NewzIntel.com

Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bay Roberts — Driver arrested for impaired operation by Bay Roberts RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 32-year-old man was arrested for impaired operation by Bay Roberts RCMP during a traffic stop that was conducted in Bay Roberts on May 27, 2025.

    Shortly after 12:30 a.m. today, police stopped a vehicle on Conception Bay Highway in Bay Roberts. The officer noted a smell of alcohol coming from the driver and administered a roadside breath test, which resulted in a failure. The driver was arrested and transported to the detachment where he provided further breath tests that were one and half times the legal limit.

    The man’s licence was suspended and the vehicle was seized and impounded.

    He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    If you suspect a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired, please immediately call your local police or 911 and be prepared to provide a description of the vehicle, including a licence plate if possible, and the vehicle’s current location.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hebron — Yarmouth Rural RCMP seeking information after shots fired in Hebron

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Yarmouth Rural RCMP Detachment is seeking information in relation to shots fired in Hebron.

    On May 27 at approximately 2:40 a.m., Yarmouth Rural RCMP Detachment received a report of shots fired at a residence on Greenville Rd. The incident resulted in damage to the home.

    There were no reports of injuries.

    As part of the ongoing investigation, officers would like to hear from anyone with surveillance video or doorbell cameras showing Hwy. 1 (south from Greenville Rd.) and Main St. in Yarmouth between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on May 27. The investigation is being led by Yarmouth Rural RCMP Detachment with support from the RCMP Forensic Identification Section and RCMP Police Dog Services.

    Anyone with information about this incident or video surveillance is asked to contact police at 902-742-9106. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Nominates 15 Western Montana Projects for Federal Funding totaling $64,619,833

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

    Zinke prioritizes infrastructure, law enforcement, and rural development across 13 Counties

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that he requested federal funding for 15 projects in Western Montana to improve infrastructure, economic development, and law enforcement capabilities. The requests were submitted to the House Appropriations Committee of which he is a member. The projects would benefit communities in the following counties: Beaverhead, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Lake (2), Lincoln (2), Missoula (2), Mineral (2), Powell, Ravalli (3), and Sanders (3). The projects are posted on Congressman Zinke’s website for public inspection here and listed below.

    “Rural America’s infrastructure needs have been ignored for too long, as a member of the Appropriations Committee I can ensure our tax dollars are spent on projects that directly support our communities,” said Zinke. “With the help of county commissioners, mayors, and sheriffs, we’ve identified and nominated strong, shovel-ready projects that reflect real community needs and deliver the highest return to Montana taxpayers. These investments will support our law enforcement, expand access to clean water, repair failing infrastructure, and spur economic growth across Western Montana. This is about building a stronger Montana by making sure our families have access to housing, clean water, and safe streets for generations to come.”

    The submissions were made through the U.S. House of Representatives Community Project Funding program, which allows Congress to direct appropriations from specific grant accounts to eligible projects. All projects must meet the published grant requirements and pass a series of legislative hurdles. Every project must be approved by the House Appropriations Committee, the full House of Representatives and be included in the joint funding package approved by the House and Senate and signed by the President. In Fiscal Year 2024, Zinke successfully secured $35 million in funding for Western Montana.  

     

    Proposed projects include:

    *Projects listed by county in alphabetical order 

    Beaverhead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders Counties, $2,889,500 – Five-County Law Enforcement Resilience Project

    Provides a funding level of $2,889,500 for Mineral County, located at P.O. Box 99, 310 River Street, Superior, MT 58972. To reduce cost to the taxpayer and promote equipment continuity in the event of a multi-county response to an incident, Mineral, Lake, Beaverhead, Lincoln, and Sanders counties have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to purchase much needed vehicles and equipment in bulk for bolstered law enforcement and public safety. The 2021-2025 crisis at the southwest border turned every state into a border state -including Montana. Five rural counties with a combined population of less than 80,000 are experiencing the lingering effects of the border crisis with criminal aliens still at large. These five counties have formed a joint purchasing agreement to purchase desperately needed equipment and vehicles in bulk to save tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per county. The funding will purchase patrol vehicles, body scanners, radios and telecom equipment, rifles, vests, and fund safety upgrades.

    Flathead County, $1,936,170 – North Fork Road Guardrails

    The significance of the North Fork Road cannot be overstated. It provides crucial access for residents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations along the Canadian border, year-round recreational activities, and timber industry operations. It also serves as the route for approximately 150,000 annual visitors to Glacier National Park that access the park through the Camas and Polebridge entrances. The North Fork Road plays a pivotal role in the economic and recreational vitality of the region. Despite its significance, the North Fork Road poses safety concerns. Composed of a mostly gravel surface and winding in nature, it has numerous roadside hazards, including sections of roadway with steep side slopes descending to the river below. The existing guardrail along this section of road have surpassed their service life and due to their poor condition, have reduced ability to function as intended. The project will add or replace guardrail to improve safety along 3.71 miles of roadway.

    Gallatin County, $906,660 – Sheriff’s Office Rapid DNA Capabilities and Patrol Vehicles

    Provides a funding level of $906,660 for Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, located at 615 South 16th Street, Bozeman, MT 59715. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department and Belgrade Police Department have formed an MOU to combine their purchasing power and coordinate complementary technology. This funding request will fund the purchase of all necessary equipment, software, warranties, consumables, and technical DNA support for the county sheriff’s office and all other municipal law enforcement agencies. This comprehensive Rapid DNA program will be open to all law enforcement agencies within the county, and hopefully beyond. The state crime lab is facing an overwhelming number of DNA evidence items awaiting processing. To manage this caseload, they have created strict guidelines prioritizing certain crimes and limiting the number of DNA samples that can be processed. To help ease the burden on the state crime lab and enable them to focus on more complex and high-priority cases, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office will be able to process DNA samples that can lead to immediate investigative leads. Additionally, the Belgrade Police Department will acquire fully outfitted patrol sport utility cruisers to enhance the safety of the citizens of Belgrade. Belgrade is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Western Montana and budgets are stretched thin across city government to support that growth.

    Granite County, $5,000,000 – Clean Water Infrastructure Project “Phase 1”

    Provide a funding level of $5,000,000 for the town of Phillipsburg, Montana, located at 104 South Sansome St. Philipsburg, MT 59858, to construct a new water transmission line. The town of Phillipsburg derives over 82% of its municipal water supply from the Fred Burr Reservoir, a high mountain lake located approximately 7 miles from the town. The dependability of the Fred Burr supply hinges on the reliability of the 7-mile-long transmission main that connects the lake to the town. The transmission line recently experienced a catastrophic failure. The pipeline traverses through rugged, forested, mountainous terrain at high elevations. Replacement of this transmission line is critical for the community to ensure clean and plentiful drinking water.

    Lake County, $730,000 – Ronan Volunteer Fire Department Replacement of 30 Year Old Type 1 Fire Truck 

    Support $730,000 for the purchase of a Type 1 Structure Engine to replace the current vehicle which is over 30 years old. The purchase would replace aging equipment and improve emergency response capacity. This funding will directly strengthen emergency response capacity in Montana’s First Congressional District, where many rural and tribal communities face long response times and limited firefighting resources. By equipping the Ronan Fire Department with a modern, NFPA-compliant Type 1 engine, we not only enhance local fire protection but also regional mutual aid support across Lake County and surrounding areas. This project promotes public safety, supports rural infrastructure, and aligns with congressional priorities to invest in underserved communities. Additionally, it strengthens partnerships between local, tribal, and federal entities in protecting critical infrastructure and natural resources.

    Lincoln County, $820,319 – Rural Airport Reconstruction and Emergency Services Expansion  

    The Troy Airport runway is in poor condition at-best, requiring extensive runway restoration and repair. This rural airport is vital to search and rescue, wildland firefighting efforts and medical flights within Northwest Montana. With the wildland fire trend in NW Montana, the need for a central location for deploying firefighting aircrafts and for a well-maintained runway is essential and cannot be overstated. The Troy Airport is situated close to many forested regions that are susceptible to wildland fire allowing for quick response time to extinguish fires before they spread further. A poorly maintained runway can have significant negative effects on airport operations and safety including the delay of firefighting efforts. Additionally, the 797 residents of Troy rely on the airport for air ambulance service as the closest trauma center is located more than 2 hours away in Kalispell.

    Missoula County, $1,400,000 – Lolo Wastewater Treatment Plant

    The community of Lolo is deficient in the water supply requirements for having the largest well out of service and meeting the max day water demand for the system. The community currently operates a public water supply system through an RSID and requires an upgrade to Well No. 1 and Well No. 2, to increase the water supply for the community. The water rights exist, and the wells can easily be upgraded to increase their capacity. The project was bid last year, and the community didn’t have enough money to award the bid. The benefit is that the project is shovel-ready and already approved by DEQ to move forward as soon as funds are available for the community to use.  The community is concerned about having enough water for the citizens, but particularly concerned during the summer months when the fire season is imminent.  The lack of redundancy for the water system is a great concern for the community and upgrading these two wells would provide that necessary capacity and surety.

    Missoula County, $21,134,250 – Seeley Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant  

    The largest employer in Seeley Lake and one of the largest in Missoula County announced it was closing after 75 years in business citing it was “crippled” by labor shortages driven by a lack of affordable housing, inflation, and lumber prices. The mill employed roughly 250 employees. The town of Seeley Lake is very rural and unable to build additional housing because it does not have a municipal water system to support additional housing and the existing septic system is at capacity and contaminating the groundwater. Building a water system will allow developers to invest in affordable workforce housing to support reopening the mill and growing jobs and economic activity in the region.

    Mineral County, $1,000,000 – Alberton Water Tower 

    Currently, the storage volume for Alberton is inadequate. The proposed Water Storage Improvements Projects will add 200,000 gallons of drinking water storage in order to provide adequate water volume to satisfy maximum day demands and also to deliver sufficient fire flow/volume. The Town is implementing a major improvements project to its distribution system in ’24-’25 and the storage tank project is the next highest priority project according to the Town’s 2020 Preliminary Engineering Report. 

    Powell County, $1,009,934 – Equipment for Volunteer Fire Departments

    Provides a funding level of $1,009,934 to Powell County, Montana located at 409 Missouri Ave, Suite 203, Deer Lodge, MT 59722. Powell County is larger than the entire state of Delaware, and large sections of the County are very remote. First responders are responsible for responding to more than 800 miles of county road, 90 miles of state highway, and 36 miles of Interstate. Volunteer departments respond to hundreds of interstate accidents every year in addition to countless search and rescue operations on millions of acres of rugged wilderness. This request would fund the acquisition of equipment for EMS, fire department and search and rescue operations. This will help both Granite and Powell Counties, as both Gold Creek and Drummond’s Valley Fire work together per a mutual aid agreement, which further extends the impact of this request. 

    Ravalli County, $1,143,000 – Bridge Replacement, Groff Lane 

    Ravalli County is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana. Groff Lane provides access to larger agricultural tracts in Ravalli County and a future potential public access.  The narrow bridges need to be replaced to allow for safer passage and also to ensure that irrigation water delivery can continue to some larger agricultural water users in the Bitterroot Valley.

    Ravalli County, $5,500,000 – Old Corvallis Road Repair 

    The funding would be used for repair of the Old Corvallis Road in the critical north-south transportation corridor of the greater Hamilton area. The Project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Old Corvallis Road serves as a crucial transportation artery in the greater Hamilton area, connecting the Corvallis community with essential services and employment opportunities in the City of Hamilton, notably a large pharmaceutical facility as well as a soon-to-be residential development that will consist of 140 units. The road suffers from poor pavement conditions and lacks dedicated non-motorized facilities, making walking hazardous. Traffic counts from 2023 reveal an average daily traffic of 2,705 vehicles with an anticipated increase of nearly 50% once the residential development is completed. Addressing these infrastructure challenges is crucial to ensuring safe and efficient travel along Old Corvallis Road. 

    Ravalli County, $10,000,000 – Wastewater Treatment Plant 

    Ravalli county is currently one of the most rapidly developing counties in Montana and one of the greatest in need of affordable housing. One of the greatest barriers to that is the lack of water and sewage treatment capacity. Ravalli county until recently has been forced to send its raw sewage by truck to Missoula county for disposal and treatment. Recently this arrangement was terminated due to Missoula counties own issues with sewage treatment capacity. Currently all sewage pumped from septic tanks in Ravalli county is being deposed of on National Forest lands. This is a concern both environmentally and economically due to the capacity barriers this creates. Septic seepage levels are reaching a dangerous level and because of this the county is limited in new septic permits it can issue to build new homes and dwellings. This new facility if funded would protect drinking water, ease capacity restrictions inhibiting development, and protect environmental quality by keeping septic seepage and human waste out of critical groundwater siphons and the Bitterroot river.

    Sanders County, $10,000,000 – Noxon Bridge Replacement Project Phase 1

    This funding would replace a failing 102-year-old bridge that is on an important emergency service, school bus, and commodity transportation route. The 102-year-old structure is now facing serious structural concerns, leading to its indefinite closure. This is the only bridge which links Highway 200 to the town of Noxon, and has developed cracks in its foundation and holes in the roadbed have opened, prompting urgent safety evaluations. The Sanders County Commissioners commissioned a study to assess the bridge’s condition, with findings recommending full replacement rather than rehabilitation. The closure has already disrupted daily life, affecting food deliveries, emergency services, and local businesses. School busses fully loaded are unable to traverse the bridge. Due to budget constraints of a small taxbase, the county is unable to fund the project alone. With its historical significance and essential role in local infrastructure, restoring the Noxon Bridge remains a top priority for both county and state officials. Securing the necessary funding remains a challenge, leaving the community in limbo as they await further action.

    Sanders County, $1,150,000 – Repaving Marten Creek Road 

    This project aims to rehabilitate and upgrade a surface transportation asset that if left unimproved threatens the mobility of people, delivery of services to residents, economic growth from tourism and vital national forest access. This project will improve the lifespan of Marten Creek Road, reduce future maintenance costs and allow more time, money and resources to be spent on other roads in the county. Sanders County proposes to hire a contractor to overlay 4.5 miles of Marten Creek Road with 2.5″ thick asphalt 22′ wide. Estimated cost of the project is $1,150,000.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Nova Scotians Recognized with Award of Excellence for l’Acadie and Francophonie

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Three Nova Scotians were recognized today, May 27, with the 2025 Lieutenant-Governor’s Award of Excellence for l’Acadie and Francophonie.

    “This award recognizes individuals who contribute to our cultural identity by promoting and preserving the French language and the heritage of Acadian communities,” said Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage. “Present and future generations of Nova Scotians benefit from the work of the award recipients, and I am happy to celebrate their significant and long-lasting contributions.”

    The award program honours people whose social, economic or cultural contributions have made a difference in the francophone and Acadian community and Nova Scotia as a whole.

    The 2025 recipients are:

    • Lucien Comeau, Dartmouth (francophone)
    • Bailey Ross, Halifax (francophile)
    • Samuel Gervais, Belliveau Cove, Digby County (youth).

    The award recognizes outstanding citizens in three categories: a francophone, a francophile – someone who is not francophone, but who supports or promotes the French language and culture – and a youth recipient under the age of 25.

    An independent selection committee, with representatives from Université Sainte-Anne, la Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, Alliance française d’Halifax, the Office of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, a francophone recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia or Order of Canada, a young person and a former recipient of the award, selects the recipients.

    Quotes:

    “The recipients of this award exemplify the pride, resilience and cultural richness of our Acadian and francophone communities. Their contributions strengthen our province and ensure that l’Acadie continues to thrive for generations to come. I commend each of them for their leadership and commitment.”
    — Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie

    Quick Facts:

    • the award was created in August 2020 by Arthur J. LeBlanc, the first Acadian lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia
    • the award is administered by the Office of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie

    Additional Resources:

    More information and nomination forms are available at: https://acadien.novascotia.ca/en/lieutenant-governor-nova-scotia-francophonie-award

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Borders and orders: How settler-government occupations violate Kashmiri sovereignty

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Binish Ahmed, PhD Candidate, Policy Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University

    The recent attack in Pahalgam and military exchanges between India and Pakistan have renewed international focus on a nearly 80-years-long conflict over Kashmir.

    But a preliminary review of both North American and Indian media reveals only surface-level analyses.

    North American news outlets primarily framed this as a territorial dispute between two nuclear-armed nations. Indian media presented it as a “war on terror.”

    Missing from the coverage — and much academic analysis — is the story of Kashmiris as Indigenous Peoples. Their divided territory has been under multiple occupations since 1947, with other colonial rulers prior to that. International human rights groups have raised alarms about Kashmiris facing intensive repression by the Indian and Pakistani governments.

    As a policy PhD scholar of Indigenous studies and governance, I can help fill in the gaps. I have developed an Indigenous policy research framework for how to more fully study situations around the world, particularly in Kashmir. This includes identifying familiar settler-colonial patterns: legalized land control, resource extraction and criminalization of the native population and resistance.

    Patterns of colonial nation-building and settlement have produced orders and borders that have been controlling Kashmir since the 1947 British partition of India and Pakistan. The repressive Indian and Pakistani settler-colonial laws operate through interconnected legal, cultural and military mechanisms.

    These methods eliminate Kashmiri self-determination, land rights and self-government.

    Applying an Indigenous rights framework to Kashmir

    Kashmir is among the world’s most militarized regions, home to vital but depleting water resources. Kashmiri territories are divided and controlled by India, Pakistan and China.

    Its diverse, multi-faith communities include a Muslim majority and Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Christian minorities. An Indigenous rights framework recognizes Kashmiris as the first peoples of the land with cultural rights, inherent sovereignty, economic rights and collective rights to ancestral lands.

    I have observed Indians and Pakistanis claiming Kashmiri identity through religious affiliation. This self-indigenizing erases actual Kashmiris by conflating religious and Indigenous identities.

    According to the United Nations: “Indigenous refers to peoples of long settlement and connection to specific lands who have been adversely affected by incursions by industrial economies, displacement and settlement of their traditional territories by others.” In my peer-reviewed work, I have argued this definition applies to Kashmiri people.

    Cultural criminalization of Kashmiri population

    In popular and political ongoing anti-Kashmiri racist narratives, Kashmiris are cast as perpetual “security threats” and “terrorists.”

    Post-Sept. 11 false “war on terror” narratives by media and academics has been deliberately manipulated against the Muslim-majority Kashmiris. For example, mainstream Indian media and popular Bollywood films have demonized Kashmiri-Muslims and delegitimized Indigenous resistance. This framing has especially been advanced by the Hindu-nationalist BJP and RSS under Indian leader Narendra Modi.

    This framing allows for cultural dispossession through restricting religious practices by India, and extends to the marginalization of Kashmiri language and histories by India and Pakistan. Media restrictions are standard and limit self-representation.

    Anti-Muslim profiling, surveillance, communication blockades and the criminalizing of dissent are regular occurrences in Kashmir.



    Read more:
    In India, film and social media play recurring roles in politics

    Repressive control and rights violations in India

    Suppression of dissent and restrictions on freedom of information and expression prevent Kashmiris from voicing grievances to advance collective rights.

    Since 2019, the human rights group Genocide Watch has issued multiple “genocide alerts” for Kashmir. Al Jazeera has recently reported patterns of enforced disappearances of dissenters. In 2012, The Guardian reported on “mass graves in Kashmir.”

    Journalists face attacks and exile. Fahad Shah, editor of the Kashmir Walla, was imprisoned for 600 days.



    Read more:
    Call the crime in Kashmir by its name: Ongoing genocide

    Internet shutdowns and media censorship function as what one human rights group has called “digital apartheid.”

    Indian government administrators conduct physical and digital surveillance in Kashmir, collecting personal data and monitoring connections.

    Kashmiri rights defenders like Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj face arbitrary imprisonment.

    Sexual violence has been documented as a weapon of control.

    Military forces have destroyed infrastructure, including homes, businesses, schools and orchards. Rights defenders face imprisonment.

    These human rights violations continue on both sides of the border — by both India and Pakistan — with minimal scrutiny or accountability.

    Indian legal and military control in Kashmir

    Article 370 functioned as an interim treaty between India and Kashmir since 1949 until its 2019 revocation. It granted Kashmir a constitution and some legal autonomy.

    Its removal eliminated remaining Indigenous Kashmiri rights protections, enabled new colonial laws on Kashmir and allowed non-Kashmiris to own land and hold public office.

    The Indian Domicile Act has allowed demographic engineering whereby more than 80,000 non-Kashmiris were given Kashmiri membership rights between 2022-2024.

    The Domicile Act is a typical colonial strategy and works to undermine Indigenous presence and resistance capacity.

    Pakistan side of the border

    On the Pakistani side, the Interim Constitution for Kashmir forbids political expression that challengs Pakistan’s control of and claim to Kashmir.

    This constitution also established a governance system that initially included the Kashmir Council, with Pakistani officials holding significant power over legislation and appointments.

    Following the 2018 13th amendment, many legislative powers transferred from the Kashmir Council to the Pakistani government rather than to the Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Assembly. This means Pakistan retains exclusive control over many areas.

    The elected AJK government remains structurally subordinate to Pakistan’s Ministry of Kashmir Affairs. Non-Kashmiri officials hold key executive powers in Islamabad. This gives Pakistan administrative oversight over Kashmir.

    The United Nations has documented rights violations in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, including restricted expression and anti-terrorism law abuse to suppress dissent. Enforced disappearances have also been reported as journalists face threats.

    Mining and resource extraction

    Extractive settler-colonial government economies dispossess Kashmiris from their land through control of water, energy projects, lithium mining and deforestation.

    India expedites mining operations that exploit Kashmir’s significant lithium deposits. They sideline environmental and community displacement concerns.

    Extensive deforestation transforms Kashmir’s landscapes, displacing wildlife, destroying habitats and threatening traditional Kashmiri ways of life.

    Indian and Pakistani control of Kashmir’s vital waterways has led to the creation of hydroelectric power projects on rivers like Chenab, Neelum and Jhelum, generating substantial energy through dams (Kishanganga, Baglihar dam, Mangla dam and the Azad Pattan Hydropower project).

    Hydroelectric power generated from Kashmir is predominantly exported to outsiders. Cities in India and Pakistan benefit, while Kashmiris face high energy bills and electricity shortages.

    Justice for peace

    A sustainable peace requires undoing settler-colonial borders and orders across Kashmir. It requires reuniting Kashmiris across the colonial divide. Colonizers need to surrender governance power back to Indigenous Kashmiris.

    Kashmiri self-government — without colonial oversight — would respect Kashmiri freedoms, sovereignty and self-determination over ancestral lands, waterways and resources. This would bring peace to the region.

    Binish Ahmed is affiliated with Kashmir Gulposh, a Kashmiri rights education collective.

    – ref. Borders and orders: How settler-government occupations violate Kashmiri sovereignty – https://theconversation.com/borders-and-orders-how-settler-government-occupations-violate-kashmiri-sovereignty-256411

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Crop diversification is crucial to Canadian resilience in a changing world

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Karen K. Christensen-Dalsgaard, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University

    The recent threats of tariffs and deteriorating relations with the United States have led to increasing interest from Canadian governments and the public in boosting the country’s self-reliance.

    Politicians have called on the public to “buy Canadian,” provinces have ordered American products removed from shelves and Canadian retailers have seen a surge in domestic sales. Yet the importance of agricultural adaptations for achieving greater Canadian self-reliance has largely been overlooked.

    The federal government’s plan for building a stronger agrifood sector is mainly based on financial safeguards and loan options for impacted farmers and supply-chain management of existing products. The broad topic of agricultural innovation is barely mentioned at all.

    At a time of changing geopolitical and physical environments, we must ensure the long-term resilience of Canada’s farms. An important step towards achieving this complex and multifaceted goal would be to diversify the country’s crop production.

    Low Canadian crop diversity

    Anyone browsing their supermarket’s produce section will quickly discover just how few of the products are grown in Canada. This is ironic; as most gardeners know, many imported fruits and vegetables can grow extremely well in Canada.

    Canada imports around 50 per cent of vegetables and 75 per cent of fruits from abroad, much of it from the United States.

    This has not traditionally caused concern since the agri-food sector has a net trade surplus. But among Canadian crops, just two — canola and wheat — dominate total earnings.

    Canada’s need for imports leaves it vulnerable, but so does its need for exports.

    In 2019, for instance, after the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, China imposed harsh trade restrictions on Canadian canola. That year, canola exports to China fell by 70 per cent.

    Today, Canada faces similar issues with 100 per cent tariffs imposed by China on canola products.

    Instead of just bailing out farmers impacted by current events, governments should help those who are interested to diversify and grow crops that can be sold domestically.

    Benefits of diversifying our agriculture

    Even before the current tariffs, there were good reasons for diversifying Canadian agriculture and growing food locally.

    The nutritional value of vegetables decreases during storage and transport, suggesting that local produce may be healthier. Similarly, crop diversity can be an important tool for improving plant and soil health and so increasing yields while ensuring environmental sustainability.

    In a meta-analysis of 5,156 experiments from across the globe, researchers in France and the Netherlands showed that crop diversification typically enhanced net productivity, soil function and ecosystem services. It had the greatest effect on water quality and organism-induced damage; weed reduction, pest reduction, disease control and associated crop damages showed 33-60 per cent average improvements.

    The benefits in terms of soil health and productivity may be compounded by intercropping plant species with fungi. Preliminary results from my current research project suggest that edible saprotrophic fungi could be used as a tool for maintaining soil health while minimizing the use of environmentally problematic soil amendments.

    Diversification studies include a range of different land management techniques, some of which involve elaborate intercropping approaches that might be difficult to implement on an industrial scale. However, even relatively simple crop rotation approaches have a positive impact on soil carbon, nutrient levels, microbial activity, biodiversity and net productivity, potentially leading to increased profitability.

    The impacts of climate change

    Longstanding arguments for crop diversification have been compounded by climate-change-induced food insecurity. Increases in the frequency and severity of wildfires and droughts suggest that rely on regions like California for food imports might be poor long-term planning.

    Similarly, parts of Canada face an increased risk of weather-induced crop failure. Crop species may no longer be a good match for the current climatic conditions where they’re grown. Canola and wheat, for instance, are vulnerable to drought and heat stress during the flowering period.

    Crop diversification has long been used to minimize the impacts of climate insecurities in developing countries with less access to artificial irrigation and soil amendments. Switching to crops that can handle extreme weather events, like some beans, legumes and grains, could similarly increase Canada’s climate resilience. Additionally, using crop rotation strategies based on a greater diversity of crops grown may help maintain higher yields during adverse weather.

    How the government can help farmers

    Canada is a world leader in agricultural research. Globally, the country ranks fifth with respect to articles published, but is further behind when it comes to implementation on farms.

    Despite the high benefit-to-cost ratios of applications of agricultural research, only six per cent of Canadian farmers are willing to adopt new approaches before they have been tested at scale. Meanwhile, almost 30 per cent are reluctant to change approaches at all.

    This is hardly surprising. Change is always associated with risks. For instance, while the majority of studies show a net benefit of diversification strategies, there are huge, context-dependent variations in the outcomes. Climate, soil, crop species and microbial communities all matter in ways that can be difficult to predict.

    Most farmers do not have the resources to retool their farms for new crops and assume the risks. Many face financial struggles and rising debt. This is due in part to higher production costs and lower commodity prices caused by large corporations controlling both the sales of farm supplies and the purchase of agricultural products.

    Skilled labour shortages and issues retaining younger workers may also undermine the willingness and ability to diversify with new crops. Qualified migrant workers with agricultural backgrounds could help, but restrictive immigration policies make finding workers challenging.

    Reactive government assistance that just keeps farmers above water will not address the challenges of a changing global trade environment and climate. To sustain momentum, the government needs to proactively fund targeted, large-scale feasibility studies and provide training, recruitment and transition funding for those interested in novel crop systems.

    Agriculture is part of the foundation for our society. We have become accustomed to having access to plenty of fresh food, but this is not the global or historical norm.

    Canada’s food supply is maintained by farmers both at home and abroad who, for generations, have worked long days at low wages to feed us. If they do not receive the support required to adapt to our changing world, we might all discover how valuable food really is.

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

    – ref. Crop diversification is crucial to Canadian resilience in a changing world – https://theconversation.com/crop-diversification-is-crucial-to-canadian-resilience-in-a-changing-world-256763

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: BC Parks improves accessibility, inclusion

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Accessibility and inclusion continue to be front of mind in BC Parks so more people can connect to the beauty and benefits of being in nature.

    Following the release of the BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion in March 2023, facilities such as washrooms, parking lots and access trails to park features have been upgraded to accessibility standards in many parks throughout the province. The upgrades are among several initiatives that help remove barriers that restrict people from accessing outdoor recreation. 

    “Everyone should feel encouraged and supported to access and enjoy parks in B.C., regardless of their ability or identity,” said Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks. “Creating meaningful access to nature involves more than removing physical barriers for people with disabilities. From our website to campsites, we remain focused on collaborating with communities and partners, and taking action to make parks more welcoming and meaningfully accessible for everyone.”

    BC Parks has been creating more accessible facilities for years and incorporates universal design standards into all new campground and recreation expansion projects, where possible. In 2024, accessibility upgrades were included in more than 25 projects. This year, more than 20 projects are underway that will improve park access for people with disabilities.

    Among the parks that now have accessibility upgrades is Ross Lake Park near Hazelton. The day-use area was recently upgraded with new accessible parking, compact gravel pathways, picnic tables and pit toilets. A lake-viewing platform and swimming/fishing dock is also accessible.     

    At Jimsmith Lake Park near Cranbrook, the beach was recently recontoured to improve access, and an accessible beach mat is available during the summer months. Other upgrades include an accessible fishing dock, accessible playground and an accessible picnic area in the lower day-use area, next to the lake.

    “Our communities thrive when they are inclusive – when everyone has the chance to participate, contribute and succeed,” said Dana Lajeunesse, parliamentary secretary for accessibility. “When we make parks more accessible, we are ensuring that more people of any ability can experience the beauty of B.C.’s natural spaces.”

    BC Parks continues to partner with diverse community organizations and collaborate on projects that break down barriers. This year, BC Parks partnered with the BC Parks Foundation and the Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre to give more people the opportunity to connect with the wonders of the natural world through virtual self-guided nature walks and park tours in American sign language (ASL).

    Children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn about parks through ASL videos that are accessed via QR codes and at DiscoverParks.ca. The initiative began at Goldstream Park and has grown to include Rathtrevor Beach, Cultus Lake and Golden Ears parks. A virtual sunset photography lesson is also offered at Porteau Cove Park.

    “As a deaf parent and advocate, accessible experiences in nature, especially those that include ASL, are life-changing for families like mine. Too often, deaf individuals are excluded from outdoor education and community events due to language barriers,” said Monika Lane with the Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre. “These ASL nature tours and resources not only provide access, but they foster a deep sense of belonging and connection. I am grateful to see BC Parks taking meaningful steps to make inclusion a reality.”

    The BC Parks Foundation works with BC Parks, funding equipment, upgrades to facilities, and new park experiences throughout the province. The foundation also supports the ASL project and trains Discover Park ambassadors in accessibility and inclusion.

    “British Columbians feel strongly that everyone should be able to access and feel at home in parks,” said Andy Day, CEO, BC Parks Foundation. “It’s who we are, and it’s good for B.C., boosting physical and mental health, creating jobs and wealth, bringing people together and making us all feel proud about being British Columbian.”

    BC Parks partnered with RAD Recreation Adapted Society to help buy two adaptive mountain bikes for programs in Vancouver and Invermere. Where park terrain is challenging to upgrade to an accessible standard, adaptive equipment, such as all-terrain wheelchairs, beach wheelchairs and adaptive mountain bikes, help improve accessibility, but the cost can be prohibitive.

    To help newcomers to Canada feel welcome in parks, BC Parks offers the Learn-to-be-in-Nature event series. The free community-focused events provide a fun, supportive space for people to build confidence in outdoor recreation, explore local parks, and learn safety and environmental practices. Three events will be held this summer:

    • Vancouver on June 7;
    • Terrace on June 17; and
    • Smithers on July 5.

    Created with input from community organizations that serve equity-deserving groups, the BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion outlines the range of actions taken to ensure provincial parks and protected areas are more welcoming.

    Learn More:

    For more information, visit the BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion webpage: https://bcparks.ca/about/commitment-to-inclusion/

    To learn more about accessibility in BC Parks, visit: https://accessibility.bcparks.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clarenville — Clarenville RCMP conducts speed enforcement on TCH, twenty drivers ticketed for speeding

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Clarenville RCMP conducted speed enforcement on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) on May 25, 2025 and ticketed 20 drivers under Highway Traffic Act for traveling at excessive speeds.

    Over a six-hour period on Sunday, police officers conducted traffic enforcement on the TCH between Southern Harbour and Port Blandford. During that time, the 20 drivers were ticketed for traveling at speeds between 25 km/h to 49 km/h over the posted speed limit.

    RCMP NL reminds motorists as the summer season approaches to expect increased traffic along roadways throughout the province, much of which will be comprised of tourists who may be unfamiliar with the area. Motorists are expected to travel within the posted speed limit and can expect that RCMP NL will be on patrol, checking for violations.

    Roadway safety is everyone’s responsibility. Those who travel at excessive speeds, while impaired or otherwise in a dangerous manner, place themselves as well as all others who share the roadway at increased risk of serious injury or death. Please immediately report these incidents to your local police detachment or call 911.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: First Tranche offering of UAB „Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos“ notes under the EUR 100 million Green Bonds Programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. OTHER RESTRICTIONS ARE APPLICABLE. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE IN THIS STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE BELOW.

    NEW EUR 2025/2027 NOTES

    Closed – End Investment Company Intended for Informed Investors UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos” (the “Company”) is launching its public offering of EUR 2025/2027 Notes (ISIN LT0000134439, the “Notes”). The Notes are being issued under the EUR 100 million Green Bond Programme. The base prospectus of the programme (the “Prospectus”) was approved by the Bank of Lithuania on 27 May 2025.
    According to the final terms of the first tranche, dated 27 May 2025 (attached), the Company is planning to issue up to EUR 65 million of nominal value Notes with maturity of 30 months to investors in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
    Summary of the main issue terms:

    • First tranche size: up to 65 000 000 EUR
    • Specified denominations: EUR 100,000 and integral multiples of EUR 1,000
    • Interest rate: 8%, paid semi-annually
    • Subscription period: from 28 May 2025 to 11 June 2025 2:30 pm CEST/3:30 pm Vilnius time
    • Settlement and issue date: 13 June 2025
    • Maturity date: 13 December 2027

    Investors wishing to submit a subscription order must contact their brokerage company.

    INVESTOR PRESENTATIONS
    Manager of Closed – End Investment Company Intended for Informed Investors UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos” Mantas Auruškevičius will present the offer via webcast/conference call:

    • English-language session: 4 June 2025 at 13:00 CEST / 14:00 Vilnius time. Please register in advance to attend:

    https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d32cZE8xSqyFs8tcMpwLqA#/registration

    • Lithuanian-language session: 5 June 2025 at 9:00 CEST / 10:00 Vilnius time. Please register in advance to attend:

    https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wxUoUAWzQ9244uO9HlNX-g#/registration

    CONTACT INFORMATION
    Mantas Auruškevičius
    Manager of Closed – End Investment Company Intended for Informed Investors
    UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos”
    mantas.auruskevicius@lordslb.lt

    Povilas Petručionis
    Securities trader at UAB FMĮ “Orion Securities”
    pp@orion.lt
    +37068758168

    IMPORTANT NOTICE:
    This notification is not for distribution to United States news agencies or for dissemination in the United States, Canada, Japan or Australia or elsewhere where such dissemination is not appropriate.
    Distribution of this announcement and other information in connection with the securities may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
    No offer or invitation to acquire securities of the Company is being made by or in connection with this notification. The Prospectus is the only legally binding document containing information on the Company, the Notes and their admission to trading on the regulated market. The Prospectus is published on the website of the Company (https://lordslb.lt/AEI_green_bonds_2025/) as well as on www.nasdaqbaltic.com and www.crib.lt.
    Approval of the Prospectus shall not be understood as an endorsement of the securities admitted to trading on a regulated market. The potential investors are recommended to read the Prospectus before making an investment decision in order to fully understand the potential risks and rewards associated with the decision to invest in the securities. Furthermore, the securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to US persons unless the securities are registered under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. No public offering of the securities will be made in the United States.

    Further details and required documents are available at: https://lordslb.lt/AEI_green_bonds_2025/ 

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Flood protection levelled up in Calgary

    Flood maps play a critical role in helping Alberta’s communities prepare for flooding and respond more effectively when it happens by guiding land-use planning, supporting emergency preparedness, and protecting people, property and infrastructure.

    Alberta’s government has released new Bow and Elbow River flood maps showing that Calgary’s flood risk along the Elbow River has been drastically reduced thanks to the recently completed Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir and other projects. More projects are already underway to keep strengthening flood protections in the city.

    The Calgary flood map shows the substantial reduction of the flood hazard area due to the new flood mitigation provided by the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1).

    “We committed to protect Calgary and other communities from floods and we are seeing the results. These new flood maps are good news for families and businesses, but we are also going to keep investing in reservoirs, berms, updated flood maps and the critical infrastructure needed to keep people and their property safe.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    “The new Bow and Elbow River flood maps are very important for Calgary. Since 2013, understanding of our rivers has grown and a range of resilience measures have been put in place, which substantially lowers risk in many of our communities. It’s critical, while facing housing and affordability concerns, that the best, up-to-date flood hazard information is available, so we can keep building an informed, flood-resilient Calgary. We gratefully acknowledge the expertise and collaboration of the province in the updated river modelling and mapping.”

    Frank Frigo, manager, environmental management, climate and environment, The City of Calgary

    Knowing where the water will flow during a flood is critical to understanding where it is safe to farm, safe to build, and how to best prepare for emergency situations. These maps will help the City of Calgary design and build for the future.

    While flood risks will vary at any given location, the newly released maps show significant decreases in major flood risks in many areas of Calgary. That is because, in the future, if water in the Elbow River rises to dangerous levels, the flow will be diverted into the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir and further reduced by the Glenmore Dam. This not only reduces the risk of flooding along the Elbow River in Calgary and other downstream communities, it also helps prevent future disasters like the devastating 2013 flood.

    Alberta’s government has finalized more flood maps in the past five years than in the previous thirty-five years combined, with many more studies now underway. The relocated Ghost Dam project continues to advance on the Bow River, and the province has launched the five-year $125-million Drought and Flood Protection Program to help protect families, businesses and communities across the province.

    Quick facts

    • Alberta has also finalized new flood mapping for Fort McMurray and multiple communities along the Highwood, Red Deer and Sheep Rivers.
    • All finalized and draft flood maps can be found on the Government of Alberta floods website (see link below).
    • Flood studies provide flood maps that are used to support emergency response, help build up long-term flood resiliency and show Albertans what flood protections are in place today.
    • Since 2020, the Alberta government has released new or updated flood mapping spanning more than 1,600 kilometres and has committed to creating more than 3,000 kilometres of new and updated flood mapping by 2028.

    Related information

    • Flood Awareness Maps
    • Flood Hazard Identification Program
    • Flood Mapping Basics
    • Canada Flood Map Inventory

    Related news

    • Alberta finalizing flood maps at lightning speed (April 9, 2025)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Innovation Saskatchewan Awards Over $177,000 to Startups Developing Public Sector Solutions Through Mist Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 27, 2025

    Innovation Saskatchewan is pleased to announce six Made In Saskatchewan Technology (MIST) partnerships between public sector organizations and tech startups looking to pilot technologies. 

    The province’s innovation agency invested $88,829 which was matched by public sector partners, for a total of $177,658 to help startups test their market-ready solutions in ways that benefit Saskatchewan citizens. 

    Through the MIST program, startups can receive up to $30,000 from Innovation Saskatchewan to develop real-world solutions for the public sector. In return, they gain valuable exposure, feedback and validation that can help them grow their customer bases and unlock future opportunities. Public sector partners collaborate with these startups to tackle service delivery challenges advancing their own initiatives while contributing to Saskatchewan’s broader technology landscape. 

    “Saskatchewan is home to highly skilled people committed to working collaboratively to develop solutions and establish new pathways for a brighter future,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Warren Kaeding said. “The MIST program provides a unique opportunity for the province to grow the tech sector and advance our commitment to innovation through strategic partnerships that drive economic growth across our communities.” 

    MIST funding is supporting six pilot projects identified in the 2024-25 annual intake: 

    “Connecting the province’s startups with public and community-based organizations utilizes Saskatchewan’s natural capacity for collaboration to drive meaningful innovation,” Innovation Saskatchewan CEO Kari Harvey said. “MIST provides a built-in customer base and financial support that helps reduce barriers and increase growth during early stages that are traditionally high risk for startups.” 

    MIST is among the few programs in Canada that directly supports early-stage tech companies as they work to solve public sector and community challenges. Since 2018, Innovation Saskatchewan has committed more than $162,500 in MIST funding to 12 technology pilot projects by Saskatchewan startups, including SolusGuard, SuperGeoAI, memoryKPR and drOPs. 

    For information on how to apply for the MIST program, please visit innovationsask.ca/initiatives/mist or email mist@innovationsask.ca. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Overnight closures planned for Highway 1 through Fraser Canyon

    Drivers are advised of three overnight closures of Highway 1 between Lytton and Spences Bridge to accommodate construction of the new bridge over the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railway.

    The closures are necessary to facilitate the placement of girders and concrete panels.

    Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon will be closed in both directions from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, Thursday, May 29, and Tuesday, June 3, 2025. During the stoppage, Highway 1 will be closed at the junctures with highways 8 and 12, and vehicles will not be allowed through.

    Checkpoints will be set up at Lytton and Spences Bridge to provide travellers with information about alternative routes. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit will work directly with emergency services to facilitate access through the site during these times.

    The Gladwin area and Nicomen River Road will remain accessible to local traffic. All other traffic will be detoured via Highway 12 and Highway 5, with traffic-control guidance provided through portable message boards in Lillooet and Ashcroft.

    Drivers travelling between the Interior and Lower Mainland can take Highway 3 or Highway 5 as alternative routes.

    For up-to-date information about this closure and road conditions on alternative routes, travellers should monitor the forecast and visit: www.drivebc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Dangerous river conditions and fluctuating water levels on Red River 

    Source: Government of Canada News

    For immediate release

    Lockport, Manitoba, May 27, 2025 – Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise the public that the section of the Red River between Lockport and Lister Rapids may experience large fluctuations in water levels. There was a significant amount of rainfall in the south of the province, causing unusually high flows into the Red River.

    As a result of rising water levels in Winnipeg and to the south, the dam at the St. Andrews Lock and Dam will be releasing more water. Water levels between Lockport and Lister Rapids are therefore forecasted to drop over the coming days. Depending on conditions, a section of the movable dam may need to be removed.

    Waters downstream and in proximity to the dam should always be treated as dangerous, but can become even more so as water levels increase.

    PSPC encourages the public to exercise caution when approaching the area of the dam and the Red River due to fluctuating water levels and debris.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting homegrown policing solutions

    [. That’s why the province is supporting the City of Grande Prairie with an additional $7 million in funding as it transitions to a municipal police service, helping to advance a homegrown solution that meets the needs of the community.

    This new funding reinforces and builds on the province’s initial $9.7 million two-year commitment to help the City of Grande Prairie meet its policing and public safety needs, following the city council’s decision in March 2023 to transition from the RCMP to a municipal police service.

    “Alberta’s government will do whatever it takes to keep people safe. The City of Grande Prairie is pursuing a policing solution that’s right for the community and its residents, and Alberta’s government is behind them throughout the transition process. Albertans, regardless of where they live, deserve fast and reliable law enforcement where and when they need it. Our government remains committed to ensuring Alberta municipalities have their choice of policing provider.”

    Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

    Since 2023, Grande Prairie has made significant progress in hiring officers and civilian staff, procuring equipment, and beginning the development of essential IT infrastructure for a municipal police service. This support from the province ensures that the city can keep the momentum of its transition going as it lays critical groundwork for the Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS).

    The funding will support the projected start-up costs associated with building and implementing the new service, including salaries, benefits, recruitment, equipment and training. The GPPS is expected to become the primary police service of jurisdiction for Grande Prairie in 2026.

    Once provincial startup funding through the Grande Prairie Police Service Grant agreement ends, the city will absorb all operational costs associated with its new police service. The annual operating budget of the GPPS is projected to be less than those associated with policing services contracted through the RCMP.

    “The City of Grande Prairie is thankful for this announcement and the ongoing funding and support from the provincial government as we transition to a municipal police service. The transition is on budget and on schedule and has already provided a positive impact on our community safety and valuable insights on the modernizations that will be achieved with a stand-alone municipal police service model.”

    Jackie Clayton, mayor, City of Grande Prairie

    “With the ongoing support and funding from the Alberta government, we are creating a modern, community-oriented police service that reflects the unique needs of Grande Prairie. The Grande Prairie Police Service is quickly proving that a policing transition can be both effective and efficient.”

    Dwayne Lakusta, chief, Grande Prairie Police Service

    Key facts

    • The projected total cost of establishing and implementing the GPPS is $19 million.
    • The GPPS is expected to become the primary police of jurisdiction for Grande Prairie in 2026.
    • Through the Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grant program, Alberta’s government delivered more than $2.2 million in funding to help 35 municipalities, 23 First Nations and eight Metis Settlements to explore ways to enhance their existing policing models as well as alternate options such as self-administered First Nations policing or standalone police services.
    • Under Alberta’s Police Act, towns and cities with populations greater than 5,000 are responsible for their own policing and can form their own municipal police service, be part of a regional policing arrangement or contract with the federal government for RCMP policing services to meet their public safety needs.

    Related news

    • Alberta funds community policing in Grande Prairie (Feb 22, 2023)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Inquest Into the Death of Ryan Booker

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 27, 2025

    A public inquest into the death of Ryan Booker will be held Monday, June 23 to 26, 2025, at the Royal Hotel, 4025 Albert Street, in Regina.

    The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Subsequent start times will be determined by the presiding coroner.

    Booker, 26, was observed to be in possession of a firearm at a parking lot in Moose Jaw on July 17, 2022. Following a highway pursuit, Mr. Booker was shot in an altercation with police outside of the city and passed away at the scene. Section 19 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the Chief Coroner may direct that an inquest be held into the death of any person.

    The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

    Coroner Aaron Fox will preside at the inquest.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    Kerri Ward-Davis
    Justice
    Regina
    Phone: 306-787-8621
    Email: jumedia@gov.sk.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fall River — RCMP investigates hit and run in Fall River

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is investigating a hit and run that occurred in Fall River.

    On May 23, at approximately 10 p.m., RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment, fire services, and EHS, responded to a report of a collision near the 1400 block of Fall River Rd. RCMP officers learned that a Dodge Ram was travelling on the roadway when it collided with a dirt bike travelling in the same direction.

    Two of the three youth dirt bike riders suffered serious injuries and were transported to hospital by EHS. The third rider was uninjured.

    RCMP officers located a Dodge Ram, believed to be the vehicle involved in the collision, at a nearby gas station. The male driver displayed signs of impairment and provided a roadside breath sample into an approved screening device. The results indicated that he was not impaired by alcohol.

    Officers then demanded that the 45-year-old man from Fletchers Lake perform a standard field sobriety test. When he refused, the man was arrested for Refusal to Comply with a Demand. He resisted and assaulted an officer during the arrest.

    During a search of the man, baggies containing a white substance were located and seized.

    The man was later released. He will appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court at a later date to face charges of Refusal to Comply with a Demand, Assaulting a Peace Officer, and Resisting Arrest.

    The collision investigation continues.

    File #: 25-72611, 25-72649

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — Road Safety Week campaign leads to charges across Nova Scotia

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    During Canada Road Safety Week, more than ten percent of vehicles stopped by the Nova Scotia RCMP during proactive enforcement efforts resulted in charges.

    Over the seven days of Road Safety Week, enforcement by RCMP officers in the province resulted in 54 Criminal Code charges for impaired operation, 22 provincial roadside suspensions, and almost 1,000 summary offence tickets. Tickets were primarily for distracted driving, aggressive driving and not wearing a seatbelt. As the four primary causal factors for fatal and serious injury collisions in 2024 were impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving (primarily speeding), and failure to use a seatbelt, it was particularly important for officers across Nova Scotia to remind all road users about how we all play a part in keeping Nova Scotia safe.

    Canada Road Safety Week took place from May 13 to 19. Although road safety is important throughout the year, RCMP general duty officers and officers from traffic services units used this campaign as an opportunity to prioritize proactive and preventative interactions with the public.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Approved base prospectus of UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos”

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. OTHER RESTRICTIONS ARE APPLICABLE. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE IN THIS STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE BELOW.

    On 16 May 2025 an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos”, the closed-end investment company intended for informed investors (hereinafter, the “Company”) approved up to EUR 100,000,000 nominal value Unsecured Fixed Rate Note Programme (hereinafter, the “Notes”). The Company has drafted the base prospectus for the Notes issued under the programme to be introduced to trading on the regulated market AB Nasdaq Vilnius Bond list (hereinafter, the “Prospectus”), which was approved by the Bank of Lithuania on 27 May 2025 (please see the attached documents).

    IMPORTANT NOTICE:

    This notification is not for distribution to United States news agencies or for dissemination in the United States, Canada, Japan or Australia or elsewhere where such dissemination is not appropriate.

    Distribution of this announcement and other information in connection with the securities may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

    No offer or invitation to acquire securities of the Company is being made by or in connection with this notification. The Prospectus is the only legally binding document containing information on the Company, the Notes and their admission to trading on the regulated market. The Prospectus is published on the website of the Company https://lordslb.lt/aei_green_bonds_2025/ as well as on www.nasdaqbaltic.com and www.crib.lt.

    Approval of the Prospectus shall not be understood as an endorsement of the securities admitted to trading on a regulated market. The potential investors are recommended to read the Prospectus before making an investment decision in order to fully understand the potential risks and rewards associated with the decision to invest in the securities. Furthermore, the securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to US persons unless the securities are registered under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. No public offering of the securities will be made in the United States.

    Additional information:

    Mantas Auruškevičius

    Manager of the Investment Company

    mantas.auruskevicius@lordslb.lt

    Attachments:

    1. Base Prospectus
    2. Decision of the Bank of Lithuania regarding approval of the prospectus (in Lithuanian)

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: For Every Crypto Futures Trader: BexBack Launches 100x Leverage, Double Deposit Bonus, and $50 Welcome Gift—No KYC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin prices hovering above $100,000, analysts believe that the cryptocurrency market will remain in a state of high volatility for a long time. For investors, holding spot positions may no longer be enough to make a significant profit. In view of this, BexBack exchange has launched a groundbreaking offer to empower traders: 100% deposit bonus, $50 new user welcome bonus, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading – all without KYC.

    Why 100x Leverage Is a Game-Changer?

    With 100x leverage, you can multiply your trading positions with minimal capital, unlocking unparalleled profit potential. Here’s how it works:

    • Assume Bitcoin is priced at $100,000. By opening a long position with 1 BTC and applying 100x leverage, your trade controls a position worth 100 BTC.
    • If the price rises to $105,000, your profit would be (105,000−100,000)×100÷100,000=5BTC—a 500% return.

    Coupled with BexBack’s 100% deposit bonus, you can further amplify your trading power and increase your opportunities to profit.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?

    The deposit bonus is an exclusive feature designed to enhance your trading experience:

    1. Boost Your Margin: The bonus serves as additional margin, allowing you to take larger positions.
    2. Reduce Liquidation Risk: During volatile markets, the bonus acts as a safety buffer to help maintain your positions.
    3. Profits Are Yours: While the bonus itself cannot be withdrawn, the profits earned using it are fully withdrawable.

    BexBack’s Unique Advantages

    1. No KYC Required: Enjoy fast account setup and anonymous trading without lengthy verification.
    2. 100x Leverage: Amplify your trading power and seize market opportunities with one of the highest leverage offerings.
    3. 100% Deposit Bonus: Double your trading capital and increase your potential returns.
    4. $50 Welcome Bonus: New users can claim $50 in BTC after completing their first trade.
    5. Demo Account: A risk-free 10 BTC demo account allows users to practice strategies and familiarize themselves with the platform.
    6. Zero Spreads and No Slippage: All trades are executed at precise market prices, ensuring cost transparency.
    7. Global Support: Available in the US, Canada, Europe, and beyond, with 24/7 multilingual customer assistance.
    8. Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission with no caps or time limits through the platform’s affiliate program.

    About BexBack

    BexBack is a premier cryptocurrency derivatives platform headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Hong Kong, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The platform is trusted by over 500,000 traders worldwide and holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

    BexBack proudly accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering a seamless trading experience regardless of location. With innovative trading tools, robust security measures, and user-friendly interfaces, BexBack caters to both beginners and seasoned traders.

    The platform provides:

    • Comprehensive Futures Contracts: Trade BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, XRP and 50+ other major altcoins with up to 100x leverage.
    • Flexible Accessibility: Available on web and mobile for trading anytime, anywhere.
    • Top-Notch Security: Multi-signature wallets, SSL encryption, and cutting-edge data protection.
    • Transparent Fees: No deposit fees, zero spreads, and simple, straightforward pricing.

    By combining innovation, compliance, and user focus, BexBack ensures a superior trading experience tailored to meet the diverse needs of a global audience.

    Don’t Miss Out—Start Trading Today!

    Whether you’re a seasoned trader or a newcomer, BexBack provides the tools and resources to maximize your crypto trading potential. Take advantage of the 100% deposit bonus, $50 welcome bonus, and 100x leverage to capitalize on Bitcoin’s historic price surge.

    Sign up now and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

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    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c26dfc5e-f9fa-4700-b044-2ac85938a9c1

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6582598-8383-4b59-b781-fcdca76867e0

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    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4517a01-3145-48a6-9e09-9c78c67217b7

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Capital Calls Out MediPharm Chairman Chris Taves (Managing Director, BMO Capital Markets) for Failure to Properly Communicate to Shareholders Details of David Pidduck’s Past as CEO and VP of Marketing for OxyContin® Manufacturer Purdue Pharma

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Opioid-Pusher Pidduck, Chairman Chris Taves and the Current MediPharm Board Have Presided Over $1 Billion in Shareholder Value Destruction while funneling $5,587,059 of the Shareholders’ Money Directly into Pidduck’s Pocket

    Apollo Capital’s Six Director Nominees Are Committed to Restoring Transparency and Value to MediPharm’s Shareholders

    URGES SHAREHOLDERS TO DISREGARD MEDIPHARM LABS’ GREEN PROXY CARD AND VOTE THE GOLD PROXY CARD “FOR” APOLLO CAPITAL’S SIX DIRECTOR NOMINEES

    TORONTO, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), which together with its affiliates and associates collectively is one of the largest shareholders of MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (“MediPharm”, “MediPharm Labs”, or the “Company”), owning approximately 3% of the Company’s common stock, today issued a statement regarding CEO David Pidduck’s background as former CEO & President of Purdue Pharma Canada (“Purdue Pharma”).

    Fellow shareholders deserve to know the truth regarding CEO David Pidduck. As stewards of a publicly traded company, MediPharm’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) have a responsibility to uphold transparency, accountability, and good governance. The current Board, which has overseen $1 billion of shareholder value destruction, and which has presided over an eye-watering 99% share price decline, is focused on downplaying Mr. Pidduck’s past, rather than its responsibilities to shareholders. Indeed, there was absolutely no reference to Pidduck’s role at Purdue Pharma, or of Purdue Pharma’s culpability in creating the opioid epidemic, in the Company’s press release announcing Mr. Pidduck’s appointment as CEO.

    Let’s look at the facts:

    From 2014 until December 2021, David Pidduck served as VP of Marketing, and then CEO & President of Purdue Pharma.

    As reported in the Globe and Mail, “More than 34,000 Canadians have died from opioids between January 2016, and September 2022, according to federal government data.”1

    In 2017, Purdue Canada agreed to pay $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving allegations about how its pain pills were over-marketed, with the suit claiming that Purdue Pharma had engaged in deceitful marketing practices. In an interview with the CBC, Dr. David Juurlink, a drug safety researcher at the University of Toronto posited that, “the fair question that might be asked is did Purdue engage in questionable or even illegal activities in the marketing of OxyContin® in Canada.”2

    In 2020, Purdue Pharma’s U.S. entity pleaded guilty to three criminal charges over the handling of its painkiller OxyContin®, including conspiring to defraud officials and paying illegal kickbacks to doctors in a bid to keep prescriptions flowing.3

    In 2022, it was announced that Purdue Pharma agreed to pay a $150 million settlement in a proposed class action launched in 2018 on behalf of all provincial, territorial and federal governments, alleging that opioid manufacturers and distributors engaged in deceptive marketing practices that amplified addiction, destroying countless lives and killing of thousands of people. This remains the largest settlement of a governmental health claim in Canadian history.4

    Apollo Capital asks its fellow Shareholders – do you feel like Medipharm Chairman Chris Taves fulfilled his fiduciary duty, and even his moral duty to you, to make you aware of Opioid- Pusher Pidduck’s past with Purdue Pharma when he hired him as the CEO to steward your investments?

    Apollo Capital asks its fellow Shareholders – do you feel like Medipharm Chairman Chris Taves properly represented Pidduck’s past to you when he asked you on multiple occasions to vote on Opioid-Pusher Pidduck’s outrageous and off-market compensation package?

    Apollo asks its fellow Shareholders – do you feel like the details of Pidduck’s very recent past were MATERIAL facts that Medipharm Chairman Chris Taves should have made crystal clear to you so that you could have made a more informed decision before voting for nearly SIX MILLION DOLLARS of YOUR money to end up in Opioid-Pusher Pidduck’s pocket?

    While Shareholders have suffered immense losses with no path to stop the bleeding, Mr. Pidduck has benefited from the Board’s largesse with an excessive and off-market compensation package that has funneled $5,587,059 of Shareholders’ money directly to Pidduck, despite MediPharm’s share price plummeting nearly to zero.

    Shareholders should demand accountability from the Board at the 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders on June 16, 2025. Apollo Capital has nominated six highly qualified individuals; namely, Regan McGee, Scott Walters, David Lontini, Demetrios Mallios, John Fowler and Alan D. Lewis (the “Apollo Nominees”) to replace the incumbents and hold the Board accountable for destroying one billion dollars of shareholder value, enriching themselves at your expense, and enabling a CEO whose actions have driven operational and strategic failure and arguably much, much worse.

    ___________

    The opioid crisis continues to be devastating for people across the country in terms of lives lost, families torn apart and the impact on our health care frontline staff.

    Victims who before February 28, 2017 were prescribed in Canada and ingested OxyContin® tablets and/or OxyNEO® tablets, can visit https://oxycontinclassactionsettlement.com/ for more information.

    __________

    MediPharm Labs Shareholders can visit www.CureMediPharm.com, to sign up for important campaign updates.

    To access Apollo Capital’s Circular and related proxy materials, including a proxy or voting instruction form, visit SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Contacts

    For Shareholders:
    Carson Proxy
    North American Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189
    Local or Text Message: 416-751-2066 (collect calls accepted)
    E: info@carsonproxy.com

    For Media:
    CureMediPharm@gasthalter.com

    Legal Disclosures

    Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption under Canadian Law

    In connection with the Annual Meeting, Apollo Capital has filed an amended and restated dissident information circular (the “Circular”) in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws. Apollo Capital has provided in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and the corresponding exemption under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), and has filed the Circular, available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Circular contains disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of Apollo Capital’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. The Circular is hereby incorporated by reference into this press release and is available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The registered office of the Company is 151 John Street, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 2L1.

    SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDIPHARM ARE URGED TO READ THE CIRCULAR CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders are able to obtain free copies of the Circular and any amendments or supplements thereto and further proxy circulars at no charge under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, shareholders are also able to obtain free copies of the Circular and other relevant documents by contacting Apollo Capital’s proxy solicitor, Carson Proxy Advisors Ltd. (“Carson Proxy”) at 1-800-530-5189, local (collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 or by email at info@carsonproxy.com.

    Proxies may be revoked in accordance with subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) by a registered shareholder of Company shares: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the accompanying form of proxy; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s attorney authorized in writing; (c) by transmitting by telephonic or electronic means a revocation that is signed by electronic signature in accordance with applicable law, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting is to be held, or (ii) with the chair of the Annual Meeting on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting; or (d) in any other manner permitted by law. In addition, proxies may be revoked by a non-registered holder of Company shares at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.

    The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of any circular or proxy solicitation by Apollo Capital and any other participants named herein will be borne directly and indirectly by Apollo Capital. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Apollo Capital intends to seek reimbursement from the Company of all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of its director nominees at the Annual Meeting.

    This press release and any solicitation made by Apollo Capital is, or will be, as applicable, made by such parties, and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. Proxies may be solicited by proxy circular, mail, telephone, email or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by managers, directors, officers and employees of Apollo Capital who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, Apollo Capital may solicit proxies by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws, and may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on their behalf.

    Apollo Capital has entered into an agreement with Carson Proxy Advisors (“Carson Proxy”) for solicitation and advisory services in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Meeting, for which Carson Proxy will receive a fee not to exceed $250,000, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses. Apollo Capital has also engaged Gasthalter & Co. LP (“G&Co”) to act as communications consultant to provide Apollo Capital with certain communications, public relations and related services, for which G&Co will receive a minimum fee of US$75,000 in addition to a performance fee of US$250,000 in the event that Apollo Capital’s nominees make up a majority of the Board following the Annual Meeting, plus excess fees, related costs and expenses.

    No member of Apollo Capital nor any of their associates or affiliates has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or will or would materially affect the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates. No member of Apollo Capital nor any of their associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, other than setting the number of directors, the election of directors, the appointment of auditors and the approval of the ordinary resolution approving, among other things, the Company’s amended and restated equity incentive plan dated May 8, 2025 and the unallocated awards available thereunder.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward‐looking statements. All statements contained in this filing that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward‐looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of Apollo Capital and currently available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. All forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof and Apollo Capital disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur, or of which Apollo Capital hereafter becomes aware, except as required by applicable law.

    Hashtags: #ShareholderActivism #CorporateGovernance #InvestorProtection #Investor Alert #Investor Fraud #FinancialRegulation #CorporateCrime #FinancialCrime #HomelandSecurity #DHS #OpioidCrisis #OpioidEpidemic #OpioidLitigation #OpioidVictims #BMO #DEA #ONDCP

    __________________________________________________
    1 Source: The Globe and Mail, “McKinsey pitched Purdue Pharma Canada on plan to boost opioid sales in 2014, memo reveals”, 6/19/2023, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-mckinsey-opioid-lawsuit-purdue-pharma/.
    2 Source: CBC, “OxyContin maker agrees to $20M settlement in Canadian class-action case”, 5/1/2017, https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/oxycontin-class-action-1.4093781
    3 Source: U.S. Department of Justice, “Opioid Manufacturer Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Kickback Conspiracies”, 11/24/2020, https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/opioid-manufacturer-purdue-pharma-pleads-guilty-fraud-and-kickback-conspiracies
    4 Source: Ontario Minitstry of the Attorney General, Opioid Damages Settlement Secured with Purdue Pharma (Canada), 6/29/2022, https://news.ontario.ca/en/bulletin/1002169/opioid-damages-settlement-secured-with-purdue-pharma-canada

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Caribbean logistic hub boosts disaster response ahead of hurricane season

    Source: World Food Programme

    BRIDGETOWN – The United Nations World Food Programme today joined the Government of Barbados and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to inaugurate the Caribbean’s newest disaster preparedness and response hub.

    The Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub, inaugurated just ahead of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, will store and dispatch critical relief items to affected communities in case of a disaster. The hub’s strategic location at the Grantley Adams International Airport and proximity to the main highway and port facilities will allow for both air and sea operations during an emergency response.

    The Hon. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, Executive Director, CDEMA, Elizabeth Riley, and WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Lola Castro officially opened the new facility.

     “This hub is about saving lives. This is about getting food and critical supplies, including pharmaceuticals to persons within 48-72 hours of a major disaster. It isn’t only limited to emergency responses for disaster, it is also going to be for humanitarian crises,” said Mottley.

    The hub comprises a large fully enclosed warehouse and outdoor container park with space for up to forty, twenty-foot shipping containers. Additionally, the compound provides adequate space for consolidating equipment before shipping. The hub comprises of 2,500 square metres of covered storage space, 1,300 racked pallets and approximately 1,600sqm of open storage space.

    “Having seen how devastating hurricanes and other hazards can be in the Caribbean, we are proud to have this Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub in place,” said Castro. “WFP works with partners in the region and globally to enhance national response mechanisms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster response in order to save lives.”

    Through collaboration with CDEMA, the Government of Barbados and other key stakeholders, plans are in place to expand the facility. The next phase, the establishment of a Centre of Excellence, will see the development of greater emergency response knowledge, skills and expertise in the region, through specialized training programmes.

    “Recent geopolitical shifts have disrupted traditional support streams for humanitarian action highlighting the high-risk exposure of our system. The CDEMA system must now re-double efforts towards greater self-reliance, further deepen national capacity, enhance regional cooperation, and embrace new and non-traditional partnerships”, said Riley. “The hub supports this. It offers the infrastructure to pre-position high-demand emergency supplies.”

    While still under construction, the hub proved to be essential to the response to Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

    The construction of the hub was made possible through vital partnerships with the Government of Canada, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the European Union, the United States and the World Food Program USA.

    #                     #                        #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media OR @wfp_caribbean

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ingomar — Shelburne District RCMP charges man with sexual assault and weapons offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Shelburne District RCMP has charged a man with multiple offences following an investigation into a sexual assault.

    On May 9, Shelburne District RCMP received a report of a sexual assault involving a firearm. Through the investigation officers determined that a woman had been unknowingly given a noxious substance, held against her will and sexually assaulted at a residence in Shelburne County. Officers executed a search warrant at the home on May 22, seized evidence related to the offences and safely arrested a man who is known to the victim.

    Robert Sean Williams, 51, of Ingomar, has been charged with:

    • Sexual Assault with a Weapon
    • Uttering Threats (two counts)
    • Administering Noxious Thing
    • Kidnapping
    • Voyeurism
    • Overcoming Resistance to Commission of Offence (two counts)
    • 10 firearms offences, including, but not limited to, Possession of a Weapon for Dangerous Purpose and Careless Use of a Firearm

    Williams has also been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (cocaine) and Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (psilocybin). He was remanded into custody pending future court appearances.

    The investigation is ongoing and is being led by Shelburne District RCMP.

    If you are experiencing, or have experienced, gender-based violence, including sexual assault, you are not alone. The elimination of gender-based violence continues to be a priority for the Nova Scotia RCMP, and the RCMP employs a trauma-informed approach. Survivors of gender-based violence can contact us and discuss an incident before deciding to further participate in the investigation and court process. Survivor supports are available, including through the RCMP Victim Services program.

    File # 2025-623161

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Moomoo Expands into Cryptocurrency Market with Launch of New Digital Asset Business

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moomoo, a global investment and trading platform, is thrilled to announce its expansion into cryptocurrency trading with the upcoming launch of Moomoo Crypto, a comprehensive digital asset investment service for its U.S. users.

    The new U.S. Crypto’s plan to launch over 30 coins is an exciting option for moomoo investors to trade on its all-in-one trading platform. Moomoo leverages its established technology infrastructure and user-friendly interface to provide a seamless trading experience across both traditional securities through Moomoo Financial and digital assets through Moomoo Crypto. It will initially support trading of major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several other leading tokens for its current users, with plans to expand its offerings in the coming months to give users access in a gradual launch. The platform, backed by Moomoo Financial, will leverage Coinbase’s markets and infrastructure through its leading Crypto-as-a-Service (“CaaS”) platform.

    “As digital assets continue to gain mainstream adoption, we saw a clear opportunity to apply our expertise in creating accessible yet sophisticated investment tools for crypto space,” said Neil McDonald, moomoo’s US CEO.  “With Moomoo Crypto, we’re bridging the gap between traditional and digital finance, providing our users with the tools and insights they need to navigate this dynamic market.”

    Investors interested in crypto will be able to find an all-in-one platform with 32 coins offerings armed with advanced tools and various educational resources. Some advanced tools include spot charting and advanced charting, and moomoo is planning to adopt specific tools for crypto such as copy trading by early September.

    “We’re seeing growing demand from platforms like moomoo as crypto becomes increasingly mainstream,” said Brian Foster, Global Head of CaaS at Coinbase. “Our Crypto-as-a-Service offering is designed to help bridge traditional and digital finance, giving partners the infrastructure, security, and tools they need to confidently build in crypto and serve a wide range of users.”

    The move comes as interest in digital assets reaches new heights, with increasing retail participation and regulatory clarity emerging in key markets. Moomoo’s entry into the cryptocurrency sector helps the company capture growing demand from its existing user base of active investors while attracting new crypto-focused traders to its platform.

    About moomoo
    Moomoo is a leading global investment and trading platform dedicated to empowering investors with user-friendly tools, data, and insights. Our platform is designed to provide essential information and technology, enabling users to make more-informed investment decisions. With advanced charting tools, pro-level analytical features, moomoo evolves alongside our users, fostering a dynamic community where investors can share, learn, and grow together.

    Founded in the U.S., moomoo operates globally, serving investors in countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada and Malaysia. As a subsidiary of a Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings (FUTU), we take pride in our role as a global strategic partner of the Nasdaq, earning numerous international accolades from renowned industry leaders such as Benzinga and Fintech Breakthrough. Moomoo has also received multiple awards in the US, Singapore, and Australia for its innovative, inclusive approach to investing.

    For more information, please visit moomoo’s official website at www.moomoo.com or feel free to email us: pr@us.moomoo.com.

    Moomoo is a financial information and trading app offered by Moomoo Technologies Inc. In the U.S., Investment products and services on Moomoo are offered by Moomoo Financial Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC.

    Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender, not backed by any government, and not FDIC insured or SIPC protected. Cryptocurrency trading involves high risk and potential loss of principal. Crypto services are offered by Moomoo Crypto Inc. (NMLS Number 2287314). Not available in all states, see our full licensing disclosures here.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4fa41088-a4e3-4db6-9551-5e3678ed14bd

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lewisporte — Lewisporte RCMP arrests two ATV operators for fleeing from police

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Two all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operators were arrested after twice fleeing from Lewisporte RCMP on Saturday night.

    Shortly before 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, police observed three ATVs driving on the Main Road, headed towards Campbellton. When an officer stopped to speak with the group, two of the operators fled the scene. The remaining operator remained stopped and spoke with police, as required. While police were processing the traffic stop, the two operators who had fled returned to the area, revved their engines and turned around in the roadway a number of times before fleeing again.

    At approximately 2:30 on Sunday morning, the same officer observed the two ATVs stopped on the eastbound side of the Trans-Canada Highway. When the officer approached, the operators of the ATVs fled once again, headed east on the TCH at a high rate of speed. In the interest of public safety, police did not pursue the vehicles.

    What may have possibly resulted in a traffic ticket at the original traffic stop, had the operators stopped for police, has resulted in criminal charges. The operators, ages 23 and 18, were identified and arrested. The two are set to appear in court at a later date. Both individuals will face two counts each of criminal charges for flight from police.

    RCMP NL reminds all off-road vehicle operators to drive safety and obey the province’s Off-Road Vehicles Act and Highway Traffic Act. More information about the Off-Road Vehicles Act and Highway Traffic Act can be found here:

    https://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/o05-1.htm

    https://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/h03.htm

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Air traffic controller shortages in Newark and other airports partly reflect long, intense training − but university-based training programs are becoming part of the solution

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Melanie Dickman, Lecturer in Aviation Studies, The Ohio State University

    Air traffic controllers observe a plane taking off from San Francisco International Airport in 2017. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

    Air traffic controllers have been in the news a lot lately.

    A spate of airplane crashes and near misses have highlighted the ongoing shortage of air traffic workers, leading more Americans to question the safety of air travel.

    The shortage, as well as aging computer systems, have also led to massive flight disruptions at airports across the country, particularly at Newark Liberty International Airport. The staffing shortage is also likely at the center of an investigation of a deadly crash between a commercial plane and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January 2025.

    One reason for the air traffic controller shortage relates to the demands of the job: The training to become a controller is extremely intense, and the Federal Aviation Administration wants only highly qualified personnel to fill those seats, which has made it difficult for what has been the sole training center in the U.S., located in Oklahoma City, to churn out enough qualified graduates each year.

    As scholars who study and teach tomorrow’s aviation professionals, we are working to be part of the solution. Our program at Ohio State University is applying to join over two dozen other schools in an effort to train air traffic controllers and help alleviate the shortage.

    Air traffic controller school

    Air traffic control training today – overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration – remains as intense as it’s ever been.

    In fact, about 30% of students fail to make it from their first day of training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City to the status of a certified professional air traffic controller. The academy currently trains the majority of the air traffic controllers in the U.S.

    Before someone is accepted into the training program, they must meet several qualifications. That includes being a U.S. citizen under the age of 31 and speaking English clearly enough to be understood over the radio. The low recruitment age is because controllers currently have a mandatory retirement age of 56 – with some exceptions – and the FAA wants them to work for at least 25 years in the job.

    They must also pass a medical exam and security investigation. And they must pass the air traffic controller specialists skills assessment battery, which measures an applicant’s spatial awareness and decision-making abilities.

    Candidates, additionally, must have three years of general work experience, or a combination of postsecondary education and work experience totaling at least three years.

    This alone is no easy feat. Fewer than 10% of applicants meet those initial requirements and are accepted into training.

    An air traffic controller monitors a runway in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
    AP Photo/Seth Wenig

    Intense training

    Once applicants meet the initial qualifications, they begin a strenuous training process.

    This begins with several weeks of classroom instruction and several months of simulator training. There are several types of simulators, and a student is assigned to a simulator based on the type of facility for which they will be hired – which depends on a trainee’s preference and where controllers are needed.

    There are two main types of air traffic facilities: control towers and radar. Anyone who has flown on a plane has likely seen a control tower near the runways, with 360 degrees of tall glass windows to monitor the skies nearby. Controllers there mainly look outside to direct aircraft but also use radar to monitor the airspace and assist aircraft in taking off and landing safely.

    Radar facilities, on the other hand, monitor aircraft solely through the use of information depicted on a screen. This includes aircraft flying just outside the vicinity of a major airport or when they’re at higher altitudes and crisscrossing the skies above the U.S. The controllers ensure they don’t fly too close to one another as they follow their flight paths between airports.

    If the candidates make it through the first stage, which takes about six months and extensive testing to meet standards, they will be sent to their respective facilities.

    Once there, they again go to the classroom, learning the details of the airspace they will be working in. There are more assessments and chances to “wash out” and have to leave the program.

    Finally, the candidates are paired with an experienced controller who conducts on-the-job training to control real aircraft. This process may take an additional year or more. It depends on the complexity of the airspace and the amount of aircraft traffic at the site.

    Two control towers watch over Newark Liberty International Airport, where a shortage of air traffic controllers has led to blackouts and other problems lately.
    AP Photo/Seth Wenig

    Increasing the employment pipeline

    But no matter how good the training is, if there aren’t enough graduates, that’s a problem for managing the increasingly crowded skies.

    The FAA is currently facing a deficit of about 3,000 controllers and has unveiled a plan in May 2025 to increase hiring and boost retention. In addition, Congress is mulling spending billions of dollars to update the FAA’s aging systems and hire more air traffic controllers.

    Other plans include paying retention bonuses and allowing more controllers to work beyond the age of 56. That retirement age was put in place in the 1970s on the assumption that cognition for most people begins to decline around then, although research shows that age alone is not necessarily a predictor of cognitive abilities.

    But we believe that aviation programs and universities can play an important role fixing the shortage by providing FAA Academy-level training.

    Currently, 32 universities including the Florida Institute of Technology and Arizona State University partner with the FAA in its collegiate training initiative to provide basic air traffic control training, which gives graduates automatic entry into the FAA Academy and allows them to skip five weeks of coursework.

    The institution where we work, Ohio State University, is currently working on becoming the 33rd this summer and plans to offer an undergraduate major in aviation with specialization in air traffic control.

    This helps, but an enhanced version of this program, announced in October 2024, allows graduates of a select few of those universities to skip the FAA Academy altogether and go straight to a control tower or radar facility once they’ve passed all the extensive tests. These schools must match or exceed the level of rigor in their training with the FAA Academy itself.

    At the end of the program, students are required to pass an evaluation by an FAA-approved evaluator to ensure that the student graduating from the program meets the same standards as all FAA Academy graduates and is prepared to go to their assigned facility for further training. So far, five schools, such as the University of North Dakota, have joined this program and are currently training air traffic controllers. We intend to join this group in the near future.

    Allowing colleges and universities to start the training process while students are still in school should accelerate the pace at which new controllers enter the workforce, alleviate the shortage and make the skies over the U.S. as safe as they can be.

    Melanie Dickman is a member at large of the Air Traffic Controllers Association

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

    – ref. Air traffic controller shortages in Newark and other airports partly reflect long, intense training − but university-based training programs are becoming part of the solution – https://theconversation.com/air-traffic-controller-shortages-in-newark-and-other-airports-partly-reflect-long-intense-training-but-university-based-training-programs-are-becoming-part-of-the-solution-249715

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Leo XIV is the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to be elected pope – but who are the Augustinians?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

    Pope Leo XIV leaves the Augustinian General House in Rome after a visit on May 13, 2025. AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis

    When Pope Leo XIV was elected pope, the assembled crowd reacted with joy but also with surprise: He was the first pope from the United States, and North America more broadly. Moreover, he was the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to be elected to the papacy.

    Out of all 267 popes, only 51 have been members of religious orders. Pope Francis was elected in 2013 as the first member of the Jesuit order, the Society of Jesus; he was also the first member of any religious order to be chosen in over 150 years.

    As a specialist in medieval Christianity, I am familiar with the origins of many Catholic religious orders, and I was intrigued by the choice of a member of the Order of St. Augustine to follow a Jesuit as pope.

    So, who are the Augustinians?

    Early monks and concern for community

    In antiquity, some Christians chose to lead a more perfect religious life by leaving ordinary society and living together in groups, in the wilderness. They would be led by an older, more experienced person – an abbot. As monks, they followed a set of regulations and guidelines called a “monastic rule.”

    The earliest of these rules, composed about the year 400, is attributed to an influential theologian, later a bishop in North Africa, called St. Augustine of Hippo. The Rule of St. Augustine is a short text that offered monks a firm structure for their daily lives of work and prayer, as well as guidelines on how these rules could be implemented by the abbot in different situations. The rule is both firm and flexible.

    The first chapter stresses the importance of “common life”: It instructs monks to love God and one’s neighbor by living “together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become.”

    This is the overriding principle that shapes all later instructions in Augustinian rule.

    For example, Chapter III deals with how the monks should behave when out in public. They should not go alone, but in a group, and not engage in scandalous behavior – specifically, staring at women.

    If one monk starts staring at a woman, one of the other monks with him should “admonish” him. If he does it again, his companion should tell the abbot first, before any other witnesses are notified, so that the monk can try to change his behavior on his own first, so as not to cause disruption in the community.

    Because of this clarity and flexibility, its concern for both the community and the individual members, many early religious communities in the early Middle Ages adopted the Rule of St. Augustine; formal papal approval was not required at this time.

    Mendicant friars in medieval Europe

    By the end of the 12th century, Western Europe had become much more urbanized.

    In response, a new form of religious life emerged: the mendicant friars. Unlike monks who withdrew from ordinary life, mendicants stressed a life of poverty, spent in travel from town to town to preach and help the poor. They would beg for alms along the way to provide for their own needs.

    The first mendicant orders, like the Franciscans and Dominicans, received papal approval in the early 13th century. Others were organized later.

    A few decades later, several hermits living in the Italian region of Tuscany decided to join together to form a new mendicant order. They chose to follow the Rule of St. Augustine under one superior general; Pope Innocent IV approved the new order as the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine in 1244. Later, in 1254, Pope Alexander IV included other groups of hermits in the order, known as the Grand Union.

    The new order grew and eventually expanded across Western Europe, becoming involved in preaching and other kinds of pastoral work in several countries.

    Early missionaries to modern times

    As European countries began to explore the New World, missionary priests took their place on ships sent from Catholic countries, like Spain and Portugal.

    Augustinians were among these early missionaries, quickly establishing themselves in Latin America, several countries in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania, arriving in the Philippines in the 16th century.

    There, they not only ministered to the European crews and colonists, but they also evangelized – preached the Christian gospel – to the native inhabitants of the country.

    Augustinian missionaries started the process of setting up Catholic parishes and, eventually, new dioceses. In time, they founded and taught in seminaries to train native-born men who wanted to join their order.

    It wasn’t until the end of the 18th century that Augustinian friars arrived in the United States. Despite many struggles and setbacks in the 19th century, they established Villanova University in Pennsylvania and other ministries in New York and Massachusetts. Except for two 17th-century missionaries, Augustinian friars didn’t arrive in Canada until the 20th century, when they were sent from the German province of the order to escape financial pressure from the economic depression of the 1920s and political pressure from the Nazis.

    Pope Francis meets with members of the Order of Augustinian Recollects at the Vatican on Oct. 20, 2016.
    L’Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP

    Today, there are some 2,800 Augustinian friars in almost 50 countries worldwide. They serve as pastors, teachers and bishops, and have founded schools, colleges and universities on almost every continent. They are also active in promoting social justice in many places – for example, in North America and Australasia, comprising Australia and parts of South Asia.

    Based on his years as a missionary and as provincial of the entire order worldwide, Leo XIV draws on the rich interpersonal tradition of the Order of St. Augustine. I believe his pontificate will be one marked by his experiential awareness of Catholicism as a genuinely global religion, and his deep concern for the suffering of the marginalized and those crushed by political and economic injustice.

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

    – ref. Pope Leo XIV is the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to be elected pope – but who are the Augustinians? – https://theconversation.com/pope-leo-xiv-is-the-first-member-of-the-order-of-st-augustine-to-be-elected-pope-but-who-are-the-augustinians-257175

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Europeans are concerned that the US will withdraw support from NATO. They are right to worry − Americans should, too

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John Deni, Research Professor of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational Security Studies, US Army War College

    American soldiers join 3,000 troops from other NATO member countries in a four-week exercise in Hohenfels, Germany, in March 2025. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    The United States has long played a leadership role in NATO, the most successful military alliance in history.

    The U.S. and 11 other countries in North America and Europe founded NATO in 1949, following World War II. NATO has since grown its membership to include 32 countries in Europe and North America.

    But now, European leaders and politicians fear the United States has become a less reliable ally, posing major challenges for Europe and, by implication, NATO.

    This concern is not unfounded.

    President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken of a desire to seize Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member. He has declared that Canada, another NATO member, should become “the 51st state.” Trump has also sided with Russia at the United Nations and said that the European Union, the political and economic group uniting 27 European countries, was designed to “screw” the U.S.

    Still, Trump – as well as other senior U.S. government officials – has said that the U.S. remains committed to staying in and supporting NATO.

    For decades, both liberal and conservative American politicians have recognized that the U.S. strengthens its own military and economic interests by being a leader in NATO – and by keeping thousands of U.S. troops based in Europe to underwrite its commitment.

    President Donald Trump speaks at a NATO Summit in July 2018 during his first term.
    Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Understanding NATO

    The U.S., Canada and 10 Western European countries formed NATO nearly 80 years ago as a way to help maintain peace and stability in Europe following World War II. NATO helped European and North American countries bind together and defend themselves against the threat once posed by the Soviet Union, a former communist empire that fell in 1991.

    NATO employs about 2,000 people at its headquarters in Brussels. It does not have its own military troops and relies on its 32 member countries to volunteer their own military forces to conduct operations and other tasks under NATO’s leadership.

    NATO does have its own military command structure, led by an American military officer, and including military officers from other countries. This team plans and executes all NATO military operations.

    In peacetime, military forces working with NATO conduct training exercises across Eastern Europe and other places to help reassure allies about the strength of the military coalition – and to deter potential aggressors, like Russia.

    NATO has a relatively small annual budget of around US$3.6 billion. The U.S. and Germany are the largest contributors to this budget, each responsible for funding 16% of NATO’s costs each year.

    Separate from NATO’s annual budget, in 2014, NATO members agreed that each participating country should spend the equivalent of 2% of its gross domestic product on their own national defense. Twenty two of NATO’s 31 members with military forces were expected that 2% threshold as of April 2025.

    Although NATO is chiefly a military alliance, it has roots in the mutual economic interests of both the U.S. and Europe.

    Europe is the United States’ most important economic partner. Roughly one-quarter of all U.S. trade is with Europe – more than the U.S. has with Canada, China or Mexico.

    Over 2.3 million American jobs are directly tied to producing exports that reach European countries that are part of NATO.

    NATO helps safeguard this mutual economic relationship between the U.S. and Europe. If Russia or another country tries to intimidate, dominate or even invade a European country, this could hurt the American economy. In this way, NATO can be seen as the insurance policy that underwrites the strength and vitality of the American economy.

    The heart of that insurance policy is Article 5, a mutual defense pledge that member countries agree to when they join NATO.

    Article 5 says that an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against the entire alliance. If one NATO member is attacked, all other NATO members must help defend the country in question. NATO members have only invoked Article 5 once, following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., when the alliance deployed aircraft to monitor U.S. skies.

    A wavering commitment to Article 5

    Trump has questioned whether he would enforce Article 5 and help defend a NATO country if it is not paying the required 2% of its gross domestic product.

    NBC News also reported in April 2025 that the U.S. is likely going to cut 10,000 or more of the nearly 85,000 American troops stationed in Europe. The U.S. might also relinquish its top military leadership position within NATO, according to NBC.

    Many political analysts expect the U.S. to shift its national security focus away from Europe and toward threats posed by China – specifically, the threat of China invading or attacking Taiwan.

    At the same time, the Trump administration appears eager to reset relations with Russia. This is despite the Russian military’s atrocities committed against Ukrainian military forces and civilians in the war Russia began in 2022, and Russia’s intensifying hybrid war against Europeans in the form of covert spy attacks across Europe. This hybrid warfare allegedly includes Russia conducting cyberattacks and sabotage operations across Europe. It also involves Russia allegedly trying to plant incendiary devices on planes headed to North America, among other things.

    President Joe Biden speaks during a NATO summit in Washington in July 2024.
    Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

    A shifting role in Europe

    The available evidence indicates that the U.S. is backing away from its role in Europe. At best – from a European security perspective – the U.S. could still defend European allies with the potential threat of its nuclear weapon arsennal. The U.S. has significantly more nuclear weapons than any Western European country, but it is not clear that this is enough to deter Russia without the clear presence of large numbers of American troops in Europe, especially given that Moscow continues to perceive the U.S. as NATO’s most important and most powerful member.

    For this reason, significantly downsizing the number of U.S. troops in Europe, giving up key American military leadership positions in NATO, or backing away from the alliance in other ways appears exceptionally perilous. Such actions could increase Russian aggression across Europe, ultimately threatening not just European security bu America’s as well.

    Maintaining America’s leadership position in NATO and sustaining its troop levels in Europe helps reinforce the U.S. commitment to defending its most important allies. This is the best way to protect vital U.S. economic interests in Europe today and ensure Washington will have friends to call on in the future.

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

    – ref. Europeans are concerned that the US will withdraw support from NATO. They are right to worry − Americans should, too – https://theconversation.com/europeans-are-concerned-that-the-us-will-withdraw-support-from-nato-they-are-right-to-worry-americans-should-too-253907

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: IDF firing ‘warning shots’ near diplomats sets an unacceptable precedent in international relations

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Forde, Assistant Professor – European Human Rights Law, Dublin City University

    A still from footage of the incident when ‘warning shots’ were fired above visiting diplomats in Jenin on May 21. X (Twitter)

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) appears to have “crossed the Rubicon” in the West Bank town of Jenin, when it opened fire in the vicinity of a group of visiting diplomats on May 21 – in flagrant violation of international law. The group of diplomats representing 31 countries – including Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Russia and China – were on an official mission organised by the Palestinian Authority to observe the humanitarian situation there.

    They were giving media interviews when IDF troops fired what they later referred to as “warning shots” over their heads, forcing them to run for cover. The shots came despite the visit having been flagged and coordinated in advance with both the Palestinian Authority and the IDF, which has effective control over the area.

    Jenin has long been a flash point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With much of the population descendants of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war, Israeli occupation and active Palestinian resistance are observable in the town.

    The international community’s reaction to the warning shots incident – in particular, by those states whose diplomatic officials were directly involved – was one of swift and widespread outrage. The high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas, called for a full investigation into the incident, and for those responsible to be held accountable. “Any threats on diplomats’ lives are not acceptable,” she said.

    The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Israel of having “deliberately targeted with live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation”.

    Israel acknowledged the incident and triggered an initial investigation, but downplayed its significance. A spokesman for the IDF said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” by the incident. But its statement went on to effectively justify the action, arguing that the diplomats had “deviated from the approved route” by entering a restricted area – leading to IDF soldiers firing warning shots into the air.

    Such a response doesn’t remotely correspond to the seriousness of the situation, and Israel is perfectly aware of this.

    International law and diplomats

    Diplomats carry out functions on behalf of the country they represent. They are the eyes, ears and voice of their country, called upon to pursue legitimate diplomatic activities. The protections afforded to individual diplomats must therefore be seen in the context of broader and longer-term diplomatic relations between states.

    To carry out diplomatic functions effectively, those individuals must be allowed to perform their functions without hindrance, coercion or harassment from any country that hosts their delegations. These customary rules are thousands of years old, and have been codified in international law through the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations – to which Israel is a signatory.

    That convention provides for diplomatic inviolability, immunity from criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction, and freedom from detention or arrest. It also affords diplomatic staff the right to freedom of movement and free communications.

    Most importantly for this case, article 29 of the convention states that the host state “shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on [their] person, freedom or dignity”.

    Firing warning shots in the vicinity of diplomats, even if done in error or without ill-intent, represents a serious threat to the person and their dignity. As such, it constitutes a flagrant abdication of Israel’s duty to protect them.

    Moreover, the firing of warning shots in Jenin immediately interrupted the diplomatic work there, and as such can be seen as an attempt to intimidate or limit the efficient and effective performance of diplomatic functions on behalf of their governments.

    Need for accountability

    Any use of force against diplomats, even indirect, is incompatible with the principles of diplomatic immunity enshrined in international law. The onus is on the host state to ensure the safety and inviolability of diplomatic personnel.

    And this duty of care is not diminished in situations of conflict. On the contrary, states have a special duty in times of conflict to protect diplomats and preserve diplomatic channels of communication.

    Israel’s actions in firing above these diplomats may or may not have been deliberate. But they had an intimidatory effect, which undermines the foundational principles of international relations. In a climate where Israel’s courts have effectively endorsed a media blackout in conflict-affected regions, the role of diplomats is indispensable.

    The entire system of diplomatic relations relies on the presumption that diplomats can carry out their functions freely and effectively. Diplomatic protections work effectively when they are reciprocal. Without trust, the system quickly unravels.

    It would be wrong to suggest this act may have tipped the balance of international opinion against Israel, when you consider the 19 months of violence in Gaza. The killing by the IDF of vast numbers of civilians (including thousands of women and children), the seeming use of starvation as a weapon of war, and the destruction of vast swaths of Gaza have rightly attracted growing international condemnation.

    On May 19, Britain, France and Canada – staunch allies of Israel – said they will “not stand by”, and would take “concrete actions” if the military offensive is not halted and humanitarian aid is not delivered to the people of Gaza.

    But threatening diplomats – even if not actively shooting at them – is an egregious breach of trust under the laws of diplomatic relations, which requires a meaningful apology and effective investigation. Those responsible for giving the orders to fire the “warning shots” need to be held accountable for that decision.

    Andrew Forde is affiliated with Dublin City University (Assistant Professor, European Human Rights Law).

    He is also, separately, affiliated with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Commissioner).

    – ref. IDF firing ‘warning shots’ near diplomats sets an unacceptable precedent in international relations – https://theconversation.com/idf-firing-warning-shots-near-diplomats-sets-an-unacceptable-precedent-in-international-relations-257488

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Alberta’s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland’s in 2014

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Piers Eaton, PhD Candidate in Political Science, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    One day after the Liberal Party secured their fourth consecutive federal election victory, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tabled legislation to change the signature threshold needed to put citizen-proposed constitutional questions on the ballot. She lowered it from the current 600,000 signatures to 177,000.

    Since the pro-independence Alberta Prosperity Project already claims to have 240,000 pledges in support of an Albertan sovereignty referendum, the change clears a path to a separation referendum.

    In 2014, Scottish voters went to the polls on a similar question to the one proposed by the Alberta Prosperity Project, but asking voters whether they wanted to regain their independence from Britain. Although the Scottish “Yes” campaign was defeated, it garnered 45 per cent of the vote, far exceeding what most thought was possible at the start of the campaign.

    The 2014 Scottish referendum injected a huge amount of enthusiasm into the Scottish separatist parties, with the largest, the Scottish National Party (SNP) — which led the fight for the Yes side — soaring from 20,000 members in 2013 to more than 100,000 months after the referendum.

    While the Yes campaign did not achieve its goals and the Scottish historical context is very different from Alberta’s, there are still important lessons about how people can be won over to the cause of independence. Albertan separatists don’t seem to be heading down the same path.

    Timeline

    Smith has suggested that if the necessary signatures were collected, that she would aim to hold a referendum in 2026. But the Alberta Prosperity Project’s Jeffrey Rath suggested the group would push Smith to allow a referendum before the end of 2025, giving the referendum a maximum of seven months of official campaigning.

    The broad ground rules of the Scottish referendum were established in the Edinburgh Agreement in October 2012. On March 2013, the SNP-led Scottish government announced the date of the independence referendum — Sept. 18, 2014. The long campaign period allowed a wide variety of grassroots campaign groups to organize in favour of independence.

    While Alberta separatism is less likely to be buoyed by artist collectives and Green Party activists like Scottish independence was, a longer independence campaign would allow a variety of members of Albertan society to make the case for independence.

    Dennis Modry, a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, recently told CBC News that the initial signature threshold of 600,000 was not all bad, as it would “get (us) closer to the referendum plurality as well.” That remark suggested Modry sees value having more time to campaign before a referendum is held.

    In this regard, he and Rath seem to be sounding different notes.

    Leadership

    Hints that the Alberta Prosperity Project is already divided raises broader questions of leadership. In 2014, the Scottish Yes side had a clear and undisputed leader — First Minister Alex Salmond, head of the SNP.

    The late Salmond led the SNP to back-to-back electoral victories in Scotland, including the only outright majority ever won in the history of the Scottish parliament in 2011.

    Salmond was able to speak in favour of independence in debates and to answer, with democratic legitimacy, specific questions about what the initial policy of an independent Scotland would be.

    The SNP government published a report, Scotland’s Future, that systematically sought to assuage skeptics. Its “frequently asked questions” (FAQ) section answered 650 potential questions about independence. The Alberta Prosperity Project, on the other hand, only answers 74 questions in its FAQ.

    Whereas Salmon’s rise to the leadership of the Scottish independence movement was done in full public view and according to party rules, the Alberta Prosperity Project’s leadership structure is far murkier.

    The organization claims there “is no prima facie leader of the APP, but there (is) a management team which is featured on the website https://albertaprosperityproject.com/about-us/.” Follow that link, however, and no names or management structures are listed.

    Clarity and democracy

    While independence always involves some unknowns, clear leadership can provide answers about where a newly independent nation might find stability. The Yes Scotland campaign promised independence within Europe, meaning Scotland would retain access to the European Union’s common market.

    By contrast, the Alberta Prosperity Project isn’t clear on the fundamental question of whether a sovereign Alberta should remain independent or attempt to join the United States as its 51st state.

    Despite the claim on its website that “the objective of the Alberta Prosperity Project is for Alberta to become a sovereign nation, not the 51st state of the USA,” the organization backed Rath’s recent trip to Washington, D.C. to gauge support for Albertan integration into the U.S.

    Rath has also said that becoming a U.S. territory is “probably the best way to go.”

    Rath in an interview with Rachel Parker, an Alberta-based independent journalist. (Rachel Parker’s YouTube channel)

    The 2014 referendum in Scotland was called a “festival of democracy”, and even anti-independence forces agreed the referendum had been good for democracy.

    It took time and leadership to put forward a positive case for independence, one that voters could decide upon with confidence.

    Alberta could learn from Scotland and strengthen its democracy by holding a referendum based on legitimate leadership, reasonable timelines, diverse voices and clear aims. Or it could lurch into a rushed campaign, with divided leaders of dubious legitimacy, arguing for unclear outcomes — and end up, no matter which side wins, weakening its democracy in the process.

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

    – ref. Why Alberta’s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland’s in 2014 – https://theconversation.com/why-albertas-push-for-independence-pales-in-comparison-to-scotlands-in-2014-256838

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clarenville — RCMP NL reminds operators of Off-Road Vehicles Act after Clarenville RCMP tickets operator not wearing a helmet

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As the warmer weather arrives in Newfoundland and Labrador, RCMP NL is reminding operators of dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road vehicles to drive safety and obey the province’s Off-Road Vehicles Act.

    The reminder comes after a 31-year-old man was ticketed by Clarenville RCMP earlier this month for not wearing a helmet while operating a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Police stopped the ATV which was traveling through an intersection (Thompson St and Manitoba Dr.) in Clarenville. In addition to not wearing a helmet, he was not wearing a seat belt, had no driver’s licence and no insurance on the vehicle. The operator was ticketed for the violations and the vehicle was impounded.

    Operators are reminded that:

    • All occupants of off-road vehicles are required to wear helmets, as well as seat belts where available.
    • Children who are required to use a child seat restraint system, such as a booster seat, under the Highway Traffic Act are required to follow that same legislation as a passenger of an off-road vehicle.
    • It is illegal to operate an ATV on a roadway, except to cross from one side to the other, and the operator must have registration, insurance, a driver’s licence and not less than one hundred and fifty metres of visibility to do so. To access a trail, an ATV can be operated on the shoulder of a roadway for a maximum distance of 1 kilometre and at a maximum speed of 20 kilometres an hour, all while yielding to motor vehicle traffic.
    • Operating an off-road vehicle while impaired is a criminal offence. Impaired operation of any motor vehicle is a choice that unnecessarily places the driver and all others who share the roadway at an increased level of risk of serious injury or death.

    More information about the Off-Road Vehicles Act and Highway Traffic Act can be found here:

    https://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/o05-1.htm

    https://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/h03.htm

    MIL Security OSI –