to protecting important trees. Forest Research found that trees outside woodland share many of the social and cultural values associated with trees in woodlands, however people make specific relationships with these urban trees and they are more likely to be considered unique and irreplaceable.

    Trees in urban areas have huge social benefits too.
    Karo Martu/Shutterstock

    They can be recognised for their grace and beauty or for their associations with customs, beliefs and rituals. They can be a place to rest and play and symbols of community belonging. They can give a sense of continuity, connecting people’s lifespans with reflections about the natural world and everything beyond.

    Many countries give clear titles to their important trees. In Poland, they are called natural monuments, in Germany they are living monuments. Spain, Belgium, Greece, Mexico and Finland use the term “monumental trees”. In New Zealand, special urban trees are referred to as national living landmarks. Currently England falls behind in designating trees for protection based on their historical or aesthetic importance.

    Trees for everyone

    A common feature across many countries is the opportunity for anyone, including members of the public, to recommend a tree for protection. Tree equity is the idea that everyone should have access to the benefits of trees. It includes prioritising and deploying resources in the areas where people have least access to them.

    Tree inequity exists in most UK towns and cities. On average, the most economically and socially deprived and most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods have half the tree canopy cover compared to the least deprived and least diverse.

    Canopy cover ranges from 1–2% in parts of north-east England to 36% in Hampstead, north London. Even within London there are wide variations.

    So ensure your favourite tree can be appreciated and celebrated by your community as a living monument, make sure it is on the Trees Outside Woodland map. And check if it needs a drink.

    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.

    Lucy Grace receives funding from AHRC for her PhD through the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership.

    – ref. How to protect your favourite urban trees from increasing danger – https://theconversation.com/how-to-protect-your-favourite-urban-trees-from-increasing-danger-258227

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How to protect your favourite urban trees from increasing danger

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lucy Grace, PhD Candidate, Climate Change and Literature, Nottingham Trent University

    Whether your favourite tree is in a private garden, on wasteland, in a school playground or on the street, your emotional response may be admiration, relaxation, rejuvenation or awareness of the seasons passing. But so many special trees are experiencing a combination of threats.

    According to a new report from environmental charity the Tree Council and government-funded agency Forest Research, introduced pests and diseases, pollution, extreme weather and infrastructure development are all on the increase, which could be a disaster for the UK’s trees. These affect trees’ condition, resilience and capacity to mitigate the climate and nature crises.

    Not only do trees play ecological roles in nature, such as shelter for wildlife and protection from floods, many people have long-standing connections to trees. A report from the Tree Council highlights the role of trees as an important part of the “fabric of human cultures and societies”.

    This demonstrates a move away from appreciating only the ecological benefits provided by urban trees and towards the social and cultural importance they hold for local populations.

    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.

    The ecological and biodiversity values of trees are well-documented. Trees offer homes and food for birds, insects and wildlife. They prevent rainwater reaching the ground by as much as 45%. When combined with grass, surface water flooding is reduced by 99% compared with tarmac. Urban trees reduce air pollution, quieten noise and keep cities shaded and cool.

    Thousands of people cast votes for their favourite trees in the UK and Europe. In a recent study, over half of 1,800 adults surveyed said they had a favourite tree and 74% felt that urban development is the greatest threat to our trees.

    That’s not the only threat, though. Single species planting of street trees, for example, leaves the trees vulnerable to diseases (such as Dutch elm or ash dieback). Rising temperatures and water scarcity leaves trees competing for resources.

    But what does that mean for our urban trees? Approximately 30% of tree cover in England exists outside forest and woodland. Such trees form an essential habitat in urban areas where 83% of the UK’s population live, yet more than ever before our urban trees are facing threats from a deadly combination of environmental change and human development. In Wales, for example, 7,000 mature trees in towns and cities were lost between 2006 and 2013.

    To try to address this growing crisis, woodland charity Forest Research have released a new, national free to use “trees outside woodland” map. This refers to any trees found in settings such as parks, open countryside and farmland, gardens and estates, or beside roads and paths.

    These can be on a street corner, beside a railway track or in a market square and includes very old trees like those listed on the ancient tree inventory plus otherwise unremarkable trees growing in unusual settings, such as the vandalised 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree.

    Why we love trees

    England is dawdling behind many other countries when it comes to protecting important trees. Forest Research found that trees outside woodland share many of the social and cultural values associated with trees in woodlands, however people make specific relationships with these urban trees and they are more likely to be considered unique and irreplaceable.

    Trees in urban areas have huge social benefits too.
    Karo Martu/Shutterstock

    They can be recognised for their grace and beauty or for their associations with customs, beliefs and rituals. They can be a place to rest and play and symbols of community belonging. They can give a sense of continuity, connecting people’s lifespans with reflections about the natural world and everything beyond.

    Many countries give clear titles to their important trees. In Poland, they are called natural monuments, in Germany they are living monuments. Spain, Belgium, Greece, Mexico and Finland use the term “monumental trees”. In New Zealand, special urban trees are referred to as national living landmarks. Currently England falls behind in designating trees for protection based on their historical or aesthetic importance.

    Trees for everyone

    A common feature across many countries is the opportunity for anyone, including members of the public, to recommend a tree for protection. Tree equity is the idea that everyone should have access to the benefits of trees. It includes prioritising and deploying resources in the areas where people have least access to them.

    Tree inequity exists in most UK towns and cities. On average, the most economically and socially deprived and most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods have half the tree canopy cover compared to the least deprived and least diverse.

    Canopy cover ranges from 1–2% in parts of north-east England to 36% in Hampstead, north London. Even within London there are wide variations.

    So ensure your favourite tree can be appreciated and celebrated by your community as a living monument, make sure it is on the Trees Outside Woodland map. And check if it needs a drink.

    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.

    Lucy Grace receives funding from AHRC for her PhD through the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership.

    – ref. How to protect your favourite urban trees from increasing danger – https://theconversation.com/how-to-protect-your-favourite-urban-trees-from-increasing-danger-258227

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Causes and Consequences of Flooding in California’s Central Valley

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Causes and Consequences of Flooding in California’s Central Valley

    USGS researchers are leveraging advances in satellite-based monitoring to better characterize and predict flood inundation, which is essential for effective emergency response and water management planning.

    Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are long corridors of water vapor transport that extend from the tropics to mid-latitudes. These meteorological phenomena can bring large amounts of rain or snow to the western United States each year. In locations like California, AR storms are responsible for the largest magnitude floods in the state.

    Emergency responders, water managers and planners need to be able to predict where flood inundation will occur due to an AR storm. But the complex connection between AR precipitation and flooding – which is needed for these predictions – is only partially understood.

    How remote sensing is helping complete the picture

    Fortunately, advances in satellite-based monitoring enabled USGS researchers to create long-term map records of surface water dynamics (including flooding) from 20 years of MODIS satellite imagery. These new records are high frequency (monthly) and cover the entire year. The winter-time record is especially valuable; previous research using Landsat excluded this time period due to wintertime cloud cover limitations in the satellite image record.

    This pair of images shows flooding in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley region inland of San Francisco Bay. The image on the left was captured by the MODIS Aqua satellite on December 10, 2005, and the image at right was captured on January 4, 2006. Water is dark blue/black, vegetation is green, bare land is brown, and clouds are white.

    In collaboration with the Desert Research Institute and other federal and academic partners, USGS scientists used these map products to investigate the connection between ARs and wintertime flooding in California’s Central Valley. Their study was recently published in the Journal of Flood Risk Management. The researchers compared spatially explicit locations of winter inundation to a chronology of atmospheric river landfalls, the corresponding integrated vapor transport associated with each storm (a measure of the total amount of precipitation passing over a specific area), and surface conditions (i.e., antecedent soil moisture).

    They found significant relationships between inundation patterns and climatic factors, helping identify specific locations and conditions under which flooding occurs in relation to ARs. The findings also indicate areas where surface water frequently occurs outside of designated flood boundaries.

    Actionable science

    By revealing the relationship between AR storms and winter inundation patterns, the scientists were able to assess infrastructure flood exposure and identify possible floodwater management strategies, specifically the opportunity to use floodwaters for aquifer recharge. This knowledge can help inform land use planning, like infrastructure development and cropland distribution. The findings also highlight where AR-driven flooding occurs, driving home the importance of revising flood boundary maps and management strategies. Overall, remote sending products are a valuable decision-support tool for enhancing flood risk mitigation and groundwater recharge efforts in the region and beyond.

    Related

    Patterns in the Landscape – Analyses of Cause and Effect

    Understanding the rates and causes of land-use/land-cover (LULC) change helps answer questions about what, where, how, and why the Earth’s surface is changing. Land-surface change results from human activities or natural processes like floods, droughts, and wildfires, and many of these change processes are observable in satellite imagery. The growing historical catalog of satellite images allows…

    Understanding the rates and causes of land-use/land-cover (LULC) change helps answer questions about what, where, how, and why the Earth’s surface is changing. Land-surface change results from human activities or natural processes like floods, droughts, and wildfires, and many of these change processes are observable in satellite imagery. The growing historical catalog of satellite images allows…

    Learn More

    Assessing causes and consequences of winter surface water dynamics in California’s Central Valley using satellite remote sensing Assessing causes and consequences of winter surface water dynamics in California’s Central Valley using satellite remote sensing

    California’s Central Valley is increasingly vulnerable to winter floods. A comprehensive spatial baseline of flood extents is critical for inundation analyses that can enhance future flood predictions, but cloud cover has prevented the regular observation of surface water extents with optical satellite imagery. In this study, we leveraged the daily resolution of Moderate Resolution…

    Authors

    Christine M. Albano, Christopher E. Soulard, Blake A. Minor, Jessica J. Walker, Britt Windsor Smith, Eric K. Waller, Michael D. Bartles, Tom Corringham, Anthony T. O’Geen, Melissa M. Rohde, Anne Wein

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Green Claims Directive: EP co-rapporteurs hold a press conference at 15.15

    Source: European Parliament 3

    Following the Commission’s announcement on Friday that it intends to withdraw the legislative proposal, the Council has decided to cancel the trilogue scheduled for Monday.

    Parliament’s co-rapporteurs Sandro Gozi (Renew, FR) from the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Tiemo Wölken (S&D, DE) from the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety will react to the developments today at 15.15 at a press conference where they will explain their position and answer questions.

    When: Monday, 23 June 2025, 15.15 CEST

    Where: Anna Politkovskaya press conference room at the European Parliament in Brussels (SPAAK building, room 0A50)

    How: Accredited media representatives can attend the press conference in person. Journalists wishing to ask questions remotely need to connect via Interactio (supported on iPad with Safari and Mac/Windows with Google Chrome).

    The press conference will also be webstreamed live on the Parliament’s Multimedia Centre, it will remain available as a recording as well.

    Background

    The Commission proposed the Green Claims Directive in March 2023 to make environmental marketing more reliable in Europe. Parliament adopted its first reading position on the file on March 12, 2024 and the Council agreed its position on June 17, 2024. Negotiations on the final text of the draft law started in January 2025 and were expected to come to a conclusion today, on Monday June 23 at a meeting that the Council has now officially cancelled.

    The draft law aims to protect consumers from misleading environmental marketing practices. It would require companies wanting to use complex environmental marketing claims in Europe to submit these claims along with supporting evidence to national accredited verifiers for assessment and approval in advance. The draft law also aims to regulate the use of environmental labelling schemes in Europe.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Green Claims Directive: EP co-rapporteurs hold a press conference at 15.15

    Source: European Parliament 3

    Following the Commission’s announcement on Friday that it intends to withdraw the legislative proposal, the Council has decided to cancel the trilogue scheduled for Monday.

    Parliament’s co-rapporteurs Sandro Gozi (Renew, FR) from the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Tiemo Wölken (S&D, DE) from the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety will react to the developments today at 15.15 at a press conference where they will explain their position and answer questions.

    When: Monday, 23 June 2025, 15.15 CEST

    Where: Anna Politkovskaya press conference room at the European Parliament in Brussels (SPAAK building, room 0A50)

    How: Accredited media representatives can attend the press conference in person. Journalists wishing to ask questions remotely need to connect via Interactio (supported on iPad with Safari and Mac/Windows with Google Chrome).

    The press conference will also be webstreamed live on the Parliament’s Multimedia Centre, it will remain available as a recording as well.

    Background

    The Commission proposed the Green Claims Directive in March 2023 to make environmental marketing more reliable in Europe. Parliament adopted its first reading position on the file on March 12, 2024 and the Council agreed its position on June 17, 2024. Negotiations on the final text of the draft law started in January 2025 and were expected to come to a conclusion today, on Monday June 23 at a meeting that the Council has now officially cancelled.

    The draft law aims to protect consumers from misleading environmental marketing practices. It would require companies wanting to use complex environmental marketing claims in Europe to submit these claims along with supporting evidence to national accredited verifiers for assessment and approval in advance. The draft law also aims to regulate the use of environmental labelling schemes in Europe.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Jim Allister responds to A5 ruling

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Responding to today’s ruling on the A5, TUV leader Jim Allister KC MLA said:

    “The first thing to note about today’s judgement is that there are many farmers in West Tyrone who will be breathing a sigh of relief.

    “More generally, the judgment is yet another outworking of the green hysteria that has taken hold of our legislative and judicial systems.

    “Many of those now wringing their hands over the impact of this decision are the very MLAs who gleefully voted for the Climate Change Act and its legally binding targets – targets that were never grounded in reality, but in virtue-signalling and ideological zeal. They have reaped what they sowed.

    “Quite apart from the merits or otherwise of the A5 project, Northern Ireland is being strangled by the net zero obsession. Infrastructure, agriculture, and industry are being sacrificed at the altar of climate ideology.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kean Introduces Bill to Protect Vulnerable Areas from Severe Weather Threats

    Source: US Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07)

    Contact: Riley Pingree

    (June 23, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) introduced H.R. 3771, the Protecting Coasts and Cities from Severe Weather Act. This legislation would increase the observations, understanding, and forecasting of coastal flooding and storm surge events, to address weather observation gaps in highly vulnerable areas.

    The goal of the program is to increase the development and extension of accurate, effective, and actionable forecasts and warnings for the loss of life and economic losses from coastal flooding and surge events.

    This legislation is included in H.R. 3816, the Weather Act Reauthorization Act, a broader legislative package aimed at strengthening how we communicate and respond to severe weather, which Congressman Kean recently cosponsored.

    “In New Jersey, we know what a devastating impact flooding can have on our communities, and it is imperative that we take proactive steps before severe weather strikes again,” said Congressman Kean. “The Protecting Coasts and Cities from Severe Weather Act will strengthen our forecasting capabilities and provide families, first responders, and local leaders with the tools they need to respond faster and more effectively. This legislation will improve our ability to observe, understand, and predict severe weather events. It will reduce their impact and ensure our communities are better prepared and protected when it counts.”

    You can read more about this bill here.

       ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Intense cold front to hit SA midweek 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that an intense cold front is expected to make landfall on Wednesday over the south-western parts of South Africa, bringing a significant shift in weather conditions across the region.

    “The cold front is expected to be accompanied by heavy rainfall with a risk of localised flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas on Wednesday into Thursday [25-26 June 2025],” Head of Disaster Risk Reduction at the SAWS, Rudzani Malala, said on Monday.

    The public has been cautioned that wet and slippery roads may result in dangerous driving conditions. 

    “Motorists should exercise caution and adhere to safety measures. Strong and gusty winds over the interior may cause localised damage to structures and uproot trees. Cold to very cold conditions can be expected, along with possible snowfall over the western mountain ranges of the Western Cape, spreading into the south-western interior of the Northern Cape.

    “Strong and gusty winds over the interior may cause localised damage to structures and uproot trees. Cold to very cold conditions can be expected, along with possible snowfall over the western mountain ranges of the Western Cape, spreading into the south-western interior of the Northern Cape,” Malala explained.

    READ | Western Cape prepares for severe cold, wet weather

    The maritime forecast includes gale-force winds and very rough seas, with wave heights between 5.5 metres to 7.5 metres, along the coastlines of the Northern Cape and Western Cape.

    These conditions will lead to disruptions to fishing and port operations, an increased risk of vessels capsizing, accidents at sea, and hazardous shoreline conditions. 

    Coastal residents and beachgoers are urged to exercise caution.

    “As the system progresses eastwards, it will affect the Eastern Cape, which is already vulnerable to weather-related impacts. The key concern here is strong, damaging winds that are expected across most parts of the province on Thursday, 26 June 2025.

    “Furthermore, interior winds are expected to pick up and spread over the remainder of eastern provinces on Thursday and Friday, 26 and 27 June 2025, with daytime temperatures dropping to the cold category,” he said.

    READ | Cold front in the Eastern Cape brings strong winds

    Call to heed weather reports

    The weather service called on communities to follow daily weather reports and heed severe weather warnings.

    “This means following weather reports on radio, television, newspapers, social media, websites and staying attuned to what disaster management authorities have to say. This needs to be in each person’s daily routine. It is that important – a matter of life and death,” Malala said.

    Additionally, the South African Weather Service will continue to monitor any further developments relating to the weather systems and will issue subsequent updates as required. 

    Furthermore, intermediate updates may be followed on X (@SAWeatherServic), Facebook (South African Weather Service) or other SAWS supported social media platforms.

    “Impact Based Weather Warnings, if any, will continue to be issued via the system I have just elaborated on. As I have said, we need to work more closely with stakeholders to ensure to it that we save lives and property.

    “Dissemination efforts aside, the South African Weather Service will continue with its elaborate public education and awareness programme, which includes own initiative mass events and piggybacking on other governmental events to equip vulnerable communities with information that could save lives and property.

    “We will also carry on with our quarterly community radio programme targeted at vulnerable communities, partnering with disaster management authorities, municipal emergency services, and humanitarian bodies such as Red Cross International for an impactful collaboration,” he said. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Residential electricity bills could increase slightly this summer

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    June 23, 2025

    During summer 2025, from June through September, residential customers in the United States can expect average monthly electricity bills of $178, a slight increase from last summer’s average of $173. We expect a slight decrease in consumption, driven by cooler forecast summer temperatures relative to last summer, which only partially offsets the expected increase in residential electricity prices in most areas of the country.

    The number of cooling degree days (CDD), a measure of how hot the temperature is, affects the demand for electricity use for air conditioning. We expect that temperatures will be slightly cooler this summer with a 1% decline in total CDDs compared with summer 2024. The cooler expected weather contributes to slightly less U.S. residential summer electricity consumption, down less than 1% compared with last summer.

    Weather remains the main source of uncertainty in our forecasts for summer residential electricity bills. If temperatures end up much hotter than expected, households are likely to face higher-than-expected increases in electricity bills, especially in the southern states.

    The impact of electricity consumption patterns and electricity prices on summer electricity bills will vary regionally. New England residential customers will likely experience the largest increase in average monthly electricity expenditures, with a forecast rise of $13 this summer compared with last summer.

    In addition to the largest increase in expenditures, the New England and West South Central regions are expected to have the highest overall electricity bills this summer. Residential customers in the West South Central region tend to use a lot of air conditioning in the summer because of hot temperatures and high levels of humidity. Residential bills are higher in New England because the typical price per kilowatthour is higher than in other regions because the cost of natural gas delivered to power generators in that region tends to be higher than other areas of the country.

    Residential customers in the South Atlantic and East South Central regions are likely to see small electricity bill increases, in line with last summer. We forecast monthly bills will increase slightly below the U.S. average in both of these regions.

    Conversely, in the Mountain region and Pacific region, residential bills are expected to decrease because of lower consumption after near-record temperatures in the West during the summer of 2024. Price increases in those regions are relatively modest compared with recent years. Increased generation from hydropower in the western states this year should reduce the need to supply power from higher-cost natural gas generators.

    Principal contributors: Tyler Hodge, Katherine Antonio

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Society needs a systems update to cope with climate crisis – my new film explains why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Dyke, Associate Professor in Earth System Science, University of Exeter

    The climate and ecological crisis is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. If the world fails to address it, and over the rest of this century we continue to burn fossil fuels and pump even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we’ll face catastrophe. On this much, almost all governments agree (with some notable exceptions such as the US).

    Even the world’s largest oil and gas companies now acknowledge that their products are behind the alarming increase in global temperatures and that we will have to transition to alternative fuels. Eventually.

    In some oil and gas firms’ net zero policies you will often see the word “eventually” or its equivalent used. Yes, they accept that the age of fossil fuels will be over, but they don’t give any end date. In fact, with continued expansion of new oil and gas fields they appear to give every indication of continuing to be fossil fuel companies for the foreseeable future.

    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.

    Will such firms actually phase out coal, oil and gas at the rate required to avoid dangerous climate change? How quickly does that now have to happen? Immediately.

    At current rates of emissions, the window to have a 50:50 chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C will close in as little as six years. Given that global emissions are not stabilising but in fact going up, we are in the process of overshooting 1.5°C and heading deep into dangerous climate change territory.

    Does that mean it’s game over, that the climate catastrophes we fear will come to pass? Thinking about these sorts of systemic risks form the basis of much of my current research. This includes some pretty alarming analysis on how societies can react to challenges such as climate change in ways that can make the situation much worse.

    But herein lies a potentially powerful source of hope for the future because what we do as individuals and members of communities and countries will make all the difference. That’s what was on my mind when I started working on a new climate change documentary with filmmaker Paul Maple.

    Radical reductions

    Our new film System Update: Rebooting Our Future argues that, while we may have run out of time to avoid dangerous climate change, we are now only beginning to see how we can not just avoid further environmental damage but make a much better world for all of humanity. To do that, we must go beyond the incremental and timid policies of today. We need to be radical and dig into the drivers of climate change.

    Take economic growth, for example. You will not find a political party in power in any industrialised nation that does not have continued economic growth as one of its core objectives. Economic performance is often the main way politicians are judged. That’s why threats of a recession lead news reports.

    In System Update, I ask what is this economic growth for, if it continues to drive expanded energy and material consumption and drive us further towards climate and ecological collapse?

    If our economic and political systems cannot deliver radical emissions reductions in a sustainable and fair way, then they need to be rebooted. Rather than policies being orientated towards maximising economic growth, we can instead question how the current goods and services an economy produces are used.

    How can local communities be empowered to make themselves more resilient to climate change while reducing their emissions? Where can citizen assemblies strengthen our democracies and help foster the wider support for ambitious climate action? These assemblies work by recruiting a representative cross section of society who hear from a range of climate experts, and then work together to provide policy recommendations.

    I put such questions to an amazing group of activists, academics and policymakers. We quickly discovered from economic anthropologist Jason Hickel that there is no end of new thinking about economics.

    Lawyer and key architect of the Paris agreement Farhana Yamin recounted the epic battle that she and others have been waging with politicians to get them to understand and act on some of the fundamental truths of climate change. Researcher and strategist Laurie Laybourn spoke of the need for leaders to understand how this gathering storm of climate change demands new mindsets.

    Climate change adaptation expert Kathryn Brown made the case for a rapid increase in efforts to protect communities from environmental change, while climate historian Alice Bell put today’s debates into the wider context. Climate campaigner Max Wakefield and climate justice activist Dylan Hamilton connected the big picture elements of the climate crisis to both everyday actions like what you buy and how to you travel, to deeper engagement with politics.

    It’s easy to feel overwhelmed about the scale of climate change. There is a constant stream of bad news about rising temperatures and extreme weather. What I hope System Update shows is that there is no end of ideas for how such an outcome could be averted, and how you could put them into practice.

    We will win. The age of fossil fuels is ending. The question now is, how fast do you want to make that happen?

    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 Dyke 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. Society needs a systems update to cope with climate crisis – my new film explains why – https://theconversation.com/society-needs-a-systems-update-to-cope-with-climate-crisis-my-new-film-explains-why-257503

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remembering the Gros Ventre Slide of 1925

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from James Mauch, geologist with the Wyoming State Geological Survey.

    Photograph taken several months after the Gros Ventre Slide, Wyoming, showing the slide path (background), debris at the toe (foreground), and the waters of Lower Slide Lake.  Photo by William C. Alden, U.S. Geological Survey, 1925.

    June 23, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of the Gros Ventre Slide, the largest and one of the most impactful landslides to occur in the Greater Yellowstone region in recorded history. At approximately 4 PM on that day in 1925, an estimated 50 million cubic yards (38 million cubic meters) of rock and debris tumbled down the north side of Sheep Mountain—14 miles (23 kilometers) northeast of the town of Jackson, Wyoming—and into the valley of the Gros Ventre River 2,100 feet (640 meters) below. Within minutes the valley floor was buried beneath more than 200 feet (61 meters) of rocky debris and the river was dammed, creating Lower Slide Lake.

    Remarkably, the 1925 landslide claimed no lives. Rancher Guil Huff, whose firsthand account remains invaluable to geologists studying the event, narrowly escaped the surging debris with his horse at a full gallop. However, tragedy struck about two years later on May 18, 1927, when the snowmelt-swollen Gros Ventre River breached the landslide dam and unleashed a devastating flood. This flood destroyed the town of Kelly, 4 miles (6 kilometers) downstream from the dam, and resulted in six fatalities. The lessons learned from the Kelly Flood would prove crucial in the aftermath of the 1959 Madison Slide, a consequence of the M7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake, when engineers averted a similar disaster by constructing a spillway to lower the water level in the lake that formed on the Madison River upstream of the slide.

    What caused the Gros Ventre Slide? The south side of the Gros Ventre River valley, where the landslide occurred, is underlain by sedimentary rocks that are tilted northward roughly parallel to the forested hillslope. The base of this hillslope is undercut as a result of the long-term incision and erosion by the river. The rock exposed at the surface of the slope is the Tensleep Sandstone—a layer that groundwater can easily penetrate due to the space between sand grains as well as numerous joints and fractures. Beneath the Tensleep Sandstone, the shale beds of the Amsden Formation form a barrier to groundwater flow. This allows for groundwater to collect at the interface between the Tensleep and Amsden, where weak, heavily weathered siltstone layers are present.

    Oblique lidar shaded relief map looking east up the Gros Ventre River valley, Wyoming. The Gros Ventre Slide, which occurred on June 23, 1925, is outlined in black, and it moved from the high ridge on the south (right side of image) into the valley below. North-dipping sedimentary rock units are labeled in white, separated by white dashed lines. The slope failed near the contact of the Tensleep Sandstone and the underlying Amsden Formation. Abundant rainfall and snowmelt during a particularly wet spring saturated weak layers at the base of the Tensleep Sandstone, where groundwater collects above the impermeable shales of the Amsden Formation. These saturated conditions lowered the frictional strength of the weak layers and set the stage for the landslide, which may have been triggered by a small earthquake. Other landslides are visible in the lidar image, including the prehistoric Devils Elbow Slide and the Red Slide, which occurred six days after the Gros Ventre Slide on Jun 29, 1925. (Lidar digital elevation models published in 2024 by the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program and downloaded from https://apps.nationalmap.gov/downloader/.)
    Photograph of the Gros Ventre Slide 100 years after it occurred. View is to the south, with the landslide scar visible in the middle of the treed hillslope across the valley. Lower Slide Lake, which formed behind the landslide debris, is visible on the left side of the photograph.  Photo by James Mauch, Wyoming State Geological Survey, June 7, 2025.

    When these weak layers become saturated with water, they lose their frictional strength and become more likely to fail. This was the exact condition that preceded the Gros Ventre Slide in the spring of 1925, which was marked by unusually warm and wet weather that saturated the ground. The final landslide trigger may have been an earthquake. Although there were no seismic instruments in the area at the time, local residents reported feeling several earthquakes in the weeks leading up to June 23—including an earthquake of estimated magnitude 3–4 that occurred at 8 PM on June 22, just 20 hours before the landslide. It’s possible that ground shaking from this earthquake kicked off a chain reaction that began with liquefaction of the saturated, weak layers at the base of the Tensleep and culminated hours later with massive collapse of the hillside. The result was a profound change to the landscape that is unmistakable to this day.

    While much has changed in the century since the Gros Ventre Slide, the underlying geologic factors that contributed to the event remain the same. The Gros Ventre River valley, like many of the mountainous areas surrounding Yellowstone, is characterized by steep slopes and relatively weak rocks, making landslides an ongoing risk. Thanks to modern tools like lidar and landslide susceptibility mapping, we have a better sense than ever before where landslides have occurred in the past and where they will likely occur in the future. The legacy of such historic events underpins the work of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists who study geologic hazards and communicate their findings with the public. One hundred years later, the Gros Ventre Slide stands as an important milestone in the human and natural history of the Greater Yellowstone region, reminding us of the power and destructive potential of unstable slopes in this dynamic landscape.

    Further reading

    Alden, W.C., 1928, Landslide and flood at Gros Ventre, Wyoming: Transactions of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, v. 76, p. 347–360.

    Smith, R.B., Pelton, J.R., and Love, J.D., 1976, Seismicity and the possibility of earthquake related landslides in the Teton-Gros Ventre-Jackson Hole area, Wyoming: Contributions to Geology, University of Wyoming, v. 14, no. 2, p. 57–64, https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/uwyo/rmg/article-abstract/14/2/57/87702/Seismicity-and-the-possibility-of-earthquake?redirectedFrom=PDF.

    Voight, Barry, 1978, Lower Gros Ventre Slide, Wyoming, U.S.A., in Voight, Barry, ed., Rockslides and Avalanches, 1—Natural Phenomena, Developments in Geotechnical Engineering, v. 14A: Amsterdam, Elsevier, p. 113–162, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-41507-3.50011-8.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Cold front in the Eastern Cape brings strong winds

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Monday, June 23, 2025

    The South African Weather Service (SAWS) says a cold front is expected to pass the south of the country on Monday, resulting in gale force winds of 60 to 70 km/h along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and East London.

    This will result in very rough to high seas with wave heights of between 5m to 7m, reaching 8m offshore.

    These weather conditions, said SAWS, will make navigation for vessels at sea difficult; small vessels are at risk of taking on water and capsizing within a locality; disruption of harbours and/or ports; disruption to beachfront activities and danger to life. 

    The extended weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday shows fine and cold to cool, becoming cloudy and very cold in the South West of the country on Wednesday, with 60% – 80% showers and rain.

    “Snow is possible over the mountains in the Western Cape and the Southern parts of the Northern Cape on Wednesday,” SAWS said.

    An intense cold front is expected to affect the Western and Northern Cape provinces from Wednesday into Thursday. 

    The weather service has warned the public and small stock farmers that the following can be expected:

    • Very cold, wet and windy conditions (with maximum temperatures below 10 °C) over the high-lying areas.
    • Heavy rainfall (40 to 60 mm), predominantly over the western parts of the Western Cape.
    • Strong interior winds and gale force coastal winds.
    • Very rough to high seas (reaching 5.0 to 8.0 m in places).
    • Light snowfall on the high ground. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Climate Action ‘A Rating’ for third year running

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    Dundee has been recognised as one of 112 cities worldwide for its environmental leadership and transparency.

    The list, co-ordinated by charity CDP, gives cities rankings based on their climate action with Dundee City Council being awarded an A rating for 2024 and included for the third consecutive year.

    Dundee City Council is listed alongside only three other Scottish local authority recipients, which include Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council and Perth & Kinross Council.

    CDP is a not-for-profit organisation that runs the global disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.

    Climate, Environment & Biodiversity Depute Convener Cllr Nadia El-Nakla said: “Dundee is rightfully being recognised as a leader on environmental action receiving the highest possible rating from CDP for best practice in adaptation, mitigation, setting ambitious goals and progress towards those objectives.

    “The work being carried out is very positive, however the scale of the challenge we still face is considerable with no one organisation or single solution able to address the issues.

    “The Dundee Climate Leadership Group is leading the way in supporting city-wide action bringing together public, private and community organisations utilising the expertise here to achieve the reduction in carbon emissions that meet our city’s sustainability targets.”

    Hanah Paik, CDP Global Director for Cities, States and Regions said: “The cities, states and regions on CDP’s 2024 A List are setting the global benchmark for environmental leadership. Through robust disclosure and decisive action, they are ensuring that essential data is surfaced for informed decision-making across governments, markets and communities – and for unlocking access to the climate finance needed for implementation. They are not only accelerating their own progress but also charting a path for others to follow.”

    More information about the scores and A lists awarded by CDP can be found on the charity’s website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: City placements launched to promote Young Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo is pleased to announce a new work placement initiative aimed at encouraging more young women to explore careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

    Applications are now open for the Young Women in STEM Work Placement Program which is aimed at high school students in Years 9 and 10 across Greater Bendigo. The program will offer week-long placements in selected City units where STEM skills are actively applied such as Bendigo Airport, Bendigo Venues & Events, Engineering and Financial Strategy.

    Applicants will undergo a competitive selection process managed by the respective unit.

    Director Corporate Performance Jess Howard said the City was proud to present the new STEM placement program.

    “This is a fantastic opportunity for 12 young women to gain hands-on experience and valuable insights on what STEM careers look like within local government,” Ms Howard said.

    “Students will be selected through a competitive application process and placed in departments where they will see how STEM skills are used every day.

    “The City is deeply committed to advancing gender equality both in the workplace and across our community. This program reflects our goal to build strong, diverse teams that deliver high-quality services.

    “STEM offers a wide range of exciting and evolving career pathways, and these skills are increasingly valued by employers. I hope this experience inspires students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. It’s vital that organisations like ours, and local businesses in the region, continue to attract emerging talent and embrace the benefits of a diverse workforce.”

    The following City business units are championing the program and offering placement opportunities that highlight STEM in action:

    • Bendigo Venues & Events: August 25-29, 2025
    • Resource Recovery & Education: August 25-29 or September 1-5, 2025
    • Climate Change & Environment: September 1-5 or September 15-19, 2025
    • Engineering: September 1-5 or November 10-14, 2025
    • Financial Strategy: September 8-12 or October 20-24, 2025
    • Bendigo Airport: October 6-10 or November 10-14, 2025
    • Information Technology: November 10-14, 2025

    Today also marks International Women in Engineering Day, a global celebration of the achievements of women engineers and a call to action for more women to shape the world through engineering. The City proudly acknowledges the contributions of its women engineers: Saran O’Connor-Williams (Infrastructure Engineer), Larnie Ham (Graduate Design Engineer), and Kylie Douglas (Senior Landfill Engineer).

    “Their work demonstrates the innovation and impact of women in engineering and highlights the exciting range of career opportunities available in STEM,” Ms Howard said.

    The City presents around 60 work placements a year for high school and university students, of which 12 will be linked to the Young Women in STEM Work Placement Program. The other City placements are open to everyone who meets the criteria.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 23, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 23, 2025.

    Illegal US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities came in spite of no evidence
    BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin in occupied Bethlehem Kia ora koutou, I’m a Kiwi journo in occupied Bethlehem, here’s a brief summary of today’s events across the Palestinian and Israeli territories from on the ground. The US struck three of Iran’s nuclear facilities overnight, entering the illegal aggression on Iran with heavy airstrikes despite no

    My kids only want to eat processed foods. How can I get them eating a healthier and more varied diet?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney If it feels like your child’s diet consists entirely of breakfast cereal, chicken nuggets and snacks that’d outlast the apocalypse, you’re not alone. Processed foods are the go-to for many kids, and for some,

    Defence Force to send plane to assist New Zealanders stranded in Iran and Israel
    By Giles Dexter, RNZ News political reporter The Defence Force is sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel. The C-130J Hercules, along with government personnel, will leave Auckland on Monday. Airspace is still closed in the region, but Defence Minister Judith Collins said the deployment

    Trump’s decision to bomb Iran exposes fissures in US politics
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney US President Donald Trump’s strike on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, which he foreshadowed on and off for the past few days, has revealed a surprisingly broad middle ground in US politics, even as it has provoked

    Leaders in US-affiliated Pacific react to surprise strikes on Iran
    By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent Leaders in the US-affliliated Pacific Islands have reacted to the US strikes on Iran. US president Donald Trump said Iran must now make peace or “we will go after” other targets in Iran, after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said

    Global warming is changing cloud patterns. That means more global warming
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Jakob, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century, Monash University Caleb Weiner / Unsplash At any given time, about two-thirds of Earth’s surface is covered by clouds. Overall, they make the planet much cooler than it would be without them. But

    NZ’s changing diet: Māori bread and jackfruit join other new foods in the country’s nutritional database
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick William Smith, Associate Investigator in Nutritional Science, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Shutterstock/Alesia Bierliezova The latest update to the New Zealand food composition database, a comprehensive collection of nutrient data collated jointly by Plant & Food Research and the Ministry of Health, brings more

    How pregnant women are tested for gestational diabetes is changing. Here’s what this means for you
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexis Shub, Obstetrician & Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist, The University of Melbourne How Australian pregnant women are tested for gestational diabetes is set to change, with new national guidelines released today. Changes are expected to lead to fewer diagnoses in women at lower risk, reducing the burden

    Freak wind gusts made worse by climate change threaten airline passenger safety
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Unexpected severe turbulence injured crew and passengers on a Qantas Boeing 737 during descent at Brisbane on May 4 2024. The subsequent Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation suggested the severity of the turbulence

    Labubu plushies aren’t just toys. They’re a brand new frontier for Chinese soft power
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ming Gao, Research Fellow of East Asia Studies, Lund University Katerina Elagina/Shutterstock One of the most sought-after items of 2025 isn’t a designer handbag or the latest tech gadget. It’s a plush elf with a snaggle-toothed grin. Labubu (拉布布) is a global sensation. From David Beckham and

    Pro-independence advocates urge MSG to elevate West Papua membership
    By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Two international organisations are leading a call for the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to elevate the membership status of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) at their upcoming summit in Honiara in September. The collective, led by International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) and International Lawyers

    Starving Gaza civilians toll climbs at Israeli humanitarian ‘death traps’
    Pacific Media Watch BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin in occupied Bethlehem Kia ora koutou, I’m a Kiwi journo in occupied Bethlehem, here’s a brief summary of today’s events across the Palestinian and Israeli territories from on the ground. Israeli forces killed over 200 Palestinians in Gaza over the last 48 hours, injuring over 1037. Countless

    NZ group slams Israeli ‘hoodwinking’ of US over nuclear strikes – Peters calls for talks
    Asia Pacific Report The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has called on New Zealanders to condemn the US bombing of Iran. PSNA co-chair Maher Nazzal said in a statement that he hoped the New Zealand government would be critical of the US for its war escalation. “Israel has once again hoodwinked the United States into fighting

    The US has entered the Israel-Iran war. Here are 3 scenarios for what might happen next
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Middle East Studies, Australian National University After prevaricating about whether the United States would enter Israel’s war on Iran, President Donald Trump finally made a decision. Early Sunday, US warplanes struck three of Iran’s nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, where the

    What is a ‘bunker buster’? An expert explains what the US dropped on Iran
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Dwyer, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania The jagged silhouette of a B2 stealth bomber seen during a 2015 flyover in the US. Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Late on Saturday night, local time, the United States carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear enrichment

    Muted response from Albanese government on US attack on Iran
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has given a tepid response to the United States’ bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement from a government spokesperson, but there were no plans on Sunday afternoon for Anthony Albanese or

    What is a ‘bunker buster’? An expert explains what the US dropped on Iran – and what might happen now
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Dwyer, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania The jagged silhouette of a B2 stealth bomber seen during a 2015 flyover in the US. Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Late on Saturday night, local time, the United States carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear enrichment

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Presidential Message on the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa

    Source: US Whitehouse

    On this day 80 years ago, victory was wrested from the depths of hell when American forces triumphed over the Imperial Japanese Army in the Battle of Okinawa—a brutal and blood-soaked triumph that was the single costliest victory in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

    On April 1, 1945, American forces approached the Japanese island of Okinawa expecting a hard-fought but swift battle to secure the island as a vital airbase for the Allies.  Instead, they were met with what was later termed the “Typhoon of Steel”—kamikaze attacks from the air and sea, and Japanese soldiers deeply entrenched in a system of caves, tunnels, and mountain redoubts, committed to fight to the bitter end.  For weeks, our Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors endured a prolonged and gruesome battle of attrition, punctuated by relentless ambushes in the rain and mud and unthinkable psychological torment.  The Battle of Okinawa demonstrated to the world that, while on the back foot, the Japanese would not easily surrender, and that victory would come at an astounding cost.

    Throughout nearly 3 months of grueling warfare, more than 180,000 American service members withstood horrors beyond imagination to secure Okinawa Island.  By the time the Allies prevailed on June 22, 1945, more than 12,000 Americans had perished, with tens of thousands more wounded.  Months later, on September 2, Japan surrendered unconditionally—finally ending the bloodiest war in the history of the world.

    Today, we honor the grit, courage, and unwavering tenacity of every American warrior who withstood unbearable carnage to bring the Allied forces to victory over the forces of imperialism.  Their service and sacrifice, along with that of their fellow brothers in arms, are a tribute to the selflessness and stalwart bravery of their generation—the Greatest Generation. The legacy of that sacrifice includes our alliance with Japan—forged after that terrible conflict—that embodies our shared commitment to freedom and openness, which is a beacon for the world. In southern Okinawa, the Cornerstone of Peace monument rests on the site where the fighting ended, serving as a somber reminder that the shared tragedy of war and loss of life touches every generation.  Every American soul inscribed on that black granite wall will be forever remembered as an immortal champion of valor, liberty, and sacrifice.

    On this 80th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, our Nation pays tribute to the fearless young warriors who endured unimaginable devastation—and we honor those who valiantly laid down their lives for the sacred causes of freedom, sovereignty, and human dignity.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Former director of fishing company jailed for 16 months over illegal fishing

    Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

    The former director of a fishing company who knew fish was being caught and landed illegally for profit, has been jailed for 16 months.

    Glen Owen Wright (37), former director of All Weather Fishing Company Limited, was sentenced in the Auckland District Court last week (Thursday 19 June 2025) following a successful prosecution by Fisheries New Zealand. He faced a representative charge under the Fisheries Act for failing to prevent the offending by his company along with obstructing a fishery officer.

    The sentencing marks the end of a long Fisheries New Zealand compliance investigation which included successful prosecutions of another company and individuals for related offending.

    “Mr Wright was the director of a company that illegally caught and landed nearly 15 tonnes of snapper, and more than 140kg of kahawai and 40kg of grey mullet,” says Fisheries New Zealand director of fisheries compliance Steve Ham.

    “The company did not have the required quota to legally catch the fish and did not report or record the catch.

    “The rules are there to ensure sustainability for everyone. The court found Mr Wright was aware that fish was being caught and landed illegally by his company but did nothing to prevent it.

    “The vast majority of commercial fishers do the right thing. This fish was stolen, and the motivation was greed and profit.”

    Fisheries New Zealand’s investigation earlier tracked the illegally caught fish and prosecuted those responsible for its trade. In August last year, Auckland licenced fish receiver, Sea World Limited, which traded as Seamart, was fined $360,000 for illegally supplying fish valued at over $348,000 to other seafood companies.

    Media release: Fish trading company fined $360,000, employee jailed for 3 years 7 months

    An employee, Marco Taukatelata (50), was jailed for 3 years and 7 months and a former company director, Haihong Liu (44), was placed on 12 months home detention for their roles in the offending.

    “The court’s sentence today should send a strong message that there are serious consequences for anyone involved in this type of black market trade.”

    Mr Wright is currently imprisoned for unrelated offences. 

    MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 47 62 24)

    For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

    For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Global warming is changing cloud patterns. That means more global warming

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Jakob, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century, Monash University

    Caleb Weiner / Unsplash

    At any given time, about two-thirds of Earth’s surface is covered by clouds. Overall, they make the planet much cooler than it would be without them.

    But as Earth gets warmer, mostly due to the rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from humans burning fossil fuels, clouds are changing too. And that might already be causing more warming – adding to the greenhouse heat boost, and changing clouds even more.

    Over the past few years, the world’s average temperature has increased more than climate scientists were expecting. In our latest research, led by NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, we show that changes in clouds have made a significant contribution to turning up the thermostat.

    Clouds and climate

    Clouds help to keep Earth cool by reflecting sunlight back out to space before it can reach the ground. But not all clouds are equal.

    Shiny, white clouds reflect away more sunlight – especially when they are closer to the equator, in the parts of Earth that receive the most sun. Grey, broken clouds reflect less sunlight, as do clouds closer to the poles where less light falls.

    Research published last year showed that Earth has been absorbing more sunlight than the greenhouse effect alone can explain. Clouds were involved, but it wasn’t clear exactly how.

    Bright cloud zones are shrinking

    Our new study shows what is happening. The areas covered by highly reflective clouds are shrinking. At the same time, the areas containing broken, less reflective clouds are growing.

    The net effect is that additional energy from sunlight is reaching Earth’s surface. Here it is absorbed, leading to extra heating.

    We also looked at the effect of changes in the properties of the highly reflective clouds, caused by things such as changes in the amount of aerosol pollution in the atmosphere. However, we found these effects are much smaller than the effect of the change in area.

    The global picture

    In the big picture, Earth’s wind patterns are driven by hot air rising near the equator and the rotation of the planet. This creates huge, looping currents of atmospheric circulation around the globe.

    Local weather systems – the kind that determine the location and type of clouds – depend on these major, large-scale wind systems. The major circulation patterns in the atmosphere are changing as a result of global warming.

    We found much of the cloud action is taking place at the edges of these major wind systems.

    Cloud cover is changing in several parts of Earth.
    NASA Earth Observatory

    Highly reflective clouds are on the decline in a region near the equator called the intertropical convergence zone, and also two other bands called the storm tracks, which lie between 30 and 40 degrees of latitude.

    At the same time the subtropical trade-wind regions, home to ever-present but less reflective broken clouds, are expanding.

    A feedback loop

    In short, the global warming induced by increased greenhouse gases changes the major wind systems on Earth. This in turn reduces the area of highly reflective clouds, leading to additional warming.

    Warming changes wind patterns, which changes cloud patterns, which results in more warming. This is what we call a “positive feedback” in the climate system: warming leads to more warming.

    We still have a lot to learn about the details of this feedback loop. Our research will use ongoing satellite-based observations of clouds and how much energy Earth receives and radiates back out to space.

    Christian Jakob receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Global warming is changing cloud patterns. That means more global warming – https://theconversation.com/global-warming-is-changing-cloud-patterns-that-means-more-global-warming-259376

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Global warming is changing cloud patterns. That means more global warming

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Jakob, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century, Monash University

    Caleb Weiner / Unsplash

    At any given time, about two-thirds of Earth’s surface is covered by clouds. Overall, they make the planet much cooler than it would be without them.

    But as Earth gets warmer, mostly due to the rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from humans burning fossil fuels, clouds are changing too. And that might already be causing more warming – adding to the greenhouse heat boost, and changing clouds even more.

    Over the past few years, the world’s average temperature has increased more than climate scientists were expecting. In our latest research, led by NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, we show that changes in clouds have made a significant contribution to turning up the thermostat.

    Clouds and climate

    Clouds help to keep Earth cool by reflecting sunlight back out to space before it can reach the ground. But not all clouds are equal.

    Shiny, white clouds reflect away more sunlight – especially when they are closer to the equator, in the parts of Earth that receive the most sun. Grey, broken clouds reflect less sunlight, as do clouds closer to the poles where less light falls.

    Research published last year showed that Earth has been absorbing more sunlight than the greenhouse effect alone can explain. Clouds were involved, but it wasn’t clear exactly how.

    Bright cloud zones are shrinking

    Our new study shows what is happening. The areas covered by highly reflective clouds are shrinking. At the same time, the areas containing broken, less reflective clouds are growing.

    The net effect is that additional energy from sunlight is reaching Earth’s surface. Here it is absorbed, leading to extra heating.

    We also looked at the effect of changes in the properties of the highly reflective clouds, caused by things such as changes in the amount of aerosol pollution in the atmosphere. However, we found these effects are much smaller than the effect of the change in area.

    The global picture

    In the big picture, Earth’s wind patterns are driven by hot air rising near the equator and the rotation of the planet. This creates huge, looping currents of atmospheric circulation around the globe.

    Local weather systems – the kind that determine the location and type of clouds – depend on these major, large-scale wind systems. The major circulation patterns in the atmosphere are changing as a result of global warming.

    We found much of the cloud action is taking place at the edges of these major wind systems.

    Cloud cover is changing in several parts of Earth.
    NASA Earth Observatory

    Highly reflective clouds are on the decline in a region near the equator called the intertropical convergence zone, and also two other bands called the storm tracks, which lie between 30 and 40 degrees of latitude.

    At the same time the subtropical trade-wind regions, home to ever-present but less reflective broken clouds, are expanding.

    A feedback loop

    In short, the global warming induced by increased greenhouse gases changes the major wind systems on Earth. This in turn reduces the area of highly reflective clouds, leading to additional warming.

    Warming changes wind patterns, which changes cloud patterns, which results in more warming. This is what we call a “positive feedback” in the climate system: warming leads to more warming.

    We still have a lot to learn about the details of this feedback loop. Our research will use ongoing satellite-based observations of clouds and how much energy Earth receives and radiates back out to space.

    Christian Jakob receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Global warming is changing cloud patterns. That means more global warming – https://theconversation.com/global-warming-is-changing-cloud-patterns-that-means-more-global-warming-259376

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 451 Status Reports

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to stay safe during heat waves – and heat stroke warning signs to watch for

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian Bossak, Professor of Public Health, College of Charleston

    Extreme heat can become lethal quickly. A young man cools off at Washington, D.C.’s Yards Park during a heat wave in 2021. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

    Summer is just getting started, and millions of people are under heat advisories as a major heat wave spreads across large parts of the central and eastern U.S. in June 2025.

    For many people, summer is their favorite season, a time for cookouts, beach trips and other outdoor activities. However, summer also brings the risk of dangerously high temperatures and humidity.

    In the U.S., hundreds of people working or playing outside – even those who seem healthy – succumb to heat-related illnesses each year. Older adults and people in areas that historically haven’t needed air conditioning tend to see the highest rates of illnesses during heat waves, as Chicago saw in 1995 when at least 700 people died in a heat wave.

    The Weather Prediction Center’s heat forecast shows the maximum temperatures states can expect to see at some point during the week of June 23-27, 2025.
    NOAA Weather Prediction Center

    Even in places where heat is recognized as a dangerous health threat, people can be caught off guard as the thermometer creeps higher, on average, each year. In some cases, dangerous heat can arise quickly. In 2021, a young family died of heat stroke on a California trail after setting out for a hike when temperatures were still in the 70s Fahrenheit (low to mid 20s Celsius).

    I study health risks in a warming climate as a professor of public health, and I’ve seen heat become a growing concern. Here are some of the key warning signs to watch for when temperatures rise – and ways to keep cool when the heat and humidity get too high.

    Signs of heat-related illness to watch for

    Heat-related illnesses occur across a spectrum, and mild heat stress can quickly progress to life-threatening heat stroke if a person is exposed to dangerous conditions for too long.

    Mild forms of heat-related illness include heat cramps and heat rash, both of which can be caused by extensive sweating during hot conditions. Cooling the body and drinking cool fluids can help.

    When heat-related illnesses progress into heat exhaustion, the situation is more serious. Heat exhaustion includes symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, feeling weak, thirst and getting a headache.

    Construction workers are often out in the heat for long periods of time, including during this heat wave in Los Angeles in July 2024.
    Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

    Heat exhaustion is a signal that the body is losing its ability to maintain a stable core temperature. Immediate action such as moving to a cool, ideally air-conditioned space, drinking liquids, loosening clothes and applying wet cloths are some of the recommended steps that can help keep heat exhaustion from progressing to the most dangerous form of heat-related illness, heat stroke.

    Heat stroke is a medical emergency. At this point, the body can no longer maintain a stable core temperature. A body with heat stroke can reach 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher rapidly, and that heat can quickly damage the brain, heart and kidneys.

    Signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, from the National Weather Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    NOAA/CDC

    Typically, someone suffering heat stroke has exhausted their reserves of sweat and salt to stay cool, so sweating eventually stops during heat stroke. Their cognitive ability fails, and they cannot remove themselves from danger. Heat stroke can cause seizures or put someone into a coma as their core temperature rises. If the condition is not treated immediately, and the core temperature continues to rise, heat stroke becomes fatal.

    Because heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, addressing heat-related illnesses before they progress is vital.

    How to tell when the heat is too high

    Heat risk isn’t just about temperature – humidity also increases the risk of heat-related illnesses because it affects how well sweating will cool the human body when it gets hot.

    Instead of just looking at temperature when planning outdoor activities, check the heat index, which accounts for heat illness risk associated with temperature and relative humidity.

    It doesn’t take very high temperatures or very high humidity for the heat index to enter dangerous territory.

    A heat index chart shows how heat and humidity combine for dangerous conditions.
    NOAA

    However, the heat index is still a conservative measure of the impact of heat on humans, particularly for outdoor workers and athletes at summer practices. This is because temperature measurements used in weather forecasting are taken in the shade and are not exposed to direct sunlight. If someone is outside and exposed to the direct sun, the actual heat index can be as much as 15 F higher than the heat index chart indicates.

    A more sophisticated measurement of heat effects on human health is what’s known as the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account other variables, such as wind speed and cloud cover. Neither takes into account a person’s physical exertion, which also raises their body temperature, whether working at a construction site or playing soccer.

    Tips for staying safe in a heat wave

    How can you stay cool when heat waves set in? The answer depends in part on where you are, but the main points are the same:

    • Avoid strenuous outdoor activities in high temperatures if possible. If you start to feel symptoms of heat-related illnesses, drink fluids that will hydrate you. Find shade, rest, and use cool, damp cloths to lower your body temperature. If you see signs of heat stroke in someone else, call for medical help.

    • Be careful with fans. Fans can be useful if the temperature isn’t too high because they wick sweat away from the body and induce evaporative cooling. But at very high temperatures, they can accelerate heat buildup in the body and lead to dangerous conditions. If indoor temperatures reaches 95 degrees or higher, using fans can actually be dangerous and raise the risk of heat-related illnesses.

    • Find a cooling center, library or community center where you can get inside and rest in an air-conditioned space in the hottest hours. In places such as Phoenix, where high temperatures are a regular hazard, cooling centers are typically opened in summer. Northern cities are also opening cooling centers as heat waves occur there more frequently than they did in the past. Urban areas with a lot of pavement and buildings – known as heat islands – can have temperatures well above the city’s average.

    • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink plenty of fluids, and don’t forget about the importance of electrolytes. Heat-related dehydration can occur when people sweat excessively, losing water and necessary salts from the body. Some sports drinks or rehydration fluids restore electrolytes and hydration levels.

    Older adults and people with disabilities often face higher risks from heat waves, particularly if they can’t easily move to a cooler environment. Communities and neighbors can help protect vulnerable populations by providing cooling centers and bottled water and making regular wellness checks during high heat.

    Summer can be a season of fun. Just remember the risks, keep an eye on your friends and neighbors when temperatures rise, and plan ahead so you can beat the heat.

    This article, originally published June 19, 2025, has been updated with new heat advisories and forecasts.

    Brian Bossak is not currently receiving relevant external funding for heat-related illness research. In 2017-2019, he served as a consultant on a heat-related research award from the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and
    Safety at the University of Florida.

    – ref. How to stay safe during heat waves – and heat stroke warning signs to watch for – https://theconversation.com/how-to-stay-safe-during-heat-waves-and-heat-stroke-warning-signs-to-watch-for-257708

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Trump’s Display of Peace Through Strength

    Source: US Whitehouse

    President Donald J. Trump’s bold, decisive action against Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — and its key nuclear facilities was met with bipartisan praise from lawmakers across Capitol Hill.

    Here’s what they’re saying:

    Speaker Mike Johnson: “The President made the right call, and did what he needed to do. Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act. The world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants ‘Death to America,’ simply could not be allowed the opportunity to obtain and use nuclear weapons. The President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight’s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties.”

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune: “The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace. The mullahs’ misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped. As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

    Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: “President @realDonaldTrump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear program is the right one. The greatest threat to the safety of the United States and the world is Iran with a nuclear weapon. God Bless our troops”

    Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton: “Iran has waged a war of terror against the United States for 46 years. We could never allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. God bless our brave troops. President Trump made the right call and the ayatollahs should recall his warning not to target Americans.”

    Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch: “As President Trump has said over and over again – as have I – Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Why? A nuclear-armed Iran would without doubt spark a nuclear arms race that would take off around the world. This is a direct threat to American national security if left unchecked. This war is Israel’s war not our war, but Israel is one of our strongest allies and is disarming Iran for the good of the world. I’ve also always said that Israel would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. For Israel this is existential. The Iranians literally want to wipe Israel and all Jews off the face of the earth. This strike will put an end to those ambitions. President Trump took decisive action today to assist the Israelis in their efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear program. Only American weapons could do what has been done. This has made America safer, in addition to the Israelis, and the world more broadly. This is not the start of a forever war. There will not be American boots on the ground in Iran. This was a precise, limited strike, which was necessary and by all accounts was very successful. As President Trump has stated, now is the time for peace.”

    Sen. Jim Banks: “I trust President Trump!”

    Sen. Marsha Blackburn: “@realDonaldTrump knows peace can only be achieved through strength. This is a victory for the United States.”

    Sen. Katie Britt: “I stand by President Trump. Strong and surgical. Please pray for peace.”

    Sen. Ted Budd: “Tonight, the United States dealt a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. military alone had the capability to destroy these facilities deep underground, and I commend President Trump for standing with our Israeli allies in their efforts to end the threat of a nuclear Iran once and for all. May God bless and protect our troops, who continue to keep us safe around the world.”

    Sen. Bill Cassidy: “Iran’s nuclear program is a threat to peace and stability. Peace must remain the goal.”

    Sen. John Cornyn: “President Trump made the courageous and correct decision to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat. God Bless the USA. Thank you to our extraordinary military and our indomitable @POTUS This is what leadership on the world stage looks like.”

    Sen. Kevin Cramer: “When only we can do what needs doing, we must do it. Great call Mr. President and great job @usairforce ! God Bless The USA! #PeaceThroughStrength #GodBlessIsrael.”

    Sen. Ted Cruz: “I commend our pilots and servicemembers, our intelligence personnel, and his national security staff on tonight’s successful and critical operation. The prospect of the Iranian regime acquiring nuclear weapons represents the most acute immediate threat to America and our allies. When the Ayatollah chants ‘Death to America’ he means it, and the reason he is building nuclear weapons is because he intends to use them. President Trump has consistently and unequivocally stated that those threats cannot be countered without dismantling the Iranian regime’s enrichment capacity. The President and his negotiators spent two months exploring whether the regime would agree to a negotiated settlement that met America’s national security needs. At the end of that period, Iranian regime officials declared that instead of agreeing to deal they would open a new enrichment facility and install more advanced centrifuges. After that declaration, our Israeli allies launched a preemptive attack against the regime and its nuclear infrastructure, which was enormously successful. It could not disable the nuclear activities at Fordow, an underground enrichment bunker built into a mountain which was legitimized by the Obama-era deal. As long as Iran was able to access and enrich uranium, they could still rush to build a nuclear arsenal. Tonight’s actions have gone far in foreclosing that possibility, and countering the apocalyptic threat posed by an Iranian nuclear arsenal.”

    Sen. John Curtis: “Iran’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons is a direct threat to American interests, our allies, and global stability. Today’s action was a serious and necessary response to that danger. I honor the brave servicemembers who carried out the mission with skill and courage. Strength paired with genuine diplomacy is how we create peace, prevent conflict, and preserve freedom. I join the President in calling for a return to diplomacy.”

    Sen. Steve Daines: “Thank you President Trump and the men and women of our armed forces. America, Israel and the rest of the world are safer tonight as a result of your bravery, courage and unrivaled skill. Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, has killed hundreds of U.S. service members, attempted to assassinate President Trump, and calls the United States ‘big Satan’ and Israel ‘little Satan.’ Stopping Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a major step toward achieving peace.”

    Sen. Joni Ernst: “By leading with peace through strength, President Trump is making the world a safer place and protecting Americans. Iran must never be able to threaten America with a nuclear weapon. God bless our commander in chief and our servicemembers!”

    Sen. Deb Fischer: “For decades, Iran has chanted ‘death to America’ and pledged to wipe Israel off the map. When foreign adversaries pledge to destroy us, we should believe them. President Trump has always been clear: Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon – and I agree. Today, his administration took the necessary steps to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s reach, and I am grateful to the service members who successfully carried out the mission.”

    Sen. Bill Hagerty: “@POTUS’s decisive leadership enforced deadlines and redlines. This was a tough decision, one that, as always, President Trump put the interests of the American people first in making. May this be the end of Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions and lay the groundwork for lasting peace.”

    Sen. Lindsey Graham: “Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it. Well done, President @realDonaldTrump To my fellow citizens: We have the best Air Force in the world. It makes me so proud. Fly, Fight, Win.”

    Sen. Chuck Grassley: “Our commander in chief & brave military forces hv carried out a mission in Iran to prevent nuclear enrichment Iran believes in “Death to Israel Death to America” Keeping USA safe is number 1 responsibility of Pres Trump”

    Sen. John Fetterman: “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.”

    Sen. James Lankford: “I continue to be grateful for the skill and professionalism of our United States service members. Cindy and I are praying for our military, the President and for a lasting peace.”

    Sen. Mike Lee: “Tonight, the Iranian nuclear program was wiped out. Please join me in praying for the safety of the brave men and women of America’s armed forces in the Middle East and around the world, and that these strikes may lead to the lasting peace called for by President Trump.”

    Sen. Roger Marshall: “Thank you to our brave American Air Force and their successful mission as no Americans were harmed. We stand tall with President Trump who is protecting the world from a nuclear capable Iran.”

    Sen. Dave McCormick: “As I have said all along, Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. This targeted attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is the result of the Iranian regime’s failure to make a deal despite months of President Trump’s good faith efforts to negotiate. I applaud President Trump’s strong leadership and his continued commitment to peace through strength. Once again, America’s detractors around the world should know President Trump means what he says. And I am so grateful for America’s brave warriors, who appear to have achieved their mission successfully and are returning home safely. I look forward to being briefed along with my Senate colleagues on this action.  This is an important step toward ensuring that the world’s largest state sponsor of terror never obtains a nuclear weapon.”

    Sen. Ashley Moody: “This is a solemn and important moment for security and peace. We stand with and pray for our President, the service members who carried out this mission, and the people affected by this conflict.”

    Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “To those concerned about U.S. involvement— this isn’t a “forever war” in fact, it’s ending one. @POTUS was clear: Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. The Republican-led @SenateGOP trusts President Trump to keep America safe, free, and prosperous. Peace through strength.”

    Sen. Pete Ricketts: “President Trump gave Iran ample time to come to the negotiating table on its nuclear program. Tonight’s strikes mean Iran is further from possessing a nuclear weapon. I’m thankful for the heroes who carried out this strike and for our service members in the Middle East and around the world.”

    Sen. Rick Scott: “Thank you, @POTUS, @SecDef, and our brave American warriors for a successful strike on three Iranian nuclear sites. This is what peace through strength looks like. The United States and the world are a safer place without Iran possessing a nuclear weapon.”

    Sen. Tim Scott: “Decisive American leadership. Americans and the world can thank President Trump for his courage to lead.”

    Sen. Tim Sheehy: “The right decision. Iran had every opportunity to give up their nukes. To the naysayers out there, this isn’t starting a war, this is ending one. Iran has been at war with America for 46 years. The Iranian people should rise up and put an end to this murderous regime.”

    Sen. Dan Sullivan: “President Trump meant what he said—Iran will never get a nuclear bomb. I commend @POTUS and his national security team for making this important but difficult decision and our brave military members for carrying it out. The terrorist leaders of Iran have, in essence, been at war with the United States for decades—targeting, wounding and killing thousands of American service members for years. Making sure the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism never gets a nuclear weapon is part of the work of reestablishing deterrence against Iran, which was lost during the appeasement of the Biden Administration. This is difficult work, but critical for our national security. I fully support the President and his national security team in these critical efforts.”

    Sen. Thom Tillis: “This was the right decision by @POTUS: we cannot allow Iran to build nuclear weapons. God Bless our brave servicemembers who supported and executed this mission.”

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “God bless our Troops. God bless President Trump. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.”

    Sen. Roger Wicker: “Our commander-in-chief has made a deliberate —and correct— decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime. We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies and stability for the middle-east. Well-done to our military personnel. You’re the best!”

    Sen. Todd Young: “Thank you to our brave service members who executed this mission. The world will be safer if Iran’s nuclear capability is destroyed. I look forward to briefings in the coming days.”

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer: “A nuclear Iran posed a threat to the Middle East and to the world. @POTUS has been consistent that this dangerous regime should NEVER possess a nuclear weapon. He was right then, and he is right today: NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE.”

    House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain: “President Trump is delivering PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. Today’s successful mission destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities, protected American lives, and will make the world safer. Now, it’s time for peace.  God bless America and our warfighters!”

    Rep. Robert Aderholt: “I fully support President Trump’s decision to take out Iran’s nuclear facilities. As I have said, I believe that if Iran gets a functioning nuclear weapon they would not hesitate to use it against Israel or the United States. When they say death to Israel and death to America, we have no reason not to believe them. I pray this action has made the world safer. President Trump has pledged to get us out of “forever wars.” This could be a step toward ending the war we have been in with Iran since 1979. They have killed hundreds and hundreds of Americans in the past half century.”

    Rep. Mark Alford: “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH REQUIRES STRENGTH We strongly support President Trump’s targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. The Ayatollah must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and we will always stand with Israel.”

    Rep. Don Bacon: “Iran with a nuclear weapon is an existential threat. Pres. Trump is protecting America.”

    Rep. Troy Balderson: “Thank you @realDonaldTrump for taking decisive action. The world is a whole lot safer tonight.”

    Rep. Michael Baumgartner: “There is no greater threat to the world than nuclear proliferation, let alone from a regime that has consistently used radical Islamic terrorists to attack and kill Americans for nearly 4 decades. I fully support President Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuke reactor. Trump gave Iran a choice. The Ayatollah chose poorly.”

    Rep. Andy Barr: “God Bless Donald J. Trump, God Bless our military, and God Bless the United States of America! America thanks you, @realdonaldtrump! The world thanks you too.”

    Rep. Tom Barrett: “I anticipate a full briefing of our military strike in Iran immediately upon my return to Washington. Tonight, I am praying for wisdom in our decisions, President Trump and his team, and the safety of our troops. God bless the United States of America.” 

    Rep. Aarron Bean: “The rogue Iranian regime has murdered American soldiers and been the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism for decades. Peace through strength is a strategy that works. God bless our brave American troops and God bless the USA!”

    Rep. Mike Bost: “I trust that President Trump made the decision to target Iran’s nuclear program tonight due to intelligence that indicates the regime was within reach of developing nuclear weapons that could threaten the lives of American citizens and U.S. troops stationed across the globe. He showed the strength to ensure that never happens.”

    Rep. Ken Calvert: “Like President Trump, I have consistently said Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. I support his decision to use the force and precision of the U.S. military in coordination with our ally Israel to uphold this redline with tonight’s targeted strike.”

    Rep. Buddy Carter: “I support President Trump. Peace through strength!  Thank you to the brave troops who defended us and our ally, Israel.”

    Rep. Mike Collins: “Peace through strength. Thank God we have President Trump as Commander in Chief.”

    Rep. Jeff Crank: “Tonight, President Trump took decisive action to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, protect Americans and build peace in the Middle East.  Congratulations to the Department of Defense on a successful mission.”

    Rep. Rick Crawford: “As I have said multiple times recently, I regret that Iran has brought the world to this point. That said, I am thankful President Trump understood that the red line—articulated by Presidents of both parties for decades—was real. The United States and our allies, including Israel, are making it clear that the world would never accept Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon. I have been in touch with the White House before this action and will continue to track developments closely with them in the coming days. I commend President Trump for taking decisive action and I am grateful to the U.S. servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes. I continue to pray for the safety of the forces engaged to protect the free world.”

    Rep. Dan Crenshaw: “Support President Trump. You think these decisions were easy? They weren’t. You think this means WW3? You’re wrong. You think it means American soldiers deploying to Iran? You’re wrong. You think it means long term stability in the Middle East and a safer future for Americans? You’re right. Because the regime that wanted ‘Death to the Great Satan’ is at its end.  Support the President.”

    Rep. Scott DesJarlais: “I stand with President Trump’s decision to take out the last of Iran’s nuclear sites and his call for peace. My full statement & the DOJ indictment on Iran’s attempt to assassinate Trump.”

    Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart: “I stand with our Commander-in-Chief President @realDonaldTrump in making sure the terrorist regime in Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. Proud of our exceptional military and proud to stand by our ally Israel.”

    Rep. Neal Dunn: “Iran’s nuclear ambitions are a threat not just to Israel but also to all our allies and the entire free world. The Ayatollah’s regime forced the President’s hand. It was imperative that President Trump act decisively to eliminate that existential threat. Prayers for the Iranian people and peace in the Middle East.”

    Rep. Gabe Evans: “I’m glad to see @POTUS take action to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. As a veteran of a Global War on Terror, I know we achieve peace through strength. Prayers and thanks to our brave men and women who carried out this necessary operation.”

    Rep. Pat Fallon: “President Trump today made the tough, but absolutely correct decision in the best interest of America’s national security to order strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. Let me be clear — Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons under any circumstances. Thank you to our brave servicemembers for getting the job done.”

    Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick: “Tonight, the United States executed a successful strike on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All our aircraft are safely out of Iranian airspace and headed home. This was the right call—and a necessary one. Make no mistake: a nuclear Iran is an existential threat—not just to Israel, but to the entire free world. Peace through strength is how we lead. And tonight, the greatest military on Earth delivered —for America, for our allies, and for the cause of global security. God bless our Troops. God bless America. And God Bless the enduring cause of liberty, now and forever.”

    Rep. Chuck Fleischmann: “President Trump is showing strong leadership that will protect America and the entire world by ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. Iran is the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorism, responsible for the murder of thousands globally. The Iranian regime must NEVER have access to nuclear weapons. I applaud President Trump for his steadfast leadership as our Commander in Chief and our outstanding Armed Forces for their successful mission.”

    Rep. Mike Flood: “Tonight, President Trump took bold steps to ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. Keeping Iran from becoming a nuclear power will not only help keep America safe but can provide peace and stability around the world.  Thank you to our brave service members who skillfully carried out this mission.”

    Rep. Vince Fong: “President Trump’s decisive action to eliminate the nuclear capabilities posed by the Iranian regime was a necessary one to prevent a real and catastrophic threat. Iran can NEVER be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. We’re grateful for the bravery of the @usairforce and all our military personnel. May God protect them and all Americans in harm’s way as we continue the necessary work to preserve peace and stability.”

    Rep. Russell Fry: “I stand with President Trump—Iran CANNOT have a nuclear weapon. Peace through strength.”

    Rep. Brandon Gill: “’Peace through strength’ means ensuring our existential enemies don’t acquire the most lethal and catastrophic weapons known to man.”

    Rep. Carlos Gimenez: “God bless America! God bless the Jewish State of Israel! God bless President Donald J. Trump! The people of #Iran will soon taste freedom again, Israel will be at peace, & democracy will be safe from this radical Islamist terrorist regime!”

    Rep. Lance Gooden: “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH! Thank you, Mr. President, and our great military! And thanks, especially, to God, for our pilots’ safe return.”

    Rep. Mark Green: “The United States has given Tehran every opportunity to forgo its nuclear ambitions; it has repeatedly refused. President Trump made the right decision. A nuclear armed Iran would be detrimental to the existence of our ally Israel, the stability of the Middle East, and our own national security.”

    Rep. Abe Hamadeh: “Iran has limited internet access. The news of Trump’s successful military operation should be spread far and wide in Iran, DROP LEAFLETS. The Iranian people need to know how weak the regime truly is, and now is their time to chart their own destiny if they choose.”

    Rep. Mike Haridopolos: “I support the actions taken by President Trump to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The world is a much safer place due to his actions taken today.”

    Rep. Pat Harrigan: “President Trump gave Iran a diplomatic off-ramp—60 days to deescalate and come to the table. They kept enriching uranium, kept making threats, and ignored every warning, including the one not to target Americans. We tried peace through strength. With American lives at risk, I support @POTUS’s actions to advance peace in the Middle East.”

    Rep. Andy Harris: “A nuclear-armed Iran endangers America, Israel, and the entire free world. The U.S. took decisive action to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability, protecting American lives, our allies, and global stability. This is peace through strength.

    Rep. Mark Harris: “I am grateful for President Trump’s thoughtful and wise approach that has gone into the decision and action which has been carried out this evening in a determined approach to make certain Iran does not have a nuclear weapon!! Pray for our nation’s military, the most powerful courageous fighting force in the world!!”

    Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “President Trump has tried over and over again to come to a peaceful agreement with Iran, but they have refused to work with us. While I believe war should never be an option, I am proud of President Trump and our military on a successful operation to deter the spread of war in the Middle East.”

    Rep. Ashley Hinson: “Thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership, our military carried out successful strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites tonight. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism & President Trump made it clear: Iran can never have a path to a nuclear weapon. Now they won’t. Thank you to our brave warriors who carried out these attacks & are now on their way back safely home. God Bless President Trump and the USA.”

    Rep. Richard Hudson: “President Donald Trump has been consistent and resolute that Iran- the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism- will not be allowed to build a nuclear weapons capability. He negotiated in good faith and offered Iran peace in exchange for ending their nuclear ambition. Iran did not take President Trump seriously and they have learned tonight that was a mistake. It would be another mistake for Iran to retaliate against Americans anywhere in the world. I support President Trump, I stand with Israel and I pray for the safety of our brave men and women in uniform around the world. America leads with resolve, and the world is safer when we do.”

    Rep. Bill Huizenga: “After attempting to negotiate peace through diplomacy, President Trump took decisive action. We must ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon and usher in a new age of nuclear terrorism. I commend the men and women of our Armed Forces for their performance in this operation to make the world a safer place. It is now time for Iran to come to the table and abandon its nuclear ambitions.”

    Rep. Wesley Hunt: “When faced with a clear choice between peace and violence, Iran chose violence. That was a grave mistake. Underestimating the resolve of the United States, the leadership of President Trump, and the unmatched strength of the most advanced military force on Earth is not just unwise, it’s fatal. I commend our Commander-in-Chief for acting decisively to dismantle Iran’s nuclear ambitions at the source. This was not just a mission of military precision, it was a message: the United States will not tolerate threats to our national security or to global stability. To the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who carried out this operation with courage and excellence, thank you. The nation stands in awe of your service.”

    Rep. Jeff Hurd: “Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear capabilities. We must always stand up for the safety and security of the U.S. and its allies. I fully support actions taken to prevent an evil regime from being able to harm us, Israel, and our other allies.”

    Rep. Darrell Issa: “Tonight, @realDonaldTrump is showing the world the true meaning of peace through strength. And American strength is making peace with Iran possible for the first time in 46 years.”

    Rep. Brian Jack: “I stand with our brave military stationed across the world and President Trump, our Commander in Chief.”

    Rep. Ronny Jackson: “President Trump once again demonstrated the bold, decisive leadership the American people elected him for. He has long maintained that Iran must NEVER obtain a nuclear weapon and he kept that promise. A nuclear Iran is a direct threat to America and our allies. Tonight, the world is safer because OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF, PRESIDENT TRUMP acted. Thank you President Trump and the servicemembers who carried out the strike. GOD BLESS THE USA!!!”

    Rep. Jim Jordan: “God Bless the United States Military. God Bless President Trump.”

    Rep. Tom Kean: “The world is a far safer place without Iranian nuclear sites. Thank you to President Trump and our second-to-none American military for carrying out this successful series of strikes. It is time for security and peace for all.”

    Rep. Jen Kiggans: “The American military remains the greatest in the world … God bless our troops. I support President Trump’s decision to bomb the three sites in Iran because Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. Iran should heed the president’s warning to not retaliate against U.S. forces or U.S. citizens anywhere in the world. Peace through strength remains our goal.”

    Rep. Young Kim: “The military’s targeted actions tonight against Iranian nuclear sites are necessary to deter Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and save lives. I thank our military for their service in this critical operation to restore peace through strength and am glad they are safely on the way home. I look forward to additional briefings from the administration soon.”

    Rep. David Kustoff: “Thank you, @realDonaldTrump, for demonstrating strong leadership on the World stage. Iran should never have a nuclear weapon. This is peace through strength!”

    Rep. Darin LaHood: “@POTUS and the United States have been clear: under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. I thank our brave service members, Intelligence Community, and the Administration’s national security team for holding this red line to protect U.S. national security.”

    Rep. Nick LaLota: “Tonight’s American response makes it clear: Iran will be held accountable for its proxies killing Americans and its blatant ambition to bring death to America through nuclear weapons. Tehran must return to the table, abandon its nuclear ambitions, and choose peace. Praying for our brave troops and American citizens in the region.”

    Rep. Doug LaMalfa: “The President’s decision to carry out a targeted strike on Iranian nuclear sites was the right move. It was necessary, and sent a clear message. No other country has the capability to take out this type of threat. I support President Trump’s decision to take action before it was too late. Iran’s leaders chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as official policy and they mean it. They’ve made it clear that if they ever got their hands on a nuclear weapon, they’d use it on America and Israel. We could not leave major Iranian nuclear sites operational and intact.  I hope Iran will take the President’s offer now. They’ve had many chances to give up their weapons ambitions.”

    Rep. Nick Langworthy: “God bless the United States of America and the brave men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms and do the extraordinary every day. We pray for their safety, and we pray for wisdom and strength for our Commander in Chief.”

    Rep. Bob Latta: “Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. The president took decisive action to stop Iran’s nuclear program. Now is the time for peace. God bless and protect our troops.”

    Rep. Mike Lawler: “President Trump made the right decision — and like when President Obama struck Libya, Syria, Pakistan, and Yemen — he did so under the terms of the 2001 and 2002 AUMF. War has not been declared, however, a Nuclear Iran has been prevented. I fully support the President’s decision.”

    Rep. Barry Loudermilk: “Thanks to this bold and decisive action by President Trump, and our amazing military, America and the rest of the world are much safer. Putting America first means prioritizing the safety and security of the United States; and Iran has been a serious threat to the U.S. and our ally, Israel, for decades. President Trump exercised incredible restraint while seeking diplomatic solutions with Iran these past few months; unfortunately, Iran was unwilling to cooperate.”

    Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: “May God protect our brave service members until they return home safely, along with our foreign service officers and the dedicated men and women of the State Department. Pray for our country. We need peace.”

    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: “There’s no other military in the world that can do what was just done. God bless America and our brave service members.”

    Rep. Tracey Mann: “Audrey and I join the nation in praying for the safety of our troops and civilians in the Middle East. We pray for wisdom for President Trump and his team as they promote American peace through strength. God bless our troops.”

    Rep. Rich McCormick: “President Trump gave Iran every opportunity to give up its nuclear ambitions. They are now very aware that this President will not be dropping pallets of cash to bribe them to stop developing nukes, we will be delivering ordinances that ensures they do.”

    Rep. Addison McDowell: “President Trump protects America and our interests: A nuclear Iran was never an option. God bless America and the brave men and women who serve our nation.”

    Rep. Carol Miller: “Iran was persistent in their refusal to stop enriching uranium. We gave them every opportunity to stop and agree to nuclear disarmament. They refused, so America ended their nuclear weapons program tonight. The Commander in Chief has my full support.”

    Rep. Mary Miller: “A great victory for the United States! President Trump understands that PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH keeps America, and the world, safe and secure.”

    Rep. Max Miller: “As President Trump has stated before, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Promises made, promises kept”

    Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks: “Under the constitutional authority granted to the president as Commander-in-Chief under Article II, @POTUS took decisive action tonight to keep America, our allies and the world, safe. His bold leadership and commitment to peace through strength delivered results. Our military successfully struck Iran’s nuclear sites, sending a clear message: the world’s top sponsor of terrorism will never obtain a nuclear weapon.  Proud of our warriors and our President.”

    Rep. John Moolenaar: “President Trump has been consistent. A nuclear Iran poses a grave threat to our nation, our military, and our allies. His decision to strike Iran is necessary to keep us and our allies safe, and ensure the largest sponsor of terror in the world does not develop nuclear weapons.”

    Rep. Barry Moore: “I stand with President Trump. God bless him and our brave service members.”

    Rep. Tim Moore: “Iran’s radical regime is a threat to freedom everywhere and has spent decades spreading terror across the globe. President Trump made clear that any attack on Americans or our allies would be met with overwhelming force. May God bless and protect our troops as we confront the evil of Iran and its terrorist proxies.”

    Rep. Nathaniel Moran: “Peace through strength in action. This was a necessary step to protect America and its ally Israel from the clear and present danger presented by Iran and its advanced nuclear program. This is the kind of leadership the moment demands. @POTUS”

    Rep. Troy Nehls: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I’m glad the mission was successful, and I’m glad we have President Trump in the White House. Peace through strength.”

    Rep. Ralph Norman: “President Trump’s bold leadership didn’t just defend democracy around the world — it helped save it. God bless the USA”

    Rep. Zach Nunn: “As President Trump takes decisive action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat, I also remain committed to ensuring our troops—including Iowa’s Guardsmen deploying to the region—are protected and not engaged in a forever war. America remains a strong force for Peace through Strength.”

    Rep. Andy Ogles: “We must end Iran’s nuclear ambitions and protect American lives. Praise God for a successful mission—keep praying for our country.”

    Rep. Burgess Owens: “We have a peace through strength President who doesn’t bluff and knows the world is safer without a nuclear Iran. God bless our U.S. Armed Forces”

    Rep. August Pfluger: “Today, American airmen executed an operation at the direction of President Trump to eliminate Iranian nuclear facilities. I commend President Trump, the national security team, and the men and women who executed these orders on this successful mission. The Iranian regime is the largest sponsor of terrorism and the choice is now theirs… I hope they choose peace and a return to normalized society. But one thing is clear, they will not have a nuclear weapon.”

    Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: “President Trump was right to strike Iran’s nuclear program. A nuclear Iran was a direct threat to our national security and our allies in the region. Iran is responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of our servicemembers. May God bless our nation and our troops.”

    Rep. John Rose: “Our brave troops executed a well-planned and successful strike in Iran that signals a new chapter in the Middle East, a chapter where there is no misunderstanding about American tolerance of a nuclear-armed Iran. @POTUS is leading with strength, and I fully support this action.”

    Rep. David Rouzer: “I commend President Trump for taking decisive and resolute action to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Regardless of any Iranian response which may occur, the President and those in our great military responsible for successfully carrying out this difficult mission have provided a meaningful opportunity for lasting peace in the Middle East and safety to the United States and our allies.”

    Rep. Maria Salazar: “Thank you, President Trump, for leading with strength and clarity. Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. May God protect our troops, and may peace prevail through strength.”

    Rep. Austin Scott: “I commend the President for his decisive action to attack Iran’s nuclear program. I also commend the bravery and skill of our warfighters who participated in this important mission. There was no scenario in which Iran could be allowed to continue their nuclear weapons program. The time is now for the Iranian people to rise up against the radical regime.”

    Rep. Keith Self: “This is what leadership from a Commander in Chief looks like.”

    Rep. Adrian Smith: “Through months of talks between negotiators from his administration and Iranian officials, President Trump has shown he is committed to achieving peace for the United States and our allies. Today, he and brave American servicemembers acted decisively when it became clear the Iranian regime, which openly threatened to wield nuclear weapons, was not open to diplomatic engagement. America stands with the friends of freedom, and our forces will defend our people against all threats.”

    Rep. Pete Stauber: “Iran has been wanting to eliminate the United States and Israel for decades. President Trump’s decision to surgically remove this threat was decisive leadership with the power of our extraordinary military force! This is peace through strength.”

    Rep. Greg Steube: “President Trump made every effort to give Iran a peaceful off-ramp to dismantle its nuclear ambitions. The Ayatollah’s refusal to negotiate in good faith confirms what we’ve long known: Iran cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons. I’m deeply grateful to our brave men and women in uniform for executing their mission with courage and precision. And I thank President Trump for his decisive leadership during this critical moment.”

    Rep. Dale Strong: “A nuclear-armed Iran is a threat to the entire world. They had ample time to come to the table and make a deal, but forced President Trump to take action to ensure the safety of our country and our allies.”

    Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “Peace through strength means you have to be willing to prove your strength when adversaries will not accept the peaceful option. I support President Trump’s decision and am thankful the strikes were successful. God Bless America!”

    Rep. Claudia Tenney: “President Trump has shown unwavering resolve in defending the U.S. & the free world. We are grateful for the bravery of our servicemembers who carried out these successful airstrikes & for President Trump’s leadership as our Commander in Chief!  God Bless America”

    Rep. William Timmons: “President Trump took decisive action against Iran’s nuclear threat. This sends a clear message: the U.S. will defend our interests and our allies. Grateful our Airmen carried out the mission safely — their courage keeps us safe. FLY FIGHT WIN”

    Rep. Derrick Van Orden: “Peace Through Strength. The terrorist regime in Iran’s time in the sun is over.”

    Rep. Tim Walberg: “Tonight, President @realDonaldTrump displayed decisive action to eliminate the nuclear program of the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. President Trump pursued and exhausted diplomatic options, and to protect the security of our nation, this moment called for strong leadership. God bless America and God bless our troops.”

    Rep. Ann Wagner: “Iran was given every chance to get rid of its nuclear program, but instead of choosing peace the Ayatollah embraced violence and chaos. President Trump was absolutely right to send our bombers in and strike the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities, and this decision will save American lives and protect our national security. He and I are in full agreement that we must achieve peace through strength, and today’s decisive strikes are a testament to that shared commitment. Iran cannot and will not have nuclear weapons and today is a direct result of the Ayatollah’s reckless choices…”

    Rep. Randy Weber: “Iran should NEVER have their hands on a nuclear weapon. President Trump ensured that won’t happen. Congratulations on a successful mission.”

    Rep. Roger Williams: “We must always stand with Israel.  Iran should never have a nuclear weapon and I’m thankful that under @realDonaldTrump, our country is stronger than ever.  God bless our military.  We pray for their safety and for peace.”

    Rep. Joe Wilson: “President Trump has been consistent in his willingness to engage in negotiations. Enemies of America insult this effort instead pursuing apocalyptic delusions. Ultimately, Peace is achieved through deterrence and Strength. Assad was warned in 2017. The Iranian regime was warned. War criminal Putin has been warned. President Trump will not hesitate to act when tested.”

    Rep. Rob Wittman: “The President was right – Iran refused to commit to nuclear disarmament. This was the right decision. America must secure peace through strength. God bless our servicemen and women in uniform – I am praying for their safe return.”

    Rep. Steve Womack: “I support the President’s decisive action to thwart Iran from completing a nuclear weapon. Our Israeli allies were instrumental in setting the conditions for these strikes, and President Trump’s decision ultimately makes America and our allies safer. I thank God for the bravery and safety of our servicemembers who made this mission a success.”

    Rep. Rudy Yakym: “Thank you to our brave warfighters for defending the greatest nation on earth. God bless our troops and the United States of America!”

    Rep. Ryan Zinke: “We gave Iran a chance, they didn’t take it. The President has been crystal clear: Iran must not have nuclear weapons. If they don’t give up their nuclear program, this will continue to escalate. They will lose their Army, Navy, what’s left of their Air Force AND they will lose their refineries. This is a fight they will not win. I pray for the freedom loving Iranian people who have lived under extremism for too long.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Report “Development of the “Central Asia-China Spirit”: achievements, opportunities and prospects for regional cooperation” /2/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Chapter 2. Opportunities and Challenges in China-Central Asia Cooperation

    At present, China is comprehensively promoting the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. Regardless of the changes in the international situation, China will unswervingly adhere to the policy of opening up to the outside world.

    — Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping

    2.1 New Opportunities as a Result of China’s Opening Up

    With global economic growth slowing, especially since the beginning of this year, the international situation is characterized by growing instability and mounting contradictions. The strengthening of unilateral actions and trade protectionism, as well as the destruction of international production and logistics chains, are seriously undermining the stability of world trade and calling into question the prospects for further global economic cooperation.

    In the face of a complex and tense external environment, China is relentlessly focused on its own development and firmly promotes a high level of openness to the outside world. In this process, China has always regarded the Central Asian region as an important area of its good-neighborly diplomacy, striving to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with countries in the region. This not only brings stability to the Central Asian economy, but also serves as a model of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation for the world.

    China is a major developing country that has made a major contribution to global economic growth for many years. China’s gross domestic product exceeded RMB 130 trillion in 2024, and its contribution to global economic growth remained at around 30%, the highest among the world’s major economies. As the world’s second-largest economy and one of the largest sources of investment, China has enormous market potential. In steadily advancing the Chinese model of modernization, China not only shares the fruits of its development with countries in the region and around the world to boost the global economy, but also provides new theoretical guidelines and practical models for the modernization of developing and emerging economies.

    China’s modernization model emphasizes high-quality growth based on innovation, green transition, and balanced development. China has steadily increased investment in scientific research and technological innovation, demonstrating impressive results that open up new opportunities for Central Asia. For example, the Chinese company Huawei has established a digital hub in Kazakhstan, introducing advanced ICT infrastructure. This has laid a solid foundation for the development of new forms of business such as e-commerce and mobile payments. China’s experience in renewable energy, combating desertification, reclaiming saline and degraded lands, and water-saving irrigation is no less valuable for the countries of the region. Following the principle of “teaching how to fish, not just giving it to”, China is ready to continue to facilitate the construction of large solar and wind power plants in Central Asia, thereby contributing to the optimization of the energy structure, ecological restoration, and sustainable green development of the region.

    Against the backdrop of increasing global protectionism, China has firmly maintained its high-level opening-up policy, serving as a “stabilizing anchor” and “driving force” of the global economy. The negative list for foreign investment has been reduced from the original 190 items to 29 at the national level and 27 in pilot free trade zones. In the manufacturing sector, restrictions have been completely lifted, creating favorable conditions for multinational companies investing in China. Enterprises from Central Asian countries are actively taking advantage of these opportunities. They are opening production facilities in China or entering into trade cooperation, gaining access to the huge Chinese market and developing economies of scale. The China International Import Expo, China Export and Import Fair (Canton Fair), International Silk Road Expo and other major events provide companies from Central Asian countries with high-quality platforms to showcase their products and enter new markets. For example, through these platforms, Uzbek hand-woven carpets, nuts and dried fruits from Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian products can be offered directly to global buyers, which will help increase the recognition of these products and expand their share in international markets. In addition, this strengthens the integration of Central Asian countries into international production and logistics chains.

    The Chinese economy maintains a solid foundation, has many competitive advantages, is highly resilient, and has significant domestic potential. The trend toward long-term sustainable growth remains unchanged. China has all the industries included in the United Nations classification, and its production system is complete, flexible, and developed. This allows it to meet a wide range of production and cooperation needs. In addition, the economic structures of China and Central Asian countries are largely complementary, which creates broad opportunities for coordination in industry, logistics, and the development of supply chains between the two sides.

    In the energy sector, Central Asian countries are important suppliers of resources, and China has significant advantages in the exploration and development of deposits, the production of energy equipment and the processing of energy resources. The parties have all the necessary conditions for deepening cooperation at all stages of the energy cycle: from the exploration and production of oil and gas to the construction and operation of pipelines, the processing of raw materials and the production of petrochemical products. Such a comprehensive partnership will make it possible to form a complete and efficient energy chain.

    2.2 Potential for cooperation in the field of green economy and digital technologies

    Against the backdrop of the accelerating new scientific and technological revolution, industrial transformation and deepening regional interaction mechanisms, China and the Central Asian countries are actively developing cooperation in new promising areas.

    Green cooperation as a key to sustainable development. China and the five Central Asian countries have similar approaches and share common goals in the field of green development. In recent years, stable political ties, active economic interaction and a strong partnership in the traditional energy sector have created a solid foundation for in-depth cooperation in the field of ecological transition. Central Asia is rich in water resources, which are mainly concentrated in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In Tajikistan alone, the technical hydropower potential is estimated at about 55 gigawatts, which is more than half of the total potential of all of Central Asia. Significant wind energy resources are concentrated in Kazakhstan, but their development is still at an early stage, with an installed capacity of only about 1.2 GW. This indicates enormous potential for further development of the sector. In addition, the region has extensive reserves of strategically important minerals: cobalt, lithium, silicon, tungsten and other elements necessary for the production of clean energy. These resources have significant potential and can form a solid foundation for the formation of new green value chains.

    Against the background of the growing support of the green transition from the countries of Central Asia, the increasing demand for electricity and the growth of the need for the so -called “transitional minerals”, China is ready to provide the region with the necessary investments, technologies and infrastructure solutions. For many years, China has retained leading positions in the world in the established capacities in the field of renewable energy – in hydropower, solar and wind generation. At the same time, the country is actively promoting the modernization of the economy, based on high environmental standards. The China Energy International Group Corporation in 2024 commissioned a solar power plant with a capacity of 1 GW in Uzbekistan, the project was completely connected to energy networks. In Kazakhstan, China implements projects in the field of hydraulic and wind energy with a total installed capacity of more than 1000 MW. China has not only rich practical experience in the field of renewable energy, but also advanced technologies, competitive equipment, as well as a full -functional industry chain in the field of clean generation. This enables the Chinese side to provide the Central Asian countries with comprehensive technical and engineering solutions. Both sides can expand cooperation at all stages of the energy chain: from design and supply to the construction and operation of facilities. It is also important to develop new forms of partnership, combining investment and industrial interaction. This will contribute to the modernization and intellectualization of the “green” infrastructure of Central Asian countries, and will also bring Sino-Central Asian cooperation in the environmental sphere to a deeper, stable level.

    In the area of humanitarian ties, the number of sister city pairs between China and the five Central Asian countries has exceeded 100. Thanks to the simplification of the visa regime and the increase in the number of direct flights between China and the Central Asian countries, new opportunities are opening up for deepening ties between peoples. China and the countries of the region have a rich historical heritage and unique cultural environment, and their tourism resources complement each other. This creates the preconditions for expanding the joint tourism market. With the deepening and practical development of cooperation in the field of education, students from Central Asia are getting more and more opportunities to study at Chinese universities. In accordance with the current development needs of the countries of the region and the areas of bilateral cooperation, new “Lu Ban Workshops” will be opened in Central Asia – sites specializing in the training of technical specialists. Such cooperation in the field of vocational education will help bring bilateral relations to a new level, deepen cultural exchanges and strengthen mutual understanding between peoples.

    Digital cooperation as a driver of economic development in Central Asia. In recent years, the Central Asian countries have been consistently promoting digital development strategies, focusing on expanding the coverage of mobile payments, actively developing e-commerce and digital finance, as well as comprehensive economic diversification. Against the backdrop of steady growth in GDP per capita and a high proportion of youth (over 60%) in the Central Asian countries, consumer demand is growing rapidly. The regional market is confidently moving from satisfying basic needs to focusing on higher-quality consumption. The digital economy is demonstrating rapid growth. In particular, the Kazakhstani platform Kaspi has about 13.5 million active users per month, covering up to 70% of the country’s population. In Uzbekistan, the penetration of mobile payments has increased from 12% to 58% in three years. These dynamics confirm the accelerated digital transformation. It is estimated that over the next five years, the e-commerce market in Central Asia will exceed US$30 billion, with an average annual growth rate of about 28%, which clearly demonstrates the high potential of the region’s digital sector.

    Against the background of digital modernization of the China -Europe route, expanding foreign warehouse capacities and logistics networks, as well as as part of the joint initiative of the “digital silk road of the 21st century”, the “China -Central Asia” mechanism and the Shanghai organization of cooperation are actively developing the joint activities of China and Central Asia in the field of cross -border electronic commerce and digital economy. Today, almost 300 companies from Central Asia have already entered Chinese electronic trade platforms, and Chinese enterprises are actively entering regional platforms, including Kaspi in Kazakhstan. On the rise, a new form of business activity is the “Electronic commerce + cross-border Livestream” model, the volume of annual transactions of which has already exceeded 1 billion yuan. According to data for 2022, the volume of cross -border electronic trade between China and Central Asian countries increased by 95%. Both sides accelerated the exit of high -quality goods into each other’s markets. However, despite the rapidly growing demand for digital services, the regions of Central Asia are faced with a number of restrictions, including the uneven level of digitalization, insufficient development of digital infrastructure and logistics, and a lag in the regulation of digital technologies and finance. Under these conditions, China and Central Asia countries have broad prospects for cooperation in the following key areas: coordination of the standards of cross-border data exchange, improving the digital business environment, joint construction of regional calculation and payment networks, optimizing payment processes, accelerating the creation of digital infrastructure and international logistics components. The complex promotion of these initiatives will contribute to the rapid growth of cross -border electronic trade and the long -term development of the digital economy in the region.

    Agricultural cooperation: a path to mutual benefit. Agriculture is a key industry for both China and the Central Asian countries. It also occupies an important place in the structure of the China-Central Asia partnership. At a video summit dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said: “China is ready to open its super-large market to Central Asian countries, increase the import of high-quality goods and agricultural products from the region, continue to hold the China-Central Asia Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, and strive to ensure that bilateral trade turnover reaches 70 billion US dollars by 2030.” There is a high degree of complementarity between China and the countries of the region in the structure of agricultural production and broad prospects for market interaction. Thus, the volume of agricultural trade between China and the five Central Asian countries grew from $69 million in 2001 to $2.875 billion in 2023, an increase of more than 40 times.

    Against the backdrop of the change of economic drivers and the new wave of the scientific and technical revolution, China and Central Asian countries, based on a strong base of previous interaction, are actively exploring ways to build a new model of agrarian partnership and seek to reveal its new development potential. The development of green agricultural production on technology opens up broad prospects. China and the countries of the region have already created a number of key cooperation platforms, including the agricultural base of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Central Asian Center for Agrarian Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. These initiatives are the basis for deepening scientific and technological cooperation in the field of agriculture. China has a developed agrarian scientific base and obvious technological advantages in dry agriculture, modern methods of soil processing, sphere of water -saving irrigation systems, landfilling of salt marshes, protecting plants from diseases and pests. All these technologies can significantly increase the productivity and stability of the agricultural sector in Central Asia, as well as contribute to the energy transition in agriculture. In addition, with accelerating penetration of digital solutions in the region, new horizons are opened for “smart” agriculture. According to forecasts, by 2025, more than 2 million devices of the Internet of things will be used in the agricultural sector of Central Asia, and the digital agricultural market will reach 3 billion US dollars. The development of cross -border electronic trade in agricultural products, as well as the use of large data technologies, cloud computing and other digital tools for building digital agrarian trade and relevant applications, opens up new opportunities for regional agricultural food chains, creating added cost and agricultural trade. This will increase the stability of food supplies in the region and significantly increase income from the agricultural sector. In the future, further strengthening of agricultural cooperation between China and Central Asian countries will not only become an effective tool for increasing the level of agricultural technologies, transition from traditional to modern agriculture and ensure national food security, but also a key step towards activating transboundary exchange of scientific and technical resources and achieving sustainable development goals.

    The potential of the cultural and tourist industry requires further implementation. Humanitarian exchanges have always been an integral part of cooperation between China and the countries of Central Asia. They serve as a strong social basis for the development of bilateral relations. Currently, interaction in the field of tourism enters into a new stage, a set of favorable factors opens up additional opportunities for expanding partnerships in the cultural and tourist sphere. Political incentives are gradually bringing results, China and five countries of Central Asia in stages are in stages visa -free regime, which significantly reduces barriers for mutual trips. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other states of the region also activate efforts to simplify tourism procedures and increase investments in the tourism infrastructure, increasing the attractiveness of their directions. The mechanisms of cross -border cooperation are becoming more mature. At the first summit “China -Central Asia”, initiative to strengthen the institutional basis of tourist interaction, to jointly develop cross -border routes and create an “Alliance on tourist cooperation between Xinjiang and Central Asia” to integrate regional resources and combine efforts. In parallel, both “soft” and “tough” interconnectedness are strengthened. Chinese airlines are actively developing a route network in the direction of Central Asia, flights from Urumchi, Beijing, Sian and Cunde are already connecting large Chinese cities with the capitals of the countries of the region. The launch of humanitarian and tourist railway routes focused on traveling to Central Asia is also being promoted. Tourist cooperation between China and Central Asia is distinguished by pronounced specificity and a high degree of complementarity. The parties together contribute to the revival and prosperity of the silk path, relying on deep historical ties and cultural kinship. Rich nature and a unique cultural landscape are made by China and Central Asia countries with mutually attractive tourist destinations. The growth of market demand and innovation in cultural and tourist products also contribute to strengthening interaction. Electronic trading floors and social networks become key channels for promoting tourism services and cultural initiatives, more and more involving the young generation in participation in international music festivals, gastronomic forums and cross-border shopping and entertainment centers, thereby contributing to the expansion of humanitarian ties and folk diplomacy.

    2.3 Regional cooperation as a factor of geo-economic expansion

    Central Asia is located at the strategic center of the Eurasian continent and has historically served as a hub of the Silk Road, connecting trade and cultural flows between the East and West. In the new era, regional cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has continued to deepen through the China-Central Asia mechanism, the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This has greatly enhanced the geo-economic advantages of Central Asian countries and, through improved connectivity, industrial coordination and multilateral cooperation, has impacted regions such as the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the Middle East, South Asia and the Balkans, forming a vast economic network connecting the Eurasian continent. This spatial extension effect is transforming the economic geography of the region and providing Central Asian countries with a strategic opportunity to integrate into the global economy, bringing a new driving force to the prosperity of Eurasia.

    Expanding the Geography of Interconnectivity. Cooperation between China and Central Asian countries through infrastructure development and the modernization of logistics networks has significantly strengthened Central Asia’s position as a key transportation hub on the Eurasian continent, extending this advantage to the wider region. The launch of the direct multimodal China-Europe express route across the Caspian Sea marked the transition of China-Central Asian cooperation from a traditional bilateral trade corridor to a multi-format transportation network covering the Caspian and Black Seas, as well as the Balkans. This turns Central Asia into an important transit hub for Chinese goods to reach the markets of Europe and the Middle East. The start of construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, connecting Kashgar, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, helps reduce logistics costs for Central Asian countries and opens up the prospect of integration with the logistics networks of the Middle East and South Asia, forming a transportation corridor linking West Asia, South Asia and Central Asia.

    Interregional coordination within the framework of industry networks. The cooperation between China and the countries of Central Asia in the format of industry coordination is gradually building a large -scale economic network covering the entire Eurasian continent. This interaction brings to the states of the region significant geo -economic dividends, strengthening their positions in the global economy. In the energy sector, key projects were the construction of the China -Central Asia gas pipeline and the China -Kazakhstan oil pipeline. These infrastructure initiatives not only contribute to the diversification of export routes for the countries of Central Asia, but thanks to the transfer of technologies and expanding the production and logistics chains, they also bring benefits to the Caspian region and the Middle East. An indicative example is the modernization of the oil refinery in Shymkent, which made it possible to establish the production of high -octane fuel. This product not only covers internal needs, but is also exported through the Transkaspian transport corridor to the countries of the Black Sea region and to the Balkans. The expansion of the energy chain increases the export potential of Central Asia and allows it to strengthen her position in the global energy market. The increasing importance of the digital economy and cross -border electronic commerce also helps to expand the geography of industry interaction. Such formats open up new sales channels, including the release of high -quality agricultural products from Central Asia into the markets of South Asia and the Middle East using Chinese electronic trading platforms.

    Global Significance of the Region’s Geoeconomic Transformation. China-Central Asia cooperation, which spans the entire Eurasian space, gives the Central Asian countries a new, more significant global geoeconomic significance. First of all, this partnership brings qualitative changes to the economic geography of central Eurasia. Thanks to deepening interaction, the countries of the region are gradually transforming from a traditional geopolitical “buffer zone” into a strategic hub of global production and logistics chains. Central Asia has the potential to become a key logistics hub connecting China, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, as well as gain broad opportunities for industrial modernization and the development of new industries oriented towards foreign markets.

    Secondly, this cooperation will significantly strengthen the economic resilience and international influence of the Central Asian countries. Thanks to diversified development in the energy, agriculture and digital economy sectors, the countries of the region will be able to expand their presence in various sectors of foreign trade, reduce dependence on individual markets or raw material exports and thereby increase resilience to foreign economic risks.

    Third, this cooperation opens up new opportunities for the broader involvement of the countries of the Global South in geo-economic processes. In particular, the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor creates favorable conditions for states such as Turkey and Azerbaijan, allowing them to integrate more closely into the Chinese-Central Asian economic space. At the same time, Pakistan and Afghanistan can take advantage of the expanding logistics network formed within the framework of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project to gain access to Central Asian markets. The geo-economic spread effect of such initiatives not only strengthens the positions of the Central Asian countries, but also gives new impetus to the development of interconnectedness and common prosperity of the entire Eurasian space. Thus, the global significance of the formation of a community of common destiny of China and Central Asia is realized.

    2.4 Risks and challenges in the areas of development and security

    Despite notable achievements in cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, this process faces a number of serious risks and challenges. In the development sphere, these are primarily external threats associated with the strengthening of unilateral actions and trade protectionism. In the security sphere, non-traditional threats are of particular concern.

    2.4.1 Growing risks of unilateral actions and protectionism amid weak global economic recovery

    The rise of unilateralism and trade protectionism poses serious challenges to the economic stability of Central Asian countries and the sustainability of the China-Central Asian partnership. The introduction of higher customs duties, the creation of trade barriers and the use of technological sanctions by individual states undermine the stability of the global economy and disrupt the normal functioning of international production and supply chains. Although the volume of direct trade between the five Central Asian countries and leading Western economies remains relatively low, the impact of global economic fluctuations on the region is difficult to overestimate. According to Thanos Arvanitis, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund, a further escalation of international trade tensions could lead to a slowdown in the GDP growth rates of the Central Asian countries.

    Fluctuations in international markets have a direct impact on the export-oriented economies of Central Asian countries, especially in the energy, mining and agriculture sectors. In the context of the global economic downturn and declining demand for raw materials, the countries of the region may face a significant reduction in export revenues, especially from oil and cotton supplies. This, in turn, will limit the opportunities for reinvestment of export earnings in national production chains and limit the potential for domestic economic reproduction.

    Trade wars and unilateral sanctions pose a serious threat to the investment climate of Central Asian countries. Some states resort to the practice of secondary sanctions, seeking to limit normal mechanisms of economic and trade interaction between countries and their partners. At the same time, the volatility of global financial markets puts pressure on the exchange rates of the countries in the region. The devaluation of national currencies leads to higher import prices, a decrease in solvency and, as a result, limits opportunities for foreign economic cooperation in such priority areas as infrastructure and energy.

    The restructuring of global supply chains caused by unilateral actions has a negative impact on the logistics and trade network of Central Asian countries. Connectivity projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor have contributed to the transformation of Central Asia into a key logistics hub in Eurasia. However, some countries, by introducing barriers in the form of technical standards and restrictions in logistics, seek to weaken this advantage, increasing the logistics costs of China-Central Asia cooperation. Such economic risks threaten the export potential and investment climate of Central Asian countries and pose challenges to the stable operation of joint projects between China and Central Asia.

    2.4.2 Increase in non-traditional threats

    Central Asia has long been vulnerable to a wide range of non-traditional security threats, including terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and transnational crime, cyber risks, and environmental challenges related to climate change. In the context of growing interdependence and regional connectivity, China and Central Asian countries should step up joint efforts to develop coordinated responses to effectively address emerging threats and enhance security and stability in the region.

    Combating the threats of terrorism and extremism. Central Asia borders Afghanistan, where the terrorist groups Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and the East Turkestan Movement are currently actively operating in close cooperation with each other. Individual terrorists have infiltrated or “returned” to Central Asian countries, posing a serious threat to regional peace and security. At the sixth China-Central Asian Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in April 2025, the two sides jointly reaffirmed their determination to strengthen regional and international security and jointly combat the “three evil forces”. China expressed support for the Central Asian countries’ aspiration to deepen cooperation with Afghanistan, jointly counter terrorist threats, and promote Afghanistan’s integration into the regional economic space in order to eliminate the conditions conducive to terrorism.

    Combating drug trafficking, transnational crime and ensuring cybersecurity. Central Asia remains an important transit hub for transnational drug smuggling. In recent years, large consignments of illegally transported narcotics have been repeatedly detected in the region. Within the framework of the mechanisms of meetings of the ministers of foreign affairs, internal affairs and public security, China and the Central Asian countries have repeatedly confirmed their firm position and readiness to cooperate in the fight against drugs. The establishment of the Regional Center for Combating Drugs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Dushanbe was an important step towards deepening joint efforts to counter this threat and significantly strengthened multilateral cooperation. In the field of cybersecurity, against the backdrop of the rapid development of the digital economy, the region has seen an increase in cybercrime. In Kazakhstan and other countries, there are cases of data leaks from electronic trading platforms and phishing attacks, which indicates the need to further strengthen the cybersecurity infrastructure and improve digital regulation mechanisms.

    Combating climate change and environmental threats. The Central Asian countries face protracted and complex environmental challenges. The Aral Sea environmental crisis has led to large-scale land degradation, which has imposed a double constraint on agriculture in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the form of progressive desertification and soil salinization. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Mudflows and floods are increasingly common in the mountainous regions of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and recurrent droughts are observed in the transboundary Ili River basin. These circumstances require greater investment by the countries of the region in climate regulation, environmental protection, and the transfer and implementation of appropriate technologies. At the same time, active work is needed to create both physical and institutional infrastructure for the efficient allocation of transboundary water resources, which will increase the resilience of the region to climate and environmental risks. /follows/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: [Blog] WHEN THE TIDE BECOMES THE TEACHER

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    © Charles Zander Deluna

    In Batasan, a small island in Bohol, there’s a classroom that floods at high tide.

    No storm. No warning. Just the tide, arriving like a ghost that knows its way in.

    It seeps through the cracks in the concrete, collects beneath plastic chairs, and wraps itself around the feet of children trying to sound out vowels. The water doesn’t knock. It doesn’t ask for permission. It comes because it always has, and it always will.

    No one panics.
    They’ve seen it before, and they’ll see it again.

    It isn’t treated like a disaster. It’s treated like an item pencilled into the schedule, part of the school day – that’s the real disaster.

    We live in a country where children are expected to learn inside rooms that are slowly being reclaimed by the sea, not during an emergency but during regular class hours. Few people are losing sleep over it, much less people in power. There’s no breaking news, no mobilized task force, no viral outcry. Just another island community adjusting its posture around a reality others would find intolerable.

    What does that tell us?

    It tells us that inequality in the Philippines and in the global context isn’t just about who has money. It’s about whose suffering has been normalized. Whose classrooms are allowed to flood, whose futures are allowed to be interrupted, and whose cries can be met with silence.

    © Charles Zander Deluna

    The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reports that sea levels in the Philippines are rising at a rate of 5.7 to 7.0 millimeters per year, which is approximately double the highest global average rate of 2.8 to 3.6 millimeters per year. The children in Batasan aren’t just surrounded by the sea but have already become a part of it. And yet, our developmental frameworks still prioritize broadband speed and skyscrapers over seawalls and school repairs.

    This is also not about weather anymore. This is about systems and how systems abandon people long before disasters arrive.

    Batasan, like many island barangays, sits in a blind spot. Too small for national coverage, too remote for immediate aid and outrage from the rest of us. The residents have learned not to wait for help. They’ve learned to build lives around the absence of support.

    And some have the gall to call that resilience. But let’s be honest: This isn’t resilience. This is adaptation forced by neglect.

    When a child grows up thinking that a flooded classroom is just part of school life, then those in power haven’t just failed them logistically, but rather, failed them morally and philosophically.

    How do we help Batasan? Or perhaps the question is whether we’ve decided it’s acceptable for us to let Batasan sink quietly. Whether we’re okay with some children sitting in clean, air-conditioned rooms, while others memorize multiplication tables with their ankles dipped in saltwater.

    When a nation learns to tolerate injustice in silence, it teaches the next generation how to disappear quietly, how to vanish with dignity. However, dignity alone isn’t a solution; it’s often just the last thing people cling to before they are forgotten. And that reality should make us angry.

    In the end, the problem goes beyond environmental. It’s rooted in structural decisions like how budgets are allocated, which priorities are upheld, and who is consistently left to survive in the margins while others remain complacent or keep pretending we are all making progress.

    Genuine progress towards climate justice is possible if we are willing to think differently, build differently, and finally, listen. Classrooms do not have to keep flooding, and silence doesn’t have to be the only thing passed onto the next generation.

    Charles Zander Deluna is a student and youth climate activist from Bohol. He is a volunteer for Greenpeace Philippines and has been involved in different climate campaigns and community work. His interest in climate action started after experiencing the impacts of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai), which inspired him to help protect the environment and support vulnerable communities.

    You might want to check out Greenpeace Philippines’ petition called Courage for Climate, a drive in support of real policy and legal solutions in the pursuit of climate justice.

    Courage for Climate

    The climate crisis may seem hopeless, but now is the time for courage, not despair. Join Filipino communities taking bold action for our planet.

    Make an Act of Courage Today!

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Led by IAEA, International Team Samples Treated Water under Additional Measures at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led a team of international experts to collect samples today of ALPS treated water stored at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) prior to the water’s dilution with seawater and its discharge to the sea.

    The sampling mission is the fourth under the additional measures, which focus on expanding international participation and transparency. These measures permit third parties to independently verify that water discharge which Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) – operator of the FDNPS – began in August 2023 continues to be consistent with international safety standards.

    International experts from Belgium, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Switzerland, along with IAEA staff, conducted hands-on sampling of the water stored in tanks designated for the 14th batch of ALPS-treated water to be discharged.

    The IAEA initiated the first practical steps of the additional measures in October last year. This fourth mission follows the mission in April which sampled diluted water just prior to its discharge into the sea, and a mission in February when IAEA Director General Grossi presided over the additional measures to  collect seawater samples in the vicinity of FDNPS.

    The samples collected in today’s mission will be analysed by the participating laboratories – the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, the China Institute of Atomic Energy, the Korean Institute for Nuclear Safety, the Institute for Problems of Environmental Monitoring of the Research and Production Association “Typhoon” in Russia and the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland – as well as by the IAEA’s laboratory and TEPCO in Japan. All laboratories are members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network, which are selected for their high level of expertise and analytical proficiency.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IAEA at COP29: Time to Deliver Nuclear Solutions

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    Momentum for nuclear energy as a key driver toward net-zero is stronger than ever. Now is the time to turn last year’s historic consensus in Dubai into action, advancing nuclear solutions to ensure energy security, achieve climate targets and promote sustainable development.

    International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is bringing this message to the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).

    This year’s COP has climate finance at the top of the agenda. Building on the back of the historic inclusion of nuclear in the COP28 Global Stocktake and the first ever Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Director General Grossi will attend COP29 with a call to increase climate finance for nuclear. At the Financing Low Carbon Technology, Including Nuclear Energy event on 13 November at 16:00, Director General Grossi, as well as the COP29 presidency, ministers, heads of international organizations, multilateral development banks and the private sector will discuss scaling up the financing necessary to expand all low carbon energy technologies, including nuclear power.

    In recently published projections, the IAEA increased its forecast for nuclear power generation for the fourth consecutive year. In its high-case scenario, global nuclear capacity by 2050 could reach two and a half times today’s levels, with small modular reactors (SMRs) contributing a quarter of this expansion. The United States Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, John Podesta, and Director General Grossi will host an event on Accelerating Early Deployment of Small Modular Reactors at 12:45 on 13 November.

    Throughout the two-week conference, which runs from 11 to 22 November, the IAEA will also promote the use of nuclear science and technologies for climate change adaptation and monitoring to achieve sustainable water management, protect coastal and marine ecosystems and provide food security.

    On 12 November, Director General Grossi will join leaders from UNIDO, FAO, WTO and other key sectors for a flagship event on Decarbonizing and Adapting the Cotton-to-Clothing Value Chain through Multisectoral Partnerships. The event will showcase how innovative policies, technologies and partnerships can drive decarbonization in the cotton sector and strengthen climate resilience.

    Millions worldwide still face hunger, and transforming agrifood systems through science and technology is essential to address this challenge amid changing climate conditions. An event on the joint IAEA/FAO Atoms4Food initiative will take place at the China Pavilion on 12 November to present achievements in agriculture and food security in the context of national climate adaptation efforts. 

    The Atoms4Climate pavilion will be hosted by the IAEA in the Blue Zone at COP and will showcase nuclear power, science and technology solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring.

    The IAEA will host and participate in more than 50 events focusing on four thematic areas: energy, food, the ocean and water.

    See the IAEA COP29 page for the complete list of IAEA and partner events. Check the individual event pages for updates on livestreaming opportunities.

    Nuclear security measures

    For the third time, the IAEA is supporting the COP host country to implement nuclear security measures during the two-week conference. In October, the Agency trained more than 100 national first responders and staff from security enforcement bodies, including through hands-on equipment training conducted at the Baku Stadium, the venue for the COP. The Agency has also supplied over 100 radiation detection devices to support the nuclear security measures throughout COP, which is expected to draw around 40 000 participants. Similar assistance was provided by the IAEA at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and COP28 in Dubai, UAE, as part of the IAEA’s two decades worth of support offered to countries, upon their request, for nuclear security at major public events.  

    IAEA media team contacts

    IAEA experts in climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring will be available for interviews at COP29.

    For interview requests and other media-related questions, please contact Fredrik Dahl, IAEA Spokesperson, at Fredrik.Dahl@iaea.org and copy press@iaea.org.

    The IAEA video team will be present at COP29. B-roll footage is available here. For additional requests of B-roll of the Director General, the IAEA pavilion or specific events, please contact multimedia.contact-point@iaea.org and copy press@iaea.org.

    Registration

    To attend IAEA events in person, you must register for COP29. For media accreditation and all other details concerning the attendance of COP29, please refer to the UNFCCCC online registration page. The IAEA cannot assist with accreditation to COP29.

    Media kit

    The COP29 media kit provides information on the four key areas highlighted at the #Atoms4Climate pavilion — energy, food, the ocean and water — along with recent reports and further background information.

    The media kit also contains B-roll video footage on nuclear power and applications to tackle climate change, videos on the IAEA and climate change and high-resolution images in the IAEA Flickr account. The IAEA will take photographs at COP29 and post them on Flickr.

    This material is free to use under the copyright provisions of the IAEA Terms of Use. If you have further questions, please contact us.

    The IAEA’s explainer articles, podcasts and other resources on climate change are available on the IAEA website.

    Follow the IAEA and #Atoms4Climate on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Weibo for updates throughout COP29.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IAEA Ministerial Conference to Spotlight Nuclear Science, Technology and Technical Cooperation Programme to Address Global Challenges

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    Ministers and senior officials of governments and international organizations will convene at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) next week to discuss the role of nuclear science and technology in tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications and the Technical Cooperation Programme will take place in Vienna, Austria, from 26 to 28 November 2024.

    IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will open the conference on Tuesday, 26 November, at 09:30 CET, alongside Co-chair of the Conference Kai Mykkänen, Minister of Climate and the Environment, Finland; Co-chair of the Conference Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana; Dongyu Qu, Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Ailan Li, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/Healthier Populations, World Health Organization (WHO); Shaimaa Al-Sheiby, Vice President for Public Sector and Strategy, the OPEC Fund for International Development; Demetrios Papathanasiou, Global Director, Energy and Extractives Global Practice, the World Bank; and Tom McCulley, Chief Executive Officer, Anglo American Crop Nutrients. This is the second Ministerial Conference of its kind.

    A ministerial declaration is expected to be adopted on 26 November, recognizing the role of nuclear science and technology and the Technical Cooperation Programme in addressing global challenges, advancing the 2030 Agenda and fostering international collaboration for peaceful purposes, with a focus on capacity building and equitable access for all Member States.

    The conference will take place in Boardroom B/M1, M Building, Vienna International Centre (VIC). The conference, including the ministerial segments, technical sessions and panels, is open to media and will be livestreamed. The provisional programme is available here.

    Nuclear applications are an integral part of the technological solution to address development challenges the world is facing today, including climate change, health, food safety and security, and water resource management. Since the first Ministerial Conference in 2018, the IAEA launched the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC), NUclear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics), Rays of Hope, Atoms4NetZero and, together with the FAO, the Atoms4Food initiative. Through these initiatives, the IAEA can support its Member States and mobilize resources to realize the full potential of nuclear solutions towards global goals.

    Among 1400 participants, more than 50 high-level officials, including ministers, are expected to deliver national statements. The scientific and technical programme comprises panel discussions among ministers, scientists and experts on the latest developments in nuclear science, technology and applications. Member State’s representatives will also share experiences on how the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme has contributed to their national development.

    Accreditation

    All journalists interested in covering the meeting in person – including those with permanent accreditation – are requested to inform the IAEA Press Office of their plans. Journalists without permanent accreditation must send copies of their passport and press ID to the IAEA Press Office by 14:00 CET on Monday, 25 November. 

    We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation to request it at UNIS Vienna. 

    Please plan your arrival to allow sufficient time to pass through the VIC security check. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –