NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Local Lodge 2003 Members Ratify Strong Tentative Agreements at Fort Novosel Benefiting Over 3,400 Workers

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    DALEVILLE, Ala., April 11, 2025 – Approximately 3,400 members of IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) Local Lodge 2003 have ratified a robust new agreement with M1 Support Services and its subcontractors at Fort Novosel, Ala.

    This five-year agreement, which covers IAM Local Lodge 2003 members performing aircraft maintenance and flight support, includes several key improvements that prioritize the well-being and security of workers.

    Highlights of the M1/Fort Novosel contract:

    • Annual general wage increases of 4%, 3.5%, 3.5%, and 3%
    • Improvements to overtime Polling/scheduling 
    • Recognition of Juneteenth as an additional holiday
    • Enhanced vacation scheduling 
    • Maintenance of leading medical coverage while managing costs 
    • Preservation of the current IAM Pension along with increased contributions to 401(k) plans 
    • Successful efforts to fend off several job descriptions that threatened to undermine seniority rights

    “IAM Local 2003 members are highly skilled and proud of their mission to support our national defense,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin. “This agreement reflects the power of collective bargaining to resolve issues and negotiate good contracts ensuring that our members receive the respect and compensation they deserve.”

    “We are proud of the hard-fought progress the negotiating committee made for our members at Fort Novosel,” said IAM Aerospace Chief of Staff William “Benji” Sullivan. “This contract not only delivers substantial wage increases and improves benefits, but it also protects the rights of our workers, providing them with job security and better benefits.”

    “We are the heart of what keeps Fort Novosel running smoothly,” said IAM Local Lodge 2003 Negotiating Committee Chairman Chris Kelley. “Through hard work, unity, and a commitment to the process, we’ve negotiated a deal that reflects the value our members bring to the table ensuring our voices were heard and concerns addressed.”

    The IAM shares a more than seven-decade legacy with Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) Army Base. IAM Local Lodge 2003 members maintain the helicopters used to train U.S. Army pilots worldwide.

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    The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How NASA Science Data Defends Earth from Asteroids

    Source: NASA

    The asteroid 2024 YR4 made headlines in February with the news that it had a chance of hitting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, as determined by an analysis from NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The probability of collision peaked at over 3% on Feb. 18 — the highest ever recorded for an object of its size. This sparked concerns about the damage the asteroid might do should it hit Earth.
    New data collected in the following days lowered the probability to well under 1%, and 2024 YR4 is no longer considered a potential Earth impactor. However, the event underscored the importance of surveying asteroid populations to reveal possible threats to Earth. Sharing scientific data widely allows scientists to determine the risk posed by the near-Earth asteroid population and increases the chances of identifying future asteroid impact hazards in NASA science data.
    “The planetary defense community realizes the value of making data products available to everyone,” said James “Gerbs” Bauer, the principal investigator for NASA’s Planetary Data System Small Bodies Node at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.

    Professional scientists and citizen scientists worldwide play a role in tracking asteroids. The Minor Planet Center, which is housed at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, collects and verifies vast numbers of asteroid and comet position observations submitted from around the globe. NASA’s Small Bodies Node distributes the data from the Minor Planet Center for anyone who wants to access and use it.
    A near-Earth object (NEO) is an asteroid or comet whose orbit brings it within 120 million miles of the Sun, which means it can circulate through Earth’s orbital neighborhood. If a newly discovered object looks like it might be an NEO, information about the object appears on the Minor Planet Center’s NEO Confirmation Page. Members of the planetary science community, whether or not they are professional scientists, are encouraged to follow up on these objects to discover where they’re heading.

    When an asteroid’s trajectory looks concerning, CNEOS alerts NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington, which manages NASA’s ongoing effort to protect Earth from dangerous asteroids. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office also coordinates the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), which is the worldwide collaboration of asteroid observers and modelers.
    Orbit analysis centers such as CNEOS perform finer calculations to nail down the probability of an asteroid colliding with Earth. The open nature of the data allows the community to collaborate and compare, ensuring the most accurate determinations possible.

    The asteroid 2024 YR4 was initially discovered by the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey, which aims to discover potentially hazardous asteroids. Scientists studied additional data about the asteroid from different observatories funded by NASA and from other telescopes across the IAWN.
    At first, 2024 YR4 had a broad uncertainty in its future trajectory that passed over Earth. As the planetary defense community collected more observations, the range of possibilities for the asteroid’s future position on Dec. 22, 2032 clustered over Earth, raising the apparent chances of collision. However, with the addition of even more data points, the cluster of possibilities eventually moved off Earth.

    Having multiple streams of data available for analysis helps scientists quickly learn more about NEOs. This sometimes involves using data from observatories that are mainly used for astrophysics or heliophysics surveys, rather than for tracking asteroids.
    “The planetary defense community both benefits from and is beneficial to the larger planetary and astronomy related ecosystem,” said Bauer, who is also a research professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Maryland. “Much of the NEO survey data can also be used for searching astrophysical transients like supernova events. Likewise, astrophysical sky surveys produce data of interest to the planetary defense community.”

    In 2022, NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission successfully impacted with the asteroid Dimorphos, shortening the time it takes to orbit around its companion asteroid Didymos by 33 minutes. Didymos had no chance of hitting Earth, but the DART mission’s success means that NASA has a tested technique to consider when addressing a future asteroid potential impact threat.

    To increase the chances of discovering asteroid threats to Earth well in advance, NASA is working on a new space-based observatory, NEO Surveyor, which will be the first spacecraft specifically designed to look for asteroids and comets that pose a hazard to Earth. The mission is expected to launch in the fall of 2027, and the data it collects will be available to everyone through NASA archives.
    “Many of the NEOs that pose a risk to Earth remain to be found,” Bauer said. “An asteroid impact has a very low likelihood at any given time, but consequences could be high, and open science is an       important component to being vigilant.”
    For more information about NASA’s approach to sharing science data, visit:
    https://science.nasa.gov/open-science.
    By Lauren Leese Web Content Strategist for the Office of the Chief Science Data Officer 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Blooming British Isles

    Source: NASA

    Waters off the British Isles sprang to life with colorful swirls in early April 2025. The phenomenon commonly occurs in these North Atlantic waters in spring, but the view from orbit demands the cooperation of clouds.
    Clouds stayed well offshore across the archipelago on April 7, 2025. That afternoon, the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite passed over the region and captured this striking image of the waters around the United Kingdom and Ireland.
    Some of the colorful swirls, especially those close to shore, are likely due to sediment and other materials suspended in the water. Sediments are carried to sea by large rivers such as the Severn and get churned up from the seafloor by strong currents and waves. Satellite-based research has shown that in the Irish Sea, these mineral particles can exhibit complex spatial and seasonal patterns.
    By spring, though, it’s likely that some of the colorful appearance across the region’s waters is due to phytoplankton—tiny plant-like organisms floating in the ocean. Under the right conditions, their populations explode into “blooms” that can span thousands of square kilometers of the ocean’s surface, making them visible from space. In this scene, the bloom in the North Sea appears to stretch several hundred kilometers offshore. The milkier, lighter-colored waters usually indicate the presence of coccolithophores, while greener areas often consist of diatoms.
    Like elsewhere in the world’s oceans, phytoplankton around the British Isles feed the copepods and other plankton and fish that become food for even larger marine animals. However, a 2023 study of phytoplankton in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean showed that many of the region’s phytoplankton communities are changing—increasing in the North Sea but generally decreasing farther offshore—with possible implications for the food web.
    NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Story by Kathryn Hansen.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: GLOBE, NASA, and the Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Queens, New York

    Source: NASA

    When students actively participate in scientific investigations that connect to their everyday lives, something powerful happens: they begin to see themselves as scientists. This sense of relevance and ownership can spark a lifelong interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), paving the way for continued education and even future careers in these fields. Opportunities to engage directly with NASA science—like the one you’ll read about in this story—not only deepen students’ understanding of STEM concepts, but also nourish their curiosity and confidence. With the support of passionate educators, these moments of participation become stepping stones to a future in which students see themselves as contributors to real-world science.
    In September 2021, Ms. Deanna Danke, a Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School mathematics teacher in Queens, New York, began teaching her students how to measure tree heights using trigonometry. Soon enough, Ms. Danke discovered the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Observer Trees Tool, and with her 150+ students, began taking tree height observations around the school, an activity that Ms. Danke and her students continue to participate in today. Her and her students’ hundreds of repeat tree height observations have provided student and professional researchers with clusters of measurements that can coincide with measurements made by NASA satellite instruments, allowing for a comparison of datasets that can be analyzed over time.
    Due to the consistent tree height data collection resulting from this effort, Ms. Danke was asked to be a co-author on a peer-reviewed research paper that was published on June 21, 2022 in the Environmental Research Letters special journal “Focus on Public Participation in Environmental Research.” The paper, “The potential of citizen science data to complement satellite and airborne lidar tree height measurements: lessons from The GLOBE Program,” included data from the tree height observations reported by Ms. Danke and her students—an incredible achievement for everyone involved.
    On March 21, 2025, Ms. Danke’s former and current students continued their inspiring adventures with NASA science by taking a trip to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. Highlights from this trip included science and technology presentations by personnel from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Missions, the Wallops Balloon Program Office, and the Wallops Machine Shop for Fabrication and Testing. The ICESat-2 presentation, in particular, included a discussion on the student-collected tree height data and how the ICESat-2 satellite makes tree height observations from space.
    Ms. Danke’s work is a testament to the incredible impact educators can have when they connect classroom learning to authentic scientific discovery. By introducing her students to tools like the GLOBE Observer Trees Tool and facilitating meaningful contributions to NASA science, she opened the door to experiences most students only dream of—from collecting data that supports satellite missions to co-authoring peer-reviewed research and visiting NASA facilities. Stories like this remind us that when students are empowered to be part of real science, the possibilities—for learning, inspiration, and future careers in STEM—are truly limitless.
    The GLOBE Observer app, used by Ms. Danke and her students, is made possible by the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC). This free mobile app includes four tools that enable citizen scientists to participate in NASA science: Clouds, Mosquito Habitat Mapper, Land Cover, and Trees. Learn more about ways that you can join and participate in this and other NASA Citizen Science projects. Through these projects, sometimes called “participatory science” projects, volunteers and amateurs have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries, and they are open to everyone around the world (no citizenship required).
    NESEC is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AE28A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

    I know this was an experience they will remember forever and they have already told me that they cannot wait to tell their future children about it. It was wonderful meeting you in person and being on site to get a real sense of what you are working on. The boys were especially fascinated by the last two stops on the tour and appreciated learning a little more about how tree height is measured. Thank you again for this incredible opportunity.”

    Ms. Deanna Danke
    Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Expanding Access to Free, High-Quality Pre-K on the Valley Isle

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Expanding Access to Free, High-Quality Pre-K on the Valley Isle

    Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke Visits North and South Maui’s New Public Preschools

     

    MAUI, HAWAIʻI — Some of Maui’s youngest learners welcomed special visitors this week as Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke visited new public pre-kindergarten classrooms at Haʻikū Elementary and Kīhei Elementary. Luke, who leads the state’s Ready Keiki initiative to expand access to preschool statewide, was joined by Senator Lynn DeCoite and Representative Terez Amato.

    The new classroom at Haʻikū Elementary marks the first public preschool on Maui’s North Shore. Similarly, Kīhei Elementary’s classroom is the first of its kind on the island’s South Shore.

    “Every child in Hawaiʻi deserves a strong start—no matter their ZIP code,” said Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke. “We’re working to expand access to preschool in every community, especially in places like Maui where families have waited too long for these opportunities. By investing in early learning, we’re also investing in Hawaiʻi’s future and making it easier for local families to stay and thrive right here at home.”

    These new classrooms not only support young learners but also help strengthen local communities and give local families a reason to stay and raise their children in Hawaiʻi.

    Senator Lynn DeCoite (District 7 – Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe, and Molokini) joined the visit to Haʻikū Elementary. “When we ensure that our keiki are ready for success from an early age, we’re not just preparing them for school—we’re preparing them for life,” says DeCoite. “Expanding preschool access in rural areas like Upcountry, Hāna, and Molokaʻi is essential for building an equitable future for all. A heartfelt mahalo to Lieutenant Governor Luke for her unwavering support and dedication to the well-being of our keiki.”

    In the wake of the Lahaina fires, the need for child care and preschool has grown significantly. Kīhei Elementary has welcomed an influx of students across grade levels and continues to meet the evolving needs of the Maui community.

    “I am proud that we have this new preschool, a foundation for success in life and a necessity for working parents in South Maui,” said Representative Terez Amato (District 11 – Portions of Mā‘alaea, Kīhei, Keawakapu, Wailea, Mākena, Kanahena, and Keone‘ōio). “Kīhei families are grateful to Lieutenant Governor Luke for her solid support of our keiki and our community.”

    The free, public pre-K classrooms are operated by the state’s Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL), with a total of seven school sites on Maui.

    EOEL Public Pre-K Program Campuses on Maui:

    Haʻikū Elementary School

    Kīhei Elementary School

    Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School

    Wailuku Elementary School

    Hāna High & Elementary School

    Kula Elementary School

    Pukalani Elementary School

    The Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) is now accepting applications for the 2025–2026 school year. Children must be 3 or 4 years old on or before July 31 of the school year for which they are applying.

    • March 3–June 30: Priority enrollment period. Preference is given to children who live in the geographic area of the school.
    • July 1–End of school year: Open enrollment.

    For more information on eligibility and applying, contact EOEL at (808) 784-5350.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Afreximbank commissions first-of-its-kind African Trade Centre in Abuja, Nigeria – marking a new era for Intra-African trade

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

    ABUJA, Nigeria, April 11, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Multilateral Bank African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has officially commissioned its first Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) today in Abuja, Nigeria, ushering in a transformative era for trade and investment in Africa.

    During the grand commissioning ceremony, speakers, including Hon. Dr. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of Federation, Nigeria representing H. E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, The Federal Republic of Nigeria, highlighted the AATC’s strategic importance, its pivotal role in shaping Africa’s economic future and the significant impact it is poised to make on Africa’s trade and investment landscape.

    Speaking at the Ceremony, Dr. Akume stated, “Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) is a landmark project that embodies our shared commitment to advancing Intra-African Trade, fostering economic integration and unlocking a vast potential of our continent. This occasion is a realisation of a bold vision for Africa’s economic future. AATC stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, resilience and forward-thinking leadership. It is more than a physical structure; it is the beginning of innovation, a hub for entrepreneurship and a catalyst for sustainable development.

    He added, “This centre will serve as a critical platform for trade facilitation, capacity building and investment promotion – key pillars of Africa’s economic transformation. Afreximbank’s role in shaping Africa’s trade landscape cannot be overstated because the institution has consistently demonstrated its commitment to breaking down barriers, bridging financing gaps and empowering African businesses to be competitive. All these have been accomplished through flagship projects such as the AfCFTA adjustment fund that is managed by Afreximbank’s subsidiary, Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), PAPSS and other Trade Finance Programmes. The AATC located in Abuja represents yet another milestone in this journey and this aligns perfectly with Nigeria’s strategic priorities under the Federal Government’s eight-point agenda, particularly in the areas of job creation, economic diversification, and regional integration. As we commission this remarkable edifice today, let us renew our resolve to be the stronger, more interconnected and prosperous Africa.”

    Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, echoed this sentiment, remarking, “The Abuja AATC is the first of several AATCs being developed across Africa and the Caribbean. Some would be Afreximbank owned while others would be supported through a franchise-scheme. With these, we expect to create a sizeable network of AATCs that will act as the lighthouses to guide the interconnections and flow of trade and investments within continental Africa and between Africa and Caribbean regions. This AATC Abuja has been a 41-month journey, one built on hope and determination. Like the other AATCs, the Abuja AATC would serve a multi-purpose goal; it will serve as a platform for fostering deeper regional and continental integration and house Afreximbank’s permanent regional office, bringing a three-decade-old aspiration to fruition. This AATC will also offer a technology incubation hub, an SME incubation facility, a Digital Africa Trade Gateway, a conference and exhibition facility and a business hotel.”

    Prof. Orama thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for its support noting that the relationship between the Bank and Nigeria has been truly mutually beneficial and most cordial. “Over the last three decades, successive governments have accorded unflinching support to Afreximbank, responding most positively to capital calls, creating a congenial environment for its smooth operations while providing the Bank significant domestic policy support that helped to execute many of the development programmes in Nigeria.” He said.

    With the opening of the Abuja AATC, Afreximbank continues its mission to promote intra-African trade and investment opportunities, laying the groundwork for a more prosperous and integrated African economy.

    Over 500 distinguished guests attended the commissioning ceremony, notably, Hon. William F. Duguid, J.P. Senior Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Republic of Barbados, Hon. Sylvester Grisby, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Liberia, Hon. Adebayo Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Nigeria and his counterpart, Hon. Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, Minister of Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigeria as well as Nigeria’s former Vice President Hon. Namadi Sambo. Hon. Bockaire Kalokoh, Deputy Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone and Hon. Sheilla Chikomo, Deputy Minister Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Zimbabwe represented their respective countries. The event was also well attended by business leaders led by billionaire entrepreneur Mr. Aliko Dangote, Founder and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Mr Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp Group, policymakers, pan-African CEOs, and entrepreneurs.

    Their presence showcased a shared vision and determination to enhance trade across Africa, as they pledged to work together to leverage the AATC for the continent’s economic transformation.

    The Abuja AATC comprises two interconnected nine-storey towers. One tower features world-class commercial A-grade office spaces, a trade and exhibition centre, a conference centre, a technology and SME incubator, a Digital Trade Gateway and a trade information services hub. The adjoining tower boasts a 148-room business hotel, seminar and meeting rooms, a wellness centre, a restaurant and other ancillary facilities. These features are designed to provide a comprehensive ecosystem for trade and business activities, catering to the diverse needs of African businesses. It will also host office spaces for local and international financial institutions and policy organisations, ensuring a complete support system for trade and business activities.

    The AATC building is expected to achieve gold – and potentially platinum – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a globally recognised standard for sustainable building design and construction. This certification will make the Abuja AATC one of the few certified buildings in Nigeria and West Africa, underscoring its commitment to environmental sustainability.

    The global architect Messrs SVA International developed a multifaceted global design, drawing inspiration from the concept of a bazaar, which reflects the vibrant feature of daily life in many African cities. Construction of the USD120 million project commenced in November 2021 on a prime piece of land measuring 5,856 square meters and achieved completion in 41 months.

    The Abuja Afreximbank African Trade Centre (Abuja AATC) is the first of seven planned AATCs across Africa, including Kampala, Uganda, Harare, Zimbabwe, Cairo, Egypt, Yaoundé, Cameroon, Tunis, Tunisia, and Kigali, Rwanda. In addition, Afreximbank recently broke ground in Bridgetown, Barbados, to construct the first AATC outside of Africa. Through franchising and licensing arrangements, the Bank intends to partner with relevant institutions and economic development organizations to establish non-Bank owned ATCs in the rest of Global Africa. These AATCs will serve to link buyers, sellers, suppliers, service providers, enterprises, governments, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, economic development organisations and the general African and global trade and investment community.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Italy’s Minister of University and Research Ms Anna Maria Bernini calls on Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Source: Government of India

    Italy’s Minister of University and Research Ms Anna Maria Bernini calls on Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

    The two Ministers discuss deepening collaboration in Quantum Technologies, AI, and Biotechnology

    Dr Jitendra Singh recalls bilateral discussions between PM Modi and PM Meloni on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Brazil

    India and Italy Sign MoU to Boost Cooperation in Science and Technology

    Indo-Italian programme to include 10 research initiatives and 10 collaborative initiatives

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 3:25PM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant move to enhance bilateral scientific cooperation, Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, currently on India visit, called on Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Dept. of Space, Dept. of Atomic Energy met with Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, for a high-level meeting at North Block here.

    The hallmark of the meeting was the signing of an MoU of cooperation by the two Ministers. The discussions between the two dignitaries centered on advancing joint initiatives in quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other emerging sectors.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled the bilateral discussions between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil, which culminated in the announcement of a Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029. The plan outlines a shared vision for collaborative innovation in science and technology.

    As part of this vision, both nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of scientific research and agreed to implement the 2025–2027 Executive Programme for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, aimed at fostering collaboration in critical technologies like AI and digitalization.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to bilateral research, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the signing of the Indo-Italian Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC) for 2025–2027 on 10th April 2025 during the Joint Science & Technology Committee Meeting.Under the EPOC framework, both countries have successfully implemented over 150 joint research projects to date.

    The current programme includes joint funding for 10 research mobility proposals and 10 significant collaborative research initiatives across a wide range of scientific disciplines.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s robust progress in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performance Computing (HPC), Big Data, and biotechnology. He noted that India’s strategic investments and policies are steering the nation toward becoming a global hub of emerging technologies.

    Sharing key achievements, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned about India’s pioneering development of a DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, which was later gifted to many countries in need.The development and launch of the HPV vaccine and Nafithromycin, an indigenous antibiotic for respiratory infections.The country’s first-ever gene therapy trial, which has been a success.The creation of a national genome data bank to support personalized medicine and public health research.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh proudly referenced India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, now the third largest globally, with significant contributions from agro-biotech startups. Initiatives such as the Aroma Mission (also known as the Purple Revolution) exemplify innovation in agriculture and floriculture.

    He also highlighted the impact of technology-driven schemes like the Soil Health Card and Swamitva Yojana, which have revolutionized agriculture through drone technology.

    Reflecting India’s commitment to preserving ancient wisdom through modern science, Dr. Singh spoke of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) — a unique initiative that digitizes and protects traditional Indian knowledge using cutting-edge technology.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh, also the Minister of Earth Sciences, briefed the delegation about India’s ambitious Deep Ocean Mission, which aims to send an Indian submersible 6,000 meters deep into the ocean. The trial dive up to 500 meters is set to commence next year.

    Both countries reiterated their commitment to long-standing cooperation in fields such as Infectious diseases, Quantum technologies, green hydrogen and renewable energy, Cultural heritage preservation technologies and Sustainable Blue Economy.

    They also agreed to explore new collaborative areas such as Industry 4.0, Clean energy.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh also identified other mutual sectors, including academic and industrial partnerships involving SMEs and startups from both nations.

    Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology were also part of the high-level meet.

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    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2120928) Visitor Counter : 71

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Outermost regions (ORs) – 10-04-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Union supports the development of its most remote regions, known as the outermost regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain). The purpose of this support is to compensate for the constraints arising from the geographical remoteness of these regions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: ICE arrest of alien statutory rapist in Virginia #shorts #shortvideo #ice #immigration #crimenews

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

    FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Fairfax County convicted this statutory rapist of “consensual sex with a child.” Ander Cortez-Mendez originally faced charges of having sex with a child between the ages of 13-14 years old.

    Take a look at his case:

    March 18, 2024 — We lodged a detainer against this illegal Guatemalan sex offender with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

    May 20, 2024 — A Fairfax County judge gave him a 3-month sentence — then suspended it!

    Fairfax County didn’t honor our detainer — instead, they released him back into the community.

    April 2, 2025 — We arrested him on the street.

    Press release: www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-federal-partners-arrest-illegal-guatemalan-sex-offender-northern-virginia

    #shorts #shortsvideo #shortsyoutube

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Salazar Asks Administration for Deferred Action on Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar’s (FL-27)

    strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to offer Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who were legally paroled into the United States through the CHNV program. The letter highlights the unique crises in these countries and proposes DED as a solution to ensure proper vetting while maintaining America’s commitment to protecting those fleeing persecution and violence.

    “We must protect the promises made to the people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela with both compassion and security in mind,” said Rep. Salazar. “These countries are plagued by communist, repressive dictatorships and gang violence. While we restore law and order here at home, DED will allow us to vet these individuals thoroughly, deport those who don’t qualify, and uphold America’s legacy as a beacon of hope.”

    In her letter, dated April 9, 2025, Rep. Salazar outlines the unprecedented migration crisis in the Western Hemisphere, exacerbated by the previous administration’s policies that allowed over 10 million people to cross the southern border, many illegally. She praises the current administration’s efforts to work with countries south of the border to control the situation and emphasizes the distinct challenges in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—nations marked by oppressive regimes and instability. Salazar argues that DED, a discretionary presidential authority, would enable case-by-case assessments, ensuring that only those genuinely fleeing harm remain, while fraudulent entrants or criminals are swiftly deported.

    The full text of the letter is attached HERE for reference.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the Panama Canal: “We’re taking back the canal.”

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the Panama Canal: “We’re taking back the canal.”

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Reciprocity and Fairness in Global Trade

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    President Trump continues to put American workers first by bringing trading partners around the world to the table with a fresh perspective to achieve reciprocity and fairness. Many negotiations are now underway.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9X5a8lCpmE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New Development Bank and National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Sign MoU to accelerate Infrastructure and Sustainable Development Projects in India

    Source: New Development Bank

    On April 8, 2025, the New Development Bank (NDB) and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), one of India’s premier development financial institutions (DFI), signed in Mumbai a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)   to establish a strategic framework for cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

    This collaboration will facilitate joint infrastructure investments in India and create a framework for the exchange of technical knowledge.

    NaBFID aims to work with NDB on clean energy and transportation projects, including renewable energy initiatives and sustainable water and sewage management, among others. The MoU also lays the foundation for both organisations to participate in infrastructure projects through thematic-level collaborations within their respective mandates.

    Additionally, NDB and NaBFID will partner in research and capacity-building initiatives, including seminars and workshops, to promote knowledge sharing and enhance institutional capabilities.

    NDB has approved nearly USD 10 billion in loans for 28 major infrastructure projects in India, including the Chennai, Indore, and Mumbai metro systems, the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System, and the Namo Bharat high-speed trains. Additionally, this funding supports the development of urban and rural roads, bridges and highways; water and sanitation; clean energy and USD 2 billion for COVID-19 emergency aid and economic recovery.

    Mr. Vladimir Kazbekov, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, NDB, said, “We are delighted to partner with NaBFID to drive India’s infrastructure and social sector development. We are proud of the activities we have undertaken in our founding member country generating a robust USD 10 billion portfolio in a short time span. This MoU reflects our shared vision of fostering economic growth while promoting sustainable and inclusive development.”

    Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Rajkiran Rai G., Managing Director, NaBFID, said, “This collaboration with NDB marks a significant step in our commitment to nation-building and sustainable development. This MoU will help NaBFID accelerate infrastructure financing in clean energy and social impact projects, creating long-term value for all stakeholders.”

    About NDB 

    The New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) with the purpose of mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). In 2021, NDB welcomed its first non-founding members and continues to expand, positioning itself as a platform for wider collaboration amongst EMDCs.  Since 2015, NDB has committed USD 35.6 billion in financing for 108 projects across sectors such as clean energy, transport, water and sanitation, environmental protection, social and digital infrastructure.

    About NaBFID

    National Bank for Financing Infrastructure Development (NaBFID) is a Development Financial Institution (DFI) established in April 2021. NaBFID is dedicated to accelerating the development of India’s infrastructure ecosystem by addressing the long-term financing needs of the sector. NaBFID plays a pivotal role in driving the nation’s economic growth and fostering sustainable development.

    NaBFID is committed towards its vision of becoming a strong provider of impact investment, catalysing infrastructure funding for transformative growth of India.

    NaBFID aims to be a key partner in helping India achieve its ambitious infrastructure development objectives – responsibly and sustainably. Additionally, NaBFID will work towards developing a deep and liquid market for bonds, loans, and derivatives for infrastructure financing.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Report by the Representative on Freedom of the Media to the OSCE Permanent Council: Joint Statement, April 2025.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    Report by the Representative on Freedom of the Media to the OSCE Permanent Council: Joint Statement, April 2025.

    UK and others call for action to uphold safety of journalists and media freedom against a deteriorating background within some OSCE countries.

    Thank you Mr. Chair,  

    I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States that are members of the informal Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists namely Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and my own country, Lithuania. 

    First of all we welcome the Representative on Freedom of the Media Mr. Jan Braathu – dear Jan-  to the Permanent Council and thank him for his first report since taking on this role.   

    We reaffirm our strong support for the autonomous mandate of the Representative on Freedom of the Media, which plays a vital role in monitoring media developments in participating States, providing early warning on violations, and promoting compliance with OSCE commitments. 

    Mr. Chair, 

    We believe there is no genuine security without media freedom, and no media freedom without journalists being able to carry out their work safely. Unfortunately, despite the commitments of participating States, the environment for journalists across the OSCE region is extremely concerning, as they face physical and online violence, legal harassment, including strategic lawsuits against public participation, arbitrary detention, forced disappearance and even death for simply doing their job.  

    Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, with the complicity of Belarus, has directly impacted media freedom and the safety of journalists. As Russia‘s atrocities in Ukraine continue, Reporters Without Borders has recorded that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, nearly 150 journalists have become victims of Russian abuses performing their duties. 13 journalists have been killed by Russian forces. 47 journalists have been injured while reporting as a result of attacks by Russian forces. 19 Ukrainian journalists are currently detained by Russia after being mainly arrested in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. According to the Moscow Mechanism reports, Russia uses arbitrary detention and threats against journalists in the temporarily occupied territories to intimidate the population and to eliminate activists. 

    In Russia and Belarus, the systematic crackdown on independent media has reached unprecedented levels. This has resulted in the closure of nearly all independent media organizations, leading to a media and information space almost entirely controlled by the state apparatus. At least 38 journalists and media actors are unjustly imprisoned in Russia, part of over 1500 political prisoners. In Belarus, at least 45 journalists and media actors are unjustly imprisoned among more than 1200 political prisoners. Many more journalists and media actors have been forced into exile. We call on both Russia and Belarus to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, including those held by Russia in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. 

    We are increasingly concerned about the deteriorating media freedom situation in other participating States, where journalists are labelled under so-called foreign agent laws and hindered from performing their duties. We urge Georgia to immediately and unconditionally release all journalists who are arbitrarily detained or arrested, and to engage in constructive dialogue with the RFoM and ODIHR to align its laws and actions with OSCE commitments. In Azerbaijan,  there has been an unsettling rise in cases brought against journalists and independent media outlets. We call on Azerbaijan to ensure all citizens‘ fundamental rights and to provide safe and dignified conditions for detainees in line with its OSCE commitments, including  access to health and independent legal services.  All those detained for exercising their fundamental rights should be released. We also echo the statement by the RFoM on March 27 calling for the swift release of journalists arrested in Türkiye while covering demonstrations. 

    Mr. Chair, 

    In this context, the role of the RFoM is more important than ever. We commend the RFoM’s continued work on the Safety of Journalists by creating a network of National Focal Points, developing guidelines and advising participating states on how to improve the implementation of their commitments from the 2018 Milan Ministerial Council decision. We are pleased to hear that the RFOM is developing a comprehensive capacity-building strategy to ensure that women journalists are able to take part in public debates online and offline without fear of harassment, attacks or violence.  

    Mr Chair 

    As pressure on journalists is often an early sign of a broader deterioration of the human rights situation, we also expect the RFOM to fulfil the early warning and rapid response function in cases of serious non-compliance with our shared commitments regarding freedom of expression and media freedom, including with respect to the protection of journalists and other media actors. 

    Thank you very much for listening.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Adds Direct Trading for Four.Meme Tokens on BNB Chain

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, a leading Web3 non-custodial wallet, has integrated in-wallet direct trading support for Four.Meme, a meme token launchpad on BNB Chain. This new feature allows users to directly access real-time newly created token listings and complete trades within the wallet interface, streamlining the process of engaging with early-stage meme assets on-chain.

    In-wallet direct trading allows users to interact with smart contracts directly through Bitget Wallet, removing the need for third-party intermediaries. This gives users closer access to token launches and greater control over their trades. Users can now search for a token by its contract address in the Bitget Wallet app and complete the trade directly from the token’s detail page. Bitget Wallet also plans to launch an in-app leaderboard to surface trending tokens within the Four.Meme ecosystem.

    Four.Meme has recently gained traction within the BNB Chain ecosystem as a hub for emerging meme token projects. By supporting its in-wallet trading functionality, Bitget Wallet enables users to seamlessly search, monitor, and execute trades of newly launched tokens without switching between platforms. The integration reflects a growing demand for more direct and efficient participation in early-stage on-chain opportunities.

    Looking ahead, Bitget Wallet will continue to optimize infrastructure to support early-stage on-chain asset access across various ecosystems. “We aim to reduce barriers for users engaging with emerging Web3 assets while providing secure, real-time access,” said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “Supporting new formats like direct trading helps us move closer to that goal.”

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is the home of Web3, uniting endless possibilities in one non-custodial wallet. With over 60 million users, it offers comprehensive onchain services, including asset management, instant swaps, rewards, staking, trading tools, live market data, a DApp browser and crypto payment solutions. Supporting over 130 blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges, along with a $300+ million protection fund to ensure safety of users’ assets. Experience Bitget Wallet Lite to start a Web3 journey.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad1aa2e0-9418-4586-b087-6d215d7f4f90

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £450M surge of military support to boost Ukraine’s Armed Forces as UK and Germany chair meeting of 50 nations

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    £450M surge of military support to boost Ukraine’s Armed Forces as UK and Germany chair meeting of 50 nations

    Package will support UK jobs and growth, with equipment and repair contracts connecting UK companies with Ukrainian industry

    The UK is surging rapid military support to Ukraine to put them in the strongest position to secure a lasting peace as partners meet in Brussels for the 27th Ukraine Defence Contact Group, chaired by the UK and Germany.

    The security of the UK and Europe starts in Ukraine, and a major new military support package will be delivered by British and Ukrainian suppliers to help boost Ukraine’s Armed Forces as they continue to defend against Russian attack. As chair of the meeting, the UK has secured ambitious pledges for Ukraine from donor countries.

    Today’s package, worth £450 million, includes £350 million from the UK from this year’s record £4.5 billion military support funding for Ukraine. Further funding is being provided by Norway, via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine.

    The support package will be announced by Defence Secretary John Healey when he chairs the contact group alongside German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius later today, where 50 nations will come together to coordinate urgent military support for Ukraine.

    It will include £160 million of UK funding to provide repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment the UK has already provided to Ukraine – partnering UK companies with Ukrainian industry, supporting the UK economy and skilled jobs.

    Today’s support also includes a new ‘close fight’ military aid package – with funding for radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones – worth more than £250 million, using funding from the UK and Norway. The package builds on the work of the drone capability coalition, led by the UK and Latvia.

    This will include high manoeuvrable first-person view (FPV) drones to attack targets, and drones which can drop explosives on Russian positions. These two types of drones are reported to be responsible for 60-70% of damage currently caused to Russian equipment.

    The new kit will be procured from a mixture of UK and Ukrainian suppliers, demonstrating how investment into Ukraine’s defence supports jobs and the economies of both the UK and Ukraine.

    The £160 million package for equipment repairs and maintenance will ensure vital armoured vehicles and other equipment can get back to the battlefield as quickly as possible. It will be implemented through the UK’s Taskforce HIRST, linking UK and Ukrainian companies to ensure repairs can be conducted in country to ensure that vital equipment is returned to the frontline as quickly as possible.

    The support provides opportunities for British companies to learn lessons from the battlefield and support the UK’s own industrial capabilities, an example of the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership announced by the Prime Minister in action.

    Addressing the contact group, Defence Secretary John Healey MP will say:

    The work of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position and pile pressure on Putin to help force him to end this terrible war.

    We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today’s major package will surge support to Ukraine’s frontline fight.

    2025 is the critical year for Ukraine. Our job as defence ministers is to put into the hands of the Ukrainian war fighters what they need. We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine’s defences.

    Yesterday, [Thursday] the Defence Secretary and his French counterpart, Minister Lecornu, chaired the first meeting of Coalition of the Willing defence ministers, bringing together 30 countries to progress planning for a reassurance force to support a lasting peace in Ukraine.

    The meeting followed a series of high-level meetings of leaders and defence chiefs in the last month to move forward with operational planning.

    This work delivers on the Prime Minister’s four-point plan to support Ukraine by ramping up delivery of weapons and equipment, boosting Ukraine’s defensive capabilities in the long term, working with allies to develop robust security assurances, and keeping up pressure on Putin.

    The UK is fully committed to working with allies to step up support to ensure Ukraine remains in the strongest possible position, which is why £4.5 billion of military support will be provided this year – more than ever before.

    As well as demonstrating leadership through the Ukraine Defence Contact Group and Coalition of the Willing, the UK is also contributing heavily to NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) Command, which is coordinating further support for Ukraine in the form of training and providing more capabilities. Through the International Fund for Ukraine, the UK will manage the NSATU Trust Fund for rapid procurement – which Canada, Denmark and Iceland have already pledged funding towards, to meet Ukraine’s urgent equipment support and logistical needs.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 April 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Speech

    Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting spoke at Unison’s annual health conference in Liverpool.

    Good morning conference.

    Let’s start on a point of agreement.

    The killing of 15 health and rescue workers in Gaza was an appalling and intolerable tragedy.

    Healthcare workers in any context, in any part of the world, should never be a target.

    The international community, or indeed any actors in any conflict, all have a responsibility to protect health and humanitarian aid workers and also to protect innocent civilians.

    And it’s clear that in Gaza, as well as in other conflict zones around the world at the moment, the international community is failing and failing badly.

    So I want to say, as a Unison member, I strongly support the sentiments expressed by our Healthcare Executive.

    But on behalf of our government, we want to see a return to an immediate ceasefire.

    We want to see aid in, people out of harm’s way, an end to this bloody conflict and a state of Palestine alongside a state of Israel, and the just and lasting peace that Israelis and Palestinians deserve.

    I also have to say, having been to the West Bank with Medical Aid for Palestinians and seen first hand the work that they do supporting the health needs of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories, they do brilliant work.

    And I would fully endorse the sentiment of the motion in supporting them, and each of us putting our hands in our pockets to do that.

    But today, I’m here as the first health and social care secretary to address a Unison conference since my […] predecessor, Andy Burnham, did 15 years ago, and I am proud to do so as a Unison member.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Now we’re delivering the change people voted for.

    It’s not all plain sailing and I expect you’ll want to question, even challenge some of the government’s decisions.

    So there’ll be plenty of time for questions.

    And I promise to give you honest answers.

    [Political content has been removed]

    You might not like some of the answers.

    I might not like some of the questions, but the important thing is that we show up and we have that conversation.

    For all the challenges we’re confronting, and there are plenty, nothing I’ve experienced in the last 9 months as our country’s Health and Social Care Secretary has shaken my confidence and conviction that this will be a government that not only gets our NHS back on its feet, but makes sure it’s fit for the future, and shows the bold leadership required to make sure that we also build a national care service worthy of the name.

    Of course, it’s hard.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Six months ago, back here in Liverpool, I spent 2 hours with one of the most remarkable groups of people I’ve ever had the honour of meeting in my life.

    In that room were centuries of training and experience between them of working in the health service.

    But all of that training, all of that experience couldn’t have prepared those people with what they were confronted with in Southport on Monday the 29th of July, as they rushed into that community centre to find children and adults lying on the floor bleeding, some tragically dying.

    The aftermath of an unimaginable, senseless, mindless attack.

    Those people were confronted immediately with the consequences.

    For the staff I met, the trauma still runs deep.

    But on the day itself, the whole NHS team kicked into action.

    From the paramedics who arrived first on the scene and had to make split-second decisions of who to treat first in what order, to give them the best chance of survival.

    The porters rushing children through busy hospital corridors, and the security guards trying to shield other patients and visitors from seeing the horror that the staff were confronting.

    The lab teams who are mobilising blood supplies.

    Receptionists fielding calls from panic-stricken parents.

    The surgical teams fighting to save those young girls’ lives.

    I’m filled with admiration for their care, their expertise and their values.

    As I think about what happened in the aftermath of those brutal attacks, that admiration turns to anger.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Filipino nurses came under attack from racist thugs on their way into work wearing their NHS uniforms.

    GP surgeries closed early out of fear of rioters.

    A Nigerian care worker saw his car torched.

    These people came to our country to care for our sick and vulnerable.

    They bust a gut day in, day out to keep us well.

    If those thugs represented the worst of our country, our health and care workers represent the best.

    This government will never walk by on the other side when it comes to standing up against racist hate, intimidation or violence.

    Because no one should go to work fearing violence, least of all those all of us rely on for our healthcare.

    What happened after Southport was an extreme, but it wasn’t a one off.

    One in every 7 people employed by the NHS have suffered violence at the hands of patients, their relatives or other members of the public.

    This should shame us all.

    So today I can announce we will act to keep NHS staff safe at work.

    Incidents will have to be recorded at a national level.

    Data will be analysed so that those most at risk can be protected.

    Trust boards will be made to report on progress they’re making to keep staff safe.

    Protecting staff from violence is not an optional extra.

    We are making it mandatory.

    Zero tolerance for violence and harassment of NHS staff, campaigned for by Unison.

    [Political content has been removed]

    We invest huge sums of money into training the NHS workforce.

    Then they’re treated like crap. Forced to leave the health service and often leave the country.

    British taxpayers are investing billions in doctors, nurses, paramedics and healthcare assistants only for them to turn up treating patients in Canada or Australia.

    We’ve got to retain the talent we have in the health service and treat our staff with the respect they deserve.

    That means more training and opportunities for nurses who want to progress in their career, and making flexible working easier too.

    It also means paying you for the job you actually do.

    There have been too many disputes because NHS staff have not been paid according to their job description, rather than their job.

    So we’re bringing in a new digital system to make sure the job evaluation scheme is applied fairly across the board.

    [Political content has been removed]

    A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. Campaigned for by Unison.

    [Political content has been removed]

    I owe my life to the NHS. Who cared for me when I went through kidney cancer. It’s a debt of gratitude I will never be able to repay. But I will certainly try.

    You were there for me and I’ll be there for you.

    As the chair said, the scale of the challenge in our NHS is huge.

    [Political content has been removed]

    So our job is twofold.

    First, to get the service back on its feet and treating patients on time again.

    And second, to reform the service for the long term so that it’s fit for the future.

    And I say it’s our job deliberately, because this can’t be done with one man sat behind a desk in Whitehall.

    We will only succeed if this is a team effort, from the Prime Minister to the 1.5 million people who work in the National Health Service.

    When I visited Singapore General Hospital in opposition, they told me about a programme they run.

    It’s called get rid of stupid stuff.

    Does what it says on the tin.

    I thought the NHS could probably do with that.

    Some of you might think I could do with that.

    It’s a common sense idea.

    People working in the health service might have ideas about how to fix it.

    So over the past few months, just as we did when we were in opposition, we’ve been asking NHS staff about the stupid stuff that’s holding them back.

    More than a million people have engaged in what’s been the biggest national conversation since the NHS was founded.

    NHS staff have attended more than 3,000 meetings across the country and online, and if you’ve not made your voice heard yet, you’ve got until 5pm on Monday [14 April 2025] to go to Change.nhs.uk.

    The plan, published later this spring, will take the best ideas from across the NHS, staff and workforce and patients and set out how we’ll deliver the change the NHS needs.

    Shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospital and into the community, with more investment in primary and community care.

    Bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, arming staff with modern equipment and cutting-edge technology.

    Turning our sickness service into a preventative health service to help people live well for longer and tackle the biggest killers.

    The crisis in the NHS is not the fault of staff, but we can’t fix it without you.

    I know how hard it is to battle against a broken system, to give patients the best care you can, only to go home at the end of the day, knowing your best wasn’t good enough.

    But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

    The cavalry is coming.

    My message to everyone working in the NHS is this.

    Stay and help us to rescue and rebuild it.

    The NHS was broken, but it’s not beaten.

    And together we can turn it around.

    Change takes time, but it has already begun.

    In 9 months, this […] government has awarded NHS staff an above-inflation pay rise, ended the resident doctors strikes, invested an extra £26 billion in health and care, the biggest investment in hospices for a generation.

    We’ve agreed the GP contract for the first time since the pandemic, with £889 million more in funding, the biggest uplift in a decade.

    We’ve reversed the decade of cuts to community pharmacy.

    We’ve delivered the extra 2 million more appointments we promised at the election than we did it 7 months early.

    NHS waiting lists have been cut for 5 months in a row and counting.

    80,000 suspected cancer patients were diagnosed early, so lots done, but so much more to do.

    We know there’s a long way to go.

    There’ll be bumps along the way.

    It won’t be plain sailing and we’ll make some mistakes.

    But we are finally putting the NHS on the road to recovery.

    On social care, we’ve been accused of not doing enough.

    I totally understand the cynicism after years of inaction.

    [Political content has been removed]

    Our first step on the road to building a national care service, and I can announce today, will go further for our care professionals.

    We are introducing the first universal career structure for adult social care, setting out four new job roles to give care workers the opportunities to progress in their career.

    With millions of pounds of new investment in their skills and training.

    Keir said his ambition for his sister, who is a care worker, is to command the same respect as her brother, the Prime Minister.

    Her work is so important to the future of our country.

    [Political content has been removed]

    But be in no doubt about the weight on our shoulders.

    I’m certainly not.

    Not only the responsibility to millions of people who are being failed by the NHS and social care services, but also to prove to a sceptical public that the NHS can change and deliver the timely, quality care people expect in 2025.

    On the 75th anniversary of the NHS, an opinion poll showed that the health service makes the majority of the British people proud of our country, greater than the pride we feel for any other aspect of our history or culture.

    But the same poll revealed that 7 in 10 believe that the NHS founding principle of healthcare, free at the point of need, won’t survive the next 10 years.

    The failure of public services to meet the needs of the people is one of the fertilisers of populism we see across liberal democracies.

    [Political content has been removed]

    We will always defend the NHS as a public service, free at the point of use, so that when you fall ill, you never have to worry about the bill.

    [Political content has been removed]

    That’s why I say it’s change or die.

    The stakes are high.

    The challenge is enormous, but the prize is huge.

    A service that values all of its workforce as an asset to be nurtured, not a cost to be minimised.

    Where staff are proud to work because their patients receive the best possible care.

    An NHS there for us when we need it.

    Once again, it won’t be easy.

    It will take time.

    But if we get this right, we will be able to look back on this time and say that we were the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet and made it fit for the future, and built a national care service worthy of the name.

    Change has begun, but the best is still to come.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: African Land Forces Summit 2025 concludes in Ghana

    Source: United States Army

    U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Andrew Gainey, commanding general, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF),speaks during the closing ceremony of the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2025 in Accra, Ghana, April 10. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff and co-hosted by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Forces, ALFS 2025 brings together senior leaders from across Africa and other partner nations, April 7-10, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, to address shared security challenges. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) VIEW ORIGINAL

    ACCRA, Ghana – U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) concluded the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2025 today with a closing ceremony.

    Sponsored by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, ALFS 25 ran from April 7–10 and brought together land force commanders from nearly 40 African countries, other partner nations, academic thought leaders, and government officials for open dialogue about shared challenges. This year’s theme was “Optimizing Land Forces for the Emerging Security Environment.”

    “This week reminded us of the importance of partnerships. It was an absolute honor to meet with the great leaders in this room and to co-host this fantastic summit with such a great partner,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Andrew C. Gainey, commanding general, SETAF-AF.

    In line with the summit’s message of partnership, he urged participants to turn insights into action, stressing the importance of unity and shared purpose in Africa’s security development.

    “As we conclude another successful summit, I encourage all of you to apply the valuable lessons learned and to continue to work together to build the multinational connections,” Gainey said.

    Ghana Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Lawrence Gbetanu, chief of the army staff, speaks during the closing ceremony of the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2025 in Accra, Ghana, April 10. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff and co-hosted by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Forces, ALFS 2025 brings together senior leaders from across Africa and other partner nations, April 7-10, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, to address shared security challenges. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) VIEW ORIGINAL

    GAF served as the co-host and host nation for the event alongside SETAF-AF. Throughout the week, land forces commanders from across Africa engaged in discussions guided by subject-matter experts.

    “It has been a great opportunity for strategic engagements, insightful deliberations and networking,” said Maj. Gen. Lawrence Gbetanu, chief of the army staff, Ghana Armed Forces.

    Ernest Brogya Genfi, Ghana deputy minister of defense, speaks during the closing ceremony of the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2025 in Accra, Ghana, April 10. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff and co-hosted by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Forces, ALFS 2025 brings together senior leaders from across Africa and other partner nations, April 7-10, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, to address shared security challenges. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) VIEW ORIGINAL

    Ernest Brogya Genfi, deputy minister of defence, Republic of Ghana, who officially closed the summit, emphasized that the success of the summit is not only marked by the weight of deliberations and valuable ideas, but also the opportunities it created for strategic engagement and networking.

    “This summit has been a breeding ground for the development of bilateral and multilateral agreements to address our common defence and security challenges,” Genfi continued.

    “Ghana remains steadfast in our commitment to play leading roles in arrangements such as this which provides a platform for our allies and friendly nations to deliberate on our common challenges,” said Genfi.

    Attendees salute the flag of Ghana during the opening ceremony of the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2025 in Accra, Ghana, April 10. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff and co-hosted by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Forces, ALFS 2025 brings together senior leaders from across Africa and other partner nations, April 7-10, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, to address shared security challenges. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Aaliyah Craven) VIEW ORIGINAL

    About ALFS

    Sponsored by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff and co-hosted by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Ghana Armed Force, ALFS 202 brings together senior leaders from across Africa and other partner nations, to discuss shared security challenges. ALFS content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

    About SETAF-AF

    SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

    Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Large language models no longer require powerful servers

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Scientists from Yandex, HSE, MIT, KAUST and ISTA have made a breakthrough in LLM optimization. The Yandex Research artificial intelligence laboratory, together with leading scientific and technological universities, has developed a method for quickly compressing large language models (LLM) without losing quality. Now, a smartphone or laptop is enough to work with the models, and there is no need to use expensive servers and powerful GPUs.

    The method allows for quick testing and implementation of new solutions based on neural networks, saving time and money on development. This makes LLM more accessible not only for large companies, but also for small ones, non-profit laboratories and institutes, individual developers and researchers.

    Previously, to run a language model on a smartphone or laptop, it was necessary to quantize it on an expensive server, which took several weeks. Now, quantization can be done directly on a phone or laptop in a matter of minutes.

    Difficulties in applying LLM

    The difficulty with using large language models is that they require significant computing resources. This is also true for open-source models. For example, one of them, the popular DeepSeek-R1, does not fit even on expensive servers designed for working with artificial intelligence and machine learning. This means that only a limited number of companies can use large models, even if the model itself is openly available.

    The new method allows you to reduce the size of the model while maintaining its quality and run it on more affordable devices. For example, this method can be used to compress even such large models as DeepSeek-R1 with 671 billion parameters and Llama 4 Maverick with 400 billion parameters, which until now could only be quantized using the simplest methods with a significant loss in quality.

    The new quantization method opens up more opportunities for using LLM in various fields, especially where resources are limited, such as education or the social sphere. Startups and independent developers can now use compressed models to create innovative products and services without spending money on expensive equipment. Yandex itself is already using the new method for prototyping — creating working versions of products and quickly testing ideas: compressed models are tested faster than their original versions.

    More about the new method

    The new quantization method is called HIGGS (from Hadamard Incoherence with Gaussian MSE-optimal GridS). It allows neural networks to be compressed without using additional data and without computationally complex parameter optimization. This is especially useful in situations where there is not enough suitable data to further train the model. The method provides a balance between quality, model size, and quantization complexity, which allows models to be used on a wide range of devices.

    The method has already been tested on popular models Llama 3, Llama 4 and Qwen 2.5. Experiments have shown that HIGGS is the best quantization method in terms of quality to model size ratio among all existing data-free quantization methods, including GPTQ (GPT Quantization) and AWQ (Activation-Aware Quantization).

    Scientists from the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology (ISTA), and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST, Saudi Arabia) participated in the development of the method.

    The HIGGS method is now available to developers and researchers at Higging Fake And Gitkhov, and a scientific article about it can be read at archive.

    Reaction of the scientific community, other methods

    A scientific article describing the new method has been accepted to one of the world’s largest conferences on artificial intelligence, NAACL (The North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics), which will be held from April 29 to May 4, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Along with Yandex, such companies and universities as Google, Microsoft Research, Harvard University, and others will participate. The article has already been cited by the American company Red Hat AI, Peking University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Fudan University, and others.

    Earlier, Yandex scientists presented 12 scientific studies in the field of quantization of large language models. In this way, the company aims to make the use of these models more efficient, less energy-consuming and accessible to all developers and researchers. For example, the Yandex Research team previously developed methods compression of large language models, helping to reduce computing costs by almost eight times without significantly losing the quality of neural network responses. The team also created service, which allows you to run a model with 8 billion parameters on a regular computer or smartphone through a browser interface even without large computing power.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Slam Trump DHS for Targeting Students at Los Angeles Elementary Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff Slam Trump DHS for Targeting Students at Los Angeles Elementary Schools

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) issued the following joint statement after agents from the Department of Homeland Security attempted to enter two Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools earlier this week, targeting students for immigration enforcement:

    “We are outraged that Homeland Security agents attempted to conduct immigration enforcement activities targeting students at two elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) earlier this week. ICE and immigration enforcement do not belong in schools — let alone elementary schools — and have no business targeting young children. Schools are a place of learning where children deserve to feel safe and supported, not terrified of being arrested regardless of their immigration status or that of their family members.

    “The principals and staff did the right thing by following LAUSD protocol and asking the agents to produce a signed warrant, which the agents could not do, stopping the agents in their tracks. Our offices have demanded to speak with ICE for an explanation and will continue to fight against harmful and dangerous immigration enforcement actions and policies that threaten the health and well-being of our children, schools, and communities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Launches Contract Risk Detection Tool to Strengthen Security

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, a leading Web3 non-custodial wallet, has introduced the token contract risk detection feature to strengthen transaction security across its platform. The feature enables users to screen for potential risks before engaging with tokens, reflecting Bitget Wallet’s continued commitment to user protection and transparency in decentralized finance.

    The feature is now available for tokens on six major blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Base, Polygon, and Arbitrum. Accessible directly within the token candlestick chart interface, users can review essential contract data, including permission status, token distribution among top holders, and burn ratios. These indicators help identify potential vulnerabilities such as excessive centralization or active minting permissions, which may signal higher risk.

    As onchain participation increases and interest in long-tail assets grows, users are navigating an increasingly fragmented and complex token landscape. Without reliable data, it becomes challenging to assess token credibility and contract behavior. According to the Onchain Report, 37% of users cite security risks as their top concern when using crypto for payments or transfers, highlighting the demand for accessible tools that address these challenges. The launch of Bitget Wallet’s detection tool aims to bridge this gap with greater clarity and control.

    The new tool complements Bitget Wallet’s broader security framework, which includes MEV protection by default, onchain transaction simulation, and integrated threat detection. Together, these measures form a comprehensive protection system designed to minimize user exposure to malicious contracts and trading vulnerabilities.

    “As DeFi adoption accelerates, providing users with accessible tools to evaluate risk is no longer optional — it’s essential,” said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “This feature is part of our broader strategy to empower users with the information they need to navigate Web3 safely and confidently.”

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is the home of Web3, uniting endless possibilities in one non-custodial wallet. With over 60 million users, it offers comprehensive onchain services, including asset management, instant swaps, rewards, staking, trading tools, live market data, a DApp browser and crypto payment solutions. Supporting over 130 blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges, along with a $300+ million protection fund to ensure safety of users’ assets.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e0577b2-31b5-4adc-9dbd-da552ed64f8e

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Ecuador

    Source:

    We’ve reviewed our advice for Ecuador and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution for Ecuador overall. Ecuador is in a state of ‘internal armed conflict’ due to crime. The security environment may change at short notice. Monitor the media and follow the advice of local authorities (see ‘Safety’). Do not travel within 20km of the border with Colombia, except the official border crossing at Tulcan, due to the high risk of kidnapping and violent crime associated with drug-related criminal organisations.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Meets with Quad City Chamber and Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development to Discuss Impact of Trump’s Tariffs on Local Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 10, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with members of the Quad City Chamber and the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development (KCAP) to discuss the harmful impacts Trump’s chaotic trade and other actions are having on the local economy and workers—including the whiplash surrounding his sweeping tariffs, illegal pauses in federal funding and needless trade wars. Duckworth also spoke about how Trump’s blanket tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China negatively impact Illinois consumers, workers and the local manufacturing industry. Photos from today’s meeting with the Quad City Chamber can be found on the Senator’s website.
    “Whether imposing sweeping tariffs then pausing them with no warning, starting trade wars or freezing federal funding, Trump’s chaotic and uncertain decision-making is harming Illinois’s workforce and manufacturers, while pushing away our nation’s allies around the world,” Duckworth said. “The consequences of Trump’s needless trade wars will hurt key Illinois manufacturers and small businesses, which employ many hardworking, middle-class workers across our state’s communities. I’m proud to work alongside our local leaders at the Quad City Chamber and KCAP as we continue to push back against Trump and his one-sided political interests.”
    The Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development (KCAP) launched in 2015 to provide economic development services to the Galesburg and Knox County region. The Quad Cities Chamber is made up of the most diverse network of influential business leaders in the Quad Cities region. Their members are committed to advancing the Quad Cities economy and to helping each other succeed.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Republicans Block Duckworth, Blumenthal and Sanders’ Resolutions to Condemn Trump-Musk Attacks on Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 09, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and former SVAC Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called for unanimous consent on the Senate Floor to pass three resolutions that would condemn the Trump Administration’s egregious cuts and firings targeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Veterans across the federal government. Senate Republicans blocked every single one of them. Video of Senator Duckworth’s remarks are available on her YouTube.
    “Two power-hungry billionaires who never served a day of their lives in uniform are taking a chainsaw to the VA, jeopardizing Veterans’ care as well as firing Veterans by the thousands,” said Duckworth. “And, by blocking our resolutions that simply condemn these reckless actions today, Republicans are once again cheering on Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s complete betrayal of our nation’s heroes. Republicans like to claim that they support our Veterans, but their actions tell a different story. Shame on Senate Republicans for continuing to kick more and more of our heroes to the curb—they own these votes and will have to answer for them.”
    “The VA is in crisis. We need to take action for our Veterans and VA employees who are deeply disserved and damaged by the Trump and Musk cruel slash and trash regime,” said Blumenthal. “Yet, when my colleagues and I asked for unanimous consent to reverse these draconian and indiscriminate cuts—Republicans once again blocked our resolutions to restore the VA and federal Veteran workforce. Now more than ever, Veterans need assurances both parties will stand up to protect the benefits and health care they earned—especially the life-saving mental health care they rely on.”
    “The VA is not perfect. It needs improvement. But the idea that you can lay off 83,000 employees and make the VA more efficient is absurd. It is disturbing to me that anyone who claims to support Veterans and the sacrifices they have made would object to this resolution,” said Sanders.
    The Senators called for unanimous consent on the following resolutions, which were blocked by Senate Republicans:
    Duckworth’s resolution to condemn the Trump and Musk assault on the federal workforce, and demand the immediate reinstatement of all Veteran federal employees illegally and indiscriminately fired since Trump took office.
    Blumenthal’s resolution to condemn actions taken by Trump and Elon Musk negatively impacting Veterans’ mental health care and suicide prevention efforts, including the mass firing of VA employees serving Veterans. It also calls for all VA mental health care and suicide prevention efforts to be fully staffed and resourced—not the subject of additional cuts.
    Sanders’ resolution to condemn and rescind Trump and Musk’s disastrous proposal to reduce the VA workforce to Fiscal Year 2019 levels by cutting 83,000 jobs.
    Duckworth has consistently led efforts to stick up for our Veterans and push back on harmful policies and layoffs from the Trump Administration that are hurting our nation’s heroes.
    Last month, Duckworth and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced their Protect Veteran Jobs Act, legislation that would reinstate the thousands of Veterans who were fired from their jobs as part of Trump and Musk’s indiscriminate purge of federal employees. When Duckworth and Kim subsequently introduced their legislation as an amendment to Republicans’ slush fund continuing resolution, Republicans shamefully blocked it from passing. Today marks the second time Republicans are on the record as being against restoring our heroes’ jobs.
    In February, Duckworth joined Blumenthal and a group of 34 Democratic Senators calling on Department of VA Secretary Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated earlier that month who serve Veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees addressing Veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Pushes for More Cooperation with Indo-Pacific Partners on Medical Readiness and Strategic Sealift to Support Servicemembers Abroad

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 10, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—urged Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr. and Commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) General Brunson to build on their efforts to expand cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners by further implementing her Indo-Pacific Medical Readiness Program and strengthening our sealift fleet, which is aging and insufficient in numbers to support our military in the event of a crisis or conflict. Senator Duckworth’s Indo-Pacific Medical Readiness program—a program she championed in last year’s FY2025 NDAA—will help ensure our nation’s servicemembers as well as their families have access to quality patient care throughout the Indo-Pacific region—where they often must travel long distances to receive care. In her remarks, Duckworth asked whether there were any primary barriers that hinder medical cooperation and how the committee can continue to help implement her program. Duckworth’s full remarks are available on the Senator’s YouTube.
    “We owe it to the troops we send overseas—and their families—to ensure they have access to the high-quality medical care their sacrifices deserve, whether that means getting injured servicemembers to medical facilities within the ‘golden hour’ wherein lives can still be saved or simply ensuring military families are able to deliver their babies safely,” said Duckworth. “I applaud Admiral Paparo and General Brunson’s efforts to improve the logistical readiness of our Armed Forces and with our allies and partners, but there’s more work to do. Everyone knows I’m TRANSCOM’s biggest advocate, and I look forward to continuing to work with INDOPACOM and USFK to address my concerns with medical readiness, strategic sealift and more across the region.”
    In November 2023, the DoD Office of Inspector General released a report identifying repeated challenges that servicemembers and their families face when trying to access quality health care in the Indo-Pacific region, including staffing shortages and limited Tricare network providers. At certain military treatment facilities, many servicemembers are also confronted with limited specialty care, such as obstetrics and physical therapy, impacting their quality of life.
    In addition to her medical readiness provision, Duckworth successfully championed several other important provisions in last year’s NDAA that are supporting our servicemembers and their families, enhancing strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, improving logistics to bolster readiness and energy resiliency as well as continuing to restore American competitiveness.
    Duckworth is a proven leader when it comes to strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and improving security in the region—which she has done while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. Last year, Duckworth led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Taiwan and this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to underscore strong U.S. bipartisan support for our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen our ties in the region. In 2023, Duckworth also led an official visit to Japan and Indonesia as part of her continuing efforts to strengthen ties and reinforce support between allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and the United States. In the summer of that same year, Duckworth also led another official visit to the region, visiting Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines to meet with government and business leaders and discuss opportunities that would increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as economic investments, regional stability and national security.
    Duckworth also successfully included a modified version of her Strengthen Taiwan’s Security Act in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help Taiwan strengthen its military defenses.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Klobuchar, Capito, Colleagues Press FAA on Recent System Outages

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 10, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation Subcommittee—joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), along with U.S. Representatives Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), in pressing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau on the recent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system outages and the status of past-due upgrades to the system. In the letter, the lawmakers underscored the importance of modernizing this system to keep pilots and millions of passengers who fly every day safe.
    “We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system,” said the lawmakers. “Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day.”
    The bipartisan NOTAM Improvement Act, which was signed into law in 2023, requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. The law now required the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. While the backup system was put in place in July 2024, the required upgrade of the primary system has not yet been completed.
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
    Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau: 
    We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system. 
    Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day. That’s why, following the 2023 outage that led to 1,300 cancelled flights and nearly 10,000 delays, Congress passed our legislation, the NOTAM Improvement Act, to require the FAA to implement a modernized NOTAM system and backup system by September 30, 2024. 
    As you know, the primary NOTAM system experienced outages for several hours on February 1 and March 22. While we are pleased that the backup system is in place as of July 2024 and was successfully activated during that outage, we are concerned about the past due implementation of a modernized NOTAM system, as required by law.
    To better understand the recent outages and FAA’s progress toward implementing an upgraded NOTAM system, we request the following information: 
    What caused the recent NOTAM outages? What steps is the FAA taking to mitigate future outages? 
    How quickly was the backup system activated during the outages? How effective was the backup system, including its performance in comparison to the primary system? 
    Please provide an update on the FAA’s implementation of the NOTAM Improvement Act, particularly the status of efforts to implement an upgraded NOTAM system. 
    Travelers deserve flights that are safe and on time. We urge you to ensure that a modernized NOTAM system is implemented in a timely manner. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. 
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden votes against reckless, deficit-funded GOP budget resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    House-Senate ‘compromise’ contains health care cuts, lopsided tax breaks for the wealthy and trillions in new debt

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) voted today against the Senate Amendment to H. Con. Res. 14 — a compromise budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2025. 

    “You can’t build a good house with rotten wood. This compromise combines the House GOP’s plan to cut health care to pay for millionaires’ tax cuts with a Senate GOP plan to explode the deficit and enshrine accounting gimmicks that set a new low for fiscal instability. I see no way that combining these two bad plans will somehow yield a good one through the reconciliation process,” Golden said. 

    “There’s a better way forward: Congress could target tax cuts to working families, paid for by allowing the expiration of tax cuts for the very wealthy. We don’t need to take away anyone’s health care or pass trillions in new deficit spending to pass a budget that puts the middle class first,” Golden said.

    The proposal on the floor today was a Senate amendment to the GOP budget resolution adopted by the House in February. As amended, the plan:

    • allows for roughly $5.3 trillion in deficit-financed tax cuts, including $3.8 trillion to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which disproportionately benefitted the wealthy;
    • uses an accounting gimmick known as the “current policy baseline” to artificially reduce the legislation’s price tag;
    • instructions for the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion in spending — a target that will be impossible to reach without hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
    • a $5 trillion debt limit increase; and
    • more than $7 trillion in new debt, in total, over the next decade. 

    The elements of the House-Senate compromise budget resolution are stacked against working families: Roughly half the benefit of extending the full 2017 tax package would go to households with annual income over $450,000. The Treasury Department found that the plan would give an average annual tax break of more than $32,000 for those in the top 1 percent, while working families will only get a few hundred dollars in tax cuts per year.

    Cuts to Medicaid would hurt families in the 2nd Congressional District. Medicaid provides health coverage to 236,000 people in CD2 — more than one-third of the population — according to KFF.

    The national debt is currently roughly $29 trillion. Interest on the debt costs the federal government more every year than on national defense or Medicare. It is second only to Social Security as an annual line item in the federal budget.

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden votes to pass bipartisan SAVE Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The bill passed the House 220- 208, with four Democrats voting in favor.

    “The right to vote in American elections should be exclusive to American citizens. Requiring people to prove citizenship when registering to vote is a simple way to ensure that’s happening across the country,” Golden said.

    While noncitizens are ineligible to vote in federal elections, there is no federal law prohibiting them from voting in state or local elections. Currently, municipalities in three states and the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

    The SAVE Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Critics of the billhave argued that the proof of citizenship requirement would prevent people whose names differ from those on their birth certificate from registering to vote. However, the bill contains several provisions to accommodate those whose names have changed since their birth, including accepting several different forms of identification that establish citizenship, as well as a requirement that states establish a process to allow citizens to register when there are discrepancies between an individual’s current and documented name — such as a name change after a marriage or divorce.

    “Life changes like marriage should never affect someone’s eligibility to vote, so the SAVE Act requires states to have a plan for accommodating people whose current name differs from their birth name,” Golden said. “Maine’s leaders work hard to keep our elections fair and I’m confident in their ability to continue doing so.” 

    The bill would require states to remove any noncitizens from their voter registration rolls. Additionally, it penalizes officials who knowingly and willfully register noncitizens to vote in the future. The SAVE Act does not change registration exemptions for Americans serving or living abroad, meaning that those citizens would still be eligible to register and vote by mail.

    Golden also voted for the SAVE Act last September when it passed the 118th Congress by a bipartisan vote of 221-198.

    Golden has been a champion for clean and fair elections throughout his time in Congress. He is an original cosponsor of the Let America Vote Act, which would allow independents to vote in primaries for federal office while barring noncitizens from voting in state and local elections — rules that are inconsistent across state lines. Last Congress he also introduced his Government Integrity and Anti-Corruption Plan to reduce foreign influence and dark money in campaigns.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Extradites Alleged Co-Conspirator of 2008 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks to Face Charges in India

    Source: US State of California

    Mumbai Attacks in 2008 Killed More than 160 People, Including Six Americans, and Wounded Hundreds More

    The United States on Wednesday extradited convicted terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, to stand trial in India on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks.

    Rana, 64, is charged in India with numerous offenses, including conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery, related to his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks committed by Laskhar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Between November 26 and 29, 2008, ten LeT terrorists carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai. They infiltrated the city by sea and then broke into teams, dispersing to multiple locations. Attackers at a train station fired guns and threw grenades into crowds. Attackers at two restaurants shot indiscriminately at patrons. Attackers at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel gunned people down and detonated explosives. Attackers also shot and killed people at a Jewish community center. When the terror finally subsided, 166 victims, including six Americans, were dead, along with all but one of the LeT terrorists. Hundreds more were injured, and Mumbai sustained more than $1.5 billion in property damage. The attacks were among the most horrific and catastrophic in India’s history.

    India alleges that Rana facilitated a fraudulent cover so that his childhood friend David Coleman Headley (Headley), a U.S. citizen born Daood Gilani, could freely travel to Mumbai for the purpose of conducting surveillance of potential attack sites for LeT. As India alleges, Headley had received training from LeT members in Pakistan and was in direct communication with LeT about plans to attack Mumbai. Among other things, Rana allegedly agreed to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration business and appoint Headley as the manager of the office, despite Headley’s having no immigration experience. On two separate occasions, Rana allegedly helped Headley prepare and submit visa applications to Indian authorities that contained information Rana knew to be false. Rana also allegedly supplied, through his unsuspecting business partner, documentation in support of Headley’s attempt to secure formal approval from Indian authorities to open a branch office of Rana’s business. Over the course of more than two years, Headley allegedly repeatedly met with Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance activities on behalf of LeT, LeT’s responses to Headley’s activities, and LeT’s potential plans for attacking Mumbai.

    After the attacks were complete, Rana allegedly told Headley that the Indians “deserved it.” In an intercepted conversation with Headley, Rana allegedly commended the nine LeT terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that “[t]hey should be given Nishan-e-Haider”—Pakistan’s “highest award for gallantry in battle,” which is reserved for fallen soldiers.

    India’s pending proceedings against Rana are not the first proceedings in which Rana has been accused of conspiring to commit violent acts of terrorism. In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison following his trial conviction in the Northern District of Illinois for conspiring to provide material support to LeT and to a foiled LeT-sponsored terrorist plot in Copenhagen, Denmark. As part of those same criminal proceedings, Headley pleaded guilty to 12 federal terrorism charges, including aiding and abetting the murders of the six Americans in Mumbai and later planning to attack a Danish newspaper, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

    In June 2020, the United States acted on a request for Rana’s extradition submitted by the Republic of India, which Rana contested for almost five years. On May 16, 2023, a U.S. magistrate judge in the Central District of California certified Rana’s extradition to India. Rana then filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California denied on August 10, 2023. On August 15, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision. The Supreme Court likewise denied Rana’s petition for certiorari on January 21, 2025. The Secretary of State issued a warrant ordering Rana’s surrender to Indian authorities. Both the district court and the Ninth Circuit denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition, and on April 7, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition.

    On April 9, the U.S. Marshals Service executed the Secretary’s surrender warrant by surrendering Rana to Indian authorities for transportation to India. Rana’s extradition is now complete.

    The extradition litigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Lulejian and David R. Friedman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bram M. Alden of the Central District of California and Deputy Director Christopher J. Smith, Associate Director Kerry A. Monaco, and former Associate Director Rebecca A. Haciski of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Marshals Service and attorneys and international affairs specialists in the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided support to this extradition. The FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in New Delhi also provided assistance.

    U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California on Tuesday transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani national and Canadian citizen, to representatives from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. 
    U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California on Tuesday transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani national and Canadian citizen, to representatives from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.10.2025 Sen. Cruz Applauds Signing of Cryptocurrency Resolution into Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    Published: 04.10.2025
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released a statement following President Trump signing his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution regarding Decentralized Finance (DeFi). This resolution overturns an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rule on cryptocurrency that would have defined certain developers as “brokers” for reporting and taxation. 
    Upon the CRA being signed into law, Sen. Cruz said, “This rule would have undermined American leadership on cryptocurrency and I am grateful to President Trump for signing my resolution into law. The resolution is a victory for innovation, privacy, and economic freedom. We are protecting the developers who are building the future of cryptocurrency, making clear that the United States will not cede digital leadership to China, and preserving the ability of Americans to conduct transactions without government interference.”
    Sen. Cruz is the leader in the U.S. Senate on advancing cryptocurrency.
    Sen. Cruz introduced the Facilitate Lower Atmospheric Released Emissions (FLARE) Act, incentivizing entrepreneurs and crypto miners to use natural gas that would otherwise be stranded.
    Sen. Cruz introduced the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, legislation that prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). This bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
    Sen. Cruz previously introduced legislation in 2022 and 2023 to prohibit the Federal Reserve from developing a direct-to-consumer central bank digital currency, which could be used as a financial surveillance tool by the federal government.
    Sen. Cruz authored the Adopting Cryptocurrency in Congress as an Exchange of Payment for Transactions Resolution, also known as the ACCEPT Resolution.
    Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to repeal a provision from the 2021 infrastructure package that created new reporting requirements for many cryptocurrency and blockchain companies in both the 117th and 118th Congresses.

    MIL OSI USA News –