NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKHSA urges travellers to take steps to avoid infection abroad

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    UKHSA urges travellers to take steps to avoid infection abroad

    Typhoid and paratyphoid cases reach record high while Malaria cases remain high despite small dip in cases.

    The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provisional data shows an increase in travel-associated enteric fever cases (typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever cases) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 702 cases in 2024, an 8% rise from 2023 (645 cases). This represents the highest number of cases recorded annually to date.

    Typhoid and paratyphoid fever are serious preventable illnesses caused by Salmonella bacteria, usually spread through contaminated food or water. In the UK, most cases of enteric fever are acquired abroad, commonly in regions with poor hygiene and sanitation. Previous surveillance has also highlighted a concerning rise in antibiotic-resistant typhoid in Pakistan, which reduces the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics, impacting the response to treatment, and increasing the risk of complications. A free typhoid vaccination is available from GP surgeries for some travellers, though no vaccine exists for paratyphoid.

    Meanwhile, provisional data shows that imported malaria cases remain at concerning levels in the UK despite a slight decrease in diagnoses to 1,812 in 2024 from 2,106 in 2023. These figures significantly exceed the levels seen in recent years. Most cases were reported during peak summer travel months between July and October. Malaria is potentially fatal but almost entirely preventable when antimalarial tablets are taken correctly.

    There were fewer imported dengue cases reported in the first quarter of 2025 compared to last year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 65 cases in the first 3 months of 2025 compared to 254 cases in 2024, mostly linked to travel to Thailand, Brazil and Indonesia. Dengue cases have increased substantially globally over the past five years, with exceptionally high levels in 2023 and 2024, and the sustained transmission of dengue is an ongoing global health challenge.

    Dr Philip Veal, Consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, said:

    We are seeing high levels of infections such as malaria and typhoid in returning travellers. It is important that travellers remain alert and plan ahead of going abroad – even if you’re visiting friends and relatives abroad or it’s somewhere you visit often. The Travel Health Pro website has information on how to keep yourself and family healthy, including what vaccines to get, any important medication such as anti-malaria tablets, and how to avoid gastrointestinal infections such as typhoid and hepatitis A. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive there are special precautions you should take, so please speak to a healthcare professional before planning your trip.

    Dr Diana Ayoola Mabayoje, co-founder of African Diaspora Malaria Initiative (ADMI), said: 

    Most UK malaria cases occur in Black African people returning from travel to Africa. Community engagement of the African Diaspora in malaria prevention is crucial to reduce imported malaria in the UK. The African Diaspora Malaria Initiative (ADMI) is leading this charge with our upcoming ‘Africans Against Malaria’ campaign. It will directly address the perceptions, beliefs, and behaviours that hinder malaria prevention uptake amongst the UK African diaspora and signpost where to obtain malaria chemoprophylaxis.  Our focus is on community engagement and outreach, and we will be targeting African communities in London ahead of summer travel.

    The Travel Health Pro website, supported by UKHSA, has information on health risks in countries across the world. It is a one-stop-shop for information to help people plan their trip abroad.

    Ideally travellers should consult their GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic at least 4 to 6 weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines and malaria prevention tablets, if relevant for their destination. Travellers who may be eligible for dengue vaccine should consult 3 to 4 months before travel. 

    In countries with insects that spread diseases like dengue, malaria or Zika virus infection, travellers can protect themselves by using insect repellent, covering exposed skin, and sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net where air conditioning is not available.    

    It is also important for travellers to:    

    • ensure your routine childhood vaccines are up to date
    • have any recommended travel related vaccines
    • stock up on necessary medications including malaria prevention tablets
    • get valid travel insurance to cover your entire trip and planned activities

    Along with typhoid, hepatitis A is another gastrointestinal infection that is spread through viral infection that affects the liver. The virus spreads through contaminated food or water, and through close contact with infected individuals. A hepatitis A vaccine is available from GPs and travel health clinics and is recommended for those visiting high-risk areas.

    To prevent the spread of hepatitis A, UKHSA recommends:

    • thorough handwashing – especially after using the toilet, changing nappies, helping children with toileting, and before preparing or eating food
    • regular cleaning of toilet seats and handles using standard household cleaning products

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Debt Pressure Building Up for Canadian Businesses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Delinquencies climb, credit demand dips, and regional cracks deepen –

    Equifax® Canada Market Pulse — Q1 2025 Quarterly Business Credit Trends and Insights Report

    TORONTO, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After a cautiously optimistic end to 2024, Canadian businesses seem to have entered 2025 with trepidation. According to the Equifax® Canada Q1 2025 Business Credit Trends and Insights Report, delinquencies are rising for businesses across the country and credit demand is slowing, while key sectors are showing early signs of distress — especially those tied closely to consumer trends, with delinquency rates not seen since 2009.

    The Canadian Small Business Health Index1, a benchmark of business credit health and business sentiment, dropped to 99.3 in Q1 2025, a 1.5 per cent decline from the previous quarter. While still slightly above its year-ago level, the dip signals a loss of momentum following gains made late last year.

    Alongside rising delinquencies, Equifax data shows a noticeable slowdown in credit demand, as fewer businesses applied for new credit in Q1 2025, a decline of six per cent when compared to the same time period in 2024. Lower new originations and growing balances could signal growing caution among small business owners, many of whom could be choosing to manage existing debt rather than take on new risk, even with interest rates easing and inflation stabilizing.

    “The Canadian Small Business Health Index shows that business sentiment is down three per cent in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter,” noted Jeff Brown, Head of Commercial Solutions at Equifax Canada. “The early months of 2025 are revealing the pressures the business landscape could be facing. Many businesses are caught in a squeeze from both slowing household consumption on one hand and growing business debt stress on the other.”

    Credit Warning Signs Widen
    In Q1 2025, over 309,000 businesses — 11.3 per cent of credit active businesses — missed at least one credit payment. This marks a 14.6 per cent year-over-year increase in business delinquencies and highlights the growing financial strain across sectors.

    _______________________________

    1 The Canadian Small Business Health Index provides a holistic view of Canadian business conditions by combining data collected by Equifax Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada and the Bank of Canada.

    Accommodation & Food Services and Retail Sector Missing Payments
    The impact is particularly acute in Accommodation & Food Services, where missed payments jumped to 16.9 per cent, and in Retail Trade, where the rate hit 13.2 per cent. Both sectors are likely suffering from weak consumer spending, rising operating costs, and growing household debt levels. Average monthly consumer credit card spend2 per cardholder fell by 107 dollars during Q1, dropping to the lowest level since March 2022.

    “This seems to be a classic ripple effect,” said Brown. “Equifax data suggests when households pull back, restaurants, retailers and local service providers feel it first — and hardest. This can then travel up the supply chain, where everyone from manufacturers to transport companies feel its effects.”

    Businesses Prioritize Suppliers Over Lenders
    Delinquency trends suggest a shift in how businesses are managing limited cash flow. The 60+ day delinquency rate for financial trade (loans, lines of credit) rose from 3.0 per cent to 3.4 per cent, a 15.5 per cent increase year-over-year. In contrast, industrial trade delinquencies (typically money owed to suppliers) rose more modestly, from 5.5 per cent to 5.7 per cent.

    “Businesses are paying suppliers, but with little to spare, they may be missing banking obligation payments. This may signal that businesses are strategically recalibrating, with many businesses prioritizing supplier relationships to keep operations moving,” added Brown.

    Regional Flashpoints in PEI, Quebec, Ontario and British Colombia
    While delinquencies are rising nationwide, some provinces and industries are flashing red:

    • Ontario and British Columbia led the country in financial trade arrears, up 18.8 per cent and 19.9 per cent year-over-year, respectively.

    • Quebec and Prince Edward Island posted unusually sharp increases in industrial trade delinquencies, up 26.6 per cent and 15.9 per cent year-over-year, respectively, signaling localized stress in supplier-based credit relationships.


    Certain sectors are showing strain

    Sectors showing double-digit increases in year-over-year missed payments include Agriculture (+19.5 per cent), Transportation & Warehousing (+19.3 per cent), Real Estate (+17.0 per cent), Finance & Insurance (+16.4 per cent), and Manufacturing (+10.2 per cent).


    “Businesses across the country and across a variety of industries are showing increased vulnerabilities as broader economic uncertainty continues,” noted Brown. “Businesses will continue to need resilience and careful planning to navigate this economic environment.”

    _______________________________

    2 Average monthly consumer credit card spend comparisons have been adjusted for inflation.

    Province Analysis – 60+ days Delinquency Rates (Account Level)

    Province Delinquency Rate :
    Financial Trades
    (Q1 2025)    		 Delinquency Rate
    Change: Financial
    Trades
    (Q1 2025 vs. Q1
    2024)    		 Delinquency Rate:
    Industrial Trades
    (Q1 2025)    		 Delinquency Rate Change:
    Industrial Trades
    (Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024)
    Ontario 3.71% 18.85% 5.63% 4.97%
    Quebec 3.49% 13.31% 4.59% 26.55%
    Nova Scotia 2.47% 1.06% 6.19% 8.05%
    New Brunswick 2.82% 5.17% 4.73% -6.22%
    PEI 2.37% 0.34% 4.45% 15.90%
    Newfoundland 2.71% -1.15% 4.90% -12.19%
    Eastern Region 3.58% 16.67% 5.21% 12.51%
    Alberta 3.49% 8.90% 7.07% -13.30%
    Manitoba 3.10% 16.43% 4.54% -1.60%
    Saskatchewan 2.79% -0.11% 6.47% 3.36%
    British Columbia 2.94% 19.93% 6.56% -10.66%
    Western Region 3.17% 13.00% 6.50% -9.74%
    Canada 3.44% 15.50% 5.69% 3.52%
             

    * Based on Equifax data for Q1 2025

    About Equifax
    At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by nearly 15,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.ca.

    Contact:

    Andrew Findlater
    SELECT Public Relations
    afindlater@selectpr.ca
    (647) 444-1197

    Angie Andich
    Equifax Canada Media Relations
    MediaRelationsCanada@equifax.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Re-Introduces Resolution Calling to Double Federal Funding for Career and Technical Education

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    A son of downstate Illinois, strengthening CTE programming has been a career-long priority for the Congressman

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) re-introduced a congressional resolution calling for the doubling of federal funding for career and technical education (CTE). The resolution, endorsed by the Association for Career and Technical Education, builds on years of work advocating for greater funding for CTE programs by Congressman Krishnamoorthi. This includes his 2018 bipartisan law, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which reformed CTE programs for the first time in more than a decade and provided nearly $1.4 billion annually to programs across Illinois and around the country for millions of Americans.

    “The ability to adapt and evolve is what has kept American workers and our economy ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive world,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “By doubling funding for career and technical education programs, we can equip workers with in-demand skills before they enter the job market, creating an expanded pathway to the middle class and a stronger state and country. Now is the time to invest in our workforce and secure a better future for workers and our economy.”

    “Our nation relies on career and technical education (CTE) to equip students with strong skills and experiences that prepare them for meaningful and rewarding careers, boosting our economy and closing the skills gap,” ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry said. “ACTE is proud to endorse Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s resolution expressing the vital need for federal investments in Perkins V, which is critical to the sustainability of CTE programs nationwide. We are grateful to Congressman Krishnamoorthi for his support in CTE and for introducing this resolution that recognizes how significant these investments are for our students, our communities, and the country.” 

    During his time in Congress, Congressman Krishnamoorthi has become a leading voice in calling for expanding funding for CTE programs. In addition to his 2018 law, Congressman Krishnamoorthi has spent time traveling across Illinois to speak with labor leaders, educators, students, and workers alike on how best to improve CTE programs. Congressman Krishnamoorthi has also introduced the Opportunity to Compete Act, legislation that would ensure qualified candidates who lack a four-year college degree are not automatically dismissed by computer hiring systems.

    The full text of the resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Congressman Krishnamoorthi on Rep. Mary Miller’s Anti-Sikh and Anti-Muslim Remarks

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement regarding Representative Mary Miller’s comments, in which she said it was “deeply troubling” that a Sikh man, whom she initially misidentified as Muslim, led a prayer on the floor of the House.

    “I am appalled by Rep. Mary Miller’s comments—first misidentifying a Sikh chaplain as Muslim, then saying he should have ‘never been allowed’ to lead the House in prayer. Her remarks were both anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim, and they reflect a disturbing pattern of religious intolerance.

    The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion for all. The Sikh and Muslim communities have long contributed to the strength, service, and spirit of our nation. All Americans—regardless of party—must come together to reject these attacks and stand united against all forms of prejudice.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Blasts Supreme Court Ruling Granting DOGE Access to Social Security Data

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to grant the Trump Administration’s DOGE team access to Social Security data:

    “With this ruling, the Supreme Court has once again chosen Donald Trump’s agenda over the privacy of the American people. The Court just handed Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE team a skeleton key to the personal data of more than 70 million Americans—Social Security numbers, medical records, wage histories—all without proper safeguards, oversight, or justification. This isn’t modernization. It’s potentially mass surveillance masquerading as reform. Despite clear warnings from lower courts, the majority opened the door to an unaccountable and unelected task force rifling through our most sensitive information. If the Supreme Court won’t defend Americans’ privacy, then Congress must.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DHS Announces It Will Forgive Failure to Depart Fines for Illegal Aliens who Self-Deport Through the CBP Home App

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: DHS Announces It Will Forgive Failure to Depart Fines for Illegal Aliens who Self-Deport Through the CBP Home App

    lass=”text-align-center”>With a free flight, $1,000 stipend, and forgiveness of fines, illegal aliens have no excuse to stay in the United States  
    WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced illegal aliens who self-deport through the CBP Home App will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart the United States (U

    S

    )

     Currently an illegal alien can be fined nearly $1,000 per day they do not depart after a final deportation order

    Additionally, an illegal alien can also be fined for failing to depart in a timely manner after a voluntary departure order

    DHS has issued over 9,000 fine notices to illegal aliens for a total of almost $3 billion

    In addition, DHS has made the CBP Home Mobile App more user friendly by eliminating certain steps and making it easier than ever for illegal aliens to self-deport

      
    “If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home,” said Secretary Kristi Noem

    “If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return

    If you are in this country illegally, self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way

    ”   
    Illegal aliens who use the CBP Home Mobile App to self-deport also receive cost-free travel and a $1,000 exit bonus, paid after their return is confirmed through the app

    Self-deportation is the safest and most cost-efficient way to leave the U

    S

    By self-deporting, illegal aliens take control of their departure and may preserve the opportunity to come back to the U

    S

    the right and legal way in the future

       
    CBP Home is available for free on any Apple or Android device via Apple’s App Store and Google Play, or directly from DHS

    gov

    For further information, visit DHS

    gov/CBPhome

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Chandra Sees Surprisingly Strong Black Hole Jet at Cosmic “Noon”

    Source: NASA

    A black hole has blasted out a surprisingly powerful jet in the distant universe, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and discussed in our latest press release. This jet exists early enough in the cosmos that it is being illuminated by the leftover glow from the big bang itself.
    Astronomers used Chandra and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to study this black hole and its jet at a period they call “cosmic noon,” which occurred about three billion years after the universe began. During this time most galaxies and supermassive black holes were growing faster than at any other time during the history of the universe.
    The main graphic is an artist’s illustration showing material in a disk that is falling towards a supermassive black hole. A jet is blasting away from the black hole towards the upper right, as Chandra detected in the new study. The black hole is located 11.6 billion light-years from Earth when the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the leftover glow from the big bang, was much denser than it is now. As the electrons in the jets fly away from the black hole, they move through the sea of CMB radiation and collide with microwave photons. These collisions boost the energy of the photons up into the X-ray band (purple and white), allowing them to be detected by Chandra even at this great distance, which is shown in the inset.
    Researchers, in fact, identified and then confirmed the existence of two different black holes with jets over 300,000 light-years long. The two black holes are 11.6 billion and 11.7 billion light-years away from Earth, respectively. Particles in one jet are moving at between 95% and 99% of the speed of light (called J1405+0415) and in the other at between 92% and 98% of the speed of light (J1610+1811). The jet from J1610+1811 is remarkably powerful, carrying roughly half as much energy as the intense light from hot gas orbiting the black hole.
    The team was able to detect these jets despite their great distances and small separation from the bright, growing supermassive black holes — known as “quasars” — because of Chandra’s sharp X-ray vision, and because the CMB was much denser then than it is now, enhancing the energy boost described above.
    When quasar jets approach the speed of light, Einstein’s theory of special relativity creates a dramatic brightening effect. Jets aimed toward Earth appear much brighter than those pointed away. The same brightness astronomers observe can come from vastly different combinations of speed and viewing angle. A jet racing at near-light speed but angled away from us can appear just as bright as a slower jet pointed directly at Earth.
    The researchers developed a novel statistical method that finally cracked this challenge of separating effects of speed and of viewing angle. Their approach recognizes a fundamental bias: astronomers are more likely to discover jets pointed toward Earth simply because relativistic effects make them appear brightest. They incorporated this bias using a modified probability distribution, which accounts for how jets oriented at different angles are detected in surveys.
    Their method works by first using the physics of how jet particles scatter the CMB to determine the relationship between jet speed and viewing angle. Then, instead of assuming all angles are equally likely, they apply the relativistic selection effect: jets beamed toward us (smaller angles) are overrepresented in our catalogs. By running ten thousand simulations that match this biased distribution to their physical model, they could finally determine the most probable viewing angles: about 9 degrees for J1405+0415 and 11 degrees for J1610+1811.
    These results were presented by Jaya Maithil (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian) at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, AK, and are also being published in The Astrophysical Journal. A preprint is available here. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

    Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:

    chandra

    https://chandra.si.edu
    Visual Description
    This release is supported by an artist’s illustration of a jet blasting away from a supermassive black hole.
    The black hole sits near the center of the illustration. It resembles a black marble with a fine yellow outline. Surrounding the black hole is a swirling disk, resembling a dinner plate tilted to face our upper right. This disk comprises concentric rings of fiery swirls, dark orange near the outer edge, and bright yellow near the core.
    Shooting out of the black hole are two streaky beams of silver and pale violet. One bright beam shoots up toward our upper right, and a second somewhat dimmer beam shoots in the opposite direction, down toward our lower left. These beams are encircled by long, fine, corkscrewing lines that resemble stretched springs.
    This black hole is located 11.6 billion light-years from Earth, much earlier in the history of the universe. Near this black hole, the leftover glow from the big bang, known as the cosmic microwave background or CMB, is much denser than it is now. As the electrons in the jets blast away from the black hole, they move through the sea of CMB radiation. The electrons boost the energies of the CMB light into the X-ray band, allowing the jets to be detected by Chandra, even at this great distance.
    Inset at our upper righthand corner is an X-ray image depicting this interaction. Here, a bright white circle is ringed with a band of glowing purple energy. The jet is the faint purple line shooting off that ring, aimed toward our upper right, with a blob of purple energy at its tip.

    Megan WatzkeChandra X-ray CenterCambridge, Mass.617-496-7998mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
    Lane FigueroaMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama256-544-0034lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lt. Governor Luke Signs Bill to Establish Broadband Office and Expand Digital Navigator Program

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Lt. Governor Luke Signs Bill to Establish Broadband Office and Expand Digital Navigator Program

    HONOLULU — Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, serving as Acting Governor, today signed into law Act 201 (House Bill 934), establishing Hawaiʻi’s State Broadband Office within the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), and funding digital navigators on every major island. The landmark legislation strengthens the state’s commitment to closing the digital divide and ensuring all Hawaiʻi residents have access to reliable internet and the digital skills needed to thrive.

    “With the signing of House Bill 934, Hawaiʻi is taking a necessary step toward a future where every resident, regardless of geography, age or income, can connect to and use affordable, reliable broadband internet to access education, healthcare and economic opportunity,” said Lt. Gov. Luke, who leads the State of Hawai‘i’s Connect Kākou high speed internet initiative. “This law not only lays the groundwork for much-needed services – it also helps ensure keiki through kūpuna acquire the skills and support they need to use the internet to improve their daily lives.”

    House Bill 934 establishes the State Broadband Office in the Department of Accounting and General Services, giving it clear authority to coordinate broadband deployment across public and private sectors. The broadband office will lead the state’s efforts to administer grant programs in support of broadband infrastructure and innovation, oversee strategic broadband investments, and ensure high-speed internet access reaches underserved communities statewide.

    “Access to high-speed internet is vital for every aspect of our lives. There are residents in rural areas who are counting on us to deliver important broadband upgrades and programs,” said State Representative Greggor Ilagan (District 4 – Black Sands Beach Subdivision, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches, Kalapana, Koa‘e, Leilani Estates, Nānāwale Estates, Pāhoa, Pohoiki, Seaview Estates), one of the introducers of the bill. “The State Broadband Office gives us the focus and framework to turn vision into action.”In addition to establishing the Broadband Office, the bill allocates funding for six digital navigators across the islands to support digital literacy programs in organizations like our public libraries. This follows a successful 2023 pilot program where community-based professionals, stationed at Hawaiʻi’s public libraries, assisted residents with digital skills, internet connectivity, accessing devices, and online services like telehealth and job applications.

    “I’ve seen firsthand the barriers a rural island community faces when it comes to building computer skills that many take for granted,” said State Senator Lynn DeCoite (District 7 – Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe and Molokini). “By connecting people to digital navigators we’re empowering our residents in countless ways.”

    “From our pilot, we learned there is a real demand for this investment,” said Stacey A. Aldrich, state librarian of the Hawai‘i State Public Library System. “Digital navigators are trusted guides who will help ensure no one is left behind in the digital age and we are so excited to grow this program.”

    The State has opened a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Hawaiʻi Community Digital Navigators Project to hire, train and manage Community Digital Navigators who will be located in 51 public library branches. Interested applicants can access the full RFP by visiting connectkakou.org. The deadline to submit a proposal is June 30, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. (HST).

    Lt. Gov. Luke also signed into law Act 202 (House Bill 1052) which ensures public information – including weather alerts, health advisories, and service notifications – is delivered in a way that reaches everyone, regardless of their print literacy or disability status.

    ###

     

    Courtesy Office of the Lt. Governor

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cleaning up Trump’s mess, California surges regional law enforcement response in Los Angeles

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 9, 2025

    What you need to know: California is surging mutual aid resources to support law enforcement as they clean up the actions caused by President Trump.

    LOS ANGELES – Moving quickly to support local response to federal actions that have caused unrest in Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced surging state and regional law enforcement mutual aid to the region. After the President acted illegally to federalize the National Guard, who subsequently became the focus of large scale protests, the state is working with local partners to surge 800+ additional state and local law enforcement officers into Los Angeles to clean up President Trump’s mess.

    “Chaos is exactly what Trump wanted, now we are sending in hundreds more law enforcement to pick up the pieces. State and local leaders stand together, coordinated and resolute to ensure the safety of the Los Angeles region.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    California’s mutual aid system, which is overseen by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, has been in place for decades and provides a framework for neighboring law enforcement agencies to assist one another during times of emergency. To ensure continued coordination among all law enforcement partners, the Governor has activated the State Operations Center to remain vigilant in the days to come. 

    “While Washington choreographed these chaotic events, the LAPD and local law enforcement continue to effectively respond,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “There is a strong local mutual aid agreement here in California and it has already been activated according to policy. To our local law enforcement partners: thank you for having our back just as we have yours.”

    640+ Highway Patrol Officers on the ground

    Through joint unified command between the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), the Governor is surging five CHP Special Response Teams of nearly 400 additional officers into Los Angeles in support of LAPD. In addition, CHP has activated a regional Tactical Alert, which provides more than 250 CHP officers to assist with roadway and highway safety in Los Angeles.

    “The California Highway Patrol’s top priority is the safety of every community we serve. We are working in full coordination with our local and state public safety partners to ensure a unified, strategic response,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “The CHP is committed to restoring calm and protecting our communities with professionalism and resolve.” 

    A little over 300 of the 2,000 federalized National Guard members are on the ground in Los Angeles, the rest are awaiting orders.

    240+ officers from neighboring jurisdictions providing mutual aid

    The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, in coordination with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), has formally requested mutual aid assistance from law enforcement agencies within and outside of Los Angeles County to support LAPD, and approved the following mobilization:

    • 20 deputies from San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
    • 83 deputies from Orange County Sheriff’s Department
    • 32 deputies from Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department
    • 44 deputies from Ventura County Sheriff’s Department
    • 80 officers from municipal police agencies within Los Angeles County

    To bring further support to the region, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has already provided more than 200 deputies to support the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

    “This collaboration ensures a unified response and reinforces public safety efforts across the region. The Department remains committed to leveraging all available mutual aid channels to protect our communities and support our regional partners during the ongoing civil unrest,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna.

    “Cal OES is committed to protecting the safety and well-being of all Californians. We are working closely with local leaders to ensure they have the support they need to keep communities safe, uphold rights, and de-escalate tensions,” said Nancy Ward, Cal OES Director. “This collaborative approach ensures appropriate resources respond swiftly and effectively while protecting the public.” 

    Stay peaceful, never resort to violence 

    As the entire region comes together to keep the peace, this is a reminder to Californians that they have a right to speak out, but they must remain peaceful. Those who engage in protests and demonstrations must always emphasize partnership, unity and non-violence. So far, officers have at least 40 arrests due to vandalism, looting and violence.

    “I want to make it crystal clear, you can hurl insults at whoever you want. However, if you hurl cinder blocks, light vehicles on fire, destroy property and assault law enforcement officers, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “Our First Amendment right is precious and we will protect it, but if you cross the line and commit criminal acts, please know this is your warning.”

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    News In case you missed it, last night, President Trump – disregarding Governor Newsom – federalized California National Guard troops in Los Angeles at a time when there were no unmet law enforcement needs. In fact, local law enforcement efforts successfully…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s opening remarks at press conference at Ocean Conference [Full q and a to come. scroll down for French]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

     

    Good morning,

    We are in Nice on a mission – save the ocean, to save our future.

    That was my message at the Conference opening yesterday, and it is the message I have carried through all my meetings.

    The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet.

    It produces half of the oxygen we breathe, nourishes billions of people, supports hundreds of millions of jobs, and underpins global trade.

    For many, the ocean is more than a source of food and livelihood.

    It shapes cultures…anchors identities… and feeds the soul.

    Yet, we are treating it like a limitless resource – pretending it can absorb our abuse without consequence.

    Every year, we see more troubling signs that our ocean is under siege.

    Fish populations are collapsing due to reckless illegal fishing and overexploitation.

    Climate change is driving ocean acidification and heating – destroying coral reefs, accelerating sea level rise, and threatening communities worldwide.

    And plastic pollution is choking marine life and infesting our food chain – ultimately ending up in our blood and even our brains.

    When we poison the ocean, we poison ourselves.

    Dear friends,

    There’s a tipping point approaching – beyond which recovery may become impossible.

    And let us be clear:

    Powerful interests are pushing us towards the brink.

    We are facing a hard battle, against a clear enemy.

    Its name is greed.

    Greed that sows doubt… denies science… distorts truth… rewards corruption… and destroys life for profit.

    We cannot let greed dictate the fate of our planet.

    That is why we are here this week: to stand in solidarity against those forces and reclaim what belongs to us all.

    Governments, business leaders, fishers, scientists…  everyone has a responsibility and a vital role to play.

    Throughout my many engagements at the Conference, I have highlighted four priorities.

    First – we must transform how we harvest the ocean’s bounty.

    It is not about fishing, it’s about how we fish.

    Sustainable fishing is not a choice – it is our only option.

    This means stronger global cooperation, strict enforcement against illegal fishing, and expanded protected areas to rebuild stocks and safeguard marine life.

    And it means delivering on the 30 by 30 target – to conserve and manage at least 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.

    We have a moral duty to ensure future generations inherit oceans swarming with life.

    Second – we must confront the plague of plastic pollution.

    This means phasing out single-use plastics, overhauling waste systems, and boosting recycling.

    All countries must quickly finalize an ambitious, legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution. And we hope that this will happen this year.

    Third – the fight against climate change must extend to the seas.

    For decades, the ocean has been absorbing carbon emissions and taking the heat of a warming planet.

    That comes at great cost.

    As we prepare for COP30 in Brazil, countries must present ambitious national climate action plans.

    These plans must align with limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius;

    Cover all emissions and the whole economy;

    And in line with the commitments countries have made to accelerate the global energy transition and seize the benefits of clean power.

    Last year, for the first time, the annual global temperature was 1.5°C hotter than pre-industrial times.

    Scientists are clear: that does not mean that the long-term global temperature rise limit to 1.5 degrees is out of reach.

    It means we need to fight harder.

    The ocean depends on it – and so do we.

    I urge countries to champion ocean-based climate solutions – like protecting mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.
     
    We must also increase financial and technological support to developing countries – so that they can protect themselves from extreme weather and respond when disasters strike.

    The survival of coastal communities and Small Island Developing States depends on it.

    And fourth – we must implement the recent Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

    The Agreement is a historic step towards protecting vast areas of our ocean.

    I congratulate the 134 countries that have signed and the 49 and counting that have ratified the Agreement – including 18 new signatures and 18 ratifications yesterday alone.

    The entry into force is within our sight.

    And I call on all remaining nations to join swiftly.

    We do not have a moment to lose.

    Finally, on seabed mining, we have a collective responsibility to proceed with great caution.

    I support the ongoing work of the International Seabed Authority on this important issue.

    As I said yesterday, the deep sea cannot become the Wild West.

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

    The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated.

    Ocean health is inseparable from human health, climate stability, and global prosperity.

    But I leave Nice energized and encouraged by the many pledges already made.

    Encouraged by island nations and Indigenous Peoples sharing their stories and expertise…

    Encouraged by young activists demanding action and accountability…

    Scientists developing innovative solutions for all…

    Business leaders investing in the blue economy…

    This is the global coalition we need.

    I urge everyone to step forward with decisive commitments and tangible funding.

    The ocean has given us so much.

    It is time we returned the favor.

    Our health, our climate, and our future depend on it.

    Thank you. Je vous remercie.

    ****

     

     

    Bonjour à tous,

    Nous sommes à Nice en mission : sauver l’océan – pour sauver notre avenir.

    C’était le message que j’ai porté à l’ouverture de la Conférence hier.
    Et c’est le message que j’ai répété à chacune de mes rencontres ici.

    L’océan est le poumon de notre planète.

    Il produit la moitié de l’oxygène que nous respirons… nourrit des milliards de personnes… soutient des centaines de millions d’emplois… et fait tourner le commerce mondial.

    Mais pour beaucoup, l’océan est bien plus qu’une ressource.

    Il façonne des cultures. Il ancre des identités. Il nourrit l’âme humaine.

    Et pourtant, nous le traitons comme une ressource inépuisable – comme s’il pouvait absorber nos abus sans conséquences.

    Chaque année, les signes de détresse se multiplient.

    Les stocks de poissons s’effondrent sous l’effet de la pêche illégale et de la surexploitation.

    Le dérèglement climatique provoque l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans – détruisant les récifs de corail, accélérant la montée des eaux, et mettant en péril des communautés entières.

    La pollution plastique étouffe la vie marine et contamine notre alimentation – jusqu’à se retrouver dans notre sang… et même dans notre cerveau.

    En empoisonnant l’océan, c’est nous-mêmes que nous empoisonnons.

    Chers amis,

    Nous approchons un point de bascule – au-delà duquel tout retour en arrière pourrait devenir impossible.

    Soyons clairs : des intérêts puissants nous poussent dangereusement vers le précipice.

    Nous livrons un combat difficile, contre un ennemi bien identifié.

    Son nom, c’est la cupidité.

    Une cupidité qui sème le doute… nie la science… déforme la vérité… récompense la corruption… et détruit la vie au nom du profit.

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser la cupidité dicter le sort de notre planète.

    C’est pourquoi nous sommes ici cette semaine : pour faire front ensemble face à ces forces – et reprendre ce qui appartient à toutes et à tous.

    Les gouvernements, les chefs d’entreprise, les pêcheurs, les scientifiques… chacun a une responsabilité, chacun a un rôle vital à jouer.

    Tout au long de la Conférence, j’ai mis en avant quatre priorités.

    Premièrement – nous devons transformer la manière dont nous récoltons les richesses de l’océan.

    La question n’est pas de pêcher ou non — mais de savoir comment nous pêchons.

    La pêche durable n’est pas une option – c’est notre seule voie possible.

    Cela exige une coopération internationale renforcée, une lutte implacable contre la pêche illégale, et une extension des aires marines protégées pour reconstituer les stocks et préserver la vie marine.

    Cela implique aussi de tenir l’objectif 30-30 : protéger et gérer au moins 30 % des zones marines et côtières d’ici 2030.

    Nous avons le devoir moral de transmettre aux générations futures des océans pleins de vie.

    Deuxièmement – nous devons combattre le fléau de la pollution plastique.

    Cela signifie éliminer progressivement les plastiques à usage unique, réformer les systèmes de gestion des déchets, et renforcer le recyclage.

    Tous les pays doivent conclure rapidement un traité mondial ambitieux et juridiquement contraignant pour mettre fin à la pollution plastique. Et nous espérons que cela se produira cette année.

    Troisièmement – la lutte contre le changement climatique doit aussi se mener en mer.

    Depuis des décennies, l’océan absorbe nos émissions de carbone et la chaleur d’une planète en surchauffe.

    Cela a un prix.

    À l’approche de la COP30 au Brésil, les pays doivent présenter des plans d’action climatique nationaux ambitieux.

    Des plans compatibles avec l’objectif de limiter la hausse des températures à 1,5 °C ;

    Qui couvrent toutes les émissions et l’ensemble de l’économie ;

    Et conformément aux engagements des pays à accélérer la transition énergétique mondiale, en saisissant les opportunités offertes par les énergies propres.

    L’an dernier, pour la première fois, la température mondiale annuelle a dépassé de 1,5 °C les niveaux préindustriels.

    Les scientifiques sont clairs : cela ne signifie pas que la limite de 1,5 °C est hors de portée.

    Cela signifie que nous devons redoubler d’efforts.

    L’océan en dépend — et nous aussi.

    J’appelle les pays à soutenir les solutions climatiques basées sur l’océan — comme la protection des mangroves, des herbiers marins et des récifs coralliens.

    Nous devons aussi accroître le soutien financier et technologique aux pays en développement – pour qu’ils puissent se protéger face aux phénomènes climatiques extrêmes, et répondre rapidement quand les catastrophes frappent.

    La survie des communautés côtières et des petits États insulaires en dépend.

    Quatrièmement – nous devons mettre en œuvre l’Accord sur la biodiversité marine des zones situées au-delà des juridictions nationales.

    L’ Accord est une avancée historique pour protéger d’immenses espaces marins.

    Je félicite les 134 pays qui l’ont signé, et les 49 – et c’est pas fini – qui l’ont déjà ratifié, dont 18 signatures et 18 ratifications enregistrées hier seulement.

    L’entrée en vigueur est à notre portée.

    J’en appelle à tous les autres États pour de les rejoindre sans attendre.

    Nous n’avons pas une minute à perdre.

    Enfin, sur l’exploitation minière des fonds marins, nous avons une responsabilité collective d’agir avec une extrême prudence.

    Je salue les travaux en cours de l’Autorité internationale des fonds marins sur cette question cruciale.

    Comme je l’ai dit hier, les grands fonds ne peuvent devenir le Far West des temps modernes.

    Mesdames et Messieurs les journalistes,

    L’urgence de ce moment ne peut être exagérée.

    La santé de l’océan est indissociable de la santé humaine, de la stabilité climatique et de la prospérité mondiale.

    Mais je quitte Nice plein d’énergie et d’espoir, porté par les nombreux engagements déjà pris.

    Porté par les récits et l’expertise des nations insulaires et des peuples autochtones…

    Par la détermination des jeunes militants qui exigent des comptes…

    Par les scientifiques qui inventent des solutions pour toutes et tous…

    Et par les acteurs économiques qui investissent dans une économie bleue durable.

    C’est cette coalition mondiale dont nous avons besoin.

    J’en appelle à chacun : engagez-vous avec clarté, avec ambition, et avec des financements concrets.

    L’océan nous a tant donné.

    Il est temps de lui rendre la pareille.

    Notre santé, notre climat et notre avenir en dépendent.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Velázquez and Thompson Seek to Block Immigration Feds from Identifying as Local Police

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

    Washington, DC – As the Trump Administration continues unconstitutional deportations, Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) have introduced the Police not ICE Act of 2025 to prohibit immigration officers from wearing any clothing bearing the word “police.” The bill would apply to entities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). 

    “Due to Trump’s unconstitutional decisions, immigrant communities live in fear of one day being deported and never seeing their family members again,” said Velázquez. “While we resist the threat of raids and mass deportations, it’s equally important to curb actions that fuel distrust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, like ICE agents posing as local police officers.” 

    “This is a matter of public safety,” said Thompson. “Suggesting ICE officers are members of local law enforcement undermines the relationships immigrant communities have established with police departments. Crimes may go unreported because victims fear they or their loved ones could be reported to immigration officials. Witnesses may not come forward for fear of being reported. This weakens public safety and undercuts local law enforcement. I’m glad to work with Rep. Velázquez to introduce legislation to end this practice.”

    By displaying the word “police” on their uniforms, immigration officers blur the line between law enforcement and immigration officials. Critics contend that conflating the two results in immigrants being less likely to cooperate with local law enforcement when there are serious stakes in place. 

    “New York City is a sanctuary city. We do not align with Trump’s mass deportation agenda,” said Velázquez. “Immigrant residents should feel confident that the NYPD is not working with ICE and can safely report crimes without fear. When federal immigration agents pose as local police, it creates confusion and puts public safety at risk.”

    This bill has been co-sponsored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC), Rep. Luz Rivas (D-CA), Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX).

    Find the full bill text here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Guatemala: UN committee calls for guarantees that no girl will be forced to become a mother

    Source: Amnesty International –

    • This decision is the result of a simultaneous international litigation strategy initiated in 2019 by the Son Niñas, No Madres (Girls, Not Mothers) Movement, and marks a milestone in guaranteeing sexual and reproductive rights, not only locally but globally.
    • The Son Niñas, No Madres Movement urgently calls on the Guatemalan state to comply with the decisions of the United Nations, and on the international community to demand transparency, reforms and immediate action.
    • The Son Niñas, No Madres Movement welcomes this decision, which joins the rulings against Ecuador and Nicaragua, published on January 20 by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, to prevent any other girl from being forced to become a mother.

    On 5 June 2025, the UN Human Rights Committee issued a ruling against the State of Guatemala for violating the human rights of Fátima, a girl who survived repeated sexual violence by a teacher, and who was forced to continue with pregnancy and motherhood as a result of rape. This decision, which was made possible by litigation initiated in 2019 by the Son Niñas, No Madres Movement, reaffirms a fundamental principle: no girl should be forced to face unwanted pregnancy and motherhood.

    “This ruling is a fundamental precedent in the protection of the human rights of girl victims of sexual violence and reaffirms the responsibility of the Guatemalan authorities to guarantee access to justice, comprehensive reparation and non-repetition. Just as importantly, this conviction is a crucial step towards justice for Fátima and her firm desire that no girl’s childhood should be taken away from her”, said the movement Son Niñas, No Madres.

    This ruling is a fundamental precedent in the protection of the human rights of girl victims of sexual violence and reaffirms the responsibility of the Guatemalan authorities to guarantee access to justice, comprehensive reparation and non-repetition. Just as importantly, this conviction is a crucial step towards justice for Fátima and her firm desire that no girl’s childhood should be taken away from her.

    The movement Son Niñas, No Madres

    In its ruling, the committee stressed that by forcing Fátima to maintain a pregnancy with which she explicitly stated she did not want to continue, the state violated her rights to a dignified life, to make autonomous decisions about her body, to receive information, and to equality and non-discrimination. In this regard, the committee emphasized that forced motherhood interrupts and hinders girls’ personal, educational and professional goals, and severely restricts their right to a dignified life.

    The committee also recognized that the sexual violence, forced pregnancy, and forced motherhood that Fátima faced caused her extreme suffering, including suicide attempts. Likewise, the state’s refusal to provide her with the reproductive health services to which she was entitled constituted cruel and inhuman treatment, and a form of discrimination based on stereotypes about the reproductive function of women.

    The committee also establishes non-repetition measures to prevent other cases like Fátima’s from occurring, a particularly relevant decision given the worrying situation in Guatemala regarding child pregnancy. The figures are striking: between 2018 and 2024, the National Registry of Persons (RENAP) documented more than 14,000 births in girls aged 10 to 14 (an average of 2,000 births per year). The trend continues, as evidenced by Guatemala’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Observatory (OSAR), which between January and March 2025 documented 556 births in girls of the same age range.

    Among the measures that the committee demanded from the State of Guatemala are:

    • Ensure access to reproductive health services, eliminating medical, judicial and administrative barriers, as well as strengthening existing protocols for therapeutic abortion.
    • Undertake actions to prevent sexual violence, including access to comprehensive sex education.
    • Create a public reparation policy for survivors of sexual violence, forced pregnancy and forced motherhood, covering education, health and psychosocial support.
    • Create a unified national registration system that documents cases of sexual violence and forced pregnancies to design effective public policies.
    • Provide mandatory training for health, justice and education personnel on issues relating to gender, children, and human rights.

    The decision in Fátima’s case joins previous rulings against Ecuador and Nicaragua (the cases of Norma, Lucía and Susana, January 2025) and against Peru (Camila’s case, in 2023, before the committee on the Rights of the Child).

    Learn more about previous rulings

    “With the decision in Fátima’s case, the United Nations has recognized something that we can no longer continue to ignore: no girl in this world should ever be forced to become a mother. Our girls were born to learn, to play, to dream of bright futures—not to mother or bear the consequences of violence. Forced motherhood is a form of torture. This is what the UN has established. It is the duty of states to act accordingly to eradicate sexual violence, ensure essential health services and guarantee the protection of girls’ rights, including the right to make decisions about their own bodies and life plans. Today, in honour of Fátima’s courage, we remind the entire world of a fundamental truth: They are girls, not mothers”, said Catalina Martínez Coral, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

    “Each ruling is not only a vindication for the girls who survived these violences, and who waited years for justice from the judicial systems in their countries, but also a beacon of hope for thousands who still face a landscape with no protection after surviving an event as painful as rape. With this ruling, we ratify the power of survivors’ voices, the importance of collective struggle, and the urgency of comprehensive approaches to prevent any other girl from having to abandon her childhood for forced motherhood”, says Marianny Sánchez, Communications Director for Latin America at Planned Parenthood Global, one of the movement’s founding organizations.

    This decision is a milestone in guaranteeing human rights, not only at the local level, but also globally, as it obliges Guatemala and the more than 170 states that signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to modify their legislation to guarantee the voluntary termination of pregnancy and ensure that no girl faces forced pregnancies or motherhood.

    The Son Niñas, No Madres Movement urgently calls on the Guatemalan state to comply with its international obligations and implement all necessary measures so that no girl has to be forced to give up her dreams and life plans to take on forced motherhood.

    With the decision in Fátima’s case, the United Nations has recognized something that we can no longer continue to ignore: no girl in this world should ever be forced to become a mother. Our girls were born to learn, to play, to dream of bright futures—not to mother or bear the consequences of violence. Forced motherhood is a form of torture.

    Catalina Martínez Coral, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Center for Reproductive Rights

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: USA: Deployment of National Guard to Los Angeles in Response to ICE Raids Is Dangerous

    Source: Amnesty International –

    In response to the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Amnesty International USA Executive Director, Paul O’Brien, made the following statement:

    “President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against recent ICE raids is deeply alarming. This shows the Trump administration is ready to do whatever it takes – including deploying military forces – to target and punish those who speak out in defense of human rights.

    “This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear. Armed troops do not belong in our neighborhoods. This militarization of immigration enforcement and in response to people exercising their right to freedom of expression must have no place in a country that claims to value justice and human rights.

    “Community members in Los Angeles took to the streets to stand up for their immigrant friends and neighbors, as armed, masked ICE agents raided their communities, arresting the California President of SEIU, and without so much as providing a warrant.

    “Bringing in the National Guard, without request from local authorities, exacerbates already widespread human rights violations taking place under the Trump administration, including unlawful arrests, mass detention and mass deportation, expulsions to dangerous prisons in other countries, the suppression of free expression, family separations, and the denial of due process.

    “We know all about the dangers of using military personnel and federal law enforcement to police protests. The violent clearing of Lafayette Park in June 2020 is a chilling reminder of the consequences when troops and federal agents untrained in protest policing are unleashed on civilians. Military personnel are not trained in crowd control or de-escalation and should not be used for these purposes.

    “The ICE raids themselves are rooted in discrimination, racial profiling, and the systematic violation of rights. People have the right to protest these injustices. Crushing that right with military force is antithetical to human rights.

    “The U.S. government must do better. We urgently call on authorities to de-escalate, end the deployment of the National Guard, and respect the right to peaceful protest. We also call upon the Trump Administration to end these mass deportations that are tearing communities apart. The real solution lies in building a fair, humane, and rights-respecting immigration system, one that upholds the dignity of all people, ensures safety, and strengthens communities.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: USA: Trump’s travel ban is ‘discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The order restricts citizens from Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen

    Partial travel ban on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela

    ‘This blanket ban constitutes racial discrimination under international human rights law’ – Agnès Callamard

    In response to President Trump imposing a new discriminatory travel ban, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

    “President Trump’s new travel ban is discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel. By targeting people based on their race, religion, or nationality, from countries with predominantly Black, Brown and Muslim-majority populations, this blanket ban constitutes racial discrimination under international human rights law. It also spreads hate and disinformation, reinforcing the misleading idea that certain populations are more likely to pose security risks or engage in acts of violence. 

    “This arbitrary travel ban also violates the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution and the US obligation to protect them under international and national refugee law. With the right to seek asylum already non-existent at US borders, it will further inflict terrible suffering on people who are fleeing war-torn regions, massive human rights violations and other dangerous situations and seeking safety in the United States.

    “This travel ban is no different than the ones that President Trump put into place in his first term. It is based on racism and xenophobia and has nothing to do with national security or keeping anyone safe.

    “Through targeting and detaining immigrants for exercising their right to free speech, separating families, mass deportations and more, President Trump’s actions have already put tens of millions of people in the United States at risk. And now, this travel ban is yet another iteration of the Trump administration’s persistent trampling on the rights of immigrants and those seeking safety.

    “Communities thrive when governments prioritise the safety of all people, regardless of nationality, religion, or race. Amnesty International will never stop fighting for a world in which everybody is treated with dignity, immigrants and people seeking safety are welcomed and recognised for their contributions to society, and communities are united.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: USA: Deployment of National Guard to Los Angeles is ‘deeply alarming’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    National Guard troops deployed to LA in response to protests against recent ICE raids

    ‘This is not about protecting communities; it’s about crushing dissent and instilling fear. Armed troops do not belong in our neighbourhoods’ – Paul O’Brien

    In response to the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Paul O’Brien, Amnesty International USA’s Executive Director, said:

    “The deployment of National Guard troops is deeply alarming. It shows the Trump administration is ready to do whatever it takes to target and punish those who speak out in defence of human rights.

    “This is not about protecting communities; it’s about crushing dissent and instilling fear. Armed troops do not belong in our neighbourhoods – military personnel are not trained in crowd control or de-escalation and should not be used for these purposes.

     “Bringing in the National Guard, without request from local authorities, exacerbates already widespread human rights violations taking place under the Trump administration, including unlawful arrests, mass detention and mass deportation, expulsions to dangerous prisons in other countries, the suppression of free expression, family separations, and the denial of due process.

     “The ICE raids themselves are rooted in discrimination, racial profiling, and the systematic violation of rights. People have the right to protest these injustices. Crushing that right with military force is simply incompatible with human rights.

    “The US government must do better. We urgently call on authorities to de-escalate, end the deployment of the National Guard, and respect the right to peaceful protest. We also call upon the Trump Administration to end these mass deportations that are tearing communities apart.

    “The real solution lies in building a fair, humane, and rights-respecting immigration system, one that upholds the dignity of all people, ensures safety, and strengthens communities.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: West Bank military operation part of ‘ruthless apartheid system’ – new briefing

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israel’s military operation over the past four months has led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank

    The Israeli military has declared Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem refugee camps closed military zones, blocking residents from reaching their homes or what remains of them

    ‘If they let us return, even those whose homes haven’t been entirely destroyed will need months to rehabilitate these homes, due to the heavy destruction and damage to the structures’ – Nihad Shaweesh

    ‘These actions are part of a wider pattern of unlawful Israeli policies and practices to dispossess, dominate and oppress Palestinians in the West Bank under Israel’s ruthless system of apartheid’ – Erika Guevara Rosas

    The Israeli military has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians by destroying homes and essential civilian infrastructure in Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps rendering them uninhabitable, as part of its ongoing brutal military operation in the occupied West Bank, said Amnesty International. 

    On 5 June, Palestinians mark Naksa Day, commemorating the forced displacement of approximately 300,000 Palestinians during the June 1967 war, when Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Fifty-eight years on, Israel’s military operation over the past four months has led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since then.

    The Israeli army has deployed tanks, carried out air strikes, destroyed buildings, dug up roads and infrastructure, and imposed extensive restrictions on freedom of movement through checkpoints and roadblocks. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, between 21 January and 4 June, the Israeli forces have killed at least 80 Palestinians, including 14 children, in the northern West Bank, including Nablus.

    Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said:

    “Israel’s deadly military operation in the occupied West Bank, unfolding in the horrific shadow of its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, has had catastrophic consequences for tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians who are facing a rapidly escalating crisis with no foreseeable prospects of return. Unlawful transfer of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a war crime.

    “Israel must immediately halt illegal practices leading to the forced displacement of Palestinians, including attacks on residential areas, destruction of property and infrastructure, pervasive access and movement restrictions imposed on Palestinians.

    “These actions are part of a wider pattern of unlawful Israeli policies and practices to dispossess, dominate and oppress Palestinians in the West Bank under Israel’s ruthless system of apartheid.

    “The international community’s persistent failure to hold Israel accountable for its violations against Palestinians, in particular for its cruel system of apartheid and unlawful occupation has emboldened Israel and fueled further egregious violations of Palestinians’ rights.”

    40,000 residents have been displaced

    Members of popular committees of Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps told Amnesty an estimated 40,000 residents have been displaced, half of whom are from Jenin refugee camp. 

    Video footage verified by Amnesty provides evidence of wide-scale home demolitions and damage to civilian property and infrastructure in the camps. Arrests have also soared, with the Palestinian Commission of Detainees reporting approximately 1,000 Palestinians arrested in Jenin (700) and Tulkarem (300) since the operation began.

    The Israeli military has declared Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps closed military areas, with forces stationed there, actively preventing residents from accessing their homes or what’s left of them. Witnesses said that Israeli forces shoot at civilians who attempt to go back even just to check on their properties or collect belongings.

    In a stark example, on 21 May, a diplomatic delegation of representatives from over 20 countries, including the UK, France, Canada, China and Russia, came under fire from Israeli soldiers while visiting Jenin refugee camp.

    ‘Most destructive’ operation in decades

    Israel’s military operation started in Jenin Refugee Camp on 21 January, and expanded to Tulkarem refugee camps on 27 January, and subsequently to Tammoun town and Al-Far’ah refugee camp. While Israeli forces withdrew from Al-Far’ah on 12 February, they continue to be stationed in Jenin and Tulkarem.

    In an alarming development on 23 February Israeli tanks were deployed to Jenin for the first time in more than 20 years. On the same day Israel’s Defense Minister instructed the army to “prepare for a long stay in the camps that were cleared” and to prevent residents from returning. Israeli media, citing military sources, have reported that the operation is expected to last for months with hundreds of soldiers remaining in the camps for “monitoring”. 

    On 22 March 2025, UNRWA had already described the operation as “by far the longest and most destructive operation in the occupied West Bank since the second intifada in the 2000’s.”

    Home demolitions and destruction of infrastructure

    The Israeli military has relentlessly destroyed hundreds of homes in these camps and adjacent neighborhoods during military operations or with demolition orders. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reports that in the Jenin refugee camp alone, the Israeli army fully destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged many more rendering them uninhabitable. In March, Israel announced plans to demolish 66 homes in Jenin camp. More recently, on 1 May, the Israeli army issued further demolition orders for 106 homes in Tulkarem refugee camps – 48 in Nur Shams and 58 in Tulkarem camp.

    Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab verified 25 videos shared on social media by residents or soldiers showing destruction of civilian property by Israeli forces in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps between 31 January and 1 June 2025. The footage shows numerous structures demolished with manually laid explosives, roads, buildings and cars destroyed with bulldozers and the aftermath of the destruction with civilian property reduced entirely to rubble. In many cases, Israeli forces appear to have conducted clearing operations, removing buildings to widen or create new roads.

    Amnesty also analysed 32 additional videos and photographs provided directly by Palestinians residents, which document damage to homes and personal property. The images show destroyed interiors, including shattered windows, broken furniture, damaged doors, ransacked closets, scattered personal belongings, and leftover food strewn across rooms.

    Nihad Shaweesh of the Nur Shams popular committee, said:

    “The level of destruction in the camps is so massive that it will take months before they are inhabitable again. If they let us return, even those whose homes haven’t been entirely destroyed will need months to rehabilitate these homes, due to the heavy destruction and damage to the structures.”

    A mother of six from Jenin Refugee Camp, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, described how she received photos on her phone showing her home being completely destroyed. She said:

    “I opened the photos and immediately recognised my children’s bed sheets. I couldn’t believe that was my house in the photos. They demolished the house and wrecked our SUV. Our car was nothing but a mass of metal. I was in shock. I couldn’t speak and only kept crying.”

    A resident of Nur Shams, Ibraheem Khalifa, described how his family was forcibly displaced on 9 February and the subsequent demolition of their apartment building:

    “We arrived … to witness the demolitions of our neighbours’ homes and to be present with them [in solidarity]. However, while sitting there, we realised that the [military] bulldozer started to demolish our homes as well. These are apartments we built with our own hands. There, we grew up and made memories. In this house, we got married, held celebrations, went through sorrows – everything. This house witnessed it all. Now, our homes and all of our belongings in them are gone.”

    As part of the operation Israeli forces have also systematically destroyed critical infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, and communications networks. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed the widespread destruction of roads and streets within the refugee camps.

    Militarisation of camps and restrictions on freedom of movement

    Access to the refugee camps for residents and freedom of movement have also been severely curtailed with Israeli forces blocking entrances and main roads with metal gates or checkpoints and using military bulldozers to create dirt barriers and barbed-wire fences.

    One resident of Nur Shams, Fatima Ali, described how on 9 February, Israeli forces took over her home and converted it to a military outpost. She said they raided her home, forcing her brother’s family to leave while she, being ill and unable to walk due to destroyed streets, was confined to one room as her house was turned into a temporary military outpost:

    “You can see all directions from my house, I have a balcony and a door to the West and another to the North, so they [soldiers] came and occupied it. At first, they kept me inside, locked in one room. When they arrested someone, they brought him to my house. They told me to leave hours later, and I needed the emergency services to help me leave the camp because all the streets were dug up and destroyed.”

    The military operation has also infringed on other social and economic rights including the right to education with many children missing weeks of school. In Tulkarem, more than 691 businesses have been destroyed, damaged and remain shut down.

    Qais Awad of the Tulkarem Chamber of Commerce, said:

    “Tulkarem became a ghost town. Businesses in the city close at 6pm because there are no visitors or customers coming from outside. Tulkarem farmers cannot reach their agricultural lands and workers cannot leave due to the closure of checkpoints. The economic situation in the city is catastrophic.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UN Ocean Conference Opens | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of France and Costa Rica, opened this Monday 9 June in Nice, France, with strong calls to accelerate action and mobilize all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A1QV2DJh7o

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ocean Conference, Gaza, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
    ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
    Highlights:
    – Secretary-General/Ocean Conference
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory
    – Lebanon
    – Security Council
    – Nigeria

    SECRETARY-GENERAL/OCEAN CONFERENCE
    The Secretary-General delivered remarks this morning at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, which is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.  In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that although the sea that has sustained life for millennia, we are failing to protect the ocean – thanks to overfishing, plastic pollution and rising temperatures.
    He urged all countries that have not yet ratified the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction to do so. He also issued a strong call to all countries to agree on an ambitious and legally binding treaty on plastic pollution this year.
    Underscoring his support for the work of the International Seabed Authority, the Secretary-General said the deep sea cannot become the Wild West.
    Mr. Guterres urged Member States to advance progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is unfortunately one of the least funded SDGs. He encouraged the conference participants to be bold in all their efforts, saying, “The ocean of our ancestors – teeming with life and diversity – can be more than legend. It can be our legacy.”
    In the afternoon, the Secretary-General spoke at the Africa for the Ocean event, co-hosted by Morocco and France. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that with over 30,000 kilometres of coastline and 38 coastal states, Africa is a maritime powerhouse. “Its future is also written in its waters,” he said, adding that this blue wealth is too often undervalued and overexploited. He said that investments have too often bypassed Africa, even as its marine resources were exploited by others.
    Also this afternoon, the Secretary-General had a productive meeting with civil society representatives from around the world active in ocean action. He highlighted the current paradox: despite major breakthroughs —such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction— the crisis facing the oceans is worsening.
    The Secretary-General noted similar dynamics in climate action: while renewable energy is expanding rapidly, emissions continue to rise. The ocean-climate connection, he warned, is deteriorating —marked by rising temperatures, accelerating sea-level rise, glacier melt, coral bleaching, and growing plastic pollution. He also pointed to the threat of mass displacement from vulnerable river deltas.
    He emphasized the importance of civil society perspectives, momentum, and insights to accelerate progress and increase global attention on ocean, climate, and biodiversity action.
    On the sidelines of the conference, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral meetings.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that the crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of despair as people continue to go hungry across Gaza. Many are forced to risk their lives in search of food, as we receive more reports of people being killed and injured near non-UN distribution sites.
    According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, just this morning, 29 casualties arrived at the ICRC field hospital in west Rafah, eight of whom were dead. Almost all had explosive trauma wounds, with two others admitted with gunshot wounds. The UN reiterates that civilians must always be protected. No person, anywhere, should be forced to choose between risking one’s life and feeding one’s family.
    Fuel stocks in Gaza are critically low – putting further strain on critical services and humanitarian operations. Over the weekend, some 260,000 litres of fuel were looted in northern Gaza. Prior to this, the UN had repeatedly attempted to reach these stocks to retrieve them, but these attempts were denied by the Israeli authorities.
    Since 15 May, the missions to retrieve this fuel were denied by the Israeli authorities 14 times. The UN attempts to reach fuel supplies in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, also continue to be denied. The UN warns that unless a solution is found in the coming days, the entire aid operation could come to a standstill.
    Since the Israeli authorities allowed limited amounts of aid to enter Gaza on 19 May, the UN and its partners have only been able to collect about 4,600 metric tonnes of wheat flour from the Kerem Shalom crossing. Most of it was taken by desperate, starving people before the supplies reached their destinations. In some cases, the supplies were looted by armed gangs.

    Full Highlights:
    https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=09%20June%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3T6VaM3ASY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 2025 National Veterans Golden Age Games – Day 6 Highlights

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Veterans showed up and showed out in Memphis breaking records, turning up the heat, and bringing the rhythm of #fitnessforlife to the Bluff City.
    If you’re thinking about the next #GoldenAgeGames stop thinking and make it happen. Your moment’s waiting. The countdown to Tampa, June 27 to July 2, 2026, starts now. James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital
    #FeelTheVictory #Sports4Vets

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onH3MCLBoFg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National charged with assaulting federal officers

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Suspect crashed truck into two law enforcement vehicles injuring ICE-HSI and CBP officers

    Seattle – A citizen of Mexico residing illegally in Stanwood, Washington, appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle today charged with two counts of assault on a federal officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Victor Vivanco- Reyes, 25, was being sought by a team from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO) due to his criminal convictions and lack of status in the United States. Vivanco-Reyes remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 13, 2025.

    According to the criminal complaint, on May 22, 2025, HSI Special Agents attempted to locate Vivanco-Reyes in the Mount Vernon, Washington area. When his vehicle was located in a residential area, HSI agents activated the lights and sirens on their cars to get Vivanco-Reyes to stop. After pausing briefly at a driveway, Vivanco-Reyes accelerated away from the officers, driving at a high rate of speed in a residential area. Because of the reckless driving and risk to the community, the agents ended their attempt to arrest him.

    On June 6, 2025, the agents again attempted to locate Vivanco-Reyes. Just after 9:30 am, agents with HSI, ERO, the U.S. Border Patrol, and CBP AMO were able to locate a work truck associated with Vivanco-Reyes’s apparent employer.  The work truck was towing a trailer on Cascade View Drive on Camano Island, Washington.  Using three different vehicles, the federal agents attempted to block the north and southbound lanes so that Vivanco-Reyes could be taken into custody. When the agents activated their lights, the truck and trailer accelerated right at the one of the vehicles, hitting it on the front passenger side. Ultimately the truck and trailer crashed head-on into another government car that was a short distance down the road. The truck continued on, driving into a ditch and hitting a power pole. Vivanco-Reyes tried to flee on foot but was taken into custody.

    Two of the agents who were injured in the collisions were taken to area hospitals.

    Assault on a federal agent with a deadly weapon is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

    The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 5 Men Plead Guilty for Role in Global Digital Asset Investment Scam Conspiracy Resulting in Theft of More than $36.9 Million from Victims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Five men have pleaded guilty for their roles in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims of an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia, the Justice Department announced today.

    The following defendants were part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims, believing they were investing in digital assets, to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators and that laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets:

    • Joseph Wong, 33, of Alhambra;
    • Yicheng Zhang, 39, of China;
    • Jose Somarriba, 55, of Los Angeles;
    • Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente; and
    • Jingliang Su, 44, of China and Turkey.

    As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas contacted U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services and gain the victims’ trust.

    The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, those funds were stolen and not invested at all.

    Instead, more than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited.

    Somarriba, He, and Su directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

    Somarriba and He founded Axis Digital and opened the Deltec Bank account. Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds.

    Wong managed a network of money launderers in Los Angeles who registered shell companies, opened U.S. bank accounts, and wired victim funds to international bank accounts. Zhang opened and operated two U.S. bank accounts used to launder victim proceeds.

    Zhang and Wong pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Zhang has been in custody since May 2024. He, Somarriba, and Su pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business. He, Somarriba, and Su each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Su has been in custody since November 2024 and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for November 17.

    Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis and former resident of Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 12, 2024 and May 13, 2024, respectively.

    The United States Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Maxwell Coll and Alexander Gorin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, Assistant United States Attorney Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section, and Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting these cases.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Portland Man Faces Federal Charges for Distributing Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm Following Fatal Overdose Investigation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man has been charged with distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm following a fatal overdose investigation by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.

    Daryl Antonio Edward Turner, 43, has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, on June 2, 2025, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a suspected fatal overdose near Wood Village, Oregon. Deputies seized a substance suspected to be fentanyl from the scene and quickly developed leads of the alleged fentanyl supply source, later identified as Turner.  

    On June 5, 2025, investigators contacted Turner in Portland and seized a firearm, counterfeit pills suspected to contain fentanyl, and $922 in cash. When questioned by investigators, Turner admitted that he possessed fentanyl for further distribution, acknowledged the dangers of fentanyl, and was aware the substance could kill people.

    Turner made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT). It is being prosecuted by AUSA Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    The Multnomah County DDT is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, Gresham Police Department, the FBI, and U.S. Marshal’s Service (USMS).

    The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

    A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.

    If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

    If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Supplying Fentanyl Resulting in Young Woman’s Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Danny Nunez of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 188 months in prison for providing the fentanyl that resulted in the fatal overdose of a 25-year-old Escondido woman in 2024.

    Nunez admitted in his plea agreement that he sold fentanyl to the victim, identified in court records as L.P., on September 11, 2024. The next day, her parents found her lifeless body in her bedroom. Emergency responders were unable to revive her.

    On October 3, 2024, Escondido Police Department detectives posing as L.P. contacted Nunez, asking to purchase fentanyl. The defendant agreed to provide the requested fentanyl. The same day, the detectives arrived at Nunez’s residence and contacted the defendant. Nunez was arrested as he walked outside to meet “L.P.” carrying two baggies containing 7.67 grams and 1.23 grams of fentanyl.

    “The defendant stole a young life and shattered a family by peddling deadly fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today’s sentence sends a clear and powerful message: Those who traffic in poison will be held fully accountable for the devastation they cause.”

    “Those who bring dangerous drugs into our communities, especially fentanyl, will be held accountable,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “This investigation is an example of the strong partnerships between our state and local law enforcement partners that make up the San Diego Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST).  FAST is committed to ensuring the individuals who distribute fentanyl into our communities are held accountable.”

    “The San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA proudly supports federal, state and local law enforcement efforts to reduce overdose deaths in our community,” said David King, executive director of San Diego and Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. “Those individuals who place a priority on profits from drug sales over public safety should take notice that the criminal justice system will hold them accountable. San Diego County is a safer place after this investigation and successful prosecution.”

    Escondido Police Lt. Ryan Hicks stated: “The Escondido Police Department works aggressively to identify and hold accountable anyone who chooses to participate in the poisoning of our community through illicit fentanyl distribution. We can successfully conduct these investigations through crucial support from the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and our federal partnerships.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark.

    Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) led this investigation.

    HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local, and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to combat overdoses and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl.

    The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 24-CR-2295-W                                  

    Danny Nunez                                                  Age: 25                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Attempted Distribution of Fentanyl

    21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations

    Escondido Police Department

    San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Honghe sweaters ‘dress’ their way into global market

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

    Tucked away in the misty folds of rural Zhejiang Province lies a township that could very well be one of fashion’s best kept secrets. Each year, over 400 million sweaters glide off production lines in Honghe — a name that barely registers on most global style radars, yet it has quietly knit itself into an industrial powerhouse with an annual turnover of over 20 billion yuan (about 2.78 billion U.S. dollars).

    A stroll through Honghe is like being transported into the heart of a living atelier. Yarn shops, accessory stores and design studios line the streets, while tricycles laden with raw materials zip through the shaded lanes in a rhythmic blur. This bustling scene hums with purpose, a fusion of tradition, ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of quality.

    Honghe’s sweater story began modestly in the mid-1970s with the town’s first commune-run knitting factory. By 1984, the local market was pulsing with promise, drawing in entrepreneurs like Gao Xiaohua, who moved his knitting machines and shop from his home to the market.

    His eye for quality — fastidiously hand-selecting yarns, obsessively testing for color fastness — earned him a loyal customer base and laid the foundation for what would become Zhejiang 30 Autumn Garments Co., Ltd.

    “When I first moved my new factory here, the road in front of the gate wasn’t even paved,” Gao recalled while pointing to Fumin Road. By 2002, his factory had expanded to an over 10,000 square meter lot, and was one entity among countless others helping the sweater industry in Honghe take shape.

    Today, in 30 Autumn’s intelligent workshop, workers deftly operate computerized knitting machines, producing intricate patterns and textures that cater to diverse tastes. With collaborative efforts, the company can churn out over 20,000 sweaters daily.

    Today, Honghe boasts over 20 large-scale sweater enterprises, creating jobs for 70,000 people and forming a complete industrial chain from spinning to sales.

    Honghe’s global reach is driven by its ability to meet international demands and make innovations. Shuosheng Apparel Co., Ltd., run by Zheng Youlan, has built a strong customer base in South America and Mexico. She learned firsthand during a trade mission to Dubai in 2024 that local buyers crave eco-friendly materials — a valuable insight that helped her expand her business.

    Honghe sweaters have been popular in the Middle East market for over 20 years, attracting more than 1,000 international buyers to place orders every year, with an annual export value reaching tens of millions of U.S. dollars, according to Zheng.

    In 2024, the town’s sweater export value reached 609 million yuan, up 20.38 percent year on year, contributing about one third of its total industrial export volume.

    The town’s innovation extends beyond the factory floor. The platform, Mao Shan Pai, a collaboration between the local government, state-owned companies and the local chamber of commerce, invites overseas trade delegations and organizes international visits for local enterprises. It also leverages AI technology to break down language barriers and showcase products through digital fashion shows, enhancing the town’s global presence.

    Stepping into the AI studio of Mao Shan Pai, the scene empowered by technology is refreshing. Multilingual digital avatars work around the clock to introduce new products to global buyers, making time zone and language barriers things of the past.

    The AI design system can generate 3D models of different styles wearing the sweaters based on a single flat image of a sweater, meeting various needs. The models’ postures and lighting effects can vividly display the texture, drape and other qualities of the sweaters.

    Mao Shan Pai integrates resources from eight major sweater markets, 10 industrial parks, over 2,000 enterprises and nearly 10,000 stall operators in Honghe.

    It provides one-stop digital trade services, simplifying the complex process of sweater exports. With over 10,000 new products released annually and nearly 2,600 registered overseas buyers, the platform has become a key driver of Honghe’s international success.

    “From domestic and international markets to digital infrastructure and industry integration, we are committed to making Honghe the global epicenter of sweaters,” said Xu Wei, secretary general of the Honghe sweater chamber of commerce. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN chief warns against turning deep sea into ‘Wild West’

    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

    NICE, France, June 10 (Xinhua) — Countries must respect science and international law when it comes to exploiting the seabed to prevent it from becoming a lawless “Wild West,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday at the opening of the third U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, southeastern France.

    He said there was a need to balance legitimate concerns about environmental impacts with legitimate interests in using ocean resources to support economic sustainability and the transition to green energy. He stressed that future actions should be “science-based, precautionary and consistent with the rights and obligations enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

    “I support the ongoing work of the International Seabed Authority on this important issue. The deep sea cannot become the Wild West,” the Secretary-General added.

    The third UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, aims to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14): conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

    Speaking at the opening of the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke out against deep-sea exploitation, warning that much of the seabed remains largely unexplored. “It is madness to exploit the deep sea before exploration has even begun… A moratorium on deep sea exploitation is an international imperative,” Macron said.

    “The deep sea is not for sale, just like Greenland, Antarctica or the open sea,” he said.

    In April, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing deep-sea mining, a unilateral move that drew criticism from the International Seabed Authority. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Trump’s America, the shooting of a journalist is not a one-off. Press freedom itself is under attack

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Greste, Professor of Journalism and Communications, Macquarie University

    The video of a Los Angeles police officer shooting a rubber bullet at Channel Nine reporter Lauren Tomasi is as shocking as it is revealing.

    In her live broadcast, Tomasi is standing to the side of a rank of police in riot gear. She describes the way they have begun firing rubber bullets to disperse protesters angry with US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants.

    As Tomasi finishes her sentence, the camera pans to the left, just in time to catch the officer raising his gun and firing a non-lethal round into her leg. She said a day later she is sore, but otherwise OK.

    Although a more thorough investigation might find mitigating circumstances, from the video evidence, it is hard to dismiss the shot as “crossfire”. The reporter and cameraman were off to one side of the police, clearly identified and working legitimately.

    The shooting is also not a one-off. Since the protests against Trump’s mass deportations policy began three days ago, a reporter with the LA Daily News and a freelance journalist have been hit with pepper balls and tear gas.

    British freelance photojournalist Nick Stern also had emergency surgery to remove a three-inch plastic bullet from his leg.

    In all, the Los Angeles Press Club has documented more than 30 incidents of obstruction and attacks on journalists during the protests.

    Trump’s assault on the media

    It now seems assaults on the media are no longer confined to warzones or despotic regimes. They are happening in American cities, in broad daylight, often at the hands of those tasked with upholding the law.

    But violence is only one piece of the picture. In the nearly five months since taking office, the Trump administration has moved to defund public broadcasters, curtail access to information and undermine the credibility of independent media.

    International services once used to project democratic values and American soft power around the world, such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, have all had their funding cut and been threatened with closure. (The Voice of America website is still operational but hasn’t been updated since mid-March, with one headline on the front page reading “Vatican: Francis stable, out of ‘imminent danger’ of death”).

    The Associated Press, one of the most respected and important news agencies in the world, has been restricted from its access to the White House and covering Trump. The reason? It decided to defy Trump’s directive to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.

    Even broadcast licenses for major US networks, such as ABC, NBC and CBS, have been publicly threatened — a signal to editors and executives that political loyalty might soon outweigh journalistic integrity.

    The Committee to Protect Journalists is more used to condemning attacks on the media in places like Russia. However, in April, it issued a report headlined: “Alarm bells: Trump’s first 100 days ramp up fear for the press, democracy”.

    A requirement for peace

    Why does this matter? The success of American democracy has never depended on unity or even civility. It has depended on scrutiny. A system where power is challenged, not flattered.

    The First Amendment to the US Constitution – which protects freedom of speech – has long been considered the gold standard for building the institutions of free press and free expression. That only works when journalism is protected — not in theory but in practice.

    Now, strikingly, the language once reserved for autocracies and failed states has begun to appear in assessments of the US. Civicus, which tracks declining democracies around the world, recently put the US on its watchlist, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Serbia and Pakistan.

    The attacks on the journalists in LA are troubling not only for their sake, but for ours. This is about civic architecture. The kind of framework that makes space for disagreement without descending into disorder.

    Press freedom is not a luxury for peacetime. It is a requirement for peace.

    Peter Greste is Professor of Journalism at Macquarie University and the Executive Director for the advocacy group, the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom.

    – ref. In Trump’s America, the shooting of a journalist is not a one-off. Press freedom itself is under attack – https://theconversation.com/in-trumps-america-the-shooting-of-a-journalist-is-not-a-one-off-press-freedom-itself-is-under-attack-258578

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia and Leonardo partner to deliver worldwide mission-critical private wireless networks for public safety and critical infrastructures

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia and Leonardo partner to deliver worldwide mission-critical private wireless networks for public safety and critical infrastructures

    • Leonardo’s Mission Critical Services platform (MC_linX) will be integrated into Nokia’s Core Enterprise Solutions.
    • The integrated solution will enable real-time communication, emergency response, and situational awareness for public safety, power utilities, and railways.

    10 June 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced a partnership with Leonardo, a global leader in Aerospace, Defense, and Security, to deliver cutting-edge mission-critical services worldwide integrated into Nokia’s Core Enterprise Solutions. The solid collaboration strengthens Nokia’s leadership in secure and scalable private wireless connectivity for essential services like public safety and industrial segments such as energy and railways that demand the highest performance, resilience, and reliability levels.

    Nokia will embed Leonardo’s flagship Mission Critical Services platform MC_linX a next-generation broadband mission-critical services platform, into Nokia’s enterprise solutions portfolio. This technology combination will deliver worldwide a pre-integrated solution that accelerates deployment, reduces complexity, and ensures operational readiness. It also enables faster emergency response, increasing operational safety, and improving service reliability – ultimately benefiting communities and essential services worldwide.

    “By combining Nokia’s robust private wireless and core software capabilities with Leonardo’s trusted mission-critical technologies, we are delivering a seamless solution that meets the stringent demands of industries like public safety, energy, and rail. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to empowering critical infrastructure with secure, real-time, resilient communication solutions,” said Prakash Sagadopan, Head of Enterprise Wide Area Networks, Nokia.

    “We are thrilled that Nokia selected Leonardo’s MC_linX for the integration into their Core Enterprise Solutions after an in-depth competitive process. Leveraging the high scalability and reliability of our Mission Critical Services platform together with Nokia we provide an entirely made in Europe, unparalleled communication ecosystem for Public Safety and Critical Infrastructures,” said Claudio Rando, SVP Marketing & Sales, Leonardo Cyber & Security Solutions Division.

    Fully compliant with 3GPP standards, the MC_linX platform enables mission-critical push-to-talk, video, and data services over private and commercial LTE/5G networks, supporting real-time communication, enhanced situational awareness, and fast, coordinated responses. Nokia’s Core Enterprise Solutions offer customized, low-footprint core modules optimized for mission-critical communications in public safety, utilities, and railway operations.

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. 

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About Leonardo
    Leonardo is an international industrial group, among the main global companies in Aerospace, Defence, and Security (AD&S). With 60,000 employees worldwide, the company approaches global security through the Helicopters, Electronics, Aeronautics, Cyber & Security and Space sectors, and is a partner on the most important international programmes such as Eurofighter, JSF, NH-90, FREMM, GCAP, and Eurodrone. Leonardo has significant production capabilities in Italy, the UK, Poland, and the USA. Leonardo utilises its subsidiaries, joint ventures, and shareholdings, which include Leonardo DRS (71.6%), MBDA (25%), ATR (50% ), Hensoldt (22.8%), Telespazio (67%), Thales Alenia Space (33%), and Avio (29.6%). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2024 Leonardo recorded new orders for €20.9 billion, with an order book of €44.2 billion and consolidated revenues of €17.8 billion. Included in the MIB ESG index, the company has also been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010.

    Leonardo’s expertise in the mission critical communications sector relies on several decades of successful design, supply, delivery and service of mission critical networks, ranging from Land Mobile Radio systems to the next-generation broadband systems for Public Safety and Critical Infrastructures.

    Multimedia, technical information and related news
    Web Page:

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow Nokia on social media
    LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Scaloni: Mastantuono’s Real Madrid move ‘huge’

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

    Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni heaped praise on teenager Franco Mastantuono on Monday ahead of the River Plate midfielder’s expected move to Real Madrid.

    The Spanish club has reportedly agreed to a deal worth 45 million U.S. dollars for the 17-year-old, who made his international debut in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile in Santiago last Thursday.

    “Going to Real Madrid is a huge thing,” Scaloni told a news conference on the eve of Argentina’s home World Cup qualifier against Colombia.

    “We’re talking about the best or one of the best clubs in the world. It’s a huge step for him and obviously he’s still only 17.”

    Mastantuono has been a revelation for River Plate this year with seven goals and four assists in 19 games across all competitions.

    But Scaloni warned of placing unrealistic expectations on the elegant left-footed playmaker.

    “We need everyone around him to remember that he’s only 17,” Scaloni said. “We all have to help to make him better. I’m happy that this is happening because it means that big clubs are looking at Argentine football.”

    Meanwhile, Scaloni confirmed that captain Lionel Messi would start in Tuesday’s clash at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

    The 37-year-old began Thursday’s clash on the bench as Scaloni rested key players in the knowledge that a World Cup place is already assured.

    “Leo will start. We have no doubts, and we hope the fans enjoy him and the team,” the 47-year-old head coach said.

    Argentina leads the 10-team South American group with 34 points, 13 ahead of sixth-placed Colombia with three qualifiers remaining. The top six teams will earn direct entry to football’s showpiece tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ancelotti hopes Raphinha will lift Brazil’s attack against Paraguay

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

    Brazil national team manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Raphinha as one the best players in the world as the Barcelona forward prepares to return for a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.

    Raphinha is set to start Tuesday’s clash at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo after missing Brazil’s goalless draw with Ecuador in Guayaquil last Thursday due to suspension.

    Raphinha (L) of Brazil vies with Daniel Munoz of Colombia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Latin American Qualifier football match between Brazil and Colombia in Brasilia, Brazil, March 20, 2025. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua)

    “It’s great that Raphinha is back,” Ancelotti told a news conference. “He has shown that he is one of the best players in football at the moment.”

    Raphinha enjoyed a breakout season in 2024-25 with 34 goals in 57 games across all competitions for Barcelona.

    The 28-year-old former Leeds United player has also been a consistent performer at international level and is Brazil’s top scorer in the current qualifying campaign with five goals.

    “He is a very important player for us and could help us to unlock the game against a team that knows how to defend,” Ancelotti said.

    The Italian manager had words of praise for Paraguay, which is currently third in the 10-team South American group, two points ahead of fourth-placed Brazil.

    “Paraguay is playing very well,” the former Real Madrid manager said. “It’s a very solid team and is not afraid to go forward. But we are going to try to play our game and we hope that we can make our fans happy.”

    The top six teams in the South American group will automatically qualify for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Frederick Forsyth, ‘Day of the Jackal’ author, dies at 86

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    British novelist Frederick Forsyth, who authored best-selling thrillers such as “The Day of the Jackal” and “The Dogs of War,” has died aged 86, his publisher said.

    A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain’s MI6 foreign spy agency, Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle.

    “The Day of the Jackal”, in which an English assassin, played in the film by Edward Fox, is hired by French paramilitaries angry at de Gaulle’s withdrawal from Algeria, was published in 1971 after Forsyth found himself penniless in London.

    Written in just 35 days, the book was rejected by a host of publishers who worried that the story was flawed and would not sell as de Gaulle had not been assassinated. De Gaulle died in 1970 from a ruptured aorta while playing Solitaire.

    But Forsyth’s hurricane-paced thriller complete with journalistic-style detail and brutal sub-plots of lust, betrayal and murder was an instant hit. The once poor journalist became a wealthy writer of fiction.

    “I never intended to be a writer at all,” Forsyth later wrote in his memoire, “The Outsider – My Life in Intrigue”. “After all, writers are odd creatures, and if they try to make a living at it, even more so.”

    So influential was the novel that Venezuelan militant revolutionary Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was dubbed “Carlos the Jackal”.

    Forsyth presented himself as a cross between Ernest Hemingway and John le Carre – both action man and Cold War spy – but delighted in turning around the insult that he was a literary lightweight.

    “I am lightweight but popular. My books sell,” he once said.

    His books, fantastical plots that almost rejoiced in the cynicism of an underworld of spies, criminals, hackers and killers, sold more than 75 million copies.

    Behind the swashbuckling bravado, though, there were hints of sadness. He later spoke of turning inwards to his imagination as a lonely only child during and after World War Two.

    The isolated Forsyth discovered a talent for languages: he claimed to be a native French speaker by the age of 12 and a native German speaker by the age of 16, largely due to exchanges.

    He went to Tonbridge School, one of England’s ancient fee-paying schools, and learned Russian from two emigre Georgian princesses in Paris. He added Spanish by the age of 18.

    He also learned to fly and did his national service in the Royal Air Force where he flew fighters such as a single seater version of the de Havilland Vampire.

    THE REPORTER

    Impressing Reuters’ editors with his languages and knowledge that Bujumbura was a city in Burundi, he was offered a job at the news agency in 1961 and sent to Paris and then East Berlin where the Stasi secret police kept close tabs on him.

    He left Reuters for the BBC but soon became disillusioned by its bureaucracy and what he saw as the corporation’s failure to cover Nigeria properly due to the government’s incompetent post-colonial views on Africa.

    It was in 1968 that Forsyth was approached by the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, and asked by an officer named “Ronnie” to inform on what was really going on in Biafra.

    By his own account, he would keep contacts with the MI6, which he called “the Firm”, for many years. His novels showed extensive knowledge of the world of spies and he even edited out bits of The Fourth Protocol (1984), he said, so that militants would not know how to detonate an atomic bomb.

    His writing was sometimes cruel, such as when the Jackal kills his lover after she discovers he is an assassin.

    “He looked down at her, and for the first time she noticed that the grey flecks in his eyes had spread and clouded over the whole expression, which had become dead and lifeless like a machine staring down at her.”

    THE WRITER

    After finally finding a publisher for “The Day of the Jackal,” he was offered a three-novel contract by Harold Harris of Hutchinson.

    Next came “The Odessa File” in 1972, the story of a young German freelance journalist who tries to track down SS man Eduard Roschmann, or “The Butcher of Riga”.

    After that, “The Dogs of War” in 1974 is about a group of white mercenaries hired by a British mining magnate to kill the mad dictator of an African republic – based on Equatorial Guinea’s Francisco Macias Nguema – and replace him with a puppet.

    The New York Times said at the time that the novel was “pitched at the level of a suburban Saturday night movie audience” and that it was “informed with a kind of post‐imperial condescension toward the black man”.

    Divorced from Carole Cunningham in 1988, he married Sandy Molloy in 1994. But he lost a fortune in an investment scam and had to write more novels to support himself. He had two sons – Stuart and Shane – with his first wife.

    His later novels variously cast hackers, Russians, al Qaeda militants and cocaine smugglers against the forces of good – broadly Britain and the West. But the novels never quite reached the level of the Jackal.

    A supporter of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, Forsyth scolded Britain’s elites for what he cast as their treachery and naivety.

    In columns for The Daily Express, he gave a host of withering assessments of the modern world from an intellectual right-wing perspective.

    The world, he said, worried too much about “the oriental pandemic” (known to most as COVID-19), Donald Trump was “deranged”, Vladimir Putin “a tyrant” and “liberal luvvies of the West” were wrong on most things.

    He was, to the end, a reporter who wrote novels.

    “In a world that increasingly obsesses over the gods of power, money and fame, a journalist and a writer must remain detached,” he wrote. “It is our job to hold power to account.”

    (Reuters)