Category: Europe

MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning: Xi Jinping announced in-depth communication with Russian President V. Putin on bilateral relations, major international and regional issues of mutual interest

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Xinhua | 08. 05. 2025

Keywords:

Source: Xinhua

Flash: Xi Jinping announced in-depth communication with Russian President V. Putin on bilateral relations, major international and regional issues of mutual interest Flash: Xi Jinping announced in-depth communication with Russian President V. Putin on bilateral relations, major international and regional issues of mutual interest

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning: Xi Jinping Calls for Jointly Advancing Correct Historical View of World War II, Sending Strong Signal of Upholding International Fairness and Justice

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Xinhua | 08. 05. 2025

Keywords:

Source: Xinhua

Flash: Xi Jinping Calls for Jointly Advancing the Correct Historical View of World War II, Sending a Strong Signal of Upholding International Fairness and Justice Flash: Xi Jinping Calls for Jointly Advancing the Correct Historical View of World War II, Sending a Strong Signal of Upholding International Fairness and Justice

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister, EU Diplomacy Chief Exchange Congratulations on 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas exchanged congratulatory messages on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU.

Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, noted in his message that in the half-century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, ties between China and the EU have achieved significant development, demonstrating high stability and vitality.

According to the Chinese diplomat, in the context of chaotic transformations in the international situation, the two sides should implement the important agreements reached by the leaders of China and the EU, remain true to the original intentions when establishing diplomatic relations, strengthen strategic exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences and frictions, firmly adhere to genuine multilateralism, jointly oppose unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying, and safeguard global fairness and justice.

Wang Yi added that the two sides should make unremitting efforts to build China-EU relations into a comprehensive strategic partnership with greater strategic significance and greater global influence, and jointly enter the next promising 50 years in the history of bilateral ties.

For her part, K. Kallas stated that the European Union and China, which have many common responsibilities, must jointly adhere to multilateralism, defend the UN Charter, the primacy and norms of international law, maintain international order, as well as peace and stability throughout the world. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Professor Bird Awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Conduct Legal Research in Finland

Source: US State of Connecticut

Business Law professor Robert Bird has been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and will spend three months studying human-centered legal strategy and design in Finland next semester.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to collaborate with my peers in Finland, who are doing some interesting work on strategic legal design,’’ he said. “I believe this research will add value to organizations, make complex contracts easier to understand, and benefit my students as well.’’

The Fulbright is a prestigious award granted to faculty based on their previous leadership and contributions to society. The program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries, and is the world’s largest international educational exchange program. UConn typically has four or five Fulbright professors each year.

Bird will be based at the University of Vaasa, a seaside campus, approximately a four-hour train ride north of Helsinki. The university is ranked as the top college in Finland for business administration, and recently underwent extensive renovations to enhance sustainability. The Fulbright award is co-sponsored by the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the University of Vaasa.

The goal of the project is to develop innovative contracts and other legal tools to make the documents easier for people to understand, minimize disputes, and add more valuable for organizations.

For example, sustainable supply chain contracts and codes of conduct are typically filled with complex language and legal jargon, Bird said. By using design methods to transform them into visually appealing and accessible documents, the professor and his colleagues believe they can foster greater participation, enhance trust-building, and maximize collaboration.

In addition to his work in Finland, Bird plans to complete some guest lectures at other universities in Europe, as part of his sabbatical.

When he returns to UConn for the spring 2026 semester, Bird will host a Legal Strategy Summit at UConn which will include a discussion of new legal designs based on his Fulbright experience.

“I’m looking forward to being an ambassador for UConn, for Husky values, and for the United States,’’ he said. “I’m looking forward to working with outstanding Finish colleagues. European scholars often think about things differently than we do and I hope to bring that back to UConn and to the United States.’’

MIL OSI USA News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Met imposes conditions to move weekly protest away from Swiss Cottage

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

The Met has intervened to block a protest group gathering in Swiss Cottage this Friday in an effort to prevent further serious disruption to the life of the community.

Officers have imposed Public Order Act conditions on a static protest that was due to take place in Finchley Road, at the junction of Eton Avenue.

It may now not take place in Swiss Cottage or anywhere in the shaded area on the map below.

The protest, which is organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) but attended by people from a variety of groups, has been taking place on a near weekly basis since October 2023.

In February, conditions were imposed requiring the protest to relocate outside the Swiss Cottage area. After an eight-week period where protests were held outside New Scotland Yard, the protest returned to Swiss Cottage last week, prompting a further assessment of its impact.

Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who is in charge of policing in Camden and Islington, said: “The policing of protest must constantly balance the rights of people to protest with the rights of others to go about their lives without being subjected to serious disruption.

“We have been in ongoing engagement with community representatives and protest organisers to ensure we are achieving this balance, using our powers proportionately where necessary.

“The protests in Swiss Cottage have been a cause of particular concern. They take place in the heart of a community with a significant Jewish population, on the eve of the Sabbath and at a time when fear and concern linked to a rise in antisemitic hate crime is increased. We have seen instances of hate speech and intimidating behaviour, including confrontation between this protest and counter protest groups.

“The law requires us to assess the impact of each individual protest rather than taking a blanket approach, but it allows us to consider the cumulative impact of sustained protest when assessing whether or not it is the cause of serious disruption.

“It is our position, after careful consideration, that the only way to prevent that level of disruption in this case is to use our powers to require the protest to take place elsewhere.”

Details of the conditions in place have been shared with community representatives and local partners.

We are happy to work with the protest organisers to ensure that any protest at a suitable alternative location can take place peacefully.

Officers will still be deployed in Swiss Cottage on Friday evening to ensure that anyone assembling in breach of the conditions is identified and the dealt with appropriately.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Met imposes conditions requiring weekly protest to take place outside Swiss Cottage

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

The Met has intervened to block a protest group gathering in Swiss Cottage this Friday in an effort to prevent further serious disruption to the life of the community.

Officers have imposed Public Order Act conditions on a static protest that was due to take place in Finchley Road, at the junction of Eton Avenue.

It may now not take place in Swiss Cottage or anywhere in the shaded area on the map below.

The protest, which is organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) but attended by people from a variety of groups, has been taking place on a near weekly basis since October 2023.

In February, conditions were imposed requiring the protest to relocate outside the Swiss Cottage area. After an eight-week period where protests were held outside New Scotland Yard, the protest returned to Swiss Cottage last week, prompting a further assessment of its impact.

Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who is in charge of policing in Camden and Islington, said: “The policing of protest must constantly balance the rights of people to protest with the rights of others to go about their lives without being subjected to serious disruption.

“We have been in ongoing engagement with community representatives and protest organisers to ensure we are achieving this balance, using our powers proportionately where necessary.

“The protests in Swiss Cottage have been a cause of particular concern. They take place in the heart of a community with a significant Jewish population, on the eve of the Sabbath and at a time when fear and concern linked to a rise in antisemitic hate crime is increased. We have seen instances of hate speech and intimidating behaviour, including confrontation between this protest and counter protest groups.

“The law requires us to assess the impact of each individual protest rather than taking a blanket approach, but it allows us to consider the cumulative impact of sustained protest when assessing whether or not it is the cause of serious disruption.

“It is our position, after careful consideration, that the only way to prevent that level of disruption in this case is to use our powers to require the protest to take place elsewhere.”

Details of the conditions in place have been shared with community representatives and local partners.

We are happy to work with the protest organisers to ensure that any protest at a suitable alternative location can take place peacefully.

Officers will still be deployed in Swiss Cottage on Friday evening to ensure that anyone assembling in breach of the conditions is identified and the dealt with appropriately.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft Fusion Summit explores how AI can accelerate fusion research

Source: Microsoft

Headline: Microsoft Fusion Summit explores how AI can accelerate fusion research

The pursuit of nuclear fusion as a limitless, clean energy source has long been one of humanity’s most ambitious scientific goals. Research labs and companies worldwide are working to replicate the fusion process that occurs at the sun’s core, where isotopes of hydrogen combine to form helium, releasing vast amounts of energy. While scalable fusion energy is still years away, researchers are now exploring how AI can help accelerate fusion research and bring this energy to the grid sooner.

In March 2025, Microsoft Research held its inaugural Fusion Summit, a landmark event that brought together distinguished speakers and panelists from within and outside Microsoft Research to explore this question.

Ashley Llorens, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Microsoft Research Accelerator, opened the Summit by outlining his vision for a self-reinforcing system that uses AI to drive sustainability. Steven Cowley, laboratory director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (opens in new tab), professor at Princeton University, and former head of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, followed with a keynote explaining the intricate science and engineering behind fusion reactors. His message was clear: advancing fusion will require international collaboration and the combined power of AI and high-performance computing to model potential fusion reactor designs.

Applying AI to fusion research

North America’s largest fusion facility, DIII (opens in new tab)-D, operated by General Atomics and owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE), provides a unique platform for developing and testing AI applications for fusion research, thanks to its pioneering data and digital twin platform.

Richard Buttery (opens in new tab) from DIII-D and Dave Humphreys (opens in new tab) from General Atomics demonstrated how the US DIII-D National Fusion Program (opens in new tab) is already applying AI to advance reactor design and operations, highlighting promising directions for future development. They provided examples of how to apply AI to active plasma control to avoid disruptive instabilities, using AI-controlled trajectories to avoid tearing modes, and implementing feedback control using machine learning-derived density limits for safer high-density operations.

One persistent challenge in reactor design involves building the interior “first wall,” which must withstand extreme heat and particle bombardment. Zulfi Alam, corporate vice president of Microsoft Quantum (opens in new tab), discussed the potential of using quantum computing in fusion, particularly for addressing material challenges like hydrogen diffusion in reactors.

He noted that silicon nitride shows promise as a barrier to hydrogen and vapor and explained the challenge of binding it to the reaction chamber. He emphasized the potential of quantum computing to improve material prediction and synthesis, enabling more efficient processes. He shared that his team is also investigating advanced silicon nitride materials to protect this critical component from neutron and alpha particle damage—an innovation that could make fusion commercially viable.

Microsoft Research Blog

AIOpsLab: Building AI agents for autonomous clouds

AIOpsLab is an open-source framework designed to evaluate and improve AI agents for cloud operations, offering standardized, scalable benchmarks for real-world testing, enhancing cloud system reliability.

Exploring AI’s broader impact on fusion engineering

Lightning talks from Microsoft Research labs addressed the central question of AI’s potential to accelerate fusion research and engineering. Speakers covered a wide range of applications—from using gaming AI for plasma control and robotics for remote maintenance to physics-informed AI for simulating materials and plasma behavior. Closing the session, Archie Manoharan, Microsoft’s director of nuclear engineering for Cloud Operations and Infrastructure, emphasized the need for a comprehensive energy strategy, one that incorporates renewables, efficiency improvements, storage solutions, and carbon-free sources like fusion.

The Summit culminated in a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Ade Famoti, featuring Archie Manoharan, Richard Buttery, Steven Cowley, and Chris Bishop, Microsoft Technical Fellow and director of Microsoft Research AI for Science. Their wide-ranging conversation explored the key challenges and opportunities shaping the field of fusion.

The panel highlighted several themes: the role of new regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with safety and public trust; the importance of materials discovery in developing durable fusion reactor walls; and the game-changing role AI could play in plasma optimization and surrogate modelling of fusion’s underlying physics.

They also examined the importance of global research collaboration, citing projects like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (opens in new tab) (ITER), the world’s largest experimental fusion device under construction in southern France, as testbeds for shared progress. One persistent challenge, however, is data scarcity. This prompted a discussion of using physics-informed neural networks as a potential approach to supplement limited experimental data.

Global collaboration and next steps

Microsoft is collaborating with ITER (opens in new tab) to help advance the technologies and infrastructure needed to achieve fusion ignition—the critical point where a self-sustaining fusion reaction begins, using Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure OpenAI Service, Visual Studio, and GitHub (opens in new tab). Microsoft Research is now cooperating with ITER to identify where AI can be exploited to model future experiments to optimize its design and operations.

Now Microsoft Research has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) (opens in new tab) to foster collaboration through knowledge exchange, workshops, and joint research projects. This effort aims to address key challenges in fusion, materials, plasma control, digital twins, and experiment optimization. Together, Microsoft Research and PPPL will work to drive innovation and advances in these critical areas.

Fusion is a scientific challenge unlike any other and could be key to sustainable energy in the future. We’re excited about the role AI can play in helping make that vision a reality. To learn more, visit the Fusion Summit event page, or connect with us by email at FusionResearch@microsoft.com.

MIL OSI Economics –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons joins Andy Beshear podcast to talk chickens, faith, and getting started in local government

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear for an interview on the Andy Beshear Podcast. They discussed Senator Coons’ background and how his faith informs his Democratic values and public service, as well as his work with the bipartisan Senate Chicken Caucus. Senator Coons appeared on the fourth episode of Governor Beshear’s podcast. He is only the second elected official to be interviewed on the show.

You can watch and listen here.

Key excerpts:

On serving in local government

Beshear: So, when you got into politics, you got in at the local level, and local politics is hard. I mean, everybody knows where you live!

CAC: It’s mean, it’s tough. The smaller the yard, the meaner the dog.

Beshear: And so, I’m wondering, how did your experiences there either prepare you for the U.S. Senate, or how different are they?

CAC: Well, so, in between the non-profit work I did and going into local government, I spent eight years for a global manufacturing company that’s headquartered here in Delaware, and I gradually got more involved – more engaged – with the Democratic party here in Delaware and was recruited to run for County Council President, partly because there was a real ethics meltdown going on in county government, and my master’s in divinity school really focused on ethics, and I had worked as an ethics officer – an ethics trainer at the company I worked for. When I was County Council President, I wrote a new ethics code and was involved in a number of public integrity and ethics issues. I represented half a million people, and our county here, New Castle County, is mostly unincorporated, so the county government provides police, fire, paramedics, land use, sewer, zoning, housing, and libraries for about 400,000 people, and it was a very challenging environment, a great learning opportunity. My wife and I had infant twins who were born in ’99, I was elected in 2000, and our youngest child was born in 2001, so as a brand-new County Council President with one staff person representing roughly half a million people…

Beshear: With three kids!

CAC: I had three kids under two years old, and I had two full-time jobs because I was still the in-house lawyer for that manufacturing company. It was crazy. I barely remember the first four years I was elected. But to your point, representing local government in the community where I grew up was both wonderful, because I had a chance to really have an impact on the people I’d grown up with and to have an impact on housing and libraries, paramedic and police response time, and disaster preparedness and all of that stuff—but you know people, and they know you and they know how to get you, and they know your mom, and they know your brother-in-law, you know? They know you. That’s what’s great about local government, and that’s what’s hard about local government.

On faith

Beshear: I know that it hurts you as a Senator who has sworn to uphold the Constitution, but also as a person of faith. So many of the teachings in our Bible seem to be impacted, and impacted negatively, by these actions. You think about the fishes and the loaves and cutting SNAP benefits. You think about the parable, the Good Samaritan, picking up that person who’s different from you and not kicking them while they’re down. So, how do you bring your faith to this job? How does it help you make decisions? And maybe how does it keep you going when things are tough?

CAC: Well, thank you for the question. Because it’s harder—it’s been harder this year than it’s ever been for me. Actually, looking out my window right now, I can see my church, First and Central Presbyterian, here in Wilmington. And I try, I’ve got something on the wall behind me, it’s Micah 6:8, which is one of my favorites, the most concise passages from the Old Testament, and it is a reminder that we are called to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. I try to start with humility, to say that everyone I’m interacting with is a child of God, and they may have different understandings or interpretations than I do of what we’re called to do, but if you do justice and love kindness, you’re on the right track. Look, the Bible, the Gospel in particular, is not a political pamphlet. It doesn’t say exactly what we ought to do. It doesn’t say we need more tax cuts, or we need more healthcare, but there are 2,000 specific references to the poor and I think if you look at when Jesus speaks for the very first time, he stands up in his home synagogue and he recites a scripture passage from Isaiah 61—this happens in Luke 4—and where he says, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to teach good news to the poor.” If you read that passage, at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, I think it’s hard to reach the conclusion that He doesn’t want us to principally focus on the outcasts, the widowed, the orphans, those in prison, those who are poor, that that is something we are called to do. Look, I represent a million people, not all of them are people of faith, and not all of them are Christians. Folks from many different backgrounds are part of my state and I try to be mindful of the gap between what I believe, and the scripture that I read, and what may be the common interests of the million people I represent. But, Andy, every faith has the Golden Rule, “Do unto others you’d have them do unto you,” and the things we’ve been talking about—addressing the opioid crisis, helping people with affordable housing, responding to natural disasters, and doing it in a way that puts volunteerism and community service first, that strikes me as being right in line with what the Gospels call us to do.

On the Senate Chicken Caucus

Beshear: Amen. We like to typically end with something a little more fun. I read that you founded the Senate Chicken Caucus. Is that accurate?

CAC: Indeed, I did.

Beshear: You’ve got to tell me, what is the Senate Chicken Caucus? Are we talking about hot chicken?

CAC: So, one of my best friends in the Senate was Johnny Isakson of Georgia, just a great man, a great and generous and fun man. We did a lot of traveling and working together and his home state of Georgia is one of the biggest chicken producers in the country, and Sussex County, Delaware, is one of the biggest counties in chicken production in the country, and one of Johnny’s favorite sayings was “life is about friends and future friends, and you don’t have to agree with each other on everything, you just have to agree with each other on one thing.” And so, as we were getting to know each other, we realized that we had chickens in common, that both Delaware and Georgia really cared about growing our chicken exports and so we went to a number of foreign countries together—South Africa, I remember, in particular—where we were trying to promote American chicken exports, and we were trying to grow markets for the fabulous, healthy, tasty protein that we were growing in Georgia and in Delaware in our chicken farms. Southern Delaware is dominated by chicken agriculture. It really is the center of agriculture in Delaware. We have events every year where we always serve chicken, and it’s a great opportunity for me to work across the aisle with Senators from other states—from Arkansas, and Mississippi, and North Carolina, and Georgia, as Johnny was [from]—and focus on what we have in common in the interests of our rural areas and our agricultural sectors. So, that’s the history of the Chicken Caucus and, yes, it is a little funny, but we had a great time doing chicken wing contests and talking about how we could help promote chicken agriculture in the United States and around the world.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Live streaming from Reykjavík Economic Conference 2025

Source: Central Bank of Iceland

In co-operation with the Center for International Macroeconomics at Northwestern University, the Central Bank of Iceland will convene the Reykjavík Economic Conference on 8-9 May 2025.

MIL OSI Economics –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Salinas, Lofgren, Padilla, Bennet Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farmworkers
Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), the daughter of a former farmworker and a leader in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), reintroduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. This legislation would provide compensation for farmworkers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. The bill was first introduced in the 118th Congress.

“Extreme weather and natural disasters are only getting worse with climate change. Unfortunately, many of the hardworking individuals who grow and harvest our food do not receive direct financial support when they are forced to miss work and lose wages as a result of these disasters,” said Rep. Salinas. “My legislation would finally correct this injustice by providing federal disaster relief for farmworkers. This change is well-deserved and long-overdue, and I will continue to advocate for the brave men and women who help feed America.”

“When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across our country continue to feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters harm their communities and livelihood. For example, hundreds of farmworkers in my congressional district faced displacement and lost wages after severe flooding devastated the Pajaro community in early 2023. We owe them – and all farmworkers – more. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Rep. Lofgren.

“California’s farm workers often work under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Sen. Padilla. “But increasingly frequent natural disasters, including historic flooding in Pajaro, have devastated California’s agricultural communities. We must protect the heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”

“Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Sen. Bennet. “Our bill will help ensure the people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops get the assistance they need in the wake of emergencies like drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters.”

Oregon is home to over 100,000 farmworkers, many of whom live and work in the Willamette Valley and power the state’s $42 billion agriculture economy. Yet despite their importance to our food systems, the average farmworker family in Oregon earns less than $25,000 per year. Ninety-six percent reported living in overcrowded housing and about thirty percent are living below the poverty line. When farmworkers cannot work due to extreme weather or other unexpected disasters, they can lose wages and even their jobs—pushing them deeper into housing and food insecurity.

The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farmworkers. Specifically, this bill would:
- Make grants available to eligible farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster.
- Ensure USDA develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
- Require USDA to work with eligible farmworker organizations.
- Provide definitions for a covered disaster, eligible farmworker organization, and migrant or seasonal farmworker.
- Amend Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to allow for emergency assistance for farmworkers.
In addition to Reps. Salinas and Lofgren, the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act is cosponsored by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jim Costa (CA-21), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Juan Vargas (CA-52).

The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations, in alphabetical order: A Better Balance, Alianza Americas, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), Borderlands Resource Initiative, California Human Development, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Care in Action, CASA of Oregon, Center for Employment Training, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Valley Opportunity Center, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc (CDM), Child Labor Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK, CIERTO, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Columbia Legal Services, CRLA Foundation, Davidson County Local Food Network, El Futuro es Nuestro, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC), Farmworker Justice, Food Empowerment Project, GALEO Impact Fund, Hand in Hand/Mano en Mano, Hispanic Affairs Project, Hispanic Federation, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Latino Outdoors, League of Conservation Voters, Make the Road CT, Make the Road NJ, Make the Road NV, Make the Road NY, Make the Road PA, Make the Road States, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers – Florida and Virgin Islands Chapter, National Consumers League, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, NC FIELD, Inc., NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, North Carolina Council of Churches, North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Justice Center, Nourish Up, Opportunity Arizona, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc, PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Popular Democracy, Presente.org, Progress Michigan, Proteus Inc., Puente de la Costa Sur, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Slow Food USA, Student Action with Farmworkers, Sur Legal Collaborative, TODEC Legal Center, Toxic Free North Carolina, UFW Foundation, Unidos Yamhill County, United Farm Workers, Voces Unidas de las Montañas.

“Farm workers are always on the front lines of fires, floods, and storms — yet are too often excluded from federal disaster relief programs,” said Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW). “If the federal government can provide emergency support to farm owners who lose crops in natural disaster, then the federal government can emergency provide support to farm workers who lose work in that same disaster. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers who put food on all our tables can continue to put food on their family’s table when disaster strikes.”

“Every year we see an alarming number of natural disasters that drastically and disproportionately impact the farm worker community. As climate change gets worse, these types of disasters will only worsen and farm workers are the ones who are affected the most by these calamities. Just last year, we saw heavy California rains flooding Ventura County farm areas and Hurricane Helen devastating Georgia’s farm worker communities, leading to organizations like ours stepping up to do what we can. But that is not enough. We must have a federal response to these kinds of disasters. From wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes, farm workers have little to no safety net to help them recover from unexpected disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer at UFW Foundation. “This is exactly why the UFW Foundation is supporting the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. It would provide resources and aid to those who truly need it and would ensure that those responsible for our nation’s food supplies are not overlooked, as they have been in the past. Farm workers have been largely ignored and neglected by the law, shut out from basic protections provided to all workers. It is time that Congress acts and ensures that our nation’s farm workers are given the support they need to overcome times of emergencies and to provide equity to all workers.”

“Farmworkers are frontline workers, which means they are the hardest hit by the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. Many farmworkers feel that they are risking their health with extreme heat and colder days, but losing even one day of work is not an option for their families’ economic situation. Outdoor protections are important, yet there are days that are becoming too extreme to even be outside. Our vision is to be a resilient workforce for the agricultural industry. Disaster relief means we can start investing in addressing the issues that workers are facing today by building resilience for climate change in the future, without sacrificing the economic well-being of farmworkers,” said Reyna Lopez, Executive Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste (PCUN).

To read the full text of the legislation, click here.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to host national ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day

Source: Government of Canada News

Toronto, ON – Veterans Affairs Canada will host a public commemorative event in Toronto to mark the 80^th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day that will include the official Government of Canada delegation and feature the lighting of the CN Tower as a beacon of peace, a lantern-lighting ceremony, and a symbolic presentation of the commemorative combat boots underscoring the themes of remembrance, peace, and the homecoming of soldiers.

The delegation will be joined by Her Honour, The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Harman Idema, Consul-General of the Netherlands, Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor, City of Toronto, Brigadier-General Joe Robinson, Deputy Commander 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Forces Central, Canadian Armed Forces, and other dignitaries.

The event will include remarks from dignitaries, participation of a delegation of Second World War Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and Cadets, as well as performances by the HMCS York band, the Hamilton Children’s Choir, the Borden Military Wives Choir, the East Side 6 Swing Dancers, and the youth of Toronto All-Star Big Band.

Location: Canada Lands Square (CN Tower)
290 Bremner Boulevard
Toronto, ON
M5V 2T6

Date: Thursday, 8 May 2025

Time: 20:00 EDT

Notes for media:

Media who wish to participate must register by 15:00 EDT on Thursday, 8 May by contacting media@veterans.gc.ca with their name and media outlet. Media members are asked to arrive by 19:30 EDT.

There will be photo opportunities during the event and interview opportunities with the official delegation members after the ceremony if time permits.

Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs and we will work with you to enable your participation.

MIL OSI Canada News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seizes 9 DDoS-for-Hire Webpages as Part of Global Crackdown on ‘Booter’ and ‘Stresser’ DDoS Services

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of nine internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services. Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau simultaneously announced the arrests of four administrators of such services, investigations which were assisted by U.S. authorities. Several of the arrested administrators operated websites seized pursuant to previous operations by the Central District of California.

Federal law enforcement continues to seize websites that allow paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks flood targeted computers and servers with information to prevent them from being able to access the internet.

Booter services such as those named in this action allegedly attacked a wide array of victims in the United States and abroad, including schools, government agencies, gaming platforms, and millions of people. In addition to affecting targeted victims, these attacks can significantly degrade internet services and completely disrupt internet connections.

The websites targeted in this operation were used for hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks targeting victims worldwide. While some of these services claimed to offer “stresser” services that purportedly could be used for network testing, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) determined these claims to be a pretense, and “thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers…make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers,” according to an affidavit filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the booter sites.

Today’s announcement builds on the success of the prior cases by targeting all known booter sites, shutting down as many as possible, and undertaking a public education campaign. In the last four years more than 11 defendants have been charged in Los Angeles and Anchorage for facilitating DDoS-for-hire services. More than 75 domains associated with such services have been seized.

“Booter services facilitate cyberattacks that harm victims and compromise everyone’s ability to access the internet,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a major step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.”

“DDoS for hire criminal booter services impact internet services for victims in every corner of the United States, including Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This threat highlights the continued need to pursue cybercrime services like booter providers. We remain committed to bolstering our collaborative partnerships in the U.S. and abroad to address threats to critical internet infrastructure and services.”

“The enforcement actions launched today, made possible by enduring partnerships between law enforcement and private industry, represents continued pressure on DDoS-for-hire services and the cybercriminals and hacktivists who use them.” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success demonstrates the resolve of the DCIS to relentlessly pursue those who target our warfighters and their information systems.”

In conjunction with the website seizures, Homeland Security Investigations, DCIS, and the Netherlands Police have launched an advertising campaign using targeted placement ads in search engines, which are triggered by keywords associated with DDoS activities. The purpose of the ads is to deter potential cybercriminals searching for DDoS services in the United States and around the globe, and to educate the public on the illegality of DDoS activities.

In recent years, booter services have continued to proliferate as they offer a low barrier to entry for users looking to engage in cybercriminal activity. These types of DDoS attacks are so named because they result in the “booting” or dropping of the targeted computer from the internet.

For additional information on booter and stresser services and the harm that they cause, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/fbi-intensify-efforts-to-combat-illegal-ddos-attacks.

The seizures announced today were performed by DCIS’s Cyber-West Resident Agency.

These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide, and holding accountable the administrators and users of these illegal services. Principal partners in Operation PowerOFF include EUROPOL; the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska; The Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); FBI’s Anchorage and Los Angeles field offices; HSI’s Columbus field office; Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA); Netherlands Police; Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau; Brazilian Federal Police, Japan’s National Police Agency, France’s Police Nationale, and many others.

Assistance was provided by Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Flashpoint, Google, PayPal, The University of Cambridge, and Unit 221B.

Assistant United States Attorneys James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are handling this investigation.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Turbo Energy Showcasing Its Line of Innovative Ai-Optimized Sunbox Energy Storage Solutions at Intersolar Europe 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VALENCIA, Spain, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Turbo Energy S.A. (Nasdaq: TURB) (“Turbo Energy” or the “Company”), a global provider of leading-edge, AI-optimized solar energy storage technologies and solutions, today announced that the Company is showcasing its growing line of smart SUNBOX energy storage solutions at Intersolar Europe, being held in Munich, Germany beginning today and continuing through Friday, May 9, 2025. As the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry, Intersolar consistently attracts more than 110,000 participants each year, providing a premier opportunity to connect with partners, customers and peers across Europe and beyond. For Turbo Energy, this event is expected to play a vital role in sharing its latest energy storage advancements, strengthening business relationships and continuing to expand the Company’s impact on the global renewable energy market.

Join Turbo Energy at Intersolar Europe 2025 in Munich, Germany at Booth B1.430 in Hall B1

Turbo Energy can be found at Booth B1.430 in Hall B1, where several of the Company’s senior executives and top technical, sales and marketing representatives will be on hand to discuss how AI-enabled SUNBOX solutions for residential, commercial/industrial and utility-scale applications are helping to transform the way energy is stored and managed.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To schedule an interview with a member of Turbo Energy’s senior management on-site at the event, please contact Silvia Perez Rios at silviaperez@turbo-e.com.

About Turbo Energy, S.A.

Founded in 2013, Turbo Energy is a globally recognized pioneer of proprietary solar energy storage technologies and solutions managed through Artificial Intelligence. Turbo Energy’s elegant all-in-one and scalable, modular energy storage systems empower residential, commercial and industrial users expanding across Europe, North America and South America to materially reduce dependence on traditional energy sources, helping to lower electricity costs, provide peak shaving and uninterruptible power supply and realize a more sustainable, energy-efficient future. A testament to the Company’s commitment to innovation and industry disruption, Turbo Energy’s introduction of its flagship SUNBOX represents one of the world’s first high performance, competitively priced, all-in-one home solar energy storage systems, which also incorporates patented EV charging capability and powerful AI processes to optimize solar energy management. Turbo Energy is a proud subsidiary of publicly traded Umbrella Global Energy, S.A., a vertically integrated, global collective of solar energy-focused companies. For more information, please visit www.turbo-e.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of the business of the Company, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control, including the risks described in our registration statements and annual report under the heading “Risk Factors” as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Turbo Energy, S.A. specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more information, please contact:
At Turbo Energy, S.A.
Dodi Handy, Director of Communications
Phone: 407-960-4636
Email: dodihandy@turbo-e.com

Attachment
- Join Turbo Energy at Intersolar Europe 2025 in Munich, Germany at Booth B1.430 in Hall B1
The MIL Network –
May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Transforming Food Systems for the Future of Asia and the Pacific

Source: Asia Development Bank

ADB President Masato Kanda delivered the opening remarks at the event Transforming Food Systems for the Future of Asia and the Pacific held on the sidelines of the 58th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors in Milan, Italy.

MIL OSI Economics –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Move Together’ campaign to tackle huge physical inactivity challenges

Source: City of Wolverhampton

Move Together is a unifying movement that seeks to break down the barriers to activity, empowering every resident – regardless of age, ability, or background – to become more physically active.

Paralympic legend Ellie Simmonds MBE is fronting the campaign, which was launched this week. She was joined by representatives from the 4 local authorities and a range of community partners.

Ellie said: “Being active has always been such an important part of my life. It hasn’t just been for my physical health, but for my confidence, mental health and happiness.

“The best thing is that you don’t even have to be an athlete to feel the benefits – or have ever done sports. Whether it’s a walk with friends, dancing in your living room, or joining a local group, moving and being active can make a massive difference.

“That’s why I’m so proud to be here to support the Move Together campaign – because everyone deserves the chance to feel the joy and freedom that being active can bring.”

The campaign, running in 3 phases until October 2025, will raise awareness of the spaces and places where people can move more and be active and showcase the wealth of accessible activity opportunities across the region.

Every move counts. Together, in partnership with stakeholders, the campaign will reimagine the Black Country as a place where every step, stretch and stride brings us closer to a healthier, more connected community.

Sport England’s Active Lives Survey identifies the Black Country as the most inactive Active Partnership area within England. Latest data shows that 34.6% of adults were classed as inactive – a slight fall in inactivity rates over the last 12 months (the national average is 25.1%).

Active Black Country’s Chief Executive Ian Carey said: “It’s fantastic to launch the Move Together campaign today in partnership with the local authorities of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Delivering a strategy to unite the Black Country and create active, healthier people and places requires a huge collective effort.

“Together with our strategic partners, we have developed an inspiring campaign that can motivate people from different backgrounds to move more and be physically active so they can enjoy the multiple health and wellbeing benefits that an active lifestyle provides.

“This campaign will showcase the breadth and diversity of activity opportunities on everyone’s doorsteps and show just how accessible they are, empowering Black Country residents to embrace movement as part of their daily lives.

“Thanks to Sport England for their ongoing financial support. The Move Together campaign champions the ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy that aims to provide everyone in England – regardless of postcode, background or bank balance – the opportunity to get active.”

The campaign is powered by a partnership between Active Black Country and the 4 local authorities – who are all working together with community partners to make active living more visible, inclusive, and accessible.

Campaign activations in the months ahead will showcase the different ways people can get active in their communities. Wave 2 will focus on bringing to life the Black Country’s waterways and how residents can utilise them for physical activity. Wave 3 will highlight the huge array of outdoor spaces across the region where people can move more and be active.

To find out more about the Move Together campaign and how you can get involved, visit Active Black Country. To find local activities, visit Black Country Moving .

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Frontex Leads International Effort to Tackle Child Trafficking in Europe

Source: Frontex

On 6 and 7 May, Frontex hosted a major international conference focused on some of the darkest crimes facing Europe today the trafficking and exploitation of children. The event gathered more than 60 participants from 24 countries, including representatives from EU institutions, national authorities, international organisations, and civil society.

Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens opened the event with a clear message:

“Child trafficking is not just a legal problem. It is a moral one. And we have a duty to act.”

He added: “At Frontex, we are training our officers to detect the signs, strengthening our response on the ground, and working with national and international partners to stop criminals before they reach their victims. This is not optional. It is our responsibility because every child we protect is a life saved from fear, violence, and exploitation.”

Hans Leijtens was joined by other leading voices, including Diane Schmitt, the EU’s Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, and Agata Furgała, Director at Poland’s Ministry of Interior, who addressed the event on behalf of the Polish Presidency.

The conference focused on practical solutions: how to detect, protect, and respond. Discussions covered early identification of child victims at borders, protection during migration, and ensuring that traffickers are held to account through robust justice systems. Attendees explored how to improve cooperation between national authorities, international bodies, and NGOs.

For Frontex, this conference reflects more than just concern. It reflects action. The Agency has ramped up its presence at key border points, trained officers to spot signs of exploitation, and is working closely with Member States to ensure children are protected, not overlooked.

As child trafficking networks grow more sophisticated, so must our response. This week’s event marks another step forward in a wider, ongoing commitment to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why Trump fails to understand China’s trade war tactics, and what his negotiators should be reading

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

As US and Chinese representatives prepare to meet in Switzerland in an effort to ease their escalating trade war, a potential sign of Beijing’s approach has emerged in an opinion piece published in the state-owned journal Beijing Daily.

Articles in the publication are often seen as a reflection of Beijing’s official stance. The latest piece – Today, it is necessary to revisit On Protracted War – argues that the trade war is an American attempt to strangle China’s economic growth and that it is necessary to perceive the current trade tensions as a long-term development.

What’s particularly important here is that the title refers to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s 1938 essay On Protracted War, a piece of writing that set out Mao’s approach to combating the invading Japanese during the second Sino-Japanese war between 1937 and 1945.

This strategy was also key to the subsequent establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, after the communist victory in the long-running Chinese civil war. Mao became the chairman of the Chinese Communist party from 1943 until his death in 1976 and created a set of political theories referred to as Maoism. He wrote extensively on political strategy.

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Chinese policymakers and media figures often invoke the nation’s history to justify domestic and foreign policy. And the decision to reference Mao’s text reflects not only China’s strategy in the current trade war but also the lasting influence of his ideas.

Mao’s 1938 essay described a struggle that might seem, at first glance, a world away from the current China/US tariff conflict. His key thesis was that guerrilla warfare was a long-term affair with little chance for a quick victory.

Mao’s argument was that a war of attrition would end with a Chinese victory as it would slowly bleed the conventionally stronger Japanese forces of resources.
Such an approach has been a key feature of insurgencies throughout the modern world, with movements such as the Taliban in Afghanistan using the long war of attrition against larger or more technologically advanced foes.

By invoking On Protracted War, it would appear that Beijing perceives its economic struggles with the US as a conflict without a swift resolution, something that may come as a shock to Donald Trump who is clearly signalling that he now wants a deal.

This long view approach has also been reflected in how Beijing has been preparing for a second Trump trade war ever since its experiences in the first Trump presidency.

How US/China tariff war is affecting US markets.

In contrast to China, the US administration appears to have banked on the trade war being a comparatively brief affair that should be ended by a quick and decisive knock-out blow against Beijing. And a public relations coup for Trump. This explains the showmanship behind the “liberation day” announcements, and the speed at which Washington deployed its key moves.

But by preparing its citizens for a protracted trade war, it would appear that China’s strategy, similarly to Mao’s, is to slow down the process and grind out the best deal it can over time.

Beijing believes that Chinese consumers are more capable of “eating bitterness” (coping with hardship) than Americans. So US diplomats would be well advised to dip into On Protracted War to understand more of China’s president Xi Jinping’s intentions.

Mao’s long shadow

However, this is not the only way in which Mao’s strategies are relevant to global politics right now.

Another of Mao’s political ideas was what he termed the “people’s war”. This envisioned a slow movement where one group creates “shadow institutions” that gradually displace established ones in order to build support from the local population.

This echoes part of China’s approach to globalisation, where China has supported, or created, alternatives to US-led institutions.

Many of Beijing’s international institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the belt and the road initiative are created to be alternatives to more established international bodies, such as the IMF and the World Bank. These Beijing felt were too dominated by the US.

While China has worked on this policy for decades, it seems to chime with Trump’s lack of commitment to US involvement in international institutions, such as the IMF and Nato. In this aspect of international politics, Xi and Trump seem to have somewhat similar goals, and could open up more space for Chinese leadership of these institutions.

It’s becoming clear that the Trump administration has severely miscalculated by assuming that Beijing would quickly capitulate, showing a lack of understanding of Chinese culture and political history. The expected instant deal has failed to materialise, and US stores are now warning that shelves may soon be empty of many goods.

The trade war has become a war of attrition, and whatever moves Xi makes now are likely to be only his first in what he sees as a very long game, in the great Maoist tradition.

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

– ref. Why Trump fails to understand China’s trade war tactics, and what his negotiators should be reading – https://theconversation.com/why-trump-fails-to-understand-chinas-trade-war-tactics-and-what-his-negotiators-should-be-reading-256126

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Victory Day for World War II, 2025

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Today, our Nation proudly commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Allied Powers’ triumph over national socialism and fascism, and the end of World War II in Europe — one of the most epic victories for forces of freedom in the history of the world. On this Victory Day for World War II, we celebrate the unmatched might, strength, and power of the American Armed Forces, and we commit to protecting our sacred birthright of liberty against all threats, foreign and domestic.In the wake of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States righteously entered the fray of what would become the apex of the eternal battle between good and evil. After nearly 4 years of the darkest and bloodiest chapters ever recorded in human history, more than 250,000 Americans lost their lives in the fight against the Nazi regime. Today and every day, we pay tribute to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their Nation, their liberty, and the survival of Western civilization. Without the sacrifice of our American soldiers, this war would not have been won, and our world today would look drastically different.May 8, 1945 marks the Allies’ acceptance of Germany’s unconditional surrender — the beginning of the end of years of long, gruesome, and brutal warfare. The millions of souls senselessly lost serve as a reminder of why we must pursue peace through strength. I remain steadfastly devoted to stopping the years of endless foreign wars and preventing the further loss of lives. As I stated during my Inaugural Address, we will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars we end — and my proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker.As we commemorate Victory Day for World War II, we offer our unending thanks to every patriot from the Greatest Generation who left behind his home and family to fight for our freedom in distant lands. We honor the memories of all those who perished. Above all, we renew our commitment to keeping America and the entire world safe, secure, prosperous, and free.NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 8, 2025, as a day in celebration of Victory Day for World War II.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty‑five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth. DONALD J. TRUMP

MIL OSI USA News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese authorities have called for efforts to reduce the number of serious accidents

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) — China’s State Council’s Commission on Industrial Safety on Wednesday called for increased efforts to prevent serious accidents in the country.

The agency issued a notice calling on governments at all levels and centrally-controlled enterprises to take decisive steps to fulfil their responsibilities and implement safety measures at the grassroots level and at every workplace.

The document also emphasizes the need to actively respond to the challenges posed to production safety by adverse weather conditions.

Additional efforts should be made to enhance safety in the transport sector by strengthening checks, patrols, monitoring and early warning during adverse weather and peak hours, the notice said.

In addition, the committee requires strengthening security controls in crowded areas and taking measures to evacuate visitors and suspend operations in the event of extreme weather events.

The notice notes the need to eliminate hidden hazards in key industries and areas, in particular to improve the safety of chemical industrial parks, improve the safety situation of obsolete chemical equipment, and expand expert support services in key areas. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow for state visit and to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

Xinhua | 07. 05. 2025

Keywords: Xi Jinping, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, anniversary of victory, state visit, participation, occasion, arrived, Moscow, war, urgently, events, Jinping, celebrations, Wednesday, Russia

Moscow, May 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a state visit to Russia and to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. –0–

Source: Xinhua

Breaking News: Xi Jinping Arrives in Moscow on State Visit and to Attend Events to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War Breaking News: Xi Jinping Arrives in Moscow on State Visit and to Attend Events to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Pakistan is fully capable of defending its borders and responding to Indian aggression: PM

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) — Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said his country is fully capable of defending its geographical borders and responding to any aggression from India.

Sh. Sharif made this statement while speaking in the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) of Pakistan.

Pakistan shot down five Indian military aircraft without entering Indian airspace, he said.

Pakistan’s National Security Council has “authorised” the army to take “appropriate” countermeasures in response to the Indian attacks, which killed 26 civilians and injured 46, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Tensions between the two South Asian neighbours have escalated after an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which Indian media reported killed at least 25 people. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Aaliyah’s turn as a vampire in the nu-metal film Queen of the Damned is an often-overlooked part of her legacy

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesca Sobande, Reader in Digital Media Studies, Cardiff University

Black women’s influence on metal and connected sub-genres is still often overlooked. As part of my research into Black women in pop culture, I’ve looked at the relationship between race, gender, onscreen portrayals of immortality and nu-metal.

Nu-metal, popularised in the early 2000s, is known for combining the mood of metal with riffs and hues of rap and hip-hop. The genre drew on the creativity of Black artists, singers and musicians across different genres and generations.

My research on this has involved reflecting on the nu-metal-themed film Queen of the Damned (2002), based on Anne Rice’s enduring Vampire Chronicles books. It starred the singer Aaliyah as the powerful vampire Akasha. It was to be her final acting role before her death aged just 22. Shortly before, she had also signed to appear in the sequel to The Matrix, another nu-metal franchise.

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Aaliyah doesn’t sing in Queen of the Damned, but her hip-hop stardom is still central to the film, as is suggested by the emphasis on her image in its marketing. Aaliyah being foregrounded in a nu-metal film, paired with the limited dialogue and plot development of her character, reflects how Black women in alt and rock music and accompanying media are sometimes treated as simply there to be seen, not heard.

With a 17% “tomatometer” score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 2.8 star ranking on Letterboxed, Queen of the Damned is generally seen as a flop. But despite this, the film remains influential, particularly due to Aaliyah’s poised presence as a hip-hop star in a fictional and vampiric nu-metal world.

The character of Akasha can be criticised for representing stereotypical ideas of Black women as being dangerously seductive. Still, Aaliyah’s portrayal made an impression.

Aaliyah in a scene from Queen of the Damned.

In recent years the film has received renewed attention, sparked by the resurgence of nu-metal and the creation of the AMC TV show Interview with the Vampire (2022-present). Its much anticipated third season is due to include Akasha. This has led to some fans calling for her to be played by hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion. The rapper made a Paris Fashion Week appearance in 2025 in an outfit that harked back to Aaliyah’s performance as Akasha.

This demonstrates that part of Aaliyah’s ongoing impact is the way she established the character of Akasha as canonically connected to hip-hop.

More than ‘seen, not heard’

Understandably eclipsed by her wider work, Queen of the Damned is not focused on in many ways Aaliyah is memorialised. But, for me, her involvement in the film symbolises how Black women’s creativity and coolness is leveraged by music genres and their media marketing.

Aaliyah in 2000.
Wiki Commons, CC BY-SA

When remembering Aaliyah’s cultural influence, her multifaceted role in the new millennium and nu-metal landscape must be meaningfully acknowledged. More than that, how all Black women in music are publicly memorialised must involve more care and recognition of their important work across, between and beyond genres.

When news spread of the death of Roberta Flack in February, her fans took to social media to mourn her loss. Legend, musician, singer, teacher – those were just some of the many words used in online posts rightly celebrating her life.

But as layla-roxanne hill and I discuss in our new book, Look, Don’t Touch: Reflections on the Freedom to Feel, memorialising people as “icons” sometimes reduces or reframes who they were to little more than symbols and soundbites. There should be space to name Black women’s impact on music and society, but in ways that affirm the multitudes of their lives.

This is touched on in the documentary TLC Forever (2023), as is society’s disregard for the grief experienced by Black women such as TLC members Rozonda Thomas and Tionne Watkins. Following the death of their friend and band member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in a bus crash aged 30, they faced pressures to push forward with releasing music while grieving.

Another documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), also illuminated the inequalities faced by Black women singers. Their signature sounds propel the success of many genres, but they seldom benefit from this in substantial and sustained ways.

The trailer for TLC Forever.

The way the tragic death of Aaliyah was treated is a case in point. The R&B and hip-hop singer died in a plane crash in August 2001. Media headlines mounted, including coverage that referred to “her movie debut last year”, but which did not discuss that role or her broader acting work.

It may be impossible for any memorial message to fully express and appreciate someone’s essence. However, the ways that Black women are remembered (and forgotten) in society are shaped by the specifics of misogynoir – the interconnected effects of racism, sexism and misogyny.

Black women are so much more than the binary narratives projected onto them – strong versus soft, young versus old, singer versus actor, survivor versus victim and living versus dead. As the title of one of Aaliyah’s own songs conveys, she was More Than a Woman.

Francesca Sobande received Impact Acceleration funding from UKRI in 2024, towards a project on “The Cultural Memory and Archived Experiences of Black People in ‘Alternative’ Music Subcultures”, in collaboration with the Museum of Youth Culture.

– ref. Aaliyah’s turn as a vampire in the nu-metal film Queen of the Damned is an often-overlooked part of her legacy – https://theconversation.com/aaliyahs-turn-as-a-vampire-in-the-nu-metal-film-queen-of-the-damned-is-an-often-overlooked-part-of-her-legacy-251860

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Europe is moving to reposition itself in Donald Trump’s new global order

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock

The term that perhaps best describes the international impact of the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term is “disruption”. His tariff policy, his abolition of USAID, his questioning of the transatlantic alliance, and his attempted rapprochement with Russia have neither destroyed the liberal international order nor established anything new in its place.

But the prospects of liberal internationalism under Trump are vanishingly small. And Trumpism, in the guise of an America-first foreign policy, is likely to outlast Trump’s second term.

That the US is no longer the standard bearer of the liberal international order has been clear for some time. Trump and his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, appear to see themselves as dominant players in a new multi-polar world order. But it is not clear that a grand bargain between them is possible – or that it would endure.

Europe is particularly vulnerable to these changes in the international order. Having been able to rely for the past eight decades on an iron-clad American security guarantee, European countries chronically under-invested in their defence capabilities, especially since the end of the cold war.

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Defence spending as a proportion of GDP may have increased over the past decade but remains lacklustre. And investment into an independent European defence industrial base faces many hurdles.

These deficiencies predated Trump’s return to the White House. Addressing them will only be possible in a time frame beyond his second term. With no dependable partners left among the world’s great powers, Europe’s predicament – unenviable as it may be for the moment – nonetheless offers an opportunity for the continent to begin to stand on its own feet.

Early signs of a more independent Europe are promising. In March, the European commission released a white paper on defence which anticipates defence investment of €800 billion (£680 billion) over the next four years.

The bulk of this will rely on the activation of the so-called “national escape clause”. This allows EU member states to escape penalties if they exceed the normal deficit ceiling of 3% GDP.

Once activated for the purpose of defence spending, they can now take on additional debt of up to 1.5% of their GDP. By the end of April, 12 EU member states had already requested that the national escape clause be activated, with several more expected to follow.

Defence is clearly the most urgent problem for Europe. But it isn’t the only aspect to consider when it comes to achieving greater strategic autonomy, something that the European Union has grappled with for more than a decade. In other areas, such as trade and energy, the starting point is a very different one.

Regarding energy independence, the EU has achieved a remarkable and quick pivot away from Russia. It has just released a final plan to stop all remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027.

On trade, Donald Trump’s America-first tariff policy has done significant damage to the global system. This has, in turn, created opportunities for the EU, as one of the world’s largest trading blocs, including greater cooperation with China, already one of its largest trading partners.

Complex relationships

China and the EU clearly share an interest in preserving a global trade regime from which both have benefited. But their economic interests cannot be separated easily from their geopolitical interests. So far, China has sent very mixed signals to Europe.

Beijing has, for example, proposed to lift sanctions against some members of the European parliament who have been critical of China in a show of goodwill. But China’s support for Russia continues as well, most recently with Xi’s commitment to visit Moscow for the victory day parade on May 9.

Standing with Moscow may benefit Beijing in its rivalry with the US by solidifying the no-limits partnership that Xi and Putin announced on the eve of Russia’s full-sale invasion in February 2022. But it does little to win the EU over as a partner in defence of the open international order that Trump is trying his best to shutter.

On the contrary, in reaffirming China’s commitment to its partnership with Russia, Xi may well have lost whatever chances there were for a European realignment with China.

The complexities of the EU-China and EU-US relationships – a curious mix of rapidly shifting interests – reflects the EU’s position as the natural centre of gravity of what is left of the west. This is evident in the rapid evolution of the “coalition of the willing” in support of Ukraine, which brings together 30 countries from across the EU and Nato under French and British leadership.

Beyond Europe, Trump’s tariff policy has given plans for a strategic partnership between the EU and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) a new lease of life. The CPTPP is a group of 11 Indo-Pacific countries and the UK, which joined last December. It is one of the world’s largest free trade areas, accounting for approximately 15% of global GDP.

Even without US and Chinese membership, a partnership between the EU and the CPTPP would wield significant power in the global economic system and could play a future role in shielding its members from an intensifying US-China trade war.

Limited alternatives

None of the steps taken by the EU and its partners on the continent and elsewhere require the breakdown in the transatlantic relationship that the Trump administration appears keen to engineer. But speeches by both the US vice president, J.D. Vance, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, were clear that America’s relationship with Europe is changing.

Washington, under its current leadership, increasingly leans towards the political forces in Europe that are opposed to the values on which the continent has been orientated since 1945. This leaves Europe few options but to seek more independence from the US.

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A more independent Europe is unlikely to become a global superpower on par with the US or China. But it will be better able to hold its own in a geopolitical environment that is less based on rules and more on power.

The EU currently enjoys historically high approval ratings among its citizens – who also support more unity and a more active role for the EU in protecting them from global security risks.

It’s increasingly clear that EU leaders and their partners have a unique opportunity – and an obligation – to carve out a more secure and independent space in a hostile global environment.

Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

– ref. Europe is moving to reposition itself in Donald Trump’s new global order – https://theconversation.com/europe-is-moving-to-reposition-itself-in-donald-trumps-new-global-order-255344

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: VE Day: how personal first-hand accounts help keep everyday narratives of wartime Britain alive

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hazel Hall, Emeritus Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering, and Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University

From street parties to flypasts, the myriad events of VE Day – which this year commemorates the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe – take place against the backdrop of grand wartime narratives. These include accounts of military strategy, major battles and political decisions made by global leaders. Central to the day are the few remaining second world war veterans and the memory of those who lost their lives in the conflict between 1939 and 1945.

While military and political history may dominate the retelling of VE Day, the research of my colleagues at Napier and myself has focused on a wartime commentary written by a young woman called Lorna Lloyd from Malvern, Worcestershire, between 1939 and 1941.

Thursday December 12 1940

It was a very bad night last night with guns firing endlessly and heavy bombs dropping in the (not so) distance. Cheltenham seems to have got it, and Birmingham. We hardly slept at all, for though the All Clear went at 1.40am, a new alert sounded at 4.00am, and the All Clear did not go until 20 to eight.

Through our study we found that bringing the voices of ordinary people from the second world war directly into the present can forge strong emotional connections to the past, giving people a real appreciation of what it was like to live through the war in Britain. This material also prompts consideration of parallels between past and current hostilities.

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Fearing a German invasion in May 1940, 26-year-old Lloyd wrote in her diary: “I shall bury this diary so deep that one day, in a saner world, someone may find it and know that the last legions of civilisation meant not dominion but good.”

Whether or not today’s world is saner, our research with 12 interviewees familiar with two digitised versions of Lloyd’s wartime diary revealed that excerpts had a stronger emotional impact when packaged as audio in a podcast series than they did presented online as text and images.

Using news reports from the time including broadcast excerpts from the BBC, Lloyd’s words composed at her middle-class home in the Midlands highlight that war is a very human experience that affects everyone.

Her commentary offers insight into the devastating reach of the conflict on those far from the frontlines, with reflections that demonstrate the psychological toll of war and its impact on everyday life.

December 31 1940

London vanishes gradually. Now a slice is shorn away as on Sunday night, now inchmeal buildings are levelled and gaps torn in its ancient fabric. With each, something dies that was hallowed by generations of hope and endeavour, quiet monuments of ordinary strivings vanish into piles of rubble.

They also shed light on the roots of post-war social transformation, from the formation of the National Health Service to the cautious outlook of the so-called “silent generation” who grew up amid rationing and uncertainty. In a time when peace can no longer be taken for granted, these personal perspectives reinforce the importance of diplomacy, and the need to avoid conflict in the future.

June 3 1940

There are times when I feel endlessly old, and worn out, and others when I feel hopelessly young, and completely unable to combat life, or to hope for any future. I know somehow, despite the frantic entry of May 15th, that we shall win in the end, but my spirit quails at the task of building up again what has been broken down. It took 22 years to arrive even in this country at anything like normality after the last war. When things have settled down again shall I be old?

Although we anticipated that our participants would find the experience particularly affecting since they knew Lloyd was played in the podcast episodes by her 25-year-old great-great niece, an unexpected finding was that the emotional reaction was greater when the audience members recognised parallels between Lloyd’s reports of the early months of the war and the current war in Ukraine.

They were struck by the echoes of Lloyd’s commentary on 1940s wartime Europe in present-day Ukraine. One interviewee said: “It’s so much harder [to listen]… because we are in a similar situation … If you changed the words slightly, it could [be] contemporary … If we made Germany Russia, and made Finland Ukraine … We are dealing with [accommodating displaced people] today.”

This finding shows that examining history in this accessible way can lead to identifying parallels with the present. An advantage that we have today – and which was denied to Lorna Lloyd and her contemporaries – is that we have an example from history to warn us about the dangers of the current political climate in Europe.

The political and economic pressures at the time in Weimar Germany paved the way for the rise of the Nazi party. And now, with the rise of the right wing in Europe and across the world once more, it is more important than ever to learn from the past.

As so few living memories of the second world war remain today, VE Day gives us a chance to consider how we keep such “hidden” histories alive. Our research shows that digital storytelling such as podcasts give fresh resonance to archive material in an uncertain world. And it makes clear the enduring value of encouraging interaction with historical records to make sense of today’s wider social and political turbulence.

The research cited here was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the Creative Informatics programme. Hazel Hall acknowledges the contributions of her colleagues Bruce Ryan, Marianne Wilson, and Iain McGregor to this article.

– ref. VE Day: how personal first-hand accounts help keep everyday narratives of wartime Britain alive – https://theconversation.com/ve-day-how-personal-first-hand-accounts-help-keep-everyday-narratives-of-wartime-britain-alive-255653

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Gradually cutting energy ties with Russia

Source: European Commission (video statements)

Despite the significant progress achieved under the RePowerEu and via sanctions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in 2024 the EU saw a rebound in Russian gas imports.

The European Commission is working with all Member States to gradually cut energy ties with Russia. This includes Russian gas, oil, and nuclear energy but also putting forward new actions to address Russia’s shadow fleet transporting oil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7D319CXkI0

MIL OSI Video –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE Arizona, multiagency case sends Nigerian national to prison for international fraud scheme that defrauded elderly US victims

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

TUCSON, Ariz., – A Nigerian national was sentenced April 25 to 97 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance.

“It’s inconceivable to imagine any human being robbing from those who’ve spent a lifetime working and building a life, and then are duped out of it all,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will not tolerate this kind of behavior – we will bring justice to those who have wronged and stolen from so many people.”

According to court documents, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, 36, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Ogbata and his co-conspirators told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Ogbata and his co-conspirators collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Ogbata admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank our U.S. law enforcement partners, as well as those who assisted across the globe, including the Portuguese Judicial Police and Public Prosecution Service of Portugal, for their outstanding contributions to this case.”

“The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “We will not allow transnational criminals to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long history of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Steven Hodges of the USPIS Miami Division. “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, HSI and USPIS to protect our citizens from these scams.”

Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian, and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. Visit the Consumer Protection Branch to learn more about the agency and its enforcement efforts. File elder fraud complaints with the FTC or call 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Student’s wartime diaries reveal vital rooftop role As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, the wartime diaries of a University of Aberdeen student have revealed insights into how everyday life continued – as well as the rather unusual duties undertaken by undergraduates during the Blitz.

Source: University of Aberdeen

As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, the wartime diaries of a University of Aberdeen student have revealed insights into how everyday life continued – as well as the rather unusual duties undertaken by undergraduates during the Blitz.
Mary Newlands, who graduated in 1942 with a degree in English, history, geology and geography, faithfully completed the green covered student’s diary issued to each University entrant for the 1939-40 academic year – a habit she continued throughout her studies.
She kept these her whole life and they were passed on to her granddaughter Ruth Mellis, who works as a Project Manager at the University, when she died in 2017.
Mary, who was born on a farm in Speymouth, gained a place at University after demonstrating her academic abilities at Milne’s Institute in Fochabers where she was a clever and studious pupil, and was dux of the school several times gaining prizes in English, history, mathematics, Latin, French and German.
She applied her meticulous nature to her student diary making small, neat notes alongside the timetabling information, useful telephone numbers and details for the student’s representative council.
Mary recorded her social engagements, essay deadlines and debating society commitments together with glimpses of how life continued as normal in the early months of the war, including that on February 23, 1940, there was to be a campfire.
The only indications of the significant societal changes contained in her small notes are at the end where she writes that ‘countries have to make tremendous sacrifices’ and lists addresses for a NAAFI and RAF bases.
But by the 1940-41 session, as well as the colour of the diary switching to blue, the impact of war becomes more visible in her jottings.
Mary’s academic year gets underway in 1940 with Dance at Udny Green, a Halloween party and Harvest Thanksgiving and in December ‘a big family party at Aunt Mary’s’.
But by January 1941 she notes on a visit home ‘military clearing the roads’ and then the following day (Sunday Jan 26) ‘military back again, almost landed in a troop train’.
Her notes on visits to the flicks and social events become interspersed with increased mentions of the war.
On Thursday January 30 her classes are disrupted by an air raid warning in the morning and by February she has noted friends and classmates dispatched to various places.
By the middle of February the frequency of reports on air raids and spending nights in the shelter increase together with references to putting on gas masks and she notes trying to finish essays following air raids. On Monday March 7, 1941, her Geography exam is interrupted by sirens and the need to evacuate.
Against this backdrop, Mary takes on a role in addition to her studies volunteering as a fire warden for the city and on Sunday May 4 she describes for the first time her rather unique vantage point – on the roof of Marischal College.
Throughout this period she describes juggling work and University with fire watching and by Wednesday 18 June says she is ‘falling asleep periodically’.
The records for air strikes on Aberdeen show why the fire watching duties taken on by many University students were so vital.
Aberdeen suffered the greatest number of air raids in Scotland during the Second World War, with some of the most significant hits close to the University.
Loch Street, close to Marischal College where Mary stood guard on the roof, was struck in February 1941, destroying McBride’s Bar and 89 Loch Street.
Then on July 3 high Explosive Bombs were dropped on Marischal Street, Regent Quay, Pontoon Dock No.2 off Albert Quay, Clyde Street & the Lime Company Buildings on Blaikie’s Quay.
Activity was also clustered close to King’s College with several attacks on the area around Clifton and Hilton Road.
In 1942 this moves closer again with an air attack that began on Saturday April 25 damaging buildings at the junction of Summerfield Terrace & King Street.
Mary graduated in the midst of bombing campaigns focused on the city and when Aberdeenfaced its darkest day on April 21, 1943, had begun her teaching training.
In the space of just 44 minutes, 127 bombs fell, damaging or destroying more than 12,000 homes and killing 98 civilians and 27 soldiers.
The ‘Aberdeen Blitz’ had a significant impact on the streets surrounding King’s College including Regent Walk and King Street where nine high-explosive bombs fell. At 519 King Street the corner of the block was demolished by bombing. On Bedford Road a row of houses was destroyed killing an entire family.
But as Mary’s diaries show, life and studies had to continue. In 1943 she successfully completed her teacher training and she returned to Moray to begin her teaching career at Clackmarras public school, teaching across the region at both primary and secondary level over the next four decades.
She never forgot her time on the roof of Marischal College as granddaughter Ruth explains.
“Gran was very proud of being a graduate of Aberdeen University and shared the story of her fire marshal duties with many. She made lifelong friends during her studies and spoke of her adventures on the roof of Marischal College and the many ladders involved! She was very matter of fact about this time and that everyone had to do their bit during the war.
“I had no idea she’d kept such detailed diaries of her time at University and they’re fascinating to read and get a glimpse of what it would have been like. She was such a strong lady who was full of fun and she just got on with things which is very much shown in her diaries, she would love that her memories are being shared.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Bronze-age Britain traded tin with the Mediterranean, shows new study – settling a two-century debate

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Roberts, Associate Professor in Later European Prehistory, Durham University

Bronze age tin ingot from Salcombe, England. Benjamin Roberts / Alan Williams

Tin was the critical mineral of the ancient world. It was essential to alloy with copper to make bronze, which for many centuries was the preferred metal for tools and weapons. Yet sources of tin are very scarce – and were especially so for the rapidly growing bronze age towns, cities and states around the eastern Mediterranean.

Though major tin deposits are found in western and central Europe and in central Asia, by far the richest and most accessible tin ores are in Cornwall and Devon in southwest Britain. Yet it has been difficult to prove that these British deposits were used as a source for people in the eastern Mediterranean. So for more than two centuries, archaeologists have debated about where bronze age societies obtained their tin.

In a new study published in the journal Antiquity, our team analysed the chemistry and different forms of particular elements in tin ores and artefacts from across Britain and Europe. These included tin ingots found at prehistoric shipwreck sites at Salcombe and Erme, southwest Britain, as well as in the Mediterranean.

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This revealed that tin ingots from three ancient shipwrecks discovered off the coast of Israel and one shipwreck found off the Mediterranean coast of France originated in southwest Britain. The shipwrecks found near Israel date to around 1300BC, while the wreck from France has been dated to around 600BC.

Small farming communities across Cornwall and Devon would have dug, washed, crushed and smelted the abundant tin ore from the alluvial deposits in the region. The heavy sand to gravel-sized tin ore is in a layer buried under soft layers of barren silt, sand and gravel.

The tin ore is eroded from hard rock mineral veins and deposited by streams and rivers. There was simply no need for any complex and difficult mining of hard rock here. The tin would then have been taken to coastal locations where it could be traded.

It’s probable that the tin was then moved by traders through France to the Mediterranean coast, where it was loaded onto ships. It would make its way through flourishing trade networks between the islands of Sardinia and Cyprus before reaching markets in the east Mediterranean. The tin’s value would have increased immensely as it progressed along this 2,485 mile (4,000km) journey.

Tin is the first commodity to have been exported across the entire European continent. It was produced and traded at a potentially vast scale, but is rarely found in archaeological sites due to corrosion. But what we do known is that by 1,300BC, virtually all of Europe and the Mediterranean had widespread and consistent access to bronze.

We know of more than 100 bronze age copper mines from Ireland to Israel and from Spain to the southern Urals in Russia. Yet these would have been just a small proportion of the copper mines active at the time.

Given that bronze was typically made from 90% copper and 10% tin, if the copper produced by each of these known mines had to be matched by 10% tin, then tens or even hundreds of tonnes of tin were being traded each year – perhaps across distances of thousands of miles.

St Michael’s Mount may be the site of the ancient island Ictis.
Alan Williams

The volume, consistency and frequency of the estimated scale in the tin trade is far larger than has been previously imagined and requires an entirely new perspective on what bronze age miners and merchants were able to achieve. It is no coincidence that it is around 1,300BC that technologies from the east, such as sophisticated systems for weighing items, as well as bronze swords, reached small farming communities living on the Atlantic coasts.

A millennium later, around 320BC, Pytheas the Greek, from Massalia (modern Marseilles), journeyed by land and sea to Britain, which was at the edge of the known world at the time. Pytheas wrote the earliest account describing the island and its inhabitants in a book which is now lost, but which has partially survived in snippets quoted by later classical authors.

Pytheas described how tin in southwest Britain was extracted and traded off a tidal island he called Ictis, before being taken across the sea and down the rivers of France to the mouth of the Rhone in only 30 days. In our research, we provide the first direct evidence for the tin trade Pytheas described. We show that tin from the Rochelongue shipwreck, off the south coast of France and dating to around 600BC, came from southwest Britain.

While we can establish the movement of tin across the seas, we know very little about the markets on land in which it was traded. We are now working with a team of archaeologists from Cornwall to excavate on the tidal island of St Michael’s Mount, which has long thought to have been the island of Ictis described by Pytheas.

A pan-continental tin trade continued in all periods after the bronze age and, in the absence of written records, our approach, using different methods of analysis, allows us to determine whether the tin came from Britain.

Historical records show that during the medieval period, tin from Cornwall and Devon enjoyed a virtual European monopoly, with production continuing until the last tin mine closed in 1998.

Today, tin is once again a critical and strategic mineral, this time for use in the electronics industry. As such it forms a vital part of the tools and weapons of the 21st century. Cornwall’s tin production is also set to soon restart, reviving a 4,000 year old industry.

Benjamin Roberts was PI on Project Ancient Tin which was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Grant RPG-2019-333).

Alan Williams was the post doc on Project Ancient Tin which was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Grant RPG-2019-333).

– ref. Bronze-age Britain traded tin with the Mediterranean, shows new study – settling a two-century debate – https://theconversation.com/bronze-age-britain-traded-tin-with-the-mediterranean-shows-new-study-settling-a-two-century-debate-256005

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why are India and Pakistan on the brink of war and how dangerous is the situation? An expert explains

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

India has launched military strikes against a number of sites in Pakistan and Pakistan’s side of the disputed region of Kashmir, reportedly killing 26 people and injuring dozens more. India claimed the attacks were on terrorist infrastructure, but Pakistan denied this, and said these were civilians.

India says another ten people on the Indian side of the Kashmir region have been killed by shelling from Pakistan in the same period.

The exchange comes two weeks after a terrorist attack in Kashmir killed 26 people. The group Resistance Front (TRF), which India argues is a proxy for the Pakistani-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

India claimed that Pakistan had indirectly supported the terrorist attack, but Pakistan vehemently denies this.

The escalating conflict between two of the world’s major military powers has the potential to destablise Asia and beyond. Already, many countries around the world, including the UK, France and Russia, have made public their concerns about what happens next.

Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

How do India and Pakistan’s militaries compare?

India is ranked as one of the world’s top five military nations by Military Watch magazine and Pakistan is ranked ninth. Both countries have nuclear weapons.

Overall, India is considered to have the military edge with a bigger and more modern military force, while Pakistan has a smaller and more agile force that has been primarily focused on defensive and covert activities.

While neither country has used nuclear weapons in a conflict, there are always concerns that this norm may be broken. Both countries are nuclear powers with India holding 180 nuclear warheads, and Pakistan possessing about 170.

Though India has a “no first use” policy, which it claims means the country would never use nuclear weapons first, there have been signs it is reconsidering this policy since 2019.

Pakistan has never declared a no first use policy and argues that tactical nuclear weapons are important to countering India’s larger conventional forces.

Details of Indian air strikes.

The concern is that even if a small nuclear exchange were to take place between the two countries, it could kill up to 20 million people in a matter of days.

Why are the countries fighting over Kashmir?

Kashmir has been a source of tension and conflict even before India and Pakistan gained independence from the British empire in 1947. Originally the Muslim-majority Kashmir was free to accede to either India or Pakistan.

While the local ruler (maharaja), Hari Singh, originally wanted Kashmir to be independent, he eventually sided with India, leading to a conflict in 1947. This resulted in a UN-mediated ceasefire in 1949 and agreement that Kashmir would be controlled partly by Pakistan and partly by India, splitl along what’s known as the Line of Surveillance (or Line of Control).

As Kashmir is rich in minerals such as borax, sapphire, graphite, marble, gypsum and lithium, the region is strategically important. It is also culturally and historically important to both Pakistan and India.

Read more:
India and Pakistan tension escalates with suspension of historic water treaty

Due to the region’s significance and disagreement over sovereignty, multiple conflicts have taken place over Kashmir, with wars erupting in 1965 and 1999. Tensions were renewed in 2016, after 19 Indian soldiers were killed in Uri, on the Indian side of Kashmir. India responded by launching “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control, targeting alleged militant bases.

Then in 2019, a bombing in Pulwama (again part of the Indian-administered Kashmir) that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary personnel led to Indian airstrikes in Balakot which borders Kashmir. This was the first action inside Pakistan since the Indian-Pakistani conflict in 1971 and again led to retaliatory raids from Pakistan and a brief aerial conflict.

A map of the Kashmir region.
CIA, CC BY

These past conflicts never intensified further in part because India applied a massive diplomatic pressure campaign on the US, the UK and Pakistan, warning against escalation, while Pakistan showed a willingness to back down. Both sides as nuclear powers (India gained nuclear weapons in 1974 and Pakistan in 1998) had an understanding that escalating to full-scale war would be incredibly risky.

What will happen next?

The question is whether or not cooler heads will prevail this time. The strikes by India, part of Operation Sinhoor, were met with mass approval across many political lines in India, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and the opposition Congress party voicing their support for the operation.

This helps Modi gain more backing, at a time when his popularity has been falling. Modi and the BJP suffered a shocking result in the 2024 election, losing 63 seats out of 543 seats and falling short of a majority in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament).

Under Modi, India has been rapidly becoming more autocratic, another source of concern as such countries are more likely to take risks when it comes to conflict. As power becomes increasingly personalised and dissent is repressed, would-be autocrats may be more likely to take on bold moves to garner more public and elite support.

Pakistan may also have reason to respond with more force to India’s recent attack than in the past. Pakistan’s powerful military has often stoked fears of a conflict with India to justify its enormous military budget. Regardless of the outcome, it needs a success to sell to its domestic audience.

Pakistan has been de facto led by its military for decades, which also makes it more likely to engage in conflict. In spite of intervals of civilian rule, the military has always held a lot of power, and in contrast to India (where there is a wider role for a civilian minister of defence), the Pakistani military has more influence over nuclear and security policy.

Both military regimes and multi-party autocracies may see conflict as a way of gaining legitimacy, particularly if both regimes think their political support is unravelling.

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This most recent escalation is also significant because it is the first time in the Kashmir conflict that India has struck at Punjab, considered the heart of Pakistan. Pakistan will face internal pressure to respond, settle the score and restore deterrence.

Both sides have been resolute in not losing an inch of territory. The question is how quickly diplomatic pressure can work. Neither India nor Pakistan are engaged in security dialogue, and there is no bilateral crisis management mechanisms in place.

Further complicating matters is that the US’s role as a crisis manager in south Asia has diminished. Under Donald Trump, Washington cannot be counted on. This all makes deescalating this conflict much more difficult.

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

– ref. Why are India and Pakistan on the brink of war and how dangerous is the situation? An expert explains – https://theconversation.com/why-are-india-and-pakistan-on-the-brink-of-war-and-how-dangerous-is-the-situation-an-expert-explains-256125

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA approves teprotumumab as the first UK treatment for adults with moderate to severe Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

MHRA approves teprotumumab as the first UK treatment for adults with moderate to severe Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)

As with all products, the MHRA will keep its safety under close review.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today, 7 May 2025, approved teprotumumab (Tepezza). This is the first medicine to be licensed in the UK for adult patients with moderate to severe Thyroid Eye Disease (TED).

TED is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the muscles and fat around the eyes. In TED, the immune system activates a protein called IGF-1R, causing inflammation and swelling in these tissues. Tepezza is designed to bind to IGF-1R to block its activation and signalling.

This medicine is administered via an intravenous drip directly into a vein by a healthcare professional.

Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

“Patient safety is our top priority. I am pleased to confirm the approval of teprotumumab, for the treatment of severe Thyroid Eye Disease.

“We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this new treatment have been met.

“As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.”

Teprotumumab has been studied in 287 patients with thyroid eye disease in four clinical trials. All patients in these trials were 18 years or older. In all studies, patients received teprotumumab infusions every 3 weeks for a total of 8 infusions.

In the four studies patients were randomised to receive either teprotumumab or placebo. The patients who received teprotumumab demonstrated a greater reduction in eye protrusion and double vision compared to people .

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects in some people. Serious side effects can include high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia), infusion related reactions, deafness, or worsening of inflammatory bowel disease.

Other side effects that may affect up to 1 in 10 people include headache, diarrhoea, nausea, hair loss, muscle spasms and fatigue.

Tepezza must not be used in patients if they are pregnant as it may cause damage to the unborn baby.

Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine should talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.

Notes to editors 

The new marketing authorisation was granted on 7 May 2025 to AMGEN LIMITED

This product was submitted and approved via a national procedure. 

More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. 

The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 

For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

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Updates to this page

Published 7 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 8, 2025