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  • MIL-OSI Global: England’s water crisis needs more than just new reservoirs – here’s what will help

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology, University of Reading

    The UK government wants to build more reservoirs like this one (Ladybower reservoir) in the Peak District Jon_Clark/Shutterstock

    England is facing a water crisis. The UK government has just announced plans to fast-track two massive reservoir projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, warning that without them, we could run out of drinking water by the mid-2030s. But as a hydrologist who studies Britain’s often erratic weather patterns, I believe these reservoirs alone won’t solve our water problems.

    No major reservoirs have been completed in England since 1992. But the rising population, housing developments and the construction of data centres which use large amounts of water as a coolant are putting intense pressure on our water supplies.

    Meanwhile, climate change is bringing hotter, drier summers that increase the risk of drought, as a warmer atmosphere soaks up more water and moves it around in increasingly extreme patterns. This year’s arid spring has already pushed north-west England into official drought status.

    The government’s solution is to build nine new reservoirs by 2050, potentially providing 670 million litres of extra water daily. The two fast-tracked projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire are pencilled for completion in 2036 and 2040 respectively. On paper, this sounds like a sensible response to a growing crisis.

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    But here’s the problem: we’re thinking about water all wrong. We need a complete overhaul of the way we use water. We need to plug leaks, cut down on waste and use water more than once in our homes and buildings before sloshing it down the drain. We need to catch more water wherever it falls – not just in the river basins that are linked to big reservoirs.

    Water companies lose billions of litres daily through leaky pipes. Some estimates suggest that around 20% of treated water never reaches taps because it seeps out of ageing infrastructure. Meanwhile, we’re planning to pump water across huge distances from new reservoirs to supply areas that could be managing their local water resources far more efficiently.

    It would be better to make more difficult decisions around the regulation of new buildings, as well as retrofitting older homes and businesses, to cut waste and recycle water where it is used. This isn’t just about taking shorter showers or turning off taps as you brush your teeth – although these things do help.

    We need systematic changes: building standards that require water recycling systems, tighter management of water-hungry developments in already dry areas and serious investment in our crumbling water infrastructure.



    Read more:
    Recycling sewage is a sensible way to improve water security – but would you swallow it?

    The reservoirs planned for Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire will take more than a decade to complete and will cost billions of pounds. In the UK, little research has been done to compare the costs of major infrastructure against a mass roll out of household-level water saving techniques.

    Such schemes are rare in Europe. But evidence from historically water-scarce regions, such as parts of Australia, have shown that widely-adopted community and domestic water storage and recycling is cost effective. In the past, the approach in the UK and most European countries has followed a traditional model that often dates to Victorian times, or before.

    These civic water supply and drainage systems were built to address public health crises and cut water-borne diseases across urban areas.

    But an unprecedented climate calls for unprecedented solutions. These could include the widespread roll out of sustainable drainage solutions that mimic nature and capture rainwater where it falls, on roofs or ditches filled with plants, rather than letting it rush straight down the drains into the rivers.

    Green roofs need to be part of the solution.
    Virrage Images/Shutterstock

    Britain’s weather has always been variable, but it’s now extremely variable. We’ve experienced this seesaw pattern of drought followed by flooding, as seen in the contrast between dry and wet months seen over the past year.

    This all-or-nothing rainfall pattern makes it even more important to capture and store water locally when we have it, rather than relying on large, centralised infrastructure that may be in the wrong place when extreme weather strikes.

    The government’s decision to override local planning objections for these reservoir projects highlights another issue. Communities may be asked to sacrifice their land and landscapes for water infrastructure that primarily serves distant urban areas. This approach feels increasingly outdated when we could manage water more sustainably at the local level.

    None of this means we don’t need new reservoirs. More water storage needs to be part of the solution. But while big reservoir projects may be politically attractive as they are visible examples of government action, they shouldn’t be our only solution, or even our primary one.

    The climate crisis demands that we think differently about water. A warmer world shifts water from region to region more easily, causing problems by its presence or its absence. In the UK, we will increasingly have to treat water as a precious resource, to be more carefully managed wherever we find it.

    Hannah Cloke advises the Environment Agency, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, local and national governments and humanitarian agencies on the forecasting and warning of natural hazards. She is a member of the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and a fellow of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts. Her research is funded by the UKRI Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

    – ref. England’s water crisis needs more than just new reservoirs – here’s what will help – https://theconversation.com/englands-water-crisis-needs-more-than-just-new-reservoirs-heres-what-will-help-257922

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How medieval lessons for managing floods could help those facing them in northern Italy today

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marco Panato, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Department of History, University of Nottingham

    Saint Fredianus diverts the Serchio River by Filippo Lippi, 1438
     Wikiart

    Northern Italy has been hit by a series of devastating floods in recent years. In March 2025 and the previous autumn, heavy rainfall hammered the region, swamping fields, farms and towns. More than 3,000 had to leave their homes in Emilia-Romagna, between Bologna and Ravenna.

    The downpours caused widespread floods, landslides, and infrastructure damage. This has been a repeated event since 2023 when the area saw what has been called the worst flood in a century.

    While climate change is a major factor behind the likelihood of these disasters, human neglect has worsened the risk. Decades of poor maintenance of drainage canals and ageing riverbanks – some of which are medieval, like those in Bologna – have made the Po valley particularly vulnerable.

    As the meteorologist James Parrish has explained, when dried-out soil suddenly receives half a year’s rainfall in two days, even modern flood defences cannot cope, especially in a landscape prone to waterlogging.

    According to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research and the data collected in 2021 by the National Institute of Statistics, in Emilia-Romagna alone, over 2.5 million live in areas of high or medium flood-risk.

    Yet if today’s floods feel apocalyptic, history tells us that living with floods is nothing new in these territories. Medieval communities faced similar challenges and how they lived with water may offer lessons for today.

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    Since the earliest times, people in the Po valley developed what the historian Petra van Dam calls an amphibious culture: a way of life that continuously adjusted to the threats and benefits posed by rivers. From the Terramare and Etruscan cultures in the second and first millennium BC (but even earlier) to the middle ages and in some cases even now, communities did not just fight floods; they integrated them into their daily lives and economies.

    After the fall of the Roman state, Italy entered a period of intense political, socio-economic, climatic and environmental change. As archaeological and historical research shows, settlements from this period often clustered near waterways despite their risks.

    Every year, rivers overflowed destroying crops or buildings. Evidence of these events comes from contemporary narratives, such as the life of Saint Fredianus, and in the flood layers buried in the soil. Traces are even found in cave minerals in the Apuan Alps.

    Why live so close to something so destructive? Because rivers also brought huge benefits like fertile land, irrigation, mills, fish, woodlands and trade.

    Communities adapted in practical ways. They grew crops suited to wet soils, grazed animals in seasonal marshes, and even breached riverbanks on purpose to let in muddy water that deposited rich sediment for farming. To stay dry, they also built houses on natural or artificial high grounds above floodwaters.

    These strategies show a deep resilience in medieval societies, something to keep in mind also in the current situation.

    A shared responsibility

    In early medieval Italy, people dug canals and drained wetlands not just to farm new land, but also to manage flooding and redirect rivers. These projects were often led by monasteries, landowners, and farmers, who worked together out of necessity.

    Research research from the Maremma wetlands in Tuscany shows how communities and rulers cooperated to maintain dikes, drainage channels, and salt pans (where seawater was left to dry and leave behind salt). Local know-how and labour mattered as much as political coordination and investment.

    Today, people often expect the state to manage floods. But public response is not always quick or fair. For instance, in Traversara, a village severely hit by floods, locals were furious towards proposed mandatory insurance policies, feeling abandoned by authorities.

    Modern flood defence relies heavily on centralised systems, satellite monitoring and major infrastructure projects. These tools are crucial, but not enough.

    Historical lessons suggest that effective flood resilience must also incorporate local (historical) knowledge and community participation. Some solutions include restoring spaces for rivers to overflow safely and continuous targeted maintenance of canals and levees.

    Strengthening and adapting Italy’s consorzi di donifica – local organisations responsible for drainage and water management – could revive a model of shared governance that proved successful for centuries.

    As recently suggested in the response strategies to the 2023 floods, responsive resilience takes teamwork. National, regional, and local actors must coordinate. In this case, adopting an “amphibious” mentality – one that views rivers not just as threats but as central, living elements of the landscape – could help reshape flood policy.

    Combining historical understanding with modern science and community empowerment can guide better ways to live with water. Medieval societies, through trial and adaptation, managed to coexist with their rivers. Relearning from them today could help build more sustainable futures in flood-prone regions – not only in Italy, but across the globe.

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    Marco Panato 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. How medieval lessons for managing floods could help those facing them in northern Italy today – https://theconversation.com/how-medieval-lessons-for-managing-floods-could-help-those-facing-them-in-northern-italy-today-257062

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mexico’s cartels use violence against women as a means of social control

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adriana Marin, Lecturer in International Relations, Coventry University

    Mexico’s drug cartels are often described as powerful rivals to the state, with their influence measured in weapons, money and murdered officials. But this framing misses a fundamental truth. Organised crime in Mexico is also a system of gendered governance – one that disciplines, controls and sometimes eliminates women to consolidate power.

    The term “narco-femicide” captures this brutal dynamic. Narco-femicide refers not simply to the killing of women, but to the strategic use of gendered violence by criminal organisations to enforce social norms, maintain control and assert dominance in the absence – or even with the complicity – of the state.

    According to a study by Lantia Intelligence, a Mexico-based data intelligence firm, organised crime was responsible for 60% of femicides in Mexico in 2020. That year, 1,891 women were violently murdered by drug cartels – an increase of nearly 40% compared to 2018.

    These murders are not private tragedies, nor are they collateral damage. They are political acts, central to how criminal sovereignty in Mexico is exercised and reproduced.

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    Mexico has one of the highest rates of femicide in Latin America. According to Amnesty International, approximately ten women were murdered there every day throughout 2020. In cities such as the border town of Ciudad Juárez, which was once labelled the “femicide capital of the world”, these deaths are marked by sexual violence, mutilation and public display.

    The causes of femicide in Mexico do vary. But a significant proportion of these murders occur in regions such as Jalisco, Guerrero and Chihuahua, where there is a strong cartel presence. The correlation is no coincidence.

    As the Atlantic Council, an international affairs thinktank, observed in 2024: “in areas [of Mexico] controlled by drug cartels, violence against women intensifies”. It added that families often won’t report abuse or rape “out of fear of retribution”.

    The same article said that cartels turn attacks on women into “a tool of intimidation and a display of dominance”, warning the community not to defy them. The impunity of cartel violence, and examples of brutal public punishment, enforce an unwritten code that women must “know their place”.

    Femicide in cartel-run areas follows a distinct pattern. Women are punished for being too visible, independent or defiant of the patriarchal order imposed by criminal groups. The victims include journalists, business owners and others who pose no military threat but represent a challenge to social control by in some way defying the cartels.

    A member of Mexico’s national guard at the site of a cartel shooting in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, on February 16.
    Roberto Ricci Arballo / Shutterstock

    One prominent example is Marisol Macías, a journalist who was killed in 2011 in the border city of Nuevo Laredo after denouncing local gangs on the internet. She was decapitated and a handwritten sign was left beside her body saying she was killed in retaliation for her social media posts.

    More recently, in July 2024, Minerva Pérez Castro, the president of an advocacy group for Mexico’s fishing industry, was shot dead hours after making public comments about the presence of illegal fishing in the state of Baja California. Organised crime groups have long participated in illegal fishing in northern Mexico.

    Even when women are involved in organised crime, their roles remain precarious. They are valued only insofar as they serve the cartels’ interests, and are easily disposed of if they become liabilities.

    A 2016 report by Amnesty International found that gangs routinely recruit vulnerable young women to do “the lowest and most dangerous tasks”, such as smuggling drugs or acting as lookout, precisely because they are “considered expendable if arrested”.

    Where is the state?

    What makes narco-femicide in Mexico so devastating is not just the violence itself, but the vacuum when it comes to accountability – or worse – the actual collusion of the state. In many regions of Mexico, law enforcement is unwilling or unable to investigate femicides.

    Disappearances go unrecorded and families face indifference or hostility when demanding answers. In fact, according to Amnesty International, more than 90% of femicides in Mexico go unpunished. This impunity is a structural failure.

    The boundary between criminal and state power is blurred in regions where there is a strong cartel presence. Police, politicians and criminal groups often operate in overlapping networks, leaving little space for genuine accountability.

    Meanwhile, Mexico’s security strategy has been heavily shaped by the US-funded Mérida Initiative. Signed in 2007, the initiative deepened security assistance from the US to Mexico to fight organised crime.

    The Mérida Initiative officially ended in 2021, but Mexico’s strategy remains focused on military operations against crime groups and the arrest of cartel kingpins. This has diverted attention from much-needed reforms in local policing and justice, perpetuating impunity and weakening trust in institutions.

    By failing to protect women, the state effectively legitimises the cartels’ patriarchal rule. As a result, many Mexican women are living under a shadow legal system enforced by cartel violence, one where stepping outside the lines can carry deadly consequences.

    Women march in Mexico City in 2022 in protest against soaring levels of gender-based violence.
    artcgix / Shutterstock

    Narco-femicide demands a response that moves beyond militarised crackdowns and technocratic reforms. Mexico needs policies that prioritise community-based justice, survivor-led advocacy and gender-sensitive policing. The experiences of women and frontline defenders need to be central in both research and public the debate.

    The problem also needs to be named for what it is. Narco-femicide is not a private horror or a cultural anomaly. It is political violence that is perpetrated systematically and strategically.

    If organised crime governs through the control and erasure of women, then any meaningful resistance must begin by making that violence visible. Cartels and the state must both be held accountable, and these deaths must not be treated as inevitable.

    Adriana Marin 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. Mexico’s cartels use violence against women as a means of social control – https://theconversation.com/mexicos-cartels-use-violence-against-women-as-a-means-of-social-control-257915

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Does the key to uniting against divisive politics lie in our personal lives?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Beresford, Professor of Citizen Participation, University of East Anglia

    Shutterstock/Top Vector Studio

    Modern Britain is plagued by a sense of disempowerment and political exclusion – a feeling that is, somewhat ironically, shared between groups of people who otherwise feel divided from one another.

    This division has opened the door to a frightening rightwing populism that seeks to set “us” against “them”. And so far, the response from traditional political parties seems to amount to little more than trying to mimic rightwing rhetoric.

    It’s possible that the solution to this drive towards division is simply hiding in plain sight. The term “populist politics” merely means “a political approach that strives to appeal to people who feel their concerns are disregarded”.

    It’s unfortunate but not inevitable that voters are being offered merely the illusion of being listened to rather than real action to address their concerns. People don’t actually want more promises. They want a real say – whether they live in a neglected town in northern England or face personal barriers and discrimination.

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    But here’s where the biggest contradiction lies. While formal politics has been moving hard right, our personal politics have been headed determinedly in the opposite direction.

    We have seen a powerful pressure towards the equalisation of roles and relationships in society, across gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age and disability. And these trends stretch far deeper than any narrow preoccupation with the equality, diversity and inclusion agendas that are attacked as “woke” and “elitist”.

    The new social movements that have been the force for such personal, social, cultural and environmental change have also had another underlying agenda – people pressing for a real say in state and other organisations and structures that affect their lives. The growing demand has been for more participation and fewer traditional top-down, paternalistic approaches.

    This has been conspicuous in areas like the NHS and care where patients and service users are demanding more information and explanations and staff are being trained to expect this and respond positively.

    Thus, the rallying call of the women’s movement, “the personal is political”. And here perhaps lies the way forward – shifting the ground from phoney populism to real participation. Can we build on the quiet transformation that’s been taking place in our personal lives and relationships to rebuild our formal politics – highlighting that “the political is personal” too?

    The minority politics we now have which privileges a few over the many is unlikely ever to end until the rest of us can unite as many (albeit overlapping) minorities on equal terms. The present tendency to sort our differences and relative oppression into a hierarchy will merely serve the interest of the ultimate minority – rich and powerful organisations and individuals.

    Joining forces

    The only convincing way to challenge rightwing populism is to give all the groups now set against each other a real say in change. Crucially, it means building equal and inclusive alliances between our different groups and movements – real grassroots work – emulating and learning from the progress we have undoubtedly made in our personal politics.

    It means highlighting what we have in common as much as our differences. None of us has one single monolithic identity – we have multiple overlapping identities which offer insights and understanding into other experiences.

    We’re not so different as populists would have us believe – and we don’t have to hate ourselves or others for being tagged as such. You may be divorced or in a blended family. You almost certainly have experienced your own money worries or faced mental health issues personally or with a loved one. Such intersectionality enters all our personal lives, even if we aren’t familiar with the term.

    Some of the most disempowered groups have key contributions to offer here. Disabled people, including mental health service users, people with learning difficulties and long-term conditions actually have some of the most helpful learning to offer more broadly because of the scale of routine exclusions they face.

    They remind us of the importance of challenging barriers in our environment, such as inaccessible buildings, or communication barriers imposed by ignoring the access needs of deaf, blind and other groups.

    Like the black civil rights movement before them, disabled people have majored in sharing their experiences to build their personal confidence and assertiveness as a basis for empowerment.

    Of course, all this is easier to say than do, it takes time. That’s why in terms of formal political calendars, it’s a strategy we can’t afford to delay. The general election clock is ticking and already Reform is eyeing up next year’s Welsh elections.

    It means building from the bottom, not yielding to top-down rhetoric, and learning from the massive amount of experience we already have from our different movements and activism. As the black lesbian feminist Audre Lorde wrote: “We will not rebuild the master’s house using the master’s tools.” We have to the have confidence instead to join forces to use our own.

    Peter Beresford receives funding from the National Institute for Health Reseearch Applied Research Collaboration East of England as a part-time academic at the University of East Anglia and some of the work in this book was made possible through reseearch undertaken as part of this post

    – ref. Does the key to uniting against divisive politics lie in our personal lives? – https://theconversation.com/does-the-key-to-uniting-against-divisive-politics-lie-in-our-personal-lives-257696

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Keith Martin, Professor, Information Security Group, Royal Holloway University of London

    Be afraid, be very … FOTOKITA

    Will quantum computers crack cryptographic codes and cause a global security disaster? You might certainly get that impression from a lot of news coverage, the latest of which reports new estimates that it might be 20 times easier to crack such codes than previously thought.

    Cryptography underpins the security of almost everything in cyberspace, from wifi to banking to digital currencies such as bitcoin. Whereas it was previously estimated that it would take a quantum computer with 20 million qubits (quantum bits) eight hours to crack the popular RSA algorithm (named after its inventors, Rivest–Shamir–Adleman), the new estimate reckons this could be done with 1 million qubits.

    By weakening cryptography, quantum computing would present a serious threat to our everyday cybersecurity. So is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent?

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    Quantum computers exist today but are highly limited in their capabilities. There is no single concept of a quantum computer, with several different design approaches being taken to their development.

    There are major technological barriers to be overcome before any of those approaches become useful, but a great deal of money is being spent, so we can expect significant technological improvements in the coming years.

    For the most commonly deployed cryptographic tools, quantum computing will have little impact. Symmetric cryptography, which encrypts the bulk of our data today (and does not include the RSA algorithm), can easily be strengthened to protect against quantum computers.

    Quantum computing might have more significant impact on public-key cryptography, which is used to set up secure connections online. For example this is used to support online shopping or secure messaging, traditionally using the RSA algorithm, though increasingly an alternative called elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman.

    Public key cryptography is also used to create digital signatures such as those used in bitcoin transactions, and uses yet another type of cryptography called the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm.

    If a sufficiently powerful and reliable quantum computer ever exists, processes that are currently only theoretical might become capable of breaking those public-key cryptographic tools. RSA algorithms are potentially more vulnerable because of the type of mathematics they use, though the alternatives could be vulnerable too.

    Such theoretical processes themselves will inevitably improve over time, as the paper about RSA algorithms is the latest to demonstrate.

    What we don’t know

    What remains extremely uncertain is both the destination and timelines of quantum computing development. We don’t really know what quantum computers will ever be capable of doing in practice.

    Expert opinion is highly divided on when we can expect serious quantum computing to emerge. A minority seem to believe a breakthrough is imminent. But an equally significant minority think it will never happen. Most experts believe it a future possibility, but prognoses range from between ten and 20 years to well beyond that.

    And will such quantum computers be cryptographically relevant? Essentially, nobody knows. Like most of the concerns about quantum computers in this area, the RSA paper is about an attack that may or may not work, and requires a machine that might never be built (the most powerful quantum computers currently have just over 1,000 qubits, and they’re still very error prone).

    From a cryptographic perspective, however, such quantum computing uncertainty is arguably immaterial. Security involves worst-case thinking and future proofing. So it is wisest to assume that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer might one day exist. Even if one is 20 years away, this is relevant because some data that we encrypt today might still require protection 20 years from now.

    Experience also shows that in complex systems such as financial networks, upgrading cryptography can take a long time to complete. We therefore need to act now.

    What we should do

    The good news is that most of the hard thinking has already been done. In 2016, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology (Nist) launched an international competition to design new post-quantum cryptographic tools that are believed to be secure against quantum computers.

    In 2024, Nist published an initial set of standards that included a post-quantum key exchange mechanism and several post-quantum digital signature schemes. To become secure against a future quantum computer, digital systems need to replace current public-key cryptography with new post-quantum mechanisms. They also need to ensure that existing symmetric cryptography is supported by sufficiently long symmetric keys (many existing systems already are).

    The US NIST published post-quantum cryptographic standards in 2024.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A

    Yet my core message is don’t panic. Now is the time to evaluate the risks and decide on future courses of action. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has suggested one such timeline, primarily for large organisations and those supporting critical infrastructure such as industrial control systems.

    This envisages 2028 as a deadline for completing a cryptographic inventory and establishing a post-quantum migration plan, with upgrade processes to be completed by 2035. This decade-long timeline suggests that NCSC experts don’t see a quantum cryptography apocalypse coming anytime soon.

    For the rest of us, we simply wait. In due course, if deemed necessary, the likes of our web browsers, wifi, mobile phones and messaging apps will gradually become post-quantum secure either through security upgrades (never forget to install them) or steady replacement of technology.

    We will undoubtedly read more stories about breakthroughs in quantum computing and upcoming cryptography apocalypses as big technology companies compete for the headlines. Cryptographically relevant quantum computing might well arrive one day, most likely far into the future. If and when it does, we’ll surely be ready.

    Keith Martin receives funding from EPSRC.

    – ref. Is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent? – https://theconversation.com/is-a-quantum-cryptography-apocalypse-imminent-257993

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Heart attacks, fainting and falls: the perils of pooping

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

    Ivan Moreno sl/Shutterstock.com

    The humble toilet seems like the least likely setting for drama. Yet throughout history, it has claimed kings, toppled celebrities and served as the scene of untimely deaths ranging from the tragic to the downright bizarre. What is it about the smallest room that makes it, occasionally, the most dangerous?

    At the heart of this peril lies the Valsalva manoeuvre – the act of forcibly exhaling against a closed airway while straining, such as during defecation. This puts pressure on your chest, which reduces blood flow back to the heart. For most people, it’s harmless. But for those with heart problems, this strain can lead to “defecation syncope” (fainting), irregular heart rhythms and even sudden death.

    The vagus nerve is a key player here. It helps control your heart rate, and when it becomes overstimulated – through intense straining or pressure in the rectum – it can cause bradycardia (a dangerously slow heartbeat), low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. This makes defecation a surprisingly high-stakes event for those with underlying heart conditions.

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    Two of history’s most frequently cited examples of toilet-related deaths – Elvis Presley and King George II – offer sobering case studies in the hidden dangers of defecation.

    Presley, aged just 42, was found collapsed on the bathroom floor of Graceland on August 16, 1977. Though fans speculated about drug overdose – and it’s worth noting that the full report is withheld until 2027 – the post-mortem narrative reveals a more complex and tragic medical picture.

    Presley had suffered from chronic constipation, possibly exacerbated by a high-fat, low-fibre diet, prolonged opiate use and a “megacolon” – a pathologically enlarged colon. On the morning of his death, he was reportedly straining forcefully. The Valsalva manoeuvre may have triggered a fatal arrhythmia in a heart already compromised by years of prescription drug abuse and poor health.

    A more aristocratic death occurred in 1760 when King George II of Great Britain died suddenly after visiting his privy. His physician, Dr Frank Nicholls, performed a rare royal autopsy and found that the king had suffered a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm – a ballooning of the body’s main artery.

    The event probably occurred as George stood up from the toilet, at a moment when blood pressure fluctuated dramatically. Historians and physicians now believe that the effort of defecation or the sudden change in posture may have been the trigger.

    The king’s heart was also notably diseased, with significant calcification of the aortic valve, further compounding the risks posed by even minor circulatory strain.

    Deaths by drowning (and worse)

    While fainting on the toilet poses risks today, historical toilet use came with even deadlier consequences, particularly for those using privies and cesspits before the advent of modern plumbing.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, many households relied on outdoor privies built over deep pits designed to collect human waste. These structures were often unstable, poorly maintained and perilously constructed.

    Falling into a cesspit wasn’t just revolting, it could be deadly. People who lost their footing, especially in the dark or while drunk, sometimes drowned in the filth or were overcome by toxic gases like methane and hydrogen sulphide, which are released as waste breaks down.

    Newspapers and coroners’ reports from the time reveal a grim pattern: people – especially children and the elderly – regularly died after falling into night soil pits. In his 1851 classic London Labour and the London Poor, Henry Mayhew vividly describes the deadly risks faced by night soil men, including suffocation by toxic cesspit gases.

    These grim accidents helped drive 19th-century public health reforms and campaigns for better sewage infrastructure, eventually paving the way for the modern sewers we rely on today.

    But the danger hasn’t disappeared. In some parts of the world, pit latrines are still common, and toilet-related falls and drownings still occur, particularly where facilities are poorly built or inadequately maintained.

    The dangers of sitting too long

    Modern habits add new risks. Bringing your smartphone to the toilet often means longer sitting times. This increases pressure on the rectal venous plexus (the network of veins around the rectum), raising the risk of haemorrhoids and anal fissures.

    The “toilet scroll” also poses microbial dangers. Studies have found that phones used in the bathroom can carry harmful germs from the toilet to your hands – and eventually, your mouth. They can harbour E coli and other pathogens long after you’ve finished washing your hands.

    There’s also the issue of toilet posture. The western-style sitting toilet, unlike the squatting toilets common in parts of Asia and Africa, places the rectum at an angle that makes defecation more effortful and hence more likely to provoke straining. This is why some people use footstools or “toilet squat platforms” to adjust their position and reduce the risk of complications.

    Whether it’s sudden cardiac death, fainting and falls or microbial exposure, the toilet is not always the sanctuary we imagine. It’s a space where anatomy, privacy and risk intersect – often unnoticed until something goes terribly wrong.

    So the next time nature calls, think twice before settling in with your phone. Sit smart, don’t strain and remember: even in the smallest room, your body could be handling some surprisingly high-stakes business.

    Michelle Spear 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. Heart attacks, fainting and falls: the perils of pooping – https://theconversation.com/heart-attacks-fainting-and-falls-the-perils-of-pooping-256934

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What birds can teach us about repurposing waste

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Farrier, Professor of Literature and the Environment, University of Edinburgh

    Some birds use deterrent spikes to make their nests. Chemari/Shutterstock

    Modern cities are evolution engines. Urban snails in the Netherlands and lizards in Los Angeles have developed lighter shells and larger scales to cope with the heat island effect, where temperatures can be several degrees above the surrounding area.

    Artificial light makes an artificial dawn, shifting the time when birds sing, and has prompted urban bridge-dwelling spiders to develop an attraction to light, whereas ermine moths are losing theirs altogether. A mutation in the so-called “daredevil gene”, also found in downhill skiers and snowboarders, is making urban swans bolder and more tolerant of humans.

    Our urban environments are pushing many species to reimagine their bodies and behaviours to suit municipal living; but some are also reimagining our cities. There’s lots to learn from how nature adapts to city life.

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

    Anti-bird spikes are a hostile architecture for wildlife, designed to keep messy nature away from buildings. Yet, crows and magpies in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Glasgow strip the spikes away and use them to make their nests.

    It’s difficult to imagine finding ease in a nest that has all the comfort of a tangled ball of wire, but the birds occupy them contentedly, improvising shelter from materials intended to exclude.

    Evolutionary biologists call this process “exaptation”. For example, feathers originally evolved to keep bird-like dinosaurs like Archaeopteryx warm. These feathers were adaptations to colder temperatures and only later repurposed, or exapted, to allow flight.

    Exaptation places repurposing at the heart of evolution; what if we were to design our homes on the same basis?

    Repurposing waste

    The Waste House is a two-storey model home in Brighton, made almost entirely from household and construction waste. When I visited the Waste House while researching my book, Nature’s Genius: Evolution’s Lessons for a Changing Planet, I loved the sense of possibility found in a staircase made of compressed paper or carpet tiles lapped like slates round its outside walls.

    But what lingered most vividly were the little windows built into the inside walls, showing what materials they’d used as insulation: old duvets and bicycle inner tubes, and in one window a library of DVDs. One of these was a copy of Groundhog Day – a film where the same day repeats on an endless loop.

    Built in 2013–14 behind the University of Brighton’s faculty of arts building, Waste House is made from construciton and household waste.
    Hassocks5489/Wikimedia, CC BY-NC-ND

    We’re similarly stuck in a rigid pattern of extraction, consumption and waste that plays again and again, day after day. But rather than a loop, this pattern is stubbornly linear, with hundreds of millions of tonnes of usable materials flowing into the dead end of landfill every year.

    The problem is that so much of what we make is designed with a single use or purpose in mind. We tend not to think about what a material or an object could become at the end of its life. But exaptation teaches us to stop seeing things as they are, and instead imagine their potential to be something new.

    In Edinburgh, Pianodrome is a performance space that’s assembled entirely from old pianos. Audiences climb staircases made of soundboards, clutching bannisters that were piano lids and rest their heads against seatbacks conjured from reclaimed keyboards. Destined for landfill, these instruments have instead found a new life as space for people to gather and perform.

    But like all exapted features, their new life hasn’t erased the old. Pianodrome’s makers left the strings of the old piano harps in place, buried in the heart of the structure. Just as feathers still keep flighted birds warm, and spikes that kept birds from buildings help crows and magpies to protect their nests from predators, whenever a performance takes place inside it, pianodrome resonates like one giant instrument.

    An exaptive approach could help birth a circular economy, taking us out of this damaging loop of extraction and consumption, and finding value in what we currently discard. Leaving materials to waste imposes a barrier, a limit on what could be. But the birds who build their nests from anti-bird spikes teach us that what was once a barrier can become a shelter.

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

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

    David Farrier 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. What birds can teach us about repurposing waste – https://theconversation.com/what-birds-can-teach-us-about-repurposing-waste-256519

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael A. Lewis, Professor of Operations and Supply Management, University of Bath

    Melnikov Dmitriy / Shutterstock

    Ukrainians are celebrating the success of one of the most audacious coups of the war against Russia – a coordinated drone strike on June 1 on five airbases deep inside Russian territory. Known as Operation Spiderweb, it was the result of 18 months of planning and involved the smuggling of drones into Russia, synchronised launch timings and improvised control centres hidden inside freight vehicles.

    Ukrainian sources claim more than 40 Russian aircraft were damaged or destroyed. Commercial satellite imagery confirms significant fire damage, cratered runways, and blast patterns across multiple sites, although the full extent of losses remains disputed.

    The targets were strategic bomber aircraft and surveillance planes, including Tu-95s and A-50 airborne early warning systems. The drones were launched from inside Russia and navigated at treetop level using line-of-sight piloting and GPS pre-programming.

    Each was controlled from a mobile ground station parked within striking distance of the target. It is reported that a total of 117 drones were deployed across five locations. While many were likely intercepted, or fell short, enough reached their targets to signal a dramatic breach in Russia’s rear-area defence.

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

    The drone platforms themselves were familiar. These were adapted first-person-view (FPV) multirotor drones. These are ones where the operator gets a first-person perspective from the drone’s onboard camera.

    These are already used in huge numbers along the front lines in Ukraine by both sides. But Operation Spiderweb extended their impact through logistical infiltration and timing.

    Nations treat their airspace as sovereign, a controlled environment: mapped, regulated and watched over. Air defence systems are built on the assumption that threats come from above and from beyond national borders. Detection and response also reflect that logic. It is focused on mid and high-altitude surveillance and approach paths from beyond national borders.

    But Operation Spiderweb exposed what happens when states are attacked from below and from within. In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge. Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.

    Spiderweb worked not because of what each drone could do individually, but because of how the operation was designed. It was secret and carefully planned of course, but also mobile, flexible and loosely coordinated.

    The cost of each drone was low but the overall effect was high. This isn’t just asymmetric warfare, it’s a different kind of offensive capability – and any defence needs to adapt accordingly.

    On Ukraine’s front lines, where drone threats are constant, both sides have adapted by deploying layers of detection tools, short range air defences and jamming systems. In turn, drone operators have turned to alternatives. One option is drones that use spools of shielded fibre optic cable. The cable is attached to the drone at one end and to the controller held by the operator at the other. Another option involves drones with preloaded flight paths to avoid detection.

    Fibre links, when used for control or coordination, emit no radio signal and so bypass radio frequency (RF) -based surveillance entirely. There is nothing to intercept or jam. Preloaded paths remove the need for live communication altogether. Once launched, the drone follows a pre-programmed route without broadcasting its position or receiving commands.

    As a result, airspace is never assumed to be secure but is instead understood to be actively contested and requiring continuous management. By contrast, Operation Spiderweb targeted rear area airbases where more limited adaptive systems existed. The drones flew low, through unmonitored gaps, exploiting assumptions about what kind of threat was faced and from where.

    Tu-95 bombers were among the planes destroyed.
    Almaz Mustafin

    Spiderweb is not the first long-range drone operation of this war, nor the first to exploit gaps in Russian defences. What Spiderweb confirms is that the gaps in airspace can be used by any party with enough planning and the right technology. They can be exploited not just by states and not just in war. The technology is not rare and the tactics are not complicated. What Ukraine did was to combine them in a way that existing systems could not prevent the attack or maybe even see it coming.

    This is far from a uniquely Russian vulnerability – it is the defining governance challenge of drones in low level airspace. Civil and military airspace management relies on the idea that flight paths are knowable and can be secured. In our work on UK drone regulation, we have described low level airspace as acting like a common pool resource.

    This means that airspace is widely accessible. It is also difficult to keep out drones with unpredictable flightpaths. Under this vision of airspace, it can only be meaningfully governed by more agile and distributed decision making. Operation Spiderweb confirms that military airspace behaves in a similar way. Centralised systems to govern airspace can struggle to cope with what happens at the scale of the Ukrainian attacks – and the cost of failure can be strategic.

    Improving low-level airspace governance will require better technologies, better detection and faster responses. New sensor technologies such as passive radio frequency detectors, thermal imaging, and acoustic (sound-based) arrays can help close current visibility gaps, especially when combined. But detection alone is not enough. Interceptors including capture drones (drones that hunt and disable other drones), nets to ensnare drones, and directed energy weapons such as high powered lasers are being developed and trialled. However, most of these are limited by range, cost, or legal constraints.

    Nevertheless, airspace is being reshaped by new forms of access, use and improvisation. Institutions built around centralised ideas of control; air corridors, zones, and licensing are being outpaced. Security responses are struggling to adapt to the fact that airspace with drones is different. It is no longer passively governed by altitude and authority. It must be actively and differently managed.

    Operation Spiderweb didn’t just reveal how Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory. It showed how little margin for error there is in a world where cheap systems can be used quietly and precisely. That is not just a military challenge. It is a problem where airspace management depends less on central control and more on distributed coordination, shared monitoring and responsive intervention. The absence of these conditions is what Spiderweb exploited.

    Michael A. Lewis receives funding from the ESRC, AHRC and EPSRC

    – ref. Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-drone-strikes-on-russian-airbase-reveal-any-country-is-vulnerable-to-the-same-kind-of-attack-258005

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • NCERT intensifies crackdown on pirated textbook racket, seizes over 5 lakh copies nationwide

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in collaboration with police authorities, has escalated its efforts to combat the illegal manufacture, distribution, and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks, a serious offense under the Copyright Act, 1957. Over the past 14 months, NCERT has seized more than 5 lakh pirated textbooks, along with printing paper and machinery valued at over ₹20 crore, while filing 29 FIRs against printers, warehouse owners, and retailers engaged in the illicit trade.

    In a recent operation, NCERT, working with the Uttar Pradesh Police, conducted a raid on a warehouse in Muzaffarnagar, confiscating over 1.5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks worth more than ₹2 crore. The raid also resulted in the seizure of one truck, two cars loaded with pirated books, and numerous printing plates, with eight individuals arrested on the spot. In a follow-up action, authorities raided a printing press in Samalkha, Haryana, seizing additional pirated textbooks, printing plates, and machinery. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the masterminds behind this piracy racket.

    Pirated textbooks not only cause significant revenue losses to NCERT and the government but also pose health risks to students due to the use of substandard paper and ink. To address this issue, NCERT has enhanced the quality of paper and printing for its textbooks, ensured timely printing and sufficient market availability, and made textbooks accessible on major e-commerce platforms at the maximum retail price without delivery charges. Additionally, NCERT has taken action against a paper mill in Kashipur producing illegal NCERT watermarked paper. To further strengthen its anti-piracy measures, NCERT has introduced a technology-based solution developed by IIT Kanpur, piloted on 10 lakh copies of one textbook title, with plans to expand this to all titles in the next academic year, replacing the outdated watermarked paper system that pirates have easily replicated.

  • MIL-OSI Banking: ICC warns trade uncertainty is undermining global business confidence 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: ICC warns trade uncertainty is undermining global business confidence 

    Mr Denton said uncertainty surrounding US tariffs and trade policy is acting as a “tax” on international businesses.   

    “What we’re seeing on a global basis is heightened levels of uncertainty,”

    he said, adding that the lack of clear direction on trade policy is shaking business confidence and disrupting global trade planning. 

    Citing a recent Pulse survey of ICC’s global business network to assess the impact of newly announced US tariff measures, Mr Denton highlighted the growing challenges for small businesses.  

    Conducted across 68 countries the survey shows that 77% of firms report direct or knock-on risks from the tariffs, and 48% say the measures have already impacted their supply chains or market strategy. 

    “What that tells you is that small businesses are really feeling this as well, and they do not have the resources that large businesses do. It’s just problematic, and even for large business this is very complicated,” he said

    Mr Denton called for continued international cooperation citing ICC’s long-standing support for a multilateral rules-based trading system. 

    “The reason we’ve been able to see a decline in poverty globally is because we actually have rules-based trading systems operating,” he said

    Watch the interview here  

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Controller Of Law Enforcement Union Pleads Guilty To Filing False Tax Return

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (“IRS-CI”), announced today that DENNIS OSTERMANN, a former Sergeant with the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), pled guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. income tax return.  OSTERMANN pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate District Judge Ona T. Wang.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield. 

    “At the direction of a senior union official, Ostermann reported payments as ‘legal fees’ when they were not,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “We all share the responsibility for reporting income and expenses accurately on our tax returns, and no rank or position exempts any person or organization from these obligations.”

    IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. said: “Ostermann misrepresented the movement of funds, lied on his taxes and betrayed the confidence of union members.  He violated the trust of his position as controller for a law enforcement union and as a return preparer.  With today’s guilty plea, Ostermann is now taking responsibility for his criminal acts, and he will now face the consequences.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Information and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:

    OSTERMANN served as Controller of a union that represents all current and former sergeants of the NYPD (the “Union”).  OSTERMANN also served as a partner of HB Consultants Inc. (“HBC”).

    In 2018 and 2019, OSTERMANN paid $150,000 from HBC’s bank account to a third party on behalf of the former President of the Union.  OSTERMANN then prepared HBC’s U.S. income tax returns, and falsely reported that the $150,000 payment was for legal fees.  This false information not only disguised that OSTERMANN had used HBC-funds to make payments on behalf of the former President of the Union, but also fraudulently reduced the tax liability of HBC and its partners, including OSTERMANN.

    *               *                *

    OSTERMANN, 68, of East Rockaway, New York, pled guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. income tax return, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.  OSTERMANN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Schofield on August 29, 2025.

    The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. 

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the IRS-CI and Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

    The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justin R. Simmons Appointed as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Justin R. Simmons as Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States Attorney for the district in which the office of United States Attorney is vacant.” This appointment took effect on May 30, 2025.

    “I want to thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for placing their trust in me to lead the incredible AUSAs and support staff we have working here in the Western District,” said Simmons. “I am humbled and honored to serve in this role.”

    Simmons joined the Western District of Texas as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in December 2020 and has prosecuted a wide variety of cases, including cases involving trans-national criminal organizations, human trafficking, gun crimes, white-collar crimes, and immigration offenses.

    Simmons also served as the SAR Coordinator for the district, a role in which he was tasked with leading a group of federal, state and local law enforcement agents and officers in reviewing and evaluating SARs filed by various financial institutions. Simmons also served as the Elder Justice Coordinator, giving presentations to various groups in the San Antonio area regarding the many criminal schemes perpetrated on the elderly. Additionally, he served on the leadership team for the South Texas Officers and Prosecutors Human Trafficking Task Force, giving various presentations to law enforcement personnel regarding financial investigations in the human trafficking context.

    “The Western District of Texas has for many years been on the front lines of the fight against the narco-terrorists that have enriched themselves to the detriment of the United States,” said Simmons. “In keeping with the President’s priorities, we will continue to push back against their efforts by aggressively enforcing the laws of the United States. We will also continue to root out and bring to light those who would enrich themselves by perpetrating fraud on the government or individual citizens. Additionally, our civil litigators will continue with their important work representing the interests of the United States in our federal courts. Hand in hand with our law enforcement partners, we will do our part to make the Western District a place where the American people cannot just survive but thrive. I look forward to leading in this effort.”

    Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Simmons was a commercial litigator at the law firm of Scheef & Stone in Frisco, Texas, and, before that, he was an Assistant District Attorney in Collin County, Texas.

    Simmons received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Samford University in 2004, and his Juris Doctorate from Texas A&M in 2016.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oconee County Man Indicted for Failing to Report $1M Income on Taxes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENVILLE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Greenville returned a four-count indictment against Marion Keith Sheriff, 60, of Seneca, for filing false tax returns.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Sheriff operated a landscaping business in the Upstate and allegedly failed to report cashed business checks as income to the IRS from 2019 to 2022. Sheriff failed to report approximately $1,006,633.00 in income.

    Sheriff faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison, a $100,000 fine and one year of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Jacquelyn D Austin will preside over the case.

    The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins is prosecuting the case.

    All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salt River Man Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clifton Nez Hamalowa, 47, of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was sentenced on May 27, 2025, by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to life plus 10 years in prison.

    On August 29, 2020, Hamalowa shot the victim in the head multiple times in front of the victim’s young child while on reservation land belonging to the Gila River Indian Community. After killing the victim, Hamalowa and his siblings attempted to conceal his crimes by disposing of the victim’s car and dumping the victim’s body in a remote area of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian reservation. Hamalowa and his sister also intimidated witnesses to prevent them from reporting.

    Following a seven-day trial, a federal jury found Hamalowa guilty of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharging a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.

    Hamalowa’s brother, Thomas Leon Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 108 months in prison on October 23, 2023. Hamalowa’s sister, Devonne Beth Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 84 months in prison on April 1, 2024.

    The FBI and Gila River Police Department jointly conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Travis L. Wheeler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00751-PHX-JJT
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-084_Hamalowa

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Washington Field Office Seeking Additional Information Regarding Washington Man Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) arrested Devonne Keith Brown, 56, of Washington, D.C., on June 2, 2025, on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) charges. Brown was employed at a school in northeast Washington, D.C., and may have been involved in a youth track club in the district.

    As outlined in court documents, Brown allegedly solicited the production of CSAM from a female minor in Prince George’s County, Maryland, he allegedly met in person at a grocery store near the victim’s home.

    “Those who prey on minors to solicit the production of CSAM are morally reprehensible and will be held accountable for their heinous crimes,” said Steven Jensen, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our children and ridding our communities of this grievous scourge.”

    If you and/or your minor dependent(s) have information regarding Devonne Keith Brown and/or his involvement in the solicitation of CSAM, please send your contact information to DBVictims@fbi.gov or visit www.fbi.gov/DBVictims and fill out the form. Tips can also be made anonymously by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.  The FBI has teams dedicated to providing victims with resources and assistance.

    The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law. All victim identities will be kept confidential.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Spree of Bank Robberies in Maryland and D.C. Sends Previously Convicted Felon Back to Federal Prison for 63 Months

    Source: US FBI

    WASHINGTON – Jonathon Brown-Murphy, 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for committing a spree of bank robberies— both attempted and successful—on May 23 and May 25, 2022, in Maryland and Washington, DC.

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

               Brown-Murphy pleaded guilty on July 12, 2023, to an Information charging him with three counts of bank robbery. In addition to the 63-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ordered Brown-Murphy to serve three years of supervised release. 

                According to court documents, Brown-Murphy robbed or attempted to rob six banks over two days in Maryland and Washington, DC.  Brown-Murphy covered his face in each robbery and wore different clothing to avoid detection. After one attempt to rob a bank failed, he quickly traveled to his next target—hitting five banks on a single day in the span of about two hours. 

                On the morning of May 23, 2022, after unsuccessful attempts to rob two other banks, Brown-Murphy entered a Truist bank in Temple Hills, Maryland at 11:08 a.m. He approached a teller and passed her a note, stating “Give me the money or I will kill you.” The teller did not give him any money and Brown-Murphy left.  

                About 12:04 p.m. on May 23, 2022—shortly after another failed attempt elsewhere—Brown-Murphy entered a branch of Capital One bank on Alabama Avenue, SE. Brown-Murphy walked up to a teller and passed her a note, which stated “Give Me The Money Don’t Get Killed !!” The teller told police that she then saw Brown-Murphy nod and lift up his shirt as though he had a gun. Fearing for her life, the teller gave him cash from her register.

                Two days later, on May 25, 2022, at 11:04 a.m., Brown-Murphy entered a Wells Fargo bank in District Heights, Maryland. He passed a teller a note, which stated “GIVE ME THE MONEY!!! DON’T GET KILLED!!!.” A fellow bank employee saw the note and pressed an alarm. Brown-Murphy fled without receiving anything.

                As he left the Wells Fargo, a witness saw Brown-Murphy get into a black Cadillac and alerted the Prince George’s County Police officers then arriving on scene. Police attempted a traffic stop, but Brown-Murphy led them on a chase to nearby Suitland, Maryland. Brown-Murphy bailed out from his vehicle. When police arrested him after a foot pursuit, Brown-Murphy was wearing the black hat and glasses he had worn during the robberies, and police found in his car other clothing that he had worn as well.

                Brown-Murphy was arrested on federal charges on August 29, 2022, and has been held in custody since. He has two previous convictions for bank robbery and robbery.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey. 

    22cr227

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee Engages Indo-Pacific Partners at Shangri-La Dialogue 2025

    Source: NATO

    Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling, Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, participated in the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting NATO’s commitment to building stronger dialogue and cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific. His presence at the conference reflected the Alliance’s growing attention to global dynamics that influence Euro-Atlantic security.

    On the sidelines of the event, LTG Rohling and Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Boris Ruge- also present at the conference- held several bilateral meetings with political and military stakeholders from the Indo-Pacific. These exchanges focused on areas of shared interest such as maritime security, cyber defence, and strategic resilience, reinforcing NATO’s commitment to supporting international stability and a rules-based order through enhanced cooperation with like-minded nations. LTG Rohling also engaged with defence industry representatives, discussing approaches to enhancing private and public sector cooperation.

    Key themes at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue included regional stability, maritime cooperation, and the importance of maintaining open channels of communication. Participants exchanged views on evolving global security environment and the role of multilateral engagement in reducing tensions. Broader discussions also touched on lessons learned from ongoing conflicts, the need to strengthen resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and the value of practical cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

    The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), convenes defense ministers, military leaders, and security experts from around the world to address pressing regional and global security challenges. NATO’s engagement in this forum underscores its recognition that today’s security environment is increasingly interconnected—and that strategic dialogue beyond the Euro-Atlantic area is essential to fostering global peace and stability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Federal Charges Against Alleged Perpetrator of Anti-Semitic Terror Attack in Colorado

    Source: United States Attorneys General 3

    WASHINGTON – The Justice Department has filed federal charges against illegal alien Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the alleged perpetrator of yesterday’s anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Colorado.

    Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

    “The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world.

    This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.”

    Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon released the following statement:

    “No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation.”

    Background:

    -Soliman is being charged with a federal hate crime in addition to facing state charges for attempted murder in Colorado.

    -Read the federal complaint HERE. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Takes Action Against Discriminatory Ban on Transgender Military Service

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold a block on the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. In an amicus brief filed in Shilling v. Trump, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the president’s February 10 executive order, which purported to prohibit transgender individuals from military service, is unconstitutional, jeopardizes national security, and threatens the strength of the nation’s military. The attorneys general emphasize that the ban would reverse nearly a decade of progress and urge the court to uphold a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court.

    “Transgender service members proudly uphold the values of our nation with honor, courage, and sacrifice,” said Attorney General James. “In New York and nationwide, the National Guard depends on every qualified individual willing to serve, especially as our communities face escalating climate disasters and other threats. My office will not allow the federal government to attack our residents and weaken our military.”

    On January 27, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” directing the Secretary of Defense to implement sweeping restrictions on transgender people in the Armed Forces. On February 27, Attorney General James and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, supporting a group of current and prospective service members’ challenge to the order and urging the court to grant their request for a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the order. On March 27, the preliminary injunction was granted, a decision that the administration is appealing to the Ninth Circuit.

    In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition explain that transgender individuals have long served in the active-duty military and National Guard with no negative impact on readiness or effectiveness. The attorneys general emphasize that their states rely heavily on the National Guard for emergency response, public safety, and cybersecurity, and argue these missions would be jeopardized if qualified personnel were excluded based on their gender identity.

    The attorneys general argue that the president’s executive order conflicts with states’ experience and state-level civil rights laws, including New York’s, which protect transgender residents from discrimination in employment, education, and other public programs. They assert the order also threatens students enrolled in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs and maritime academies who face the loss of scholarships, commissions, and career paths solely because of their gender identity.

    Attorney General James and the coalition highlight the devastating impact this discriminatory policy would have on transgender veterans, current service members, and those preparing to serve. They assert that many transgender service members previously disclosed their identities in reliance on past policies that allowed open service. The federal government’s recent about-face is a betrayal of those service members and could threaten morale, trust, and cohesion in military units. The attorneys general assert that forcing individuals to hide their identity under threat of discharge has well-documented negative effects on mental health and military performance. They argue the harms will likely extend beyond the military, sending a message of exclusion that will be felt across the nation.

    The amicus brief is the third that Attorney General James has filed opposing the transgender military ban. In addition to the previous Shilling v. Trump brief, on February 14, Attorney General James and 16 other attorneys general filed a brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia supporting the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction in Talbot v. Trump.

    Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington’s ruling and block the executive order from taking effect.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Physician at VA Medical Center Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    BOSTON – A physician employed at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Bedford, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 70, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on April 23, 2025.on April 23, 2025 He was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing.

    According to the charging documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip reporting that over 100 files of suspected CSAM files had allegedly been uploaded to Ljaamo’s Google account. When Ljaamo spoke to investigators, he allegedly admitted to viewing, downloading and saving pornographic material involving female minors. It is further alleged that several CSAM files, along with tens of thousands of pornography files, were found during a review of Ljaamo’s devices, including on a cell phone Ljaamo kept in his office at the VA Medical Center.

    The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Lowell and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

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

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Websites Selling Hacking Tools to Cybercriminals Seized

    Source: US FBI

    Multinational operation linked services to known ransomware groups targeting victims worldwide

    HOUSTON – A coordinated effort involving an international disruption of an online software crypting syndicate which provides services to cybercriminals to assist them with keeping their malicious software (malware) from being detected has resulted in the seizure of four domains and their associated server, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Crypting is the process of using software to make malware difficult for antivirus programs to detect. The seized domains offered services to cybercriminals, including counter-antivirus (CAV) tools. When used together, CAV and crypting services allow criminals to obfuscate malware, making it undetectable and enabling unauthorized access to computer systems.

    According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, authorities made undercover purchases from seized websites and analyzed the services, confirming they were designed for cybercrime. Court documents also allege authorities reviewed linked email addresses and other data connecting the services to known ransomware groups that have targeted victims both in the United States and abroad, including in the Houston area.  

    “Modern criminal threats require modern law enforcement solutions,” said Ganjei. “As cybercriminals have become more sophisticated in their schemes, they have likewise become more advanced in their efforts to avoid detection. As such, our law enforcement efforts must involve striking not just at the individual fraudster or hacker, but the enablers of these cybercriminals as well. This investigation did exactly that. With this syndicate shut down, there is one less provider of malicious tools for cybercriminals out there.”

    “Cybercriminals don’t just create malware; they perfect it for maximum destruction,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “By leveraging counter antivirus services, malicious actors refine their weapons against the world’s toughest security systems to better slip past firewalls, evade forensic analysis, and wreak havoc across victims’ systems. As part of a decisive international operation, FBI Houston helped cripple a global cyber syndicate, seize their most lethal tools, and neutralize the threat they posed to millions around the world.”

    The seizures occurred May 27 in coordination with Finnish and Dutch national police as part of Operation Endgame, a multinational law enforcement initiative targeting the dismantling of malware cybercriminal services. Participating countries include the United States, The Netherlands, France, Germany and Denmark with additional support from Ukraine and Portugal.  

    The FBI Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation with the cooperation and significant assistance of law enforcement partners in The Netherlands and Finland and U.S. Secret Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Shirin Hakimzadeh and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case. AUSA Kristine Rollinson is handling the seizure aspects of the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Teenagers sentenced for manslaughter after firework caused fatal fire

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two teenagers have been jailed for the manslaughter of a pensioner who died after a firework was thrown into his property and caused a fatal fire.

    Robert Price, 76, sadly died as a result of the injuries he sustained during the fire at his home in Oval Road North, Dagenham on Saturday, 27 July 2024.

    Nathan Otitodilchukwu, 18 (31.01.07), of Crow Lane, Romford and a 16-year-old boy from Dagenham appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday, 2 June. Nathan was sentenced to six years, the teenager received two years and eight months.

    Both were convicted at the same court on Tuesday, 11 February when their manslaughter pleas were accepted by the prosecution.

    On the night of the incident, the 16-year-old threw a lit firework through a gap in a boarded-up window at the victim’s house. The incident was captured on both CCTV and doorbell footage, and showed Otitodilchukwu clearly “egging” his friend on.

    Through their enquiries, detectives were able to establish that the defendants had met up earlier in the day and spent time in the local area, which included setting off fireworks in a park. They then took a bus to the vicinity of the victim’s home, walking past several times. At one point Otitodilchukwu approached the property, firework in hand, but was put off when the victim came to the door, and ran off. But a short time later the defendants returned, and the 16-year-old climbed onto a gas meter outside the address, lit a firework and threw it into the address. A loud bang was heard as well as the laughter of the defendants as they ran from the scene.

    Following the incident, officers attended along with London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service. After firefighters forced entry to the property, Robert’s body was found and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A post mortem examination gave cause of death as inhalation of fire fumes and burns.

    An investigation was launched and within two days of the incident officers arrested Otitodilchukwu at his home. There officers found clothing matching that seen on CCTV footage from the scene. Two days later the 16-year-old was also arrested after enquiries into Otitodilchukwu identified his involvement.

    Detective Chief Inspector Phil Clarke, from Specialist Crime North, said: “This is a deeply tragic case, which saw a man lose his life in his own home after a completely mindless and reckless act had devastating consequences. The young defendants will now have to face the consequences of their actions by spending time in prison. I hope Robert’s family can take some solace in this outcome and am pleased the defendants spared them the ordeal of a trial. I would like to thank the London Fire Brigade for their initial response and the fire investigation which followed.”

    Robert’s family said: We are grateful to the CPS, police and social services for the work and support they have given us during this difficult time. We would ask that our privacy be respected to allow us to grieve in peace.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Senators Call On Trump Administration To Protect ENERGY STAR Program That Lowers Energy Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    HONOLULU — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) joined a group of his colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to immediately reverse course on its plan to illegally and unilaterally terminate the ENERGY STAR program. In their letter, the Senators highlight the cost-saving benefits of the program, which is projected to save the average American household $450 on utility bills each year simply by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products. 

    “The Trump administration’s plan to get rid of ENERGY STAR will make it harder for Hawai‘i families and small businesses to lower their energy costs,” said Senator Schatz. “This makes no economic or environmental sense, and the administration should reverse course immediately.”

    Hawai‘i households face the highest electricity rates in the nation. The proposed dismantling of the ENERGY STAR program would be a serious setback to the state’s efforts to cut energy costs because it helps consumers determine which products are eligible for the state energy rebate program. In the last fiscal year alone, Hawai‘i Energy issued more than 16,000 residential rebates for ENERGY STAR products—reducing electricity bills by an estimated $72 million. And in 2024, 230 small businesses and nonprofits that received ENERGY STAR products through Hawai‘i Energy’s EmPOWER grant are expected to save over $1 million.

    Administered by the EPA and Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR is a voluntary, market-based program that has saved consumers billions of dollars annually. The ENERGY STAR program has cumulatively reduced four billion metric tons of harmful emissions and currently supports more than 790,000 American jobs manufacturing and installing ENERGY STAR products. 

    The full letter can be found below and is available here.

    Dear Administrator Zeldin and Secretary Wright,

    For over three decades, the ENERGY STAR program has lowered Americans’ energy bills by informing consumers about energy efficient products. The program has enjoyed bipartisan support since its creation under authority of Section 103 of the Clean Air Act, most recently receiving $35.7 million in fiscal year 2025 appropriations. Reporting has indicated, however, that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to eliminate ENERGY STAR without Congressional approval. Not only is the program protected under federal statute and thus illegal for the Administration to terminate unilaterally, but this decision also lacks basic economic sense. We write to urge you to immediately reverse course.

    ENERGY STAR is a voluntary, market-based program that has saved consumers billions of dollars annually. The average American household is projected to save $450 on utility bills each year simply by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products. Since 1992, the program has reduced energy costs for American families and businesses by $500 billion, including $42 billion worth of savings in 2020 alone. All told, for every federal dollar spent on ENERGY STAR, Americans have enjoyed $350 in savings. This does not account for the broader economic and environmental benefits of the program, which has cumulatively reduced 4 billion metric tons of harmful emissions and currently supports more than 790,000 American jobs manufacturing and installing ENERGY STAR products. Additionally, housing developers and homebuilders appreciate ENERGY STAR because it communicates better performance to prospective homebuyers. Housing certified by the ENERGY STAR standard represents homes built to the highest standards, with lower energy bills that help make housing more affordable.

    ENERGY STAR is the epitome of an effective public-private partnership. As the program’s administrators, EPA and the Department of Energy set qualifying energy efficiency standards for products. EPA also protects the integrity of the ENERGY STAR brand, ensuring it remains well-known, trusted, and indicative of a quality product. Appliance manufacturers then voluntarily display the ENERGY STAR label, notifying consumers that a product will reduce their energy consumption and lower utility bills. The program strengthens consumer choice by sharing critical product information.

    Eliminating the ENERGY STAR program will not only raise energy costs for American families and businesses, but also inflict far-reaching economic harms, threatening industry jobs and the reliability of the grid at a time of growing demand. We again urge you to immediately reconsider eliminating this popular and effective Congressionally authorized program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth commissions strategic economic research to prepare for once-in-a-generation investment

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth City Council, working as part of Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP), has commissioned a major economic study to help the city prepare for the opportunities and challenges arising from an investment programme worth in excess of £4.4 billion at HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard.

    The research will provide critical insight into shaping Plymouth’s economic future and maximising the impact of MOD investment over the next decade and beyond. Babcock’s pivotal role in delivering the next phase of the Royal Navy’s submarine programme and the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) with support extending through to at least 2070 represents one of the most sustained and significant long-term financial commitments ever made to the city and wider region.

    To help ensure Plymouth best manages this opportunity, the Council has appointed one of the UK’s leading economic and labour market research consultancies, Stantec, to deliver a detailed economic forecast and skills gap analysis from 2025 – 2035. Working with major city employers including Babcock and Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP), this research will address two key questions: What will Plymouth’s economy look like as a result of this investment? And what skills and workforce capacity will be needed to support it?

    This work builds on earlier research commissioned in partnership with Homes England, elevated by Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) to support the development of the Plymouth City Centre Housing Vision. It forms a key part of the Council’s evidence base for strategic planning, inward investment, and future funding bids. It also directly supports the delivery of the Plymouth Plan, the city’s long-term strategy that sets out how Plymouth will grow in a sustainable way, covering areas such as housing, jobs, transport and the environment.

    Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said:

    ‘This investment is unlike anything Plymouth has seen before—not just in scale, but in its long-term significance. It will shape the future of our economy and our communities, and we need to be ready. This research will give us the hard evidence we need to make good decisions now, so that the benefits are felt across the whole city for decades to come’.

    The commissioning of the study reflects the coordinated approach being taken through Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP), a strategic partnership between Plymouth City Council, Devonport Naval Base, and Babcock International Group, established to align local and national priorities in support of long-term, sustainable growth. The commissioning of this study was fully endorsed at a city-wide skills roundtable in April, which was attended by a large cross-section of industry, academic and other leaders from the city and wider region.

    The research will also play a critical role in helping to attract further investment into Plymouth, supporting bids for additional Government funding and giving confidence to both public and private sector partners looking to invest in the city’s future.

    Brigadier, Mike Tanner OBE, Commander HMNB Devonport, said:

    ‘This study marks another significant step forward for the growth and prosperity of the city. When I arrived in post three years ago, I was able to reassure the city leaders that the Royal Navy and the Naval Base were here to stay. Over the last couple of years, we’ve shown that not only are we staying, we’re modernising and upgrading our capabilities, focused around our submarine maintenance role.  This opens up massive opportunities for highly paid, high skills work inside the Base and together with the City and Babcock our work in the GAP alliance is centred around ensuring Plymouth and the region create those skilled people locally’.

    John Gane, Managing Director for Babcock’s Devonport site, said:

    “Babcock is proud to be deeply rooted in Plymouth, where we’re not just creating jobs – we’re building careers for life. Our investment in people and skills is central to supporting a critical national endeavour, and we remain committed to developing a highly skilled workforce that will sustain both our community and the UK’s defence capability for generations to come.”

    Gareth Brown, Development Economics Director at Stantec, said:

    “Sustainable economic growth requires a comprehensive understanding of the local labour market, and how this needs to evolve strategically over time. Our teams will be supporting Plymouth City Council with a range of insight to identify immediate and long-term focus areas, create job opportunities across different sectors, and unleash the full potential of this investment.”

    The study is expected to conclude by Autumn and will inform both immediate planning priorities and longer-term strategy across skills, housing, infrastructure, and regeneration.

    Notes to Editors

    Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP)

    In September 2024 the Ministry of Defence announced an additional £4.4bn investment over 10 years into HMNB and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard to support the next phase of the Royal Navy’s submarine works and the continuous at sea deterrent (CASD). The requirement to maintain the Royal Navy’s fleet in Plymouth extends beyond 2070 and therefore creates an extremely rare, long-term financial commitment to Plymouth and its wider region.

    Devonport and the broader defence industry’s local impact is vast. The sector currently contributes 14 per cent of the city’s economic output, with HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard employing 11,600 workers and this number is set to rise significantly as a result of the MoD announcement. Investment in Plymouth is nationally significant and links to similar investments in Barrow-in-Furness and Derby. Nationally, The UK’s Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills has forecasted an additional nuclear skills requirement of 40,000 new roles by 2030.

    Babcock, Plymouth City Council and the Royal Navy have established Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) as a partnership to ensure the vital defence outputs are delivered into the future whilst supporting the region’s growth. Through working together in partnership, GAP aims to maximise the opportunities that the MOD investment can drive into local communities.

    Find out more about Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) here: Growth Alliance Plymouth | Invest Plymouth

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: WorkSafe makes significant shift to rebalance its activities, launches road cone hotline

    Source: New Zealand Government

    WorkSafe makes significant shift to rebalance its activities, launches road cone hotline      

    As part of a broader suite of health and safety reforms, the Government has agreed to a range of changes that will significantly refocus WorkSafe from an enforcement agency to one that engages early to support businesses and individuals to manage their critical risks, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says.

    “During my public consultation, I heard many concerns from a wide range of Kiwi businesses and workers about WorkSafe’s inconsistency, culture and lack of guidance. It was a constant theme on the roadshow from all parts of the country.  

    “I have listened to these concerns and today I am sharpening the focus of WorkSafe to change the culture of the agency. For too long, businesses and employers have asked for more guidance and help from WorkSafe on how to comply with health and safety legislation, only to be told it’s not WorkSafe’s job. 

    “A culture where the regulator is feared for its punitive actions rather than appreciated for its ability to provide clear and consistent guidance is not conducive to positive outcomes in the workplace. 

    “Changes begin with today’s launch of WorkSafe’s road cone tipline to look into and provide guidance on instances of over-compliance in temporary traffic management,” says Ms van Velden.  

    The tipline will be complemented by a joint engagement programme by WorkSafe with NZTA and key industry stakeholders, educating those involved with temporary traffic management to adopt a risk-based approach. 

    “In addition, WorkSafe has started slashing outdated guidance documents from its website and will be updating guidance where necessary. Fifty documents have already been removed and more will follow. These documents were identified as being no longer relevant, not reflecting current practice and technology, or containing content that is covered by other more up-to-date guidance. Removing and replacing outdated guidance will make it much easier for people to find the help they’re looking for and ensures WorkSafe is giving consistent and clear advice.

    “I will also restructure WorkSafe’s appropriation to increase fiscal transparency and support delivery of my expectations. 

    “For some time, WorkSafe has struggled to effectively articulate the cost and effectiveness of its activities, making it difficult to monitor and assess the value of activities or the merit of requests for further funding. 

    “To address this, I will split WorkSafe’s appropriation into four new categories

    1. Supporting work health and safety practice
    2. Enforcing work health and safety compliance
    3. Authorising and monitoring work health and safety activities, and
    4. Energy safety.  

    “This change will come into effect later this year and will provide a clear framework that focuses WorkSafe through change in culture and expectations,” says Ms van Velden.  

    “I want to make sure that the public receives a better experience in their everyday interactions with WorkSafe. The public will be able to provide feedback on the timeliness and effectiveness of WorkSafe’s guidance, inspections and other engagements. I expect this will promote continuous improvement,” says Ms van Velden.

    A Letter of Expectations has been sent to WorkSafe formalising the Minister’s expectations of WorkSafe. 

    “I want to thank WorkSafe’s Board, Chief Executive and staff for acknowledging the work ahead, making WorkSafe’s work programme fit for purpose,” says Ms van Velden. 

    Notes to Editors:

    • The road cone hotline will be accessible from 7am through the following link: worksafe.govt.nz/roadcones
    • The Cabinet paper attached and published on Health and safety reform | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment under Background documents heading
    • Minister’s Letter of Expectations to WorkSafe is attached, outlining more detail about these changes.

    Strategic Baseline Review: Independent reviews of WorkSafe | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Supports Challenge to Trump Administration’s Unlawful Attempt to Ban Transgender Servicemembers

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday, as part of a coalition of 20 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Shilling v. Trump in support of a challenge to President Trump’s executive order prohibiting transgender servicemembers from serving in the military in any capacity. The plaintiffs in this case are seven active-duty servicemembers, one individual seeking enlistment, and an organizational plaintiff with transgender military members. In March, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted a preliminary injunction preventing the order from going into effect; it was later appealed by the federal government, and the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the preliminary injunction pending appeal. In their brief, the attorneys general argue that the executive order undermines our nation’s military, jeopardizes the ability of the National Guard to respond effectively to natural disasters and to ensure the states’ security, and threatens states’ efforts to protect the rights of their LGBTQ+ communities.

    “The Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to single out and discriminate against transgender servicemembers is an insult to all who serve and frankly un-American,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At the California DOJ we remain committed to ensuring that all Californians are free from discrimination and harassment and will continue to uphold and protect the rights of our transgender community.”

    California has the nation’s largest concentration of military personnel as well as military bases. If allowed to stand, this executive order would harm California’s interests. California relies heavily on the California National Guard which provides critical services for the state, including responding to national security threats and natural disasters, like the recent devastating fires in Los Angeles. Transgender servicemembers, like all other servicemembers, are qualified individuals who volunteer their lives to service, protecting and providing for our nation in times of need.

    In the amicus brief, the coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to affirm the preliminary injunction, arguing that banning transgender individuals from military service will:

    • Harm National Guard recruitment efforts, jeopardizing states’ security and readiness.
    • Undermine states’ institutions and efforts to uphold and protect the rights of their LGBTQ+ communities.
    • Harm the states’ transgender veterans, active servicemembers, and those who wish to serve.
    • Weaken the military’s role as an inclusive institution by imposing discriminatory policies.

    In filing the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Washington, Vermont, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

    A copy of the brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamaal Antwan Pimms Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Role in the Murder of Rosenda Strong

    Source: US FBI

    Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Jamaal Antwan Pimms, age 44, to 26 months in prison for Misprision of a Felony related to his role in the 2018 murder of Rosenda Strong. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 1 year of supervised release.

    According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Jedidah Iesha Moreno shot and killed Rosenda Strong on or about October 5, 2018, following an argument at a residence, known as the House of Souls in Wapato, Washington. Following the murder, Moreno asked for help disposing of Strong’s body.  Pimms and Andrew Norris Zack assisted Moreno by rolling Strong’s body into a freezer.  The freezer, and other appliances, were loaded onto the back of a truck. The body, still inside the freezer, was then dumped near M&R Towing, which is off Highway 97 in Toppenish, Washington.

    On July 4, 2019, approximately nine months after Strong’s tragic death, a citizen discovered human remains, which later were identified through dental records as belonging to Strong. Pimms did not report the crime to Federal law enforcement, even when interviewed by FBI Special Agents in July, 2019.

    “Jamaal Pimms had the opportunity – and even the obligation – to come forward with the truth about Rosenda Strong’s death when the FBI interviewed him in 2019,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker. “Instead, Mr. Pimms chose silence, compounding the harm to Ms. Strong’s family and delaying justice for years. His failure to speak denied a grieving family and community the answers they deserved, and allowed uncertainty and anguish to linger far too long.”

    “Coping with the loss of a loved one is always a painful process. It can be even more so when, as in this instance, she is the victim of a crime about which so much remained unknown for so long,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Not only did Mr. Pimms help dispose of the victim’s body, but he also actively concealed vital information that unfairly deprived a grieving community of answers for nearly six years. I commend the investigators and our partners from Yakama Nation for their steadfast work in seeking justice in this case, as we are committed to do for all others like it on our state’s reservations.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Yakama Nation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Hanlon and Michael D. Murphy.

    Defendant Andrew Norris Zack, pleaded guilty to charges in this case. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2025.

    23-CR-02037-SAB

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice for Palak Patel: A Life Gone Too Soon

    Source: US FBI

    Just before midnight, Bhadreshkumar allegedly stabbed Palak multiple times with an edged weapon in what was a painful and horrific murder. There were still customers inside the shop, unaware of what was happening in the back. 

    After the attack, Bhadreshkumar fled through a rear door. To evade law enforcement and responsibility for his wife’s murder, Bhadreshkumar went back to his apartment, changed clothes, collected his personal belongings, then quickly left the area, taking a cab to Newark, New Jersey. His last known sighting before vanishing was the following morning at Newark-Penn Station. 

    Realizing that Bhadreshkumar was an international flight risk, local police requested FBI assistance. Bhadreshkumar was charged with Palak’s murder and as soon as it was confirmed he fled the state, a federal arrest warrant was issued, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. 

    Special Agent Jonathan Shaffer from the FBI Baltimore field office has been working on Palak’s case. He noted, “What was common in domestic violence cases like this—that the perpetrator oftentimes expresses remorse immediately after. And yet in this situation, Bhadreshkumar did not. He immediately formulated a plan to evade law enforcement and to flee the area.” 

    This unprovoked attack has left investigators with many unanswered questions. 
    The motive remains unclear, other than Palak wanted to go back to India, and Bhadreshkumar was unwilling to let her go. 

    What we do know, as seen in the video surveillance, is that Palak willingly following Bhadreshkumar to the back of the store where her life was brutally taken.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attack on Pearl Street: Eight Victims Identified

    Source: US FBI

    On June 1 at 1:26 p.m., Boulder Police were called to the outdoor Pearl Street Mall for a report of an attack on a group of individuals. 

    The individuals were walking in a regularly scheduled, weekly peaceful event.

    Officers rushed to the scene at 1325 Pearl St. and arrested the suspect at 1:32 p.m. The suspect has been identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County. He was taken to the hospital to be medically evaluated before being booked in the Boulder County Jail on multiple charges.

    Witnesses reported that the suspect used a makeshift flame thrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. The suspect was also heard to yell “Free Palestine” during the attack.

    After receiving updated information, law enforcement officials have now identified eight victims: Four women and four men ages 52 to 88 were taken to Denver metro hospitals.

    The Boulder Police Department notified the FBI and requested their assistance within minutes of the attack and are grateful for our partnership and their assistance.

    The FBI is investigating the attack as a targeted act of terrorism and is working with the Boulder Police Department to process the crime scene, interview witnesses, and gather evidence.

    Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anyone with digital media—videos, social media posts, digital recordings—is asked to upload that at fbi.gov/boulderattack.

    “Our strength as a society comes from our shared values, and our commitment to protecting one another. Any attempt to divide us through fear or harm has no place in Boulder, Colorado, or anywhere in our nation,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “We stand in full solidarity with those targeted. And we will continue to ensure that justice is pursued swiftly, support is provided to victims and their communities, and preventative action is taken to protect everyone’s safety.”

    “Boulder is not immune to tragedy sadly and I know a lot of people are scared right now and questioning how this happened and why. Boulder has recovered before from acts of violence before and we will again recover. I urge this community to come together. Now is not the time to be divisive,” Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said. “When this call came out today, our officers rushed to the scene as quickly as they could to protect our community and arrest the suspect and I’m very proud of their response. I also greatly appreciate all of our law enforcement and community partners who responded to help as well. I want to assure our Boulder community that we will have increased presence at many events and locations throughout the city to ensure safety.”

    If you missed the news conference earlier, you can watch the full replay on the City of Boulder YouTube channel. 

    As in every criminal case, the suspect is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: ConnectM Provides Update to Stockholders on Buyout Group’s Offer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MARLBOROUGH, Mass., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (OTC: CNTM) (“ConnectM” or the “Company”), a high-growth technology company on the leading edge of the modern energy economy, today issued an update to its stockholders regarding the recent buyout offer by a group of longstanding stockholders.

    ConnectM received a letter from Optimax Solutions Inc., on behalf of SriSid LLC, Arumilli LLC, and Win-Light Global Co Ltd (collectively, the “Buyout Group”), informing the Company that in light of ConnectM’s recent delays filing its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q reports, the Buyout Group have decided to pause their previously submitted buyout proposal and place further acquisition discussions on hold.

    The Buyout Group expressed continued support for ConnectM and its management team, particularly in regard to the comprehensive four-month recovery plan the Company recently announced, which is aimed at regaining compliance and relisting on major stock exchange like Nasdaq or NYSE. The Buyout Group stated that they view the successful execution of this plan as critical and indicated their willingness to reengage in buyout discussions upon ConnectM’s successful relisting.

    ConnectM’s Board of Directors and management team remain focused on implementing the strategic actions necessary to restore compliance and deliver long-term value to all stockholders.

    ConnectM intends to file its 2024 Annual Report and Q1 2025 Quarterly Reports in June 2025, which will show strong performance across all its operating segments.

    The Company appreciates the support and partnership of its major stockholders during this period.

    About ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc.

    ConnectM is a constellation of companies powering the next generation of electrified equipment, mobility, and distributed energy—thus enabling a faster, smarter transition to a modern energy economy. The Company provides residential and light commercial service providers and original equipment manufacturers with a proprietary Energy Intelligence Network platform to accelerate the transition to all-electric heating, cooling, and transportation. Leveraging technology, data, artificial intelligence, and behavioral economics, ConnectM aims to lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions globally.

    For more information, please visit: https://www.connectm.com/

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding our future financial performance and our strategy, expansion plans, future operations, future operating results, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. We caution you that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. In addition, we caution you that the forward-looking statements regarding the Company contained in this press release are subject to the risks and uncertainties described in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 18, 2024. Such filing identifies and addresses other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and ConnectM is under no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Contact:

    Investor Relations
    ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc.
    (617) 395-1333
    irpr@connectm.com

    The MIL Network –