Category: France

MIL-OSI Security: Physician Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

Source: US FBI

A California physician pleaded guilty today in Los Angeles to criminal health care fraud, arising from her false home health certifications and related fraudulent billings to Medicare.

According to court documents, Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian, 61, of Porter Ranch, was a physician licensed to practice in California and an enrolled Medicare provider. From approximately January 2012 through July 2018, Baltaian falsely certified patients to receive home health care from at least four Los Angeles area home health agencies. Baltaian’s false certifications were used by the home health agencies to fraudulently bill Medicare for the unnecessary home health care. In some instances, Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms knowing that the home health agencies would later falsify the forms to make it appear as if she saw the Medicare beneficiaries and made clinical findings to support the need for home health care, when she had not done either. Baltaian received cash benefits related to these referrals and also submitted claims to Medicare for signing the fraudulent certifications.

Between January 2012 and July 2018, four home health agencies used Baltaian’s false certifications to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, resulting in loss to Medicare of at least $1,449,050.

Baltaian pleaded guilty to health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy B. DeFrancesca of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)’s Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement.

FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Matthew Belz and Eric Schmale of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Hydrogen’s pressure fix

Source: European Investment Bank

Decarbonising heavy transport is tricky. Electric buses and trucks are expensive, and they take a long time to charge.

Hydrogen could solve the problem. It’s easy to transport and can refuel a heavy vehicle in minutes. But hydrogen, the lightest of elements, has a low energy content, so it must be compressed to fit enough of the gas into a vehicle to run it. The problem: hydrogen is highly flammable, and compression heats it up.

“You need to build up the pressure very carefully, because you can’t just put highly pressurised gas into a tank,” says Herman Roose, chief financial officer at Resato Hydrogen Technology, a Dutch company that has been working on hydrogen refuelling since 2016. “Without the right approach, it will heat up to over 100 degrees, which is very dangerous.”

High pressure is what makes hydrogen a viable fuel. The light and airy gas must be compressed to 700 bars for a car and about 350 bars for a truck, although new heavy vehicle technologies may require 700 bars. The overall system needs to maintain a pressure of 950 bars, roughly equivalent to the pressure in the deepest parts of the ocean. “That’s not easy,” Roose says.

The company’s technology pressurises the gas without having the temperature rise too fast. If it does, the pumping system shuts off. Pulling up to a petrol station and seeing “out of order” on a pump isn’t a big deal when you can just drive a couple kilometres to the next station. Hydrogen refuelling stations, however, will be far and few between – about 200 kilometres apart on major roads, according to EU plans.

Resato sells its system directly to big station operators, like Total of France and Hypion of Germany. The whole process fits in a shed-like structure that sits above ground and pumps compressed hydrogen to fuelling points with specialised nozzles for cars, trucks and buses.

“A lot of operators buy components for hydrogen refuelling, put them together and hope the system works,” Roose says. “But we have our own fully integrated and owned technology.”

The European Investment Bank signed a €25 million venture debt facility with Resato Hydrogen in January. The financing was made possible by an InvestEU guarantee.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Communiqué
Source: Government of Canada News

Statement

We began by reiterating our shared commitment to the G7. After 50 years of working together, transcending national differences and promoting global prosperity, the value of the G7 is clear.

Banff, May 20-22, 2025
1. We, the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, met on May 20-22, 2025 in Banff, Canada together with the Heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Financial Stability Board (FSB). We were also joined by Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko and the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for parts of the meeting.
2. We began by reiterating our shared commitment to the G7. After 50 years of working together, transcending national differences and promoting global prosperity, the value of the G7 is clear. We held a productive and frank exchange of views on the current global economic and financial situation, the risks and opportunities common to our countries, and ways to address them. This joint statement reflects the outcome of the discussion between G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors during the meeting.
Global Economy
1. In the face of multiple complex global challenges, we are committed to pursuing our shared policy objectives. We agree that the G7 can leverage our strong economic relationships to advance our common goals. International organizations signaled at our last meeting that trade and economic policy uncertainty was high and weighing on global growth. We acknowledge that economic policy uncertainty has declined from its peak, and we will work together to achieve further progress. We also shared our concerns over unsustainable global macro imbalances.
2. In this respect, we also underscore the need to address excessive imbalances and strengthen macro fundamentals, given potential global spillovers. We call on the IMF to continue to enhance its analysis of imbalances in both its bilateral and multilateral surveillance. We continue to engage with each other and with international partners to advance international cooperation and deliver prosperity.
3. Strong and sustainable economic growth is the cornerstone of economic prosperity. We are committed to working together to achieve a balanced and growth-oriented macroeconomic policy mix that supports our economic security and resilience and ensures that all of our citizens can benefit from that growth. We are committed to maintaining well-functioning financial markets. We recognize that elevated uncertainty can have implications for the economy and for financial stability. We will continue to monitor and consult closely on these matters. Our central banks remain strongly committed to ensuring price stability, consistent with their respective mandates. We reaffirm our May 2017 exchange rate commitments.
Economic Resilience and Security
1. We recognize the need for a common understanding of how non-market policies and practices (NMPPs) aggravate imbalances, contribute to overcapacity, and impact the economic security of other countries. Building on our previous commitments and as guided by Leaders, we will contribute, as appropriate, to the monitoring of NMPPs, continuing to assess the distortions they cause in markets and their global spillovers. We agree on the importance of a level playing field and taking a broadly coordinated approach to address the harm caused by those who do not abide by the same rules and lack transparency.
2. We call on international organizations to address data gaps and deepen our collective understanding of NMPPs and their domestic and global implications. We agree that joint analysis of market concentration and international supply chain resilience would be useful areas of future work. This analysis will inform our respective policy approaches, which will in part be shaped by our underlying industrial and consumer structures. Where appropriate and relevant, we will engage partners beyond the G7.
3. We recognize a significant increase in international low-value shipments being sent to our economies in a decentralized manner, and the potential for this to overwhelm and take advantage of customs controls and duty and tax collection infrastructure. Collectively, we recognize the potential for illicit drug trafficking, the importation of counterfeit goods, the misclassification of merchandise, revenue leakage, inequity for our retailers, and significant environmental waste. We commit to exploring ways that our low-value importation systems could address these risks.
Support for Ukraine
1. We condemn Russia’s continued brutal war against Ukraine and commend the immense resilience from the Ukrainian people and economy. Ukraine has suffered significant destruction. The G7 remains committed to unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence toward a just and durable peace.
2. We welcome ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire. If such a ceasefire is not agreed, we will continue to explore all possible options, including options to maximize pressure such as further ramping up sanctions. We reaffirm that, consistent with our respective legal systems, Russia’s sovereign assets in our jurisdictions will remain immobilized until Russia ends its aggression and pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine.
3. We agree that private sector mobilization will be important in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, with costs estimated by the WBG at US$524 billion over the next decade. We collectively commit to help build investor confidence through bilateral and multilateral initiatives. To this end, in addition to the ongoing support through the MIGA SURE (Support for Ukraine’s Reconstruction and Economy) trust fund, we will work, including through the Ukraine Donor Platform, with the Government of Ukraine, international financial institutions (IFIs), and the insurance industry towards removing the blanket ban imposed on Ukraine as soon as possible. We will continue to coordinate support to promote the early recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will take place in Rome on July 10-11, 2025. Further, we agree to work together with Ukraine to ensure that no countries or entities, or entities from those countries that financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be eligible to profit from Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Bolstering Long-term Growth and Productivity
1. We agree on the importance of pursuing public policies that spur innovation, raise productivity and promote greater labour force participation. In an environment of high public debt and increasing fiscal pressures, we also agree that raising long-term growth potential is essential to manage risks to fiscal sustainability and increase wages and living standards.
2. We discussed and shared experiences on how best to pursue growth-enhancing policies in a fiscally prudent manner. We agree that structural reforms can help set the foundations for strong and sustainable economic growth. We recognize that specific growth policies need to be adapted to each country’s needs and circumstances. We agree that maintaining a stable and predictable macroeconomic environment is important for strong growth and productive long-term investment.
Artificial Intelligence
1. We deepened our understanding of prospects for AI to raise productivity growth, and of the policies needed to realize the benefits. We appreciate the framework provided by the OECD to better quantify and monitor AI-driven productivity gains. We recognized the benefits of AI for the financial sector and the need to monitor and assess potential risks to financial stability as AI adoption further increases.
Financial Sector Issues
1. We are committed to a strong, resilient and stable financial sector. We reiterate that a continued focus on financial stability and regulatory issues remains vital to ensure the effective functioning of the financial system. We noted our support for the important work of the FSB and Standard Setting Bodies. We focused on non-bank financial intermediaries, which play an increasingly important role in financing the real economy. Their activities can contribute to the efficiency of financial markets but can also pose risks to the global financial system. We discussed sources of potential risk, including those from liquidity mismatch, leverage and interconnectedness. We agree on the need to assess non-bank data availability, use and quality and to share knowledge and approaches to monitoring and assessing potential risks.
2. Enhancing cross-border payments can have widespread benefits for citizens and economies worldwide. We remain committed to delivering cheaper, faster, more transparent and more accessible cross-border payments while maintaining their safety, resilience, and financial integrity. This includes supporting the implementation of the G20 Roadmap as well as appropriate future actions as necessary to meet these goals.
3. Cyber risks threaten to disrupt global financial systems and the institutions that support them. To address the evolving cyber threat landscape, we will continue to take action to further strengthen our shared response capabilities and protocols in the event of a significant cyber incident. We look forward to the G7 Cyber Expert Group’s assessment of the risks and opportunities that AI presents for cybersecurity.
4. The potential effects of quantum technologies on the global financial landscape are becoming increasingly visible. Our central banks will explore how we can identify, categorize and mitigate potential risks to data security and financial stability and promote economic resilience.
Financial Crime Call to Action
1. We remain steadfast in our commitment to tackling financial crime, including money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT/CPF). We endorse a “Financial Crime Call to Action” to spur further progress and collective efforts of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and its Global Network. By bringing together over 200 jurisdictions around the world, the FATF is the ultimate international standard setter, and we welcome its leadership in combatting financial crime since its creation by the G7 in 1989.
2. Through strengthening our AML/CFT/CPF frameworks and enhanced international cooperation we will endeavor to stay abreast of emerging risks, understand the role of technology and deepen the responsible exchange of information to make it harder for criminals to access the financial system and evade detection.
3. We recognize financial crime acts as a barrier to growth, development and stability, and support efforts to strengthen frameworks in lower capacity countries. We encourage the international community to join us in this Call to Action and strengthen our collective response to financial crime.
Support for Developing Countries
1. We reaffirm our commitment to the ongoing implementation of the World Bank-led Resilient and Inclusive Supply-Chain Enhancement (RISE) Partnership and recognize its progress toward better integrating low- and middle-income countries in the global supply chain of clean energy products, especially in Africa. We welcome the adoption of a country roadmap in Zambia. We encourage the World Bank to further advance this initiative, and we look forward to the launch of the first local and regional information platforms in Africa. We support the expansion of RISE’s activities to Latin America and the Caribbean, and a better integration of all segments of the critical mineral supply chain. We call on Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to strengthen collaboration on critical mineral supply chains amongst themselves and with other key stakeholders. We also highlighted linkages to G20 initiatives facilitating private sector development, such as the G20 Compact with Africa.
2. We recognize that global crises, including health crises and natural disasters, pose significant challenges for all economies, with particularly severe impacts on vulnerable states, including small ones. We reaffirm the importance of strengthening support for these countries by facilitating domestic resource mobilization as well as the use and uptake of crisis preparedness and response tools, including Climate Resilient Debt Clauses and insurance, to help ease fiscal pressures. We encourage the IMF and MDBs to strengthen their focus on crisis prevention in order to reduce the incidence of crises materializing.
3. We call on the international community to make efforts to support vulnerable countries facing debt challenges. We look forward to the G20 work on improving the implementation of the Common Framework for debt treatments in a predictable, timely, orderly, and coordinated manner. We also agree on the importance of advancing debt transparency to support sound economic governance and financial stability. We call on the international community to make efforts to support vulnerable countries whose debt is sustainable but face near-term liquidity challenges. We recognize the need for continued efforts with all partners, public and private, to enhance the availability and quality of debt data, including through the Data Sharing Exercise with the World Bank.
4. We reaffirm our commitment to achieving more effective and impactful MDBs through reforms aiming to ensure that they work effectively as a system to address the most pressing global challenges, deliver on their core mandate, and use their resources as efficiently as possible, including by implementing the recommendations from the G20 Capital Adequacy Framework Review. We urge MDBs to continue to step up their efforts to mobilize private capital and enhance domestic resource mobilization in emerging markets and developing countries. We emphasize the importance of implementing quality-based procurement policies and procedures that promote efficiency, competition from the private sector, and transparency.
G7 Financial Crime Call to Action

The G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors remain steadfast in our commitment to tackling financial crime, including money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT/CPF).

In 1989, the G7 created the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to “prevent the utilization of the banking system and financial institutions for the purpose of money laundering” and was soon joined by many other countries and jurisdictions which shared the same concerns and volunteered for a global effort against financial crime. Since its establishment, the FATF’s mandate and standards have expanded to include the combatting of financing of terrorism and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The transnational nature of money laundering, malicious nature of its predicate crimes, and integrated nature of our economies necessitate a collective approach to combatting illicit finance. 2025 marks the 35-year anniversary of the FATF’s “40 Recommendations”, which were developed collectively by FATF members and are now being implemented in more than 200 jurisdictions worldwide thanks to the joint efforts of the FATF Global Network.

The Intersection of Crime, Security, and Economic Prosperity

Organized criminals, including cartels, are exploiting gaps in global AML safeguards to launder the profits of their criminal activities such as drug trafficking (including fentanyl and synthetic opioids), fraud, cybercrimes, and human smuggling that generate billions in illicit revenue annually. These crimes are not only having a devastating impact on our communities, but they are also impacting national security and economic integrity as profits are re-invested into vast criminal networks that seek to undermine the rule of law and destabilize our governments and economies.

Financial crime is also harming global economic growth. The International Monetary Fund has found that illicit finance reduces productivity, widens inequality, inhibits legitimate investment and hinders an effective allocation of resources. The World Bank has found that financial crimes are a barrier to development sparking political instability, deterring private capital, undermining good governance and the rule of law, and generally eroding trust in governments and institutions. Illicit finance also robs treasuries of badly needed tax revenue at a time when so many economies around the world are facing historically high debt levels.

The World Bank sees tackling illicit finance in low-capacity countries as vital to their development priorities and requiring sustained engagement. Strengthening AML/CFT/CPF capacity in developing and low-capacity countries would improve financial inclusion and further deprive international organized crime groups of opportunities to launder their illicit proceeds or finance terrorism.

In this context, technically sound and effective AML/CFT/CPF frameworks contribute to safer communities, our collective security, and to stronger economies in the G7 and around the globe.

The Way Forward

Under the Canadian G7 Presidency, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors have taken stock of the fight we launched in 1989 and identified areas for further action. Today, we endorse the present Financial Crime Call to Action to strengthen global security, protect financial sector integrity, and foster economic growth and economic development.

Strengthening our Frameworks
- We re-commit to the founding principles of the FATF and will continue to actively support the organization.
- We commit to improving the effectiveness of our respective AML/CFT/CPF regimes. The G7 must lead by example.
Enhancing International Cooperation
- We will stay abreast of emerging risks tied to money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing through research and the development of joint typologies and strategic intelligence.
- We must break down silos and deepen the responsible exchange of information internationally to make it harder for criminals to access the financial system and evade detection.
Addressing Financial Crime as a Barrier to Growth and Stability
- We will support efforts to strengthen AML/CFT/CPF frameworks in lower capacity countries to foster growth and economic development.
- We commit to supporting the effective implementation of AML/CFT/CPF measures that are risk-based and proportionate.
- We commit to exploring the role of technology in AML/CFT/CPF implementation.
Lastly, we commit to furthering this work under the French G7 Presidency in 2026, in coordination with all FATF members, and to report on the actions taken to implement the commitments in this Call to Action.

We encourage all countries to join us in this Call to Action. The international community can, and must, strengthen our collective response to financial crime and its impact on communities, security, and prosperity.

MIL OSI Canada News –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Praise Qatar’s Investments in Child Health and Education, Ask about the Age of Criminal Responsibility and Penalties for Child Offenders

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the fifth and sixth combined periodic reports of Qatar under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with Committee Experts praising the State’s investments in child health and education, and raising questions about its efforts to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility and prohibit the imposition of harsh penalties, including the death penalty and flagellation, on child offenders aged 16 years and over.

Aissatou Alassane Sidikou, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Qatar, commended Qatar’s efforts to invest in children’s health and education; implement its national development programme, which promoted sustainable development; establish its Ministry of Social Development and Family; and implement the Committee’s recommendations.

Ms. Sidikou asked whether Qatar’s draft bill on children’s rights would increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility of children, which was currently one of the lowest in the world at seven years, and prohibit imprisonment, flagellation and forced labour for children, which was currently allowed from 16 years of age. In Qatar, children could be sentenced to death. What measures were in place to strictly prohibit the application of the death penalty on children?

Rosaria Correa, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said that despite the recommendations of various human rights mechanisms, the new nationality law did not allow Qatari women married to foreign citizens to pass on their nationality to their children. What steps had been taken to amend this law and other laws to allow Qatari women to pass on their nationality to their children?

Introducing the report, Ahmad bin Hassan Al-Hammadi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and head of the delegation, said that, over the reporting period, Qatar had worked to strengthen legislative and institutional measures to protect children’s rights in the fields of education, health, social protection and criminal justice. The Qatar National Vision 2030 and the State’s third national development strategy 2024-2030 included key measures addressing children’s rights, and promoted equality and non-discrimination of children.

The delegation said Qatar had reduced sentences for cases where perpetrators of crimes were children. Sanctions for children under 16 years did not include corporal punishment or flagellation. The draft law on the rights of the child would increase the minimum age of criminal liability and define all persons less than 18 years old as children. It would be adopted and published soon.

The delegation also said the death penalty could be imposed on children aged 16 to 18, who were more aware of their actions, but judges could commute the sentence, considering the age of the child when the crime was committed. No one aged 16 to 18 had been sentenced to death in Qatar.

The Qatari Nationality Code addressed the issue of kinship, the delegation said. Children of non-Qatari fathers were given the nationality of their father, but such children also had the ability to access Qatari nationality if they had permanent residence. The State had made great strides in reducing statelessness.

In closing remarks, Ms. Sidikou said many efforts had been made by the State for children, but challenges remained. The Committee hoped that the dialogue would help to improve protections for children in Qatar.

Mr. Al-Hammadi, in concluding remarks, thanked the Committee and all persons who contributed to the constructive dialogue. Qatar was committed to cooperating with the Committee and to addressing the challenges and risks it faced concerning the rights of the child. It had achieved great progress in human rights over the years through cooperation with human rights mechanisms.

Sophie Kiladze, Committee Chair, said in concluding remarks that the information provided by the State party would help the Committee to assess the achievements made by Qatar and the challenges it faced. The Committee would do its best to develop concluding observations that would strengthen the rights of children in Qatar to the extent possible.

The delegation of Qatar consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Public Health; Ministry of Social Development and Family; Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Ministry of Justice; Supreme Judiciary Council; Public Prosecution; National Group for Protection of Children from Abuse and Violence; and the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Qatar at the end of its ninety-ninth session on 30 May. Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public this afternoon at 3 p.m. to consider the combined fifth to seventh periodic reports of Brazil (CRC/C/BRA/5-7).

Report

The Committee has before it the fifth and sixth combined periodic reports of Qatar (CRC/C/QAT/5-6).

Presentation of Report

AHMAD BIN HASSAN AL-HAMMADI, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and head of the delegation, said that Qatar was firmly and permanently committed to the principles of the Convention. Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution emphasised the role of the family in protecting children from exploitation and neglect, and supporting their development. The State had worked to strengthen legislative and institutional measures to protect children’s rights in the fields of education, health, social protection and criminal justice.

The national report was the result of consultation and cooperation between the various national authorities, civil society and children. The State had made great efforts to address and implement most of the previous recommendations made by the Committee, contributing to tangible progress in ensuring the rights of children.

The Qatar National Vision 2030 and the State’s third national development strategy 2024-2030 included key measures addressing human rights issues in various fields, including children’s rights, and promoted equality and non-discrimination of children. Over the reporting period, there had been extensive legislative amendments regarding the protection and promotion of children’s rights, most notably law 22 of 2021 regulating health care services, which included provisions promoting access to health care for all children, and the anti-cybercrime law, which criminalised sexual exploitation. A draft law on children’s rights was also currently under review; it established effective mechanisms for the protection and development of children’s capacities and promoted the best interests of the child.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family, established in 2021, was responsible for following up on childhood issues through specialised departments on family development, community welfare, and social protection. The Qatar Foundation for Social Work had mechanisms for monitoring, follow-up and reporting on protection measures for child victims of violence, as well as awareness campaigns informing children of their rights and methods of reporting and seeking assistance. The State had also established the National Planning Council, which was responsible for planning and implementing public policies related to children. The Council of Ministers approved in April 2025 the establishment of the Digital Safety Committee for Children and Young People, and an awareness campaign on the safe use of technology would also be launched in June 2025.

Efforts had continued to increase the enrolment rates of children, including children with disabilities, in compulsory education. The overall enrolment rate was more than 97.5 per cent. The State was encouraging girls to enrol in scientific disciplines; the percentage of girls in these disciplines had reached about 54 per cent at the secondary level. New schools had also been established to provide technical and specialised education for both boys and girls. The national education strategy 2024-2030 focused on improving the quality and inclusiveness of education, ensuring equal opportunities and enhancing governance. Five “peace schools” that received children of various nationalities, especially from countries in crisis, including children with disabilities, had been established.

In the health sector, the national health strategy 2024-2030 was launched, which aimed to promote children’s health by preventing chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and paying attention to oral health. The State had established a system of child-friendly hospitals and general paediatric clinics. The national team for child protection from violence and neglect received approximately 500 cases annually of suspected cases of child abuse and implemented preventive measures in response. Effective countermeasures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to Qatar having one of the lowest child mortality rates globally.

Qatar’s Labour Code protected children from exploitation, prohibited their employment before reaching the legal age, and regulated the types of work that children could not do. Moreover, the consumer protection law and the food control law promoted children’s rights as vulnerable consumers, while the Ministries of Health and Commerce were closely monitoring to ensure safe and healthy food for children. The State had also launched plans to reduce and assess environmental pollution, especially in areas near schools and residential areas.

The State had also paid attention to building the capacity of professionals working with children, such as judges, teachers, doctors and media professionals, through training programmes on the Convention delivered in cooperation with civil society. Qatar was also studying the possibility of establishing a national children’s parliament and had established interactive platforms that allowed children to express their opinions and suggestions, especially when discussing policies that directly affected their lives.

To protect children’s rights, Qatar was cooperating with United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund, which opened an office at the United Nations House in Doha in 2022. It was working to protect children in conflict areas in countries such as Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Russia and Ukraine. The Qatari Education Above All initiative had reached over 17 million children in more than 65 countries. Qatar had provided humanitarian assistance, including food and health care, to children in Gaza.

Qatar was fully committed to the implementation of the Convention and its two Optional Protocols, and the protection of children’s rights. Achieving this goal required continuous reform efforts through measures that kept pace with emerging changes and challenges.

Questions by Committee Experts

AISSATOU ALASSANE SIDIKOU, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Qatar, commended Qatar’s efforts to invest in children’s health and education; implement its national development programme, which promoted sustainable development; establish its Ministry on the Rights of Children and Families; and implement the Committee’s recommendations. Why had the State party maintained its reservations to articles two and 14 of the Convention? The provisions in article two of the Convention were much broader than those of articles 34 and 35 of the Constitution.

Why was there was no schedule for adoption of the draft bill on children’s rights, which had been considered by the State for over 15 years? Would the bill increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility of children, which was currently at seven years, and prohibit imprisonment, flagellation and forced labour for children, which was currently allowed from 16 years of age? Did the National Human Rights Commission and the National Planning Council have sufficient resources? How did they coordinate to protect child rights?

Qatar’s investments in health and education had increased in 2022 and 2024, but these amounts were still below global standards. Would this be addressed? Were funds allocated for children in the budget clearly outlined? How did the State party ensure that resources were equitably assigned? A national survey conducted in 2023 contained very little information on vulnerable children. What was being done to strengthen data collection on such children?

Did migrant children have access to mechanisms to report violations of their rights? How did the State party support access to remedies for child victims? Were there capacity building and awareness raising mechanisms on child rights for State officials, civil society, the media and the public? Did the National Human Rights Commission’s monitoring mechanism follow up on the implementation of the Convention and receive complaints on violations of the rights of children, including from migrant children? How did the State party monitor policies and programmes on children’s rights? Were there regulations that promoted compliance with international standards on children’s rights in the private sector?

Girls in Qatar continued to face multiple forms of discrimination due to traditional beliefs. What actions had been taken to change these negative social norms? Children with disabilities, children with unmarried or foreign parents, and the children of migrant workers were subject to widespread discrimination. How did the State party ensure that all children had access to basic social services? Was there a general law prohibiting all forms of discrimination?

There were no guidelines for professionals on determining the best interests of the child. Would these be developed? How did the State party ensure that this principle was applied consistently in all legal procedures? In Qatar, children could be sentenced to death. What measures were in place to strictly prohibit the application of the death penalty on children? How did the State party facilitate the participation of children in matters affecting them?

Despite the recommendations of various human rights mechanisms, the new nationality law did not allow Qatari women married to foreign citizens to pass on their nationality to their children. What steps had been taken to amend this law and other laws to allow Qatari women to pass on their nationality to their children?

ROSARIA CORREA, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, welcomed that the State party had taken several measures to address corporal punishment. Had it assessed the impact that these measures had had on society? There was no law prohibiting corporal punishment. What legislative efforts had been made to prohibit corporal punishment in all settings? Had studies into violent disciplining been carried out? What measures had schools adopted to protect children? How many child victims of violence had received remedies? How was the State party monitoring child protection measures? Did the draft bill on child rights address the child protection system? Who was responsible for representing minors in the courts?

How was the State party combatting the sale and trafficking of children domestically and internationally? What was preventing the State from developing a law to ban child marriages? How did the electronic monitoring system for convicted children work and how effective was it? What social and psychological programmes were in place to protect the rights of children in conflict with the law and prevent their stigmatisation?

TIMOTHY P.T. EKESA, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, welcomed the data on children with disabilities that the State party had collected in 2016. There were concerns that the State party did not provide access to mainstream education to all children with disabilities, as many were enrolled in special schools. Only a small percentage of schools had inclusive education programmes, and a medical model was used to determine whether children with disabilities were enrolled in special schools. Many children with disabilities remained out of school due to denial of admission or the inability of their families to pay school fees. Could the State party provide data on the number of children with disabilities enrolled in mainstream education?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said its reservations to articles two and 14 of the Convention were consistent with Islamic Sharia and public morals. The draft law on the rights of the child would increase the minimum age of criminal liability. It would be adopted and published soon.

In 2016, a programme was set up to investigate cases of violations of children’s rights and provide protection and remedies to victims. It dealt with between 500 and 600 cases a year, some 30 per cent of which involved violence and negligence. The programme included awareness raising campaigns on children’s rights and on reporting mistreatment of children. A confidential hotline had been set up for reporting violence; it received 300 calls a year, 60 per cent of which came from children. A register for cases of child abuse had recorded some 3,000 cases in recent years, and the Qatari Care Centre had provided psychological care to more than 4,000 children. A conference on combatting violence against children held in 2020 in Qatar was attended by around 2,000 people.

Qatar monitored the impact of business activities on children, guided by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The National Human Rights Committee monitored child labour but had not registered any cases. A regional conference had been held in Qatar that had called on businesses not to violate children’s rights in digital spaces.

The Ministry of Social Affairs had signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Human Rights Committee on cooperation on protecting children’s rights. This Committee was made up of eight representatives of civil society and five Government employees. It reviewed legislation concerning children, visited schools to assess violations of children’s right to education, and conducted yearly awareness raising campaigns on the Convention.

Qatari law did not permit marriages for boys under the age of 17 and girls under the age of 16. Marriages under the age of 18 were permitted by judges only when there were exceptional circumstances. A committee had been set up to review the Family Code; it was considering revising the legal minimum age of marriage. It was very rare for families to allow their children to marry before the age of 18.

Some six per cent of the national budget was allocated to education, and some 25 per cent of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ budget was allocated to programmes for children. The State party had dispersed several million Qatari riyals for supporting vulnerable children and families. A new centre for orphans was established in 2024.

The Ministry of Education promoted gender equality at all stages of education. Enrolment rates for boys and girls were equal at primary and secondary schools, and literacy rates were over 99 per cent in 2023. The Ministry had launched awareness raising campaigns on human rights and non-discrimination. Guidance was provided to teachers on preventing discrimination against children. Qataris and non-Qataris received the same treatment in State schools and hospitals. Employers provided migrant workers with health insurance.

The Qatari Nationality Code addressed the issue of kinship. Children of non-Qatari fathers were given the nationality of their father, but such children also had the ability to access Qatari nationality if they had permanent residence. The State had made great strides in reducing statelessness.

Qatar had laws that enabled children to receive remedies such as compensation if they were victims of a crime. Specialised courts for crimes committed by children and cases of violence against children had been established, which could conduct hearings online. There was also a witness protection programme for children. Courts had an interpretation and translation service that supported foreign children. The State assigned lawyers to persons who could not afford them.

All schools had student councils that allowed students to express their views on issues such as the environment, culture and education. Cultural activities were organised for children. Each school calculated its carbon footprint.

Articles 21 and 68 of the Constitution incorporated the Convention into the legal order. The State party had increased penalties for trafficking in persons when the victim was under 18 and reduced sentences for cases where perpetrators of crimes were children. Sanctions for children under 16 years did not include corporal punishment, flagellation or the death penalty.

Articles permitting corporal punishment were removed from legislation after the adoption of the Convention. Persons, including parents, who used corporal punishment were held criminally liable. Guidelines had been developed for parents on disciplining children without using corporal punishment and a centre that worked to educate parents on protecting children had been set up. Corporal punishment in schools was banned in the 1990s. Inspectors conducted visits to schools to ensure that the rights of students were not violated.

The Prosecutor’s Office stepped in if there were conflicts of interest between parents and children. Child psychologists were deployed to determine the best interests of the child. Children’s confidentiality was protected in courts.

The Ministry of Education attached great importance to inclusive education. Curricula were adapted for children with disabilities and protocols had been adopted for children with autism. There were programmes for vocational training for children with disabilities.

Questions by Committee Experts

ROSARIA CORREA, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said that Qatar had a set of measures to combat violence between children in schools. Were there response measures and a recording mechanism for such violence? Some 83 per cent of children reportedly suffered from some form of harassment in primary school.

What measures had been taken to ensure children could grow up in a pollution-free environment and access green spaces? How did education programmes address climate change? What impact was climate change having on Qatari children and how was the State working to mitigate its effects? How was the State party encouraging children’s involvement in designing environmental policies? How did the State party monitor children’s nutrition?

How did the State party ensure that parents equally shared responsibilities concerning child-rearing? When parents divorced, the mother lost custody of her children in Qatar. Were women who were victims of sexual exploitation criminalised in the Criminal Code?

TIMOTHY P.T. EKESA, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said the national action plan on the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools had commendable objectives, but there was a lack of clarity on measures being implemented to achieve inclusion. Had the plan, which expired in 2023, been renewed? Were there provisions in draft legislation on persons with disabilities that prohibited discrimination against children with disabilities in education? The Committee had previously called on the State party to implement a national action plan on human rights education; had this been done?

The Committee commended the State party’s high quality and widely accessible health care system and the launch of the national health strategy for 2023-2030. Would children receive targeted attention under the strategy? There were reports of discrimination in access to health centres for non-Qatari citizens. What measures were in place to address disparities in access to healthcare? Qatar had one of the highest rates of adolescent obesity in the region. How was the State party addressing this? How was it promoting access to mental health for children and adolescents?

BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said that Qatar had not ratified the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Convention against Discrimination in Education. Why was this? Why did most Qatari families choose private schools, while non-Qataris typically attended public schools? What was the State party doing to support education costs? There were schools that supported children who had dropped out of school; how effective were they? Was there an official sexual and reproductive health education programme in schools? What was being done to promote access to safe and inclusive spaces for play and recreation?

The Committee was concerned that Qatar continued to detain migrant children and families. In which detention centres were migrants placed? Were there plans to revise the policy of detaining migrant children? Most migrant workers in Qatar were men. Were there plans to revise family reunification rules to make it more accessible for workers with low wages? Were there plans to regularise the children of migrants born in Qatar?

Members of the Al-Ghufran clan had been deprived of their nationality many years ago. How many of these people still did not have Qatari nationality, and were there plans to resolve their situation? How did the State party ensure that migrant children could enrol in schools and how did it investigate complaints issued by domestic workers? How many girls were working as domestic workers? What programmes were in place that supported children in street situations? What results had been achieved by the law on trafficking in persons? What measures had been implemented to prevent and prosecute cases of trafficking in children occurring during the 2022 World Cup?

Qatar had one of the lowest minimum ages of criminal responsibility in the world, at seven years of age, and many legal protections for child offenders only applied for children under age 16. How many children up to 18 years old were deprived of liberty and in what settings? Were they mixed with adults? Were children in detention informed about the National Human Rights Committee’s complaints mechanism? Did the State party intend to ratify the Safe Schools Declaration?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said corporal punishment against all persons was prohibited, including punishment of persons with disabilities. There was no dedicated legislation on domestic violence, but there were legislative measures that covered domestic violence, and a court had been set up that specialised in domestic violence and temporary shelters, mandated to protect women and children who were victims of domestic violence. In 2024, the State party organised workshops training for around 5,000 people on issues such as protecting children from violence and intimidation. There were around 40,000 confirmed cases of domestic violence between 2024 and 2025.

Initiatives had been adopted to minimise the impact of climate change on children, including adaption of infrastructure and measures to reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable energy. The State party had constructed 18 square kilometres of green zones in 2023 and an additional eight in 2024. There was also a course within the school curriculum that focused on protecting the environment and living sustainably. Schools celebrated a “sustainability week”. Qatar had also taken measures to ensure the provision of good quality water. It periodically monitored water and air quality in schools, kindergartens and public hospitals.

Qatar promoted children’s health through various measures. Nine free health check-ups were provided to children up to age five. The State party encouraged exclusive breastfeeding up to six months; there had been a sharp increase in breastfeeding rates over the past decade. The State party had developed programmes to tackle the child obesity rate, which aimed to reduce this rate by 30 per cent by 2030. School nutrition clinics provided specialised services to prevent childhood obesity and nutritional problems. A 2022 law governed universal healthcare coverage.

Sexual and reproductive health education and education on drug addiction were provided in schools from primary level, and there was also teaching on the protection of children from neglect, and online and sexual exploitation. Children were instructed on how to find psychological assistance, and on alerting authorities about threats.

Qatar promoted access to a healthy environment for children with disabilities. It had beaches that had been adapted to ensure accessibility. Various projects were being developed for children with disabilities up to 2030. A single database covering all children with disabilities in the education system had been set up. Qatar had over 5,300 pupils with disabilities in public and private schools. Some 62 per cent of schools were inclusive. There were specialised training programmes for children with disabilities that supported them to become autonomous.

Children with disabilities had access to specialised healthcare through 10 healthcare centres tailored to their needs, including four centres for children with autism. The third national strategy 2024-2030 included measures for improving rehabilitation and diagnosis services for persons with disabilities. Social workers, family and community members were trained to care for children with disabilities and support their inclusion in society.

Qatari legislators sought to recognise children with disabilities as having legal capacity on par with others, and to promote their access to work, education and other rights. The draft disability code had been developed and was now being deliberated by the Government. Measures to exempt persons with disabilities from certain Government fees were being developed. Legislators sought to promote access to complaints mechanisms for children with disabilities and their families. The State funded legal aid services to support children in court, including children with disabilities.

The draft child code defined all persons less than 18 years old as children.

As part of the 2024-2030 development strategy, the State party had visited schools and engaged in dialogue with students, parents and teachers. “Sustainability ambassadors” who promoted environmental protection were appointed in schools, and young people could contribute to the Shura Council. Many children had taken part in drafting the State party’s report.

The State party was promoting awareness of human rights for children through social education courses and campaigns in schools, through which children learned about the Convention, gender equality, democracy, acceptance of others, cybersecurity, and preventing bullying. Media campaigns on children’s rights were carried out and manuals and training programmes had been developed to inform teachers, social workers and other public officials about children’s rights. The State party organised annual events to mark Children’s Day.

Qatar was committed to protecting school establishments from attack. It had signed the Safe Schools Declaration and participated in the Education for All initiative. Qatar helped organise events on 9 September each year at United Nations offices in New York and Geneva to mark the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.

Public schools applied international standards, including the international baccalaureate programme. Migrant parents could choose the school that their children attended and the language of instruction. The State ensured the provision of free schooling to students coming from regions of armed conflict.

Questions by Committee Experts

BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, asked whether police provided sexual education in schools? Was legal aid free for every child and accessible from the first stage of arrest? Did the State party criminally prosecute children who were addicted to drugs?

TIMOTHY P.T. EKESA, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said Qatar generally prohibited abortion, only allowing it in three special cases. There were severe penalties imposed on women who received unauthorised abortions. How many unauthorised abortions had the State recorded over the reporting period?

Another Committee Expert asked about the likelihood of approving the children’s act soon. Would Qatar provide a complete definition of the child in this legislation?

A Committee Expert asked about awareness raising campaigns in place to reduce the rate of child deaths from road accidents, which remained quite high in Qatar. How was wastewater treated and what percentage of the population had access to potable water?

One Committee Expert asked if Qatari children had access to contraception. Were children who were the product of rape given Qatari nationality? Did national institutions take a gender specific approach? Was free legal assistance provided to victims of domestic violence?

A Committee Expert asked about the level of integration that the State party’s hotline had with law enforcement, health services and social services. What services were provided to children of adults deprived of liberty, including adults on death row?

SOPHIE KILADZE, Committee Chair, asked whether the State party had measures to reduce children’s screen time and a policy on artificial intelligence and its effects on children.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the 2015 law on the departure of migrants set up a mechanism for entering and exiting Qatar. It regulated the provision of housing, healthcare and education for migrants, as well as the conditions migrants needed to meet to obtain residence permits. Migrants who did not meet these conditions were deported following the standard procedure. Persons without identity documents who were accompanied by children, as well as stateless and unaccompanied children, were placed in a shelter while being processed. In 2024, there were 22 such detentions, and thus far there had been six detentions in 2025. The State party worked with relevant embassies to support processing of these people.

A directorate had been established that was mandated to prevent road accidents.

Psychological support was provided to children whose parents had been sentenced to death. The Criminal Procedural Code provided for two years of reprieve from detention for pregnant women, and when both parents were charged with the same crime, one parent was granted reprieve from detention to care for their children while the other parent was detained.

The age of criminal liability started from seven years. From ages seven to 16, judges could only impose sanctions requiring the child’s parents to obey certain commitments or send the child to rehabilitation programmes. The juvenile justice system was based on rehabilitation, not punishment. Children aged 16 to 18 were more aware of their actions and thus had increased criminal liability. The death penalty could be used on such children, but judges could commute the sentence, considering the age of the child when the crime was committed. No one aged 16 to 18 had been sentenced to death in Qatar.

Qatar had evacuated over 65,000 people from Afghanistan in 2021. Qatar provided these people with housing and psychological support and facilitated their voluntary travel to other countries. The State had also evacuated many children from Gaza to Qatar, providing them with free healthcare and education.

Sexual education was provided by teachers and social workers, not police, in schools. A national workshop had been set up to develop sexual education; psychologists were involved in this process.

The State had a legal aid office with attorneys who provided children with free legal assistance and defended them in court. The office also provided assistance in cases of domestic violence.

Islamic Sharia was the source of laws in Qatar. Criminal legislation on abortion was in line with Sharia. In the State’s view, foetuses had the same rights as adults and benefited from legal protection. Abortions could only take place if the pregnancy threatened the life of the mother. Children who were the product of rape could access Qatari nationality.

Qatar had created legislation combatting cybercrime, which punished all digital intimation and threats. There were harsher sentences when the victim was a child or had a disability. The State had also launched a platform that aimed to educate children and families on the safe use of digital technology and build children’s digital skills. It had a national strategy on artificial intelligence and was committed to developing digital infrastructure that respected human rights.

Qatar had acceded to International Labour Organization Conventions 138 and 180 on child labour. The State’s law on domestic workers protected such workers from exploitation. The law banned hiring people under 18 years of age for domestic work. Migrant workers needed to be 18 years of age or older. Domestic workers had the same rights as other workers, including regarding access to healthcare. There was a Government Department that received complaints from domestic workers, which operated in 11 different languages.

The State party respected the rights of migrant workers to live with their families. These workers could bring their children to the State if they fulfilled a strict set of conditions.

Qatar had criminalised all forms of trafficking of persons, including labour exploitation. Penalties for trafficking were increased when the victim was a child. There was a committee within the Ministry of Labour that was responsible for combatting trafficking in persons. Qatari law was in line with the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The hotline for reporting violations of children’s rights was manned by psychologists, who assessed the urgency of the complaint and referred it to the relevant authorities.

The Qatar Social Work Foundation worked to enhance family bonds and to prevent domestic violence. It provided lectures for prospective parents and counselling and mediation services seeking to resolve family problems amicability. The Foundation worked to defend children’s rights in cases of divorce, providing them with psychological counselling. Legislation had been developed that ensured that custody could be provided to mothers in cases of divorce.

Concluding Remarks

AISSATOU ALASSANE SIDIKOU, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, thanked the delegation for the interesting dialogue. Many efforts had been made by the State for children, but challenges remained. The Committee hoped that the dialogue would help to improve protections for children in Qatar. Ms. Sidikou said she hoped that the members of the State party would carry all children in their hearts in their work.

AHMAD BIN HASSAN AL-HAMMADI, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee and all persons who had contributed to the constructive dialogue, which was an important opportunity to promote the rights of the child and global peace. The State party would use the Committee’s concluding observations to improve measures for children. The Committee needed to consider the information provided by the State and its cultural specificities. Qatar was committed to cooperating with the Committee and to addressing the challenges and risks it faced concerning the rights of the child. It had achieved great progress in human rights over the years through cooperation with human rights mechanisms.

SOPHIE KILADZE, Committee Chair, said that the information provided by the State party would help the Committee to assess the achievements made by Qatar and the challenges it faced. The Committee respected States’ cultural specificities, but violations of the Convention could not be justified in any circumstances. The Committee would do its best to develop concluding observations that would strengthen the rights of children in Qatar to the extent possible. It hoped that the State party would present further progress for children in its next dialogue with the Committee.

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Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CRC25.014E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Main organisers of large-scale drug transports to Nordic countries arrested in Serbia
Source: Eurojust

In an operation coordinated via Eurojust, the Serbian authorities arrested five suspects this week for organising the long-term, large-scale transport of illicit drugs to Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. Previously, eight fictitious owners of haulage companies used for these transports had already been detained in Serbia. This week’s successful action is the result of a joint investigation team (JIT) between Serbia and the four Nordic countries, set up and supported by Eurojust.
The criminal network that has now been brought down was responsible for transporting large quantities of narcotics, such as cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis, from Spain and the Netherlands to Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. The network mainly arranged drivers and the lorries for transports via France and Germany. The drugs were hidden in secret compartments in the trucks, occasionally together with firearms.

Locally operating criminal groups were responsible for selling and distributing the illicit drugs. Over the last few years, several suspects have been arrested and, in some cases, convicted in Sweden, Denmark and Norway for their involvement in the drug trade via the transport network.

The total volume of drugs handled is not available, but the Serbian authorities estimate that at least 1.6 tonnes of various narcotics and approximately 62 000 tablets and pills were transported. Investigations had been ongoing as of 2020, when in April 2024 a JIT was set up to consolidate the investigative efforts. Eurojust provided logistical, organisational and financial support to this JIT. The Agency also organised a series of coordination meetings to prepare for the action this week.

During the operations in Serbia, several encrypted mobile phones were seized, as well as a firearm, ammunition and documents referring to the foundation of the Serbian transport companies. The coordination and cooperation between all countries involved was also facilitated by the fact that both Serbia and Norway are among the twelve countries outside the European Union to have a Liaison Prosecutor at Eurojust.

The operations were carried out and supported by the following authorities:
- Serbia: Prosecution Office for Organised Crime, Belgrade; Police Service for the Fight Against Organised Crime
- Sweden: Swedish Prosecution Authority, National Unit Against Organised Crime: Swedish Customs
- Finland: Prosecution District Southern Finland; National Bureau of Investigation
- Denmark: National Special Crime Unit
- Norway: Innlandet Police District
MIL Security OSI –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala, IPU Secretary General Chungong urge parliaments to ratify WTO Fisheries Agreement

Source: World Trade Organization

Adopted at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022, the Agreement tackles some of the most harmful forms of fisheries subsidies, including those that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, the depletion of overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing.

“We are on the verge of a major milestone,” said WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala. “This Agreement is not only about preserving deteriorating fish stocks: it is about people’s livelihoods and food security. It’s about responding to problems of the global commons – and demonstrating that the multilateral trading system is delivering global public goods. We need 12 more acceptances to bring it into force. It is now time for the remaining parliaments to take action. This is about improving economic and environmental sustainability – it would be wonderful if we can get this done in time for next month’s 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference in France.”

IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong added: “Parliaments are the vital link between global agreements and national action. By ratifying this Agreement, they can help restore marine ecosystems, support livelihoods and show that multilateralism works.”

The joint call for action builds on the letter sent by the IPU Secretary General and the WTO Director-General in September 2023 encouraging parliamentarians to get involved in the campaign to promote the ratification of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

The upcoming 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference, taking place from 9 to 13 June in Nice, France, presents a timely opportunity for the Agreement’s ratification and entry into force, building political momentum for action to address rapidly deteriorating fish stocks.

A prompt entry into force of the Agreement would send a powerful signal of global resolve to implement Sustainable Development Goal 14.6, which aims to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies and promote the sustainable use of marine resources.

The 2022 Agreement has already shown that WTO members can deliver meaningful multilateral outcomes, even amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Finalizing ongoing negotiations on additional disciplines to address subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing would further strengthen efforts toward long-term sustainability.

The Agreement holds particular significance for coastal communities in small, vulnerable economies (SVEs) and least-developed countries (LDCs), which depend heavily on marine resources for food security, employment, and economic resilience. Many SVEs and LDCs have already ratified the Agreement, recognizing its potential to preserve marine ecosystems and advance fairness in ocean governance. Even landlocked members see value in the Agreement because it helps address food insecurity. The full list of WTO members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here.

The WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism (Fish Fund) is ready to become operational once the Agreement enters into force. In collaboration with international partners, the Fund will provide technical assistance and capacity-building to developing economies that have ratified the Agreement. More information is available here.

The WTO Secretariat and the IPU reaffirm their commitment to working with national and regional parliaments through technical briefings, outreach activities, and targeted support to ensure swift ratification and effective implementation of the Agreement.

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MIL OSI Economics –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Qakbot Malware Conspiracy Indicted for Involvement in Global Ransomware Scheme

Source: United States Attorneys General

A federal indictment unsealed today charges Rustam Rafailevich Gallyamov, 48, of Moscow, Russia, with leading a group of cyber criminals who developed and deployed the Qakbot malware. In connection with the charges, the Justice Department filed today a civil forfeiture complaint against over $24 million in cryptocurrency seized from Gallyamov over the course of the investigation. These actions are the latest step in an ongoing multinational effort by the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Canada to combat cybercrime.

“Today’s announcement of the Justice Department’s latest actions to counter the Qakbot malware scheme sends a clear message to the cybercrime community,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We are determined to hold cybercriminals accountable and will use every legal tool at our disposal to identify you, charge you, forfeit your ill-gotten gains, and disrupt your criminal activity.”

“The criminal charges and forfeiture case announced today are part of an ongoing effort with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable cybercriminals,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The forfeiture action against more than $24 million in virtual assets also demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to seizing ill-gotten assets from criminals in order to ultimately compensate victims.”

“Mr. Gallyamov’s bot network was crippled by the talented men and women of the FBI and our international partners in 2023, but he brazenly continued to deploy alternative methods to make his malware available to criminal cyber gangs conducting ransomware attacks against innocent victims globally,” said Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The charges announced today exemplify the FBI’s commitment to relentlessly hold accountable individuals who target Americans and demand ransom, even when they live halfway across the world.”

According to court documents, Gallyamov developed, deployed, and controlled the Qakbot malware beginning in 2008. From 2019 onward, Gallyamov allegedly used the Qakbot malware to infect thousands of victim computers around the world in order to establish a network, or “botnet,” of infected computers. As alleged, once Gallyamov gained access to victim computers, he provided access to co-conspirators who infected the computers with ransomware, including Prolock, Dopplepaymer, Egregor, REvil, Conti, Name Locker, Black Basta, and Cactus. In exchange, Gallyamov was allegedly paid a portion of the ransoms received from ransomware victims.

The announcement of charges today is the latest step taken by the Justice Department against the Qakbot conspiracy. In August 2023, a U.S.-led multinational operation disrupted the Qakbot botnet and malware. At that time, the Justice Department announced the seizure of illicit proceeds from Gallyamov, including over 170 bitcoin and over $4 million of USDT and USDC tokens.

According to the indictment, after the disruption and takedown of the Qakbot botnet, Gallyamov and his co-conspirators continued their criminal activities. Instead of a botnet, they allegedly used different tactics, including “spam bomb” attacks on victim companies, where co-conspirators would trick employees at those victim companies into granting access to computer systems. The indictment alleges that Gallyamov orchestrated spam bomb attacks against victims in the United States as recently as January 2025. It also alleges that Gallyamov and his co-conspirators deployed Black Basta and Cactus ransomware on victim computers.

On April 25, 2025, pursuant to a seizure warrant, the FBI seized additional illicit proceeds from Gallyamov, including over 30 bitcoin and over $700,000 of USDT tokens. Today, the Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Central District of California against all of the illicit proceeds seized from Gallyamov — worth over $24 million as of today — in order to forfeit and ultimately return those funds to victims.

The investigation of Gallyamov was led by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, which worked closely with investigators from Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), the Netherlands National Police, The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Netherlands, France’s Anti-Cybercrime Office (Office Anti-cybercriminalité) and Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office, and Europol. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Milwaukee Field Office provided significant assistance.

Trial Attorney Jessica Peck of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Khaldoun Shobaki, Lauren Restrepo, and James Dochterman for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.

These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation Endgame, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling and prosecuting cybercriminal organizations around the world.

Resources for victims can be found on the following website, which will be updated as additional information becomes available: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/divisions/national-security-division/qakbot-resources

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato

An Oyster cellar in Leith John Burnet, 1819; National Galleries of Scotland, Photo: Antonia Reeve

Oysters and escargot are recognised as luxury foods around the world – but they were once valued by the lower classes as cheap sources of protein.

Less adventurous eaters today see snails as a garden pest, and are quick to point out that freshly shucked oysters are not only raw but also alive when they are eaten.

How did these unusual ingredients become items of conspicuous consumption?

From garden snail to gastronomy

Eating what many consider to be a slimy nuisance seems almost counter-intuitive, but consuming land snails has an ancient history, dating to the Palaeolithic period, some 30,000 years ago in eastern Spain.

Ancient Romans also dined on snails, and spread their eating habits across their empire into Europe.

Lower and middle class Romans ate snails from their gardens, while elite consumers ate specially farmed snails, fed spices, honey and milk.

An Ancient Roman mosaic dating to the 4th century AD depicting a basket of snails, Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia, Italy.
Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Pliny the Elder (AD 24–79) described how snails were raised in ponds and given wine to fatten them up.

The first French recipe for snails appears in 1390, in Le Ménagier de Paris (The Good Wife’s Guide), but not in other cookbooks from the period.

In 1530, a French treatise on frogs, snails, turtles and artichokes considered all these foods bizarre, but surprisingly popular. Some of the appeal had to do with avoiding meat on “lean” days. Snails were classified as fish by the Catholic Church, and could even be eaten during Lent.

For the next 200 years, snails only appeared in Parisian cookbooks with an apology for including such a disgusting ingredient. This reflected the taste of upper-class urbanites, but snails were still eaten in the eastern provinces.

Schneckenweib, or Snail Seller, illustrated by Johann Christian Brand in Vienna, after 1798.
Wien Museum

An 1811 cookbook from Metz, in the Alsace region in northeastern France, describes raising snails like the Romans, and a special platter, l’escargotière, for serving them. The trend did not travel to Paris until after 1814.

French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) hosted a dinner for Russian Tsar Alexander I, after he marched into Paris following the allied forces’ defeat of Napoleon in 1814.

The chef catering the meal was the father of French cuisine Marie-Antoine Carême, a native of Burgundy, spiritual home of the now famous escargots de Bourgogne.

Carême served the Tsar what would become a classic recipe, prepared with garlic, parsley and butter. Allegedly, the Tsar raved about the “new” dish, and snails became wildly popular. A recipe for Burgundy snails first appeared in a French culinary dictionary published in 1825.

It is ironic that it took the approval of a foreign emperor, who had just conquered Napoleon, to restore luxury status to escargot, a food that became a symbol of French cuisine.

Snails remain popular today in France, with consumption peaking during the Christmas holidays, but May 24 is National Escargot Day in France.

Oysters: the original fast food

Oysters are another ancient food, as seen in fossils dating to the Triassic Era, 200 million years ago. Evidence of fossilised oysters are found on every major land mass, and there is evidence of Indigenous oyster fisheries in North America and Australia that dates to the Holocene period, about 12,000 years ago.

There are references in classical Greek texts to what are probably oysters, by authors like Aristotle and Homer. Oyster shells found at Troy confirm they were a favoured food. Traditionally served as a first course at banquets in Ancient Greece, they were often cooked, sometimes with exotic spices.

Music-cover sheet for ‘Bonne-Bouche’ by Emile Waldteufel, 1847-1897.
© The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA

Pliny the Elder refers to oysters as a Roman delicacy. He recorded methods of the pioneer of Roman oyster farming, Sergius Orata, who brought the best specimens from across the Empire to sell to elite customers.

Medieval coastal dwellers gathered oysters at low tide, while wealthy inland consumers would have paid a premium for shellfish, a perishable luxury, transported to their castles.

French nobles in 1390 preferred cooked oysters, roasted over coals or poached in broths, perhaps as a measure to prevent food poisoning. As late as the 17th century, authors cautioned:

But if they be eaten raw, they require good wine […] to aid digestion.

Oyster Seller, Jacob Gole, 1688–1724.
Rijksmuseum

By the 18th century, small oysters were a popular pub snack, and larger ones were added as meat to the stew pot. That century, it is believed as many as 100,000 oysters were eaten each day in Edinburgh and the shells from the tavern in the basement filled in gaps in the brickwork at Gladstone’s Land in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Scottish oyster farms in the Firth of Forth, an inlet of the North Sea, produced 30 million oysters in 1790, but continual over-harvesting took its toll.

By 1883 only 6,000 oysters were landed, and the population was declared extinct in 1957.

As wild oyster stocks dwindled, large oyster farms developed in cities like New York in the 19th century. Initially successful, they were polluted, and infected by typhoid from sewage. An outbreak in 1924 killed 150 people, the deadliest food poisoning in United States history.

Costumes of Naples: Oyster Sellers, c. 1906–10.
Rijksmuseum

Far from the overabundance of oysters we once had, over-fishing, pollution, and invasive species all threaten oyster populations worldwide today. Due to this scarcity of wild oysters and the resources required to safely farm environmentally sustainable oysters, they are now a premium product.

Next on the menu

Scarcity made oysters a luxury, and a Tsar’s approval elevated snails to gourmet status. Could insects become the next status food?

Ancient Romans ate beetles and grasshoppers, and cultures around the world consume insects, but not (yet) as luxury products.

Maybe the right influencer can make honey-roasted locust the next species to jump from paddock to plate.

Garritt C. Van Dyk has received funding from the Getty Research Institute.

– ref. From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods – https://theconversation.com/from-peasant-fodder-to-posh-fare-how-snails-and-oysters-became-luxury-foods-254299

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Global Operation Targets Darknet Drug Trafficking

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

The April 9 search and arrest of four subjects—led by the FBI’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team and carried out by FBI Los Angeles and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)—was part of a coordinated operation across four continents that has seized more than $200 million in currency and digital assets and over 1,500 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl.

In Operation RapTor, participating law enforcement agencies in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia arrested 270 darknet vendors, buyers, and administrators. (The darknet is a portion of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and is only accessible through specialized software.) The results of the operation were announced today.

More than 144 kilograms (approximately 317 pounds) of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics were seized in this year’s operation, which included arrests in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Just one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people, according to the DEA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the primary driver of overdose deaths in the U.S.

The FBI, which established JCODE in 2018 to target drug trafficking—particularly of fentanyl and other opioids—on the darknet, has coordinated global law enforcement operations like RapTor every year since the initiative’s inception.

“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today.”

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Featured products highlight openness, unlock trade potential between China, CEEC

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

This photo taken on May 22, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of the 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

NINGBO, May 22 — With over 8,000 featured products on display, from traditional goods like wines and cheese to cutting-edge varieties like VR glasses, the 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair unveiled its curtain on Thursday, unleashing vast cooperation potential between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC).

The expo, running from Thursday to Sunday in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, has attracted 435 enterprises from 14 CEEC countries and nine other countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy.

A total of 1,028 domestic companies are also attending the event, showcasing local distinctive industries and competitive consumer goods. The event also attracts more than 3,000 overseas buyers from 72 countries and regions. Tentative import deals worth over 10 billion yuan (about 1.39 billion U.S. dollars) are expected to be reached with CEEC partners during the event, according to the organizers.

In addition to traditional consumer goods, the expo also showcases vanguard digital and intelligent technologies, serving as a broad platform for presenting innovative breakthroughs in categories such as aircraft, VR devices, medical equipment and humanoid robots.

“The expo is a gateway for our products to reach international markets, and we plan to establish headquarters in CEEC to further explore and expand our presence in the region,” said Fan Rui, founder of Aoxue Ruishi Technology Co., Ltd., who brought his company’s extended reality (XR) glasses to the event.

Co-hosted by the Zhejiang provincial government and China’s Ministry of Commerce, the expo, initiated in 2019, has played an important role in increasing exports of CEEC products to the Chinese market, and cementing mutual understanding on cooperation between China and CEEC countries.

Data from China’s commerce ministry showed that in 2024, China’s trade with CEEC increased by 6.3 percent year over year, reaching a record high of 142.3 billion U.S. dollars.

People visit the 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People queue up to visit the Digital and Smart Manufacturing of CEEC exhibition area of the 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 22. 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Visitors enjoy a performance from Bulgaria during the 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Wang survives Gauzy scare to advance at table tennis worlds

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

China’s world No. 2 Wang Chuqin survived a massive scare against France’s Simon Gauzy on Thursday to go through to the men’s singles quarterfinals at the World Table Tennis Championships.

Jolted awake while two sets down, Wang played a very aggressive game with subtle maneuvers on the table and clinched the match over 51 minutes, in a score of 9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8.

“I suddenly felt this could be my last game if I didn’t turn the tables,” said Wang. “I calmed myself down, not thinking about winning or losing. I just focused on tactics and skills.”

The turning point came when the Chinese let out a loud shout while leading 5-2 in the third set. “I let off steam with that,” he said.

Gauzy, ranked 43rd in the world, rated his performance nine out of 10.

“Wang was not at his best at the beginning, while I was,” said the 30-year-old. “It’s hard to handle his power and speed.”

Wang will now face against the winner between eighth seed Patrick Franziska of Germany and 13th seed Lin Yun-Ju of Chinese Taipei.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Deaf President Now! traces the powerful uprising that led to Deaf rights in the US – now again under threat

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gemma King, ARC DECRA Fellow in Screen Studies, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, Australian National University

Archival footage shows Tim Rarus, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Jerry Covell, in Apple TV+ Deaf President Now! Apple TV+

In March 1988, students of the world’s only Deaf university started a revolution that made national news. Now, the first film to document this historic uprising is screening on Apple TV+.

At the same time, American universities are grappling with the consequences of President Donald Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Gallaudet, home of the Deaf Rights movement

By 1988, Washington DC’s Gallaudet University had been educating Deaf students in American Sign Language (ASL) for 124 years. But it had never had a Deaf president.

For the first time, two Deaf candidates were in the running for the top job. One was Gallaudet’s own Irving King Jordan. The second was Harvey Corson of the American School for the Deaf.

The third was Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing woman from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She had no experience of Deaf community or knowledge of ASL.

As the hearing board of trustees met to choose a new leader, the student body waited with bated breath. Self-determination in higher education – by the Deaf, for the Deaf – was finally a possibility. But once again the board chose a hearing person, Zinser.

When chair Jane Spilman was questioned about the choice, she replied, “Deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world.”

Incensed, Gallaudet students barricaded the campus, gave impassioned media interviews and took to marching. First they marched around the university – Zinser effigies burning – and then all the way to the Capitol.

The Deaf President Now protest became national news, leading to the resignations of Zinser and Spilman, and the appointment of Jordan as president. It also helped propel the Disability Rights Movement, contributed to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and inspired Deaf Pride movements around the world.

Jane Bassett Spilman and Elisabeth Zinser resigned as a result of the Deaf President Now movement.
Apple TV+

Timely, vital and imperfect

The 2025 documentary Deaf President Now! opens with footage of a political act: not from the 1988 protests, but from the present day, as the movement’s original student leaders – Bridgetta Bourne, Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok and Tim Rarus – advise on their interview setups.

One alerts the crew they can’t see the interpreter. Another explains how much signing space they need in the frame. A third asks, joking but incisive, “What’s the microphone for?”

These aren’t throwaway moments; they show how inclusion and authenticity are only possible when Deaf people are in control of their own stories.

The film excels in exposing the paternalistic attitude and tightly-held hearing power that has long shaped Deaf education.

The film’s most powerful moments are when it contrasts the board’s dismissive rhetoric against the eloquent, impassioned arguments of the Deaf student body. Through intimate interviews and carefully curated archival footage, the documentary dismantles prevailing presumption that Deaf individuals need hearing oversight to succeed.

At the same time, the film embodies a paradox that mirrors its subject matter, as it is co-directed by hearing filmmaker Davis Guggenheim and Deaf director Nyle DiMarco.

DiMarco has been active in the screen industry for more than a decade, in acting roles and as a producer on Netflix hits Deaf U (2020) and Audible (2021). Though his involvement represents progress, Guggenheim’s raises an uncomfortable question: when will Deaf filmmakers fully own their narratives and be entrusted to lead projects?

Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim co-directed the documentary, with interviews from several of the movement’s leading figures.
Apple TV+

The collaboration reflects how stories celebrating Deaf empowerment often require hearing endorsement to reach a mainstream audience. The film’s distribution on Apple TV+ offers unprecedented visibility, but comes through channels controlled by hearing decision-makers.

This production context reminds us true representation extends beyond what appears onscreen, to who controls the storytelling process — a revolution unfinished in Deaf cinema.

Using film for Deaf empowerment

The industry may remain exclusive, but the camera itself can be a tool for Deaf power. Throughout history, Deaf individuals have harnessed film as a means of resistance.

The extensive archival footage in Deaf President Now! shows how, by 1988, film was already being used by the Deaf community as a form of advocacy. Through the blending of this footage with present-day interviews in ASL, we witness Deaf individuals taking ownership of their history and recounting it in their authentic language form.

The documentary also mirrors how media attention was integral to spreading the protest’s message back in 1988. This culminated in a national broadcast of a live debate between Zinser and Greg Hlibok, the then student body president.

To understand the film’s profound importance for the Deaf community, we must recognise how sign languages have historically been undocumented in their true form, with speech and writing considered superior modes of communication.

Deaf culture, language and community are powerful forces of resistance that have continually defied mainstream oppression.

Trump: a step back for the movement

While the film was long overdue, its arrival now is eerily relevant. Trump’s push for conservative policies – part of what he calls “Project 2025” – seeks to dismantle programs and funding that serve minority students, including disability groups.

Many of the protections in the Americans with Disabilities Act are under threat as a result, including fundamental rights to sign language and interpreting access in higher education and beyond.

According to the New York Times, hundreds of terms including “accessibility”, “disability”, “minority” and “inequality” are being limited or outright removed from official government materials. In some cases, grant proposals and contracts have been automatically flagged for including “woke” terminology.

The spirit of the Deaf President Now! resistance has never been more vital.

But if Deaf history has taught us anything, it’s that the Deaf community forges a deep sense of pride and connection in the face of such pressures. And films like Deaf President Now! show us how integral film is to this resistance.

Gemma King receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Samuel Martin and Sofya Gollan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Deaf President Now! traces the powerful uprising that led to Deaf rights in the US – now again under threat – https://theconversation.com/deaf-president-now-traces-the-powerful-uprising-that-led-to-deaf-rights-in-the-us-now-again-under-threat-257233

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November

By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory.

“Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will operate once a week on a Saturday. This follows the New Zealand Government’s decision to update its safe travel advisory level for New Caledonia”, the company stated in its latest update yesterday.

“The resumption of services reflects our commitment to reconnecting New Zealand and New Caledonia, ensuring that travel is safe and reliable for our customers. We will continue to monitor this route closely.

“Passengers are encouraged to check the latest travel advisories and Air New Zealand’s official channels for updates on flight schedules”, said Air New Zealand general manager short haul Lucy Hall.

In its updated advisory regarding New Caledonia, the New Zealand government still recommends “Exercise increased caution” (Level 2 of 4).

It said this was “due to the ongoing risk of civil unrest”.

In some specific areas (the Loyalty Islands, the Isle of Pines (Iles de Pins), and inland of the coastal strip between Mont Dore and Koné), it is still recommended to “avoid non-essential travel (Level 3 of 4).”

Warning over ‘civil unrest’
The advisory also recalls that “there was a prolonged period of civil unrest in New Caledonia in 2024. Political tensions and civil unrest may increase at short notice”.

“Avoid all demonstrations, protests, and rallies as they have the potential to turn violent with little warning”.

Air New Zealand ceased flights between Auckland and the French territory’s capital, Nouméa on 15 June 2024, at the height of violent civil unrest.

Since then, it has maintained its no-show for the French Pacific territory, one of its closest neighbours.

Air New Zealand’s general manager international Jeremy O’Brien said at the time this was due to “pockets of unrest” remaining in New Caledonia and “safety is priority”.

New Caledonia’s international carrier Air Calédonie International (Aircalin) is also operating two weekly flights to Auckland from the Nouméa-La Tontouta international airport.

The riots that broke out on 13 May 2024 resulted in 14 deaths and more than 2.2 billion euros (NZ$4.1 billion) in damages, bringing New Caledonia’s economy to its knees, with thousands of businesses and jobs destroyed.

Tourism from its main regional source markets, namely Australia and New Zealand, also came to a standstill.

Specifically regarding New Zealand, local statistics show that between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025, visitor numbers collapsed by 90 percent (from 1731 to 186).

New Caledonia’s tourism stakeholders have welcomed the resumption of the service to and from New Zealand, saying this will allow the industry to relaunch targeted promotional campaigns in the New Zealand market.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Trump’s conversation with European leaders triggers controversy

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

What U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders after his two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin has triggered controversy.

Three days after the high-stake talks for Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing senior European officials familiar with the conversation, that Trump told European leaders that Putin “isn’t ready to end the Ukraine war because he thinks he is winning.”

The White House denied this account immediately. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that Trump “did say he believes Putin is winning the war, but he never said ‘Putin isn’t ready to end the war’.”

During the call, Trump said several times that “he believes Putin wants peace and wants the war to be over,” Leavitt noted.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the WSJ report, saying Russia was only aware of what was said during the phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

“Look, we know what Trump told Putin. We don’t know what Trump told the Europeans after that phone call. We know the official statement by President Trump,” Peskov said.

According to Trump, the afterward call’s participants included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The controversy came as European officials accused Trump of handing Putin a win after their phone call since he suggested abandoning being a mediator in ending the war and refused to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.

“Several European officials said the message they took from the call was that they should not expect the United States to join them any time soon in piling additional financial pressure onto Mr. Putin,” The New York Times said in a analysis published Thursday.

“The disagreement between the Americans and the Europeans over support for Ukraine will likely come to a head over two nearly back-to-back summits: the Group of 7 in Canada in mid-June and the NATO summit a week later in The Hague,” the report added.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China continue winning streak on Day 3 of Malaysia Masters

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

Chinese shuttlers continued their winning streak on Day 3 of the 2025 Malaysia Masters on Thursday, scoring decisive victories in all categories.

Men’s singles shuttler Li Shifeng knocked out Singapore’s Jason Teh Jia Heng 21-10, 21-17 at the Axiata Arena, while his teammate Weng Hongyang also advanced after defeating Indonesia’s Farhan.

In the women’s singles, Wang Zhiyi overpowered compatriot Han Qianxi 21-8, 21-17, while fellow Chinese shuttlers Gao Fangjie and Han Yue also secured their places in the next round.

Men’s doubles duo Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang easily outplayed Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov of France 21-17, 21-15.

In the women’s doubles, Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian smashed Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing of Malaysia 21-6, 21-13, while their compatriots Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning knocked out Thailand’s Tidapron Kleebyeesun and Nattamon Laisun, and Keng Shuliang and Li Huazhou overcame Hsieh Pei-Shan and Hung En-Tzu of Chinese Taipei.

Mixed doubles pairs Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi and Feng Yangzhe/Huang Dongping all progressed to the next round.

The only blot on China’s copybook came as mixed doubles pair Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui were knocked out by their Indonesian opponents.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: The Answer Found from the Fusion of Technology and Sensibilities—Our Message for the Future Conveyed Through The Land of NOMO: Yuichiro Haraguchi

Source: Panasonic

Headline: The Answer Found from the Fusion of Technology and Sensibilities—Our Message for the Future Conveyed Through The Land of NOMO: Yuichiro Haraguchi

Yuichiro Haraguchi
General Producer of the Panasonic Group’s Pavilion The Land of NOMOEXPO Promotion ProjectPanasonic Operational Excellence Co., Ltd.
Yuichiro Haraguchi joined Panasonic in 2004 and was assigned to the Corporate eNet Business Division, where he was responsible for planning services for internet-connected home appliances. He was later transferred to the former Television Business Division, where he worked on overseas consumer marketing and global brand strategy. After promoting CSR communications in the Brand Communication Sector, he was transferred in 2014 to the former Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Enterprise Division, where he led new business development in the field of accessibility. He has held his current position since 2022.

The Idea Behind the Panasonic Group’s Pavilion The Land of NOMO
It has already been about three years since I got involved with the Expo. Starting from scratch, we brought together the strengths of many people and have now grown our project into something we’re proud to present to everyone. It is deeply moving to finally witness this long-awaited moment.

The Land of NOMO is an experiential pavilion designed primarily for children, based on the concept “Set your heart and mind free, and the world will open up.” In the 720° cycle where human and natural activities interact and circle around each other, I hope children will feel a sense of hope that, by becoming aware of their own sensibilities and unleashing their imagination, they can change the future.
What we value most in The Land of NOMO is the opportunity for everyone to enjoy it with a free and honest heart. You don’t have to be bound by the rules. You can run around, lie down, or jump inside the pavilion. In this space, you can discover your own potential by touching various objects, having unique experiences, and playing to your heart’s content.

Mobilizing the Collective Strengths of the Panasonic Group, Grounded in Konosuke Matsushita’s Philosophy
A general producer typically begins by giving form to their own philosophy and concepts. However, the Panasonic Group has a guiding philosophy passed down from the founder Konosuke Matsushita. We are also fortunate to be in a corporate environment rich in technical expertise, sophisticated design, and partners who foster co-creation. My main role has been to connect Konosuke Matsushita’s vision with the company’s diverse technologies and ideas, and then embody them in a story.
The biggest challenge in designing the exhibition was how to incorporate and convey Konosuke Matsushita’s philosophy. Conversations with those involved in developing educational support services gave me a clue. They explained that differences in individual strengths and learning styles significantly affect the quality of learning. For example, some people prefer to work intently with their hands, while others mull things over or chat with others to move forward. Their services work as tailored approaches to teaching, thinking, and learning for each personality type, based on an analysis of extensive questionnaire results and other data. We realized that by combining this analysis with our facial expression and behavior analysis technologies—developed through years of engaging with people’s daily lives and grounded in our human insight (Japanese only) research—we could study children’s individuality and characteristics. This is how we came up with a story in which children play and explore The Land of NOMO, with different messages appearing depending on their actions. This program was made possible using the ideas of our colleagues who work with children every day. The dedicated Expo team alone could not have come up with the concept of The Land of NOMO. We were able to fully leverage our strengths and the unique quality of Panasonic as a company that has long been committed to the betterment of people’s lifestyles.

Through our activities, many people connected to Panasonic expressed their desire to be part of the Expo or try out their ideas. However, only about 10–20 percent of the ideas from nearly 1,000 people have actually been incorporated. Even still, we aim to bring more voices to life through events and other opportunities during the Expo.

What Makes a Pavilion Truly Panasonic?

Meet Matemon—playful characters created by our team and hidden throughout the pavilion as a secret surprise!

Resource circulation is an initiative that reflects the passion of many people within the Panasonic Group. Panasonic has a system of recycling resources that our colleagues have developed through the recycling of home appliances, and our pavilion maximizes this system. At first glance, using wood might seem more environmentally friendly. However, we believe our strength lies in exploring the potential of metal, which can be reshaped into new forms after just six months of use at the Expo. About 98% of the columns and beams supporting the pavilion are made from scrap iron obtained from home appliances. The trunk cables that power the various electrical features of the pavilion experience are made using copper recovered from the printed circuit boards of used home appliances. In a sense, the pavilion has been reborn from home appliances.
We have also collaborated with many partners, asking ourselves what kind of legacy we can leave to the next generation for a better future society. For example, we are conducting hydrogen pipeline demonstrations as part of a co-creation initiative with NTT. Hydrogen produced by the NTT Pavilion, using non-CO2-emitting energy sources such as solar power, is transported through an underground pipeline to a pure hydrogen fuel cell generator at the Panasonic Group Pavilion, where it is used to illuminate the pavilion after sunset. This six-month demonstration at the Expo is designed to contribute to the creation of a hydrogen society.

At the pre-opening lighting ceremony of The Land of NOMO, the illumination designed with students and children was unveiled in front of the children and their families.

I believe the Expo is a place where we will be evaluated by the real reactions of the public. As we operate the pavilion over the next six months, we want to stay mindful of how children feel and how much they enjoy their experience. There is no greater joy than offering children an opportunity, through this pavilion, to discover their hidden potential and take a step toward the future.

The content in this website is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.Please note that German, French and Chinese versions are machine translations, so the quality and accuracy may vary.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Episode 04： Time Capsule Expo ’70

Source: Panasonic

Headline: Episode 04： Time Capsule Expo ’70

Here, we share episodes about Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of the Panasonic Group, from our company’s historical records.

The fourth installment in this series introduces the Time Capsule EXPO ’70, which was exhibited at the Japan World Exposition, Osaka 1970, and fascinated many visitors, along with Konosuke’s words.

This photo shows 2,098 objects selected from the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts from a global perspective by consulting 632 experts from 36 countries as well as seeking public entries from all over Japan.

Passing down a message to people 5,000 years ahead in the future

The first world exposition in Asia was held in Suita City, Osaka, for 183 days from March 15 to September 13, 1970. The Matsushita Group (currently Panasonic Group) exhibited the Matsushita Pavillion. The pavilion, based on an architectural design of the Tenpyo culture*1 from the Nara era, along with Japanese traditional aesthetic elements such as a bamboo grove, a pond, and a tea ceremony room, attracted large crowds, reaching as many as 7.6 million visitors in total.
＊1. A Japanese culture that flourished during the Tenpyo years (729 to 749 A.D.) of the Nara era. Numerous temples with graceful roof lines were built during these years.

The Matsushita Pavillion and 70 staff members. Their kimono uniforms, changed for the spring, early summer, and mid-summer seasons, were in perfect harmony with the pavilion’s atmosphere, and they were favorably received by many visitors.

What attracted particular attention was the Time Capsule EXPO ’70, a project prepared in collaboration with The Mainichi Newspapers. With a view to passing contemporary culture down the generations, two capsules containing 2,098 carefully selected objects were buried in the grounds of Osaka Castle Park.*2 One of them was set to be opened in 6970, 5,000 years later.*3
＊2. The site was selected because it would be less affected by future urban development, due to its designation as a historic site in Japan, and because its geological layers are stable.＊3. The documents composing all records of the project were sent to national libraries and museums not only in Japan but also abroad.
On March 15, 1971, the first anniversary of the opening of Expo 1970, Matsushita Electric (currently Panasonic Holdings) and The Mainichi Newspapers held a party at the Osaka Royal Hotel (currently RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka) for donating the capsules to the Ministry of Education. At the end of the ceremony, Konosuke took the stage and expressed his deep appreciation to all individuals involved for their cooperation, also stating with humor, “This project should prove to be cost-effective, since the name of Matsushita Electric will remain in history 5,000 years from now.” The event concluded in a friendly atmosphere.

Left: Time Capsule created by leveraging the best techniques in Japan at the time for casting the capsule, welding the lid, and preserving the objects.Right: The stainless-steel monument marking the buried site. The capsules will continue to sleep for 5,000 years, 15 meters deep in the ground below the monument.

Passing hope on to the far future

The objects placed in the capsules included a message from Konosuke (aged 75 at the time) to the people of 5,000 years later, recorded on a pure gold disc to prevent damage. Here is part of his message.

“Today’s scientists tell us that the planet is changing year by year. Humanity’s conditions of life are also changing moment by moment. We have no way of knowing with any accuracy what the condition of the planet will be 5,000 years from now, and how humanity’s way of life will have progressed. We can only imagine various scenarios, but that in itself is part of the fascination of making this capsule.… We sincerely hope you take an interest in these contents, examine them, and enjoy imagining what life was like for the people who made this capsule and left it for you, 5,000 years ago. Thank you, and goodbye.”

Konosuke refining the text of his message (left). He spent more than five minutes recording it, with a slightly tense look.

Konosuke later stated, “This project might represent the only living history within this Expo. I am confident that it was one of the productive projects.”
The grand project will leave evidence of advances as of 1970 for the far future and deliver invaluable significance to the people living 5,000 years from then.

Konosuke cutting the opening ribbon of the Matsushita Pavilion. Isoya Yoshida, the architect who planned the new main hall of Chuguji Temple in 1968, designed the pavilion at Konosuke’s request.

Related LinksTime Capsule EXPO ’70Osaka Museum of History: The 157th special exhibition “Open the Time Capsule” (Japanese only)

The content in this website is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.Please note that German, French and Chinese versions are machine translations, so the quality and accuracy may vary.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: CNO Franchetti Speaks at 2024 Paris Naval Conference

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti spoke during a panel while at the Paris Naval Conference in Paris, France on Jan. 24, 2024. The panel was “Future Challenges and Perspectives for Navies.” Speakers included: Chief of the French Navy Adm. Nicolas Vaujour; Royal Navy First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom Adm. Sir Ben Key; Adm. Enrico Credendino, Chief of the Italian Navy; and Vice-Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command, Indian Navy.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO brings together World Heritage marine site managers to review groundbreaking environmental DNA Expeditions and citizen science efforts

Source: United Nations

On 30 April 2025, managers from the 51 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites convened online with experts from UNESCO to review the results of UNESCO’s pioneering environmental DNA (eDNA) expeditions initiative and to exchange first-hand experiences involving citizen scientists in this world-first effort.

UNESCO eDNA expeditions is the first global use case for detecting ocean biodiversity with citizen-science using shared eDNA collection approaches. Over three years, more than 250 volunteers, some as young as 6 years old, collected eDNA samples at 21 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites spread across 19 countries. This effort empowered local schoolchildren and communities to contribute to marine biodiversity research and understand the impacts of climate change on their local World Heritage marine site.

The goal of the online meeting was to share lessons learned and firsthand insights with UNESCO World Heritage marine site managers – both from sites that participated in the initiative and those that did not – on how eDNA, combined with citizen science, can enhance marine biodiversity monitoring in protected areas, especially in the face of climate change threats to the ocean.

The scientific coordinator of the initiative, based in the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) office in charge of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)’s Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), presented an overview of the eDNA expeditions initiative. The presentation highlighted global results from the 19 participating countries and outlined future plans to support continued eDNA sampling and citizen science engagement at UNESCO World Heritage marine sites. Published in December 2024, the global results revealed the identification of more than 4,400 marine species, including several species of sharks and rays, marine mammal species, and turtle species. Among these, 120 are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Remarkably, the eDNA campaign detected 10–20% of the expected local marine fauna at each sampling site—an outcome that, using traditional survey methods, would have required prolonged effort and substantial financial resources.

Another major outcome of the programme was a parallel climate impact analysis, which assessed the thermal limits of the detected species using projected future ocean temperature scenarios. The findings indicated that in some tropical regions, up to 100% of species may be affected, highlighting the urgent need for adaptive management in response to increasing thermal stress on marine life.

Managers from UNESCO World Heritage marine sites shared their experiences leading the local eDNA sampling campaigns. A representative from the Everglades National Park World Heritage site (United States of America) highlighted the value of eDNA as a complementary tool to traditional methods for monitoring species presence within the site. The UNESCO-supported eDNA sampling campaign engaged local high school students in hands-on sampling activities, bridging classroom learning with real-world conservation efforts. Parents joined in as well, further strengthening community involvement. Currently, eDNA is used in the park to monitor overall biodiversity, including detecting invasive species like Burmese pythons.

Meanwhile, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage site (South Africa) shared how the eDNA campaign marked a first for both the site and local schools. High school students and teachers were trained in the techniques of eDNA sampling, with a strong emphasis on safety and following precise protocols. The campaign introduced learners to marine science and emphasized the importance of accuracy in data collection. As some key species were not detected, the campaign uncovered important data gaps and reinforced the importance of ongoing research and enhanced collaboration between marine protected area managers and the scientific community.

The UNESCO World Heritage List comprises 51 marine sites across 37 countries. Due to their status as the world’s flagship marine protected areas, UNESCO World Heritage marine sites are uniquely positioned to drive change and innovation, help set global standards in conservation excellence, and serve as beacons of hope in a changing ocean.

This online meeting was made possible with the support of the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB).

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 23, 2025

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 23, 2025.

Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Land clearing for agriculture poses a real threat to many species. Rich Carey/Shutterstock More and more Australian species are being listed as critically endangered – the final stage before extinction in the wild. Hundreds of species of

How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate professor, University of Sydney Lightspring/Shutterstock With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the United States has signalled a return to aggressive tariff policies, upending economic forecasts around the world. This leaves central banks with a tricky dilemma: how to respond when

Vivid, thrilling and ghastly: new theatrical adaptation of The Birds evokes climate disaster, terrorism and lockdown
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Senior Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Pia Johnson/Malthouse Theatre Malthouse’s new production of The Birds is a thrillingly realised take on the 1952 short story by Daphne Du Maurier. Adapted by Louise Fox and directed by Matthew Lutton, this vivid realisation is a

Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory. “Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will

Budget 2025: Pacific Ministry faces major cuts, yet new initiatives aim for development
By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025. This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget. As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million

Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory. “Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will

Budget 2025: Pacific Ministry faces major cuts, yet new initiatives aim for development
By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025. This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget. As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million

Why Donald Trump has put Asia on the precipice of a nuclear arms race
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Langford, Executive Director, Security & Defence PLuS and Professor, UNSW Sydney For the past 75 years, America’s nuclear umbrella has been the keystone that has kept East Asia’s great‑power rivalries from turning atomic. President Donald Trump’s second‑term “strategic reset” now threatens to crack that arch. By

Corroboree 2000, 25 years on: the march for Indigenous reconciliation has left a complicated legacy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor of Aboriginal political history, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, Convenor: Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. On

KiwiSaver at a crossroads: budget another missed opportunity to fix NZ’s underperforming retirement scheme
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Gilbert, Professor of Finance, Auckland University of Technology Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images When KiwiSaver was introduced in 2007 it was built on a stark reality: New Zealand Super alone will not be enough for most people to retire with dignity. As the population ages and the cost

Deaf President Now! traces the powerful uprising that led to Deaf rights in the US – now again under threat
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gemma King, ARC DECRA Fellow in Screen Studies, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, Australian National University Archival footage shows Tim Rarus, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Jerry Covell, in Apple TV+ Deaf President Now! Apple TV+ In March 1988, students of the world’s only Deaf university started

Head knocks and ultra-violence: viral games Run It Straight and Power Slap put sports safety back centuries
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Yorke, Lecturer in sport management, Western Sydney University runitstraight24/instagram.com, The Conversation, CC BY Created in Australia, “Run It Straight” is a new, ultra-violent combat sport. Across a 20×4 metre grassed “battlefield,” players charge at full speed toward one another. Alternating between carrying the ball (ball runner)

NZ Budget 2025: funding growth at the expense of pay equity for women could cost National in the long run
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Curtin, Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Pay equity protest outside parliament on budget day, May 22 2025. Getty Images In 1936, when the National Party was created through a merger of the United and Reform parties, there was a recognition

Australian roads are getting deadlier – pedestrians and males are among those at greater risk
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne At least ten people died in fatal crashes earlier this month in a single 48-hour period on Victorian roads. It was the latest tragic demonstration of the mounting road trauma in

There is a growing number of ‘super-sized’ schools. Does the number of students matter?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Rowe, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University LBeddoe/Shutterstock Earlier this week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported one of Sydney’s top public high schools had more than 2,000 students for the first time, thanks to the booming population in the area. This follows similar reports of other

From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato An Oyster cellar in Leith John Burnet, 1819; National Galleries of Scotland, Photo: Antonia Reeve Oysters and escargot are recognised as luxury foods around the world – but they were once valued by the lower classes

Govt should defuse NZ’s social timebomb – but won’t
We have been handed a long and protracted recession with few signs of growth and prosperity. Budget 2025 signals more of the same, writes Susan St John. ANALYSIS: By Susan St John With the coalition government’s second Budget being unveiled, we should question where New Zealand is heading. The 2024 Budget laid out the strategy.

Punitive criminal libel charge against Samoan journalist draws flurry of criticism
Pacific Media Watch A punitive defamation charge filed against one of Samoa’s most experienced and trusted journalists last week has sparked a flurry of criticism over abuse of power and misuse of a law that has long been heavily criticised as outdated. Talamua Online senior journalist Lagi Keresoma, who is also president of the Journalists

Grattan on Friday: if Ley and Littleproud find a way to cohabit, it will be a tense household
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Remember that cliche about the Nationals tail wagging the Liberal dog? That tail wagged very vigorously this week, and smashed a lot of crockery, as it sought to bring Liberal leader Sussan Ley to heel. In a gesture of overreach,

Legal academic says Samoa’s criminal libel law should go after charge
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Auckland University law academic says Samoa’s criminal libel law under which a prominent journalist has been charged should be repealed. Lagi Keresoma, the first female president of the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) and editor of Talamua Online, was charged under the Crimes Act 2013 on Sunday

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Nagelsmann names Germany Nations League Finals squad

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

The notion of free choice can be an elusive ideal for national football coaches, and Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann may be feeling that reality more than ever ahead of the 2025 UEFA Nations League Final Four.

Germany will face 2019 Nations League champion Portugal in the semifinal on June 4 in Munich, but the buildup has been marred by a string of absences.

Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala, Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger, Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and Gladbach’s Tim Kleindienst are all sidelined.

There is some positive news with the return of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz.

New call-ups Tim Bischof (Hoffenheim) and Nick Woltemade (Stuttgart) join returning players Serge Gnabry (Bayern), Robin Gosens (Fiorentina) and West Ham striker Niklas Fullkrug.

Spain and France will meet in the second semifinal in Stuttgart.

“Portugal is a strong side, and we will have to invest everything to proceed to the final. That’s our desire, to go all in and reach the final,” Nagelsmann said.

The coach emphasized the importance of considering the health and long-term readiness of players. “They must be in the best shape when entering the upcoming season,” the 37-year-old said.

Bayern had requested that Musiala be given a rest ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and Nagelsmann agreed. Whether players like Gnabry, Gosens, Waldemar Anton (Dortmund) and Robert Andrich (Leverkusen) are pleased with their recalls remains to be seen.

Ter Stegen and Fullkrug are among the biggest surprises, having recently returned from long injury layoffs. Rudiger, meanwhile, is preparing for the Club World Cup after recovering from his own injury.

“Mark is our undisputed No. 1. He lately played two games for his club, and Hansi Flick told me he is back to a top level,” Nagelsmann said.

The German squad will assemble on May 30 in Herzogenaurach at the facilities of their sponsor, Adidas.

The semifinal winners will meet in the final on June 8 in Munich, while the losers face off the same day in Stuttgart.

Woltemade is expected to join the UEFA Under-21 Championship in Slovakia from June 11-28 after the Final Four, while Bischof has signed with Bayern through 2029.

Woltemade’s current focus, however, remains on Germany’s senior squad. “But we wanted him around after several losses upfront,” the coach stated.

Nagelsmann pointed to Spain’s recent success as validation of the Nations League’s importance. Spain won the 2023 Nations League before going on to claim the Euro 2024 title.

Spain’s achievement has become a model for other European teams, the German coach said.

MIL OSI China News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The 4th China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair opened in Ningbo, China

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

NINGBO, May 23 (Xinhua) — The 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE) Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair kicked off in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, on Thursday.

The event, which takes place from 22 to 25 May, is attended not only by companies from 14 CEE countries, but also by exhibitors from Western European countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy, etc.

It is worth noting that the exhibition area, number of participants and products within the event broke the historical record. In particular, the exhibition area for enterprises from the Central and Eastern European countries is about 20 thousand square meters, where more than 8 thousand names of goods from these countries will be presented.

The exhibition will be visited by more than 15,000 people, including more than 3,000 overseas buyers from 72 countries and regions. It is expected that the volume of import purchases from CEE countries may exceed 10 billion yuan.

According to the data, since 2012, China’s trade with CEE countries has grown by an average of 8.8 percent per year, while imports from these countries have grown by an average of 7.4 percent per year, outpacing the growth rate of China’s foreign trade over the period.

In addition, in 2024, trade volume between China and CEE countries increased by 6.3 percent year-on-year to reach a record high of US$142.3 billion.

The China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair, jointly organized by the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, was first launched in 2019 with the aim of introducing products from CEECs to the Chinese market, expanding exports of products from CEECs to China, and promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between China and CEECs. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: S for Housing concludes Paris visit (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

S for Housing concludes Paris visit
In the morning, Ms Ho met with a representative of CDC Habitat, a social housing association in France, to learn more about the mode of operation, development strategies, and challenges of social housing in France. She also shared Hong Kong’s situation and the various housing initiatives being implemented by the Housing Bureau.

Ms Ho then visited an integrated residential and commercial community comprising social housing, which was transformed from the Olympic Athletes’ Village, to learn about sustainable urban development.

Moreover, Ms Ho exchanged views with a renowned urban planner, Associate Professor of the IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School, Professor Carlos Moreno, and shared her vision and thoughts on sustainable urban planning and design. Professor Moreno put forward the urban planning concept of the “15-minute city”, which aims to enable residents in a community to meet their daily needs for food, clothing, housing and transport within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance and to enhance environmental sustainability. Ms Ho pointed out that this coincides with the planning concept of the new public housing estates of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) and cited Queen’s Hill Estate as an example, demonstrating the HKHA’s planning of a resident-oriented, self-sufficient community that embraces cultural heritage and blends with nature to create a sustainable community. Professor Moreno showed great interest in Hong Kong’s public housing planning model and expressed his wish to have the opportunity to visit Hong Kong in the future.

In the evening, Ms Ho met with the Advisor to the Mayor on housing, urban planning, architecture, land development, Mr Renaud Paque, and Director of Housing and Habitat, Ms Doan Lebel, to exchange views on public housing policies and experiences on sustainable urbanisation and urban planning concepts.

Concluding the trip, Ms Ho said, “This visit tied in with the HB’s Housing•I&T initiative this year, introducing the latest developments of advanced technology companies from Hong Kong and the Mainland in the areas of construction technologies, public housing, green building, etc, as well as demonstrating to the world the application of technologies such as Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and construction robots that help enhance construction efficiency and safety. We will actively make reference to overseas experiences on decarbonisation and energy-saving technologies. At the same time, we will fully capitalise on Hong Kong’s unique advantages, reinforce connectivity, and play the role as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’. I expect that the two cities will maintain liaison and strengthen exchanges in areas such as innovative building technologies, public housing construction, green buildings, well-being communities, and enhancing the housing ladder to give new impetus to public housing construction.”

Ms Ho will return to Hong Kong this afternoon (May 23).
Issued at HKT 12:05

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CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: The FBI’s Counterterrorism Division Turns 25
Source: US FBI

A steadfast dedication to countering the threat

After the ISIS caliphate collapsed in the late 2010s, a perception arose that terrorist threats were on a decline. To some, the threat posed by foreign terrorist organizations had diminished to the point where counterterrorism didn’t need to be the Bureau’s top priority.

“And, I’ll admit, I even had my own doubts,” Scott said. “I was a JTTF [Joint Terrorism Task Force] squad supervisor at the time and then assistant special agent in charge at a field office, and I could see that downward trend myself. And it was very obvious. And, of course, I consider that a good thing. If we had helped to diminish the terrorist threat, that’s always a good thing.”

But, he said, the events of October 7, 2023, in the Middle East confirmed the Bureau’s threat calculus.

“Even before the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the FBI had been very public in saying that the terrorism threat was already elevated across the board, with international threats, domestic terrorism threats, and the state-sponsored threat,” he said. “And, as I talk to my counterparts now across the interagency—and even with international partners—everybody is saying the same thing: They’re seeing this across the globe. This is an issue that’s not just facing the U.S., but it’s facing everybody with these simultaneously elevated threats.”

How CTD has evolved

The Bureau’s bandwidth for handling counterterrorism-related tips has also grown exponentially in the past 25 years, with the creation of our National Threat Operations Center to triage and route tips from the public to investigators in the field.

The FBI’s use of partnerships to stem this threat has expanded in parallel fashion.

In 1980, the FBI New York Field Office pioneered the Joint Terrorism Task Force partnership model—which brings together experts from local, state, and federal government agencies to leverage their collective range of skillsets to investigate and prevent acts of terror. Since then, these task forces have expanded throughout the field.

“And, now, you’ve got 4,000 members from over 500 different state and local agencies, 50 federal agencies, all working nationwide on Joint Terrorism Task Forces, and they’re working to prevent any of these domestic attacks, any international terrorism attacks,” Scott said.

The Bureau has also established a Headquarters-level National Joint Terrorism Task Force, whose membership includes representatives from the Defense Department, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and other federal government agencies. The interagency corps coordinates field-level JTTF efforts and oversees personnel movement to ensure those squads have the proper mix of staffing from member agencies, Scott explained.

As for tactics, Scott said the increasing sophistication of terrorists’ techniques and use of communications has also demanded innovation on the part of CTD. For example, he said, these bad actors’ use of encrypted mobile apps to plot attacks against Americans on U.S. soil and around the world inspired the Bureau to form specialized teams, known as Terrorist Use of the Internet squads, to determine how to disrupt such efforts.
Why the FBI investigates terrorism

Guidelines from the attorney general dictate when the FBI can start a terrorism investigation and authorize the FBI to collect information accordingly.

This information serves two purposes:
- First, it helps us build a case against people or groups who break the law to help us arrest them and to assist the U.S. Department of Justice in prosecuting them. Our investigations focus on the unlawful activity of the group, not the ideological orientation or First Amendment-protected activity of its members.
- Next, it builds an intelligence base that we can analyze to prevent terrorist activity.
The FBI’s approach to counterterrorism investigations is based on the need both to prevent incidents where possible and to react effectively after incidents occur.

The FBI is empowered to investigate terrorism both at home and overseas. “That goes back to 1983, when Attorney General William French Smith modified the guidelines for conducting intelligence investigations,” Scott said. “And then, the next year, Congress authorized the Bureau to pursue criminals who attacked Americans beyond our shores.”

These days, CTD has a global footprint to protect Americans the world over.

“Now, we have counterterrorism assistant legal attachés––or ALATs––forward-deployed in U.S. embassies across the globe,” Scott said. “We’ve got the fly team that can deploy both domestically and overseas at a moment’s notice. And then, we’ve got a significant portion of our division here at Headquarters that is dedicated to ensuring our U.S. citizens are protected overseas, just as they would be here within the borders of the U.S.”
MIL Security OSI –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FBI Newark Searching for Fugitive in Stabbing Death

Source: US FBI

FBI Newark, Pennsylvania State Police Fugitive Unit, Stroud Regional Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service are asking for the public’s help finding Ricky ‘Angel’ Vargas (36), who was charged in federal court with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution after being indicted in Bergen County on first degree murder charges. FBI Newark is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Detectives with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office say Vargas stabbed a man on February 4, 2024, at the JoJo’s Bar and Grill in Garfield, NJ. They say Vargas, a member of the Latin Kings gang, stabbed Richard Franceschi, who later died from his injuries.

Vargas’ last known residence was in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He also has connections to Chicago, Illinois, and Winter Park, Florida. He does not have a valid driver’s license and is known to use ride share apps and mass transit to get around. He is around 5’5, 200lbs, with numerous tattoos on his arms and hands. He typically has facial hair and wears glasses.

Vargas is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, the FBI Newark Field Office at 973-792-3000, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. They could receive a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to his arrest.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

Source: US FBI

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A former doctor and her wife pleaded guilty today to crimes involving the medical practice they ran in north Alabama for many years. United States Attorney Prim Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer, and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General Atlanta Region made the announcement.

Francene Aretha Gayle, 50, of Apopka, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District. Judge Liles Burke to five counts of unlawful drug distribution, one count of health care fraud conspiracy, and one count of wire fraud conspiracy. Gayle’s wife, Schara Monique Davis, 48, also of Apopka, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud conspiracy.

According to the defendants’ plea agreements, between about 2014 and early 2020, Gayle was a doctor who operated a multi-clinic practice in Huntsville, Athens, and Killen. Davis owned the practice and served as business manager. In 2019, the Killen clinic shut down. In March 2020, the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission revoked Gayle’s license, and the other two clinics closed shortly after that.

Gayle admitted that she had unlawfully distributed drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone.

Gayle and Davis both admitted to having conspired to commit health care fraud for several years by billing insurers for office visits under Gayle’s name even when she did not see the patients, was not in the same building, and sometimes was not in the same town. The defendants knew that the billing scheme was fraudulent. In 2015, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama audited the practice and discovered that Gayle was absent, other staff were seeing patients, and yet all office visits were being billed under Gayle’s name. Blue Cross flagged the issue, and Gayle promised it would stop. Instead, the practice continued fraudulently billing insurers for office visits for the next four years. In total, between 2015 and 2020, Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross paid more than $2.3 million for office visits billed under Gayle’s name.

Gayle and Davis both also admitted to having conspired to commit wire fraud. In March 2020, based on concerns about her prescribing and billing practices, Gayle’s Alabama medical license was revoked. Months later, Gayle and Davis applied for and obtained more than $450,000 in COVID-19 disaster relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Those funds were designed to stabilize businesses struggling because of the pandemic. In their funding applications, Gayle and Davis certified that their medical practice needed the money because of economic uncertainty or injury caused by the pandemic. In reality, Gayle and Davis’s practice had closed, and they used COVID-19 funds they received on other things.

The maximum penalty for unlawful drug distribution is twenty years in prison. The maximum penalty for health care fraud conspiracy is ten years in prison. The maximum penalty for wire fraud conspiracy is twenty years in prison.

The FBI, DEA, and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office provided exceptional investigative assistance after the Alabama Medicaid Agency’s Program Integrity Division initiated the case and referred it. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by People’s Republic of China State-Sponsored Hackers

Source: US FBI

Note: View the affidavit here.

The Justice Department today announced a court-authorized law enforcement operation that disrupted a botnet consisting of more than 200,000 consumer devices in the United States and worldwide. As described in court documents unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the botnet devices were infected by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers working for Integrity Technology Group, a company based in Beijing, and known to the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.”

The botnet malware infected numerous types of consumer devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers, internet protocol (IP) cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The malware connected these thousands of infected devices into a botnet, controlled by Integrity Technology Group, which was used to conduct malicious cyber activity disguised as routine internet traffic from the infected consumer devices. The court-authorized operation took control of the hackers’ computer infrastructure and, among other steps, sent disabling commands through that infrastructure to the malware on the infected devices. During the course of the operation, there was an attempt to interfere with the FBI’s remediation efforts through a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting the operational infrastructure that the FBI was utilizing to effectuate the court’s orders. That attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the FBI’s disruption of the botnet.

“The Justice Department is zeroing in on the Chinese government backed hacking groups that target the devices of innocent Americans and pose a serious threat to our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we did earlier this year, the Justice Department has again destroyed a botnet used by PRC-backed hackers to infiltrate consumer devices here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to aggressively counter the threat that China’s state- sponsored hacking groups pose to the American people.”

“Our takedown of this state-sponsored botnet reflects the Department’s all-tools approach to disrupting cyber criminals. This network, managed by a PRC government contractor, hijacked hundreds of thousands of private routers, cameras, and other consumer devices to create a malicious system for the PRC to exploit,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today should serve as a warning to cybercriminals preying on Americans – if you continue to come for us, we will come for you.”

“This dynamic operation demonstrates, once again, the Justice Department’s resolve in countering the threats posed by PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “For the second time this year, we have disrupted a botnet used by PRC proxies to conceal their efforts to hack into networks in the U.S. and around the world to steal information and hold our infrastructure at risk. Our message to these hackers is clear: if you build it, we will bust it.”

“The disruption of this worldwide botnet is part of the FBI’s commitment to using technical operations to help protect victims, expose publicly the scope of these criminal hacking campaigns, and to use the adversary’s tools against them to remove malicious infrastructure from the virtual battlefield,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI’s unique legal authorities allowed it to lead an international operation with partners that collectively disconnected this botnet from its China-based hackers at Integrity Technology Group.”

“The targeted hacking of hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in the United States and around the world shows the breadth and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This court-authorized operation disrupted a sophisticated botnet designed to steal sensitive information and launch disruptive cyber attacks. We will continue to work with our partners inside and outside government, using every tool at our disposal, to defend and maintain global cybersecurity.”

“The FBI’s investigation revealed that a publicly-traded, China-based company is openly selling its customers the ability to hack into and control thousands of consumer devices worldwide. This operation sends a clear message to the PRC that the United States will not tolerate this shameless criminal conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office.

According to the court documents, the botnet was developed and controlled by Integrity Technology Group, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Beijing. The company built an online application allowing its customers to log in and control specified infected victim devices, including with a menu of malicious cyber commands using a tool called “vulnerability-arsenal.” The online application was prominently labelled “KRLab,” one of the main public brands used by Integrity Technology Group.

The FBI assesses that Integrity Technology Group, in addition to developing and controlling the botnet, is responsible for computer intrusion activities attributed to China-based hackers known by the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” Microsoft Threat Intelligence described Flax Typhoon as nation-state actors based out of China, active since 2021, who have targeted government agencies and education, critical manufacturing, and information technology organizations in Taiwan, and elsewhere. The FBI’s investigation has corroborated Microsoft’s conclusions, finding that Flax Typhoon has successfully attacked multiple U.S. and foreign corporations, universities, government agencies, telecommunications providers, and media organizations.

A cybersecurity advisory describing Integrity Technology Group tactics, techniques and procedures was also published today by the FBI, the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, and partner agencies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The government’s malware disabling commands, which interacted with the malware’s native functionality, were extensively tested prior to the operation. As expected, the operation did not affect the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, the infected devices. The FBI is providing notice to U.S. owners of devices that were affected by this court-authorized operation. The FBI is contacting those victims through their internet service provider, who will provide notice to their customers.

The FBI’s San Diego Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption effort. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. These efforts would not have been successful without the collaboration of partners, including French authorities, and Lumen Technologies’ threat intelligence group, Black Lotus Labs, which first identified and described this botnet, which it named Raptor Train, in July 2023.

If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or report online to CISA. You may also contact your local FBI field office directly.

The FBI continues to investigate Integrity Technology Group’s and Flax Typhoon’s computer intrusion activities.

MIL Security OSI –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK secures future of vital Diego Garcia Military Base to protect national security
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

UK secures future of vital Diego Garcia Military Base to protect national security

The long-term agreement secures future of joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia.
Long-term agreement secures future of joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia

Vital capabilities protected to counter growing global threats, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad

Deal is backed by strong support from the US and key international allies

The UK has today (22 May) signed a landmark agreement with Mauritius to secure the future of the strategically critical UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, one of our most significant contributions to the transatlantic defence and security partnership.

The base has played a vital role in defending the UK and its allies for over 50 years. This new deal ensures its continued operation for at least the next century, protecting capabilities essential to UK intelligence and counter-terrorism.

The base plays a key role in operations that support UK forces and our allies across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.

Its deep-water port, airfield, and advanced communications and surveillance capabilities give the UK and its allies crucial strategic capabilities, which have played a key role in missions to disrupt high-value terrorists, including Islamic State threats to the UK.

The legal necessity of this deal has been recognised by successive governments. The previous government started these negotiations over two years ago, and they held 11 out of the 13 rounds of talks that underpin the deal, that this government has concluded.

Crucially, all Five Eyes partners – the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – back the agreement, along with India, recognising the critical role Diego Garcia plays in upholding global stability and deterring adversaries.

The base is a cornerstone of the Government’s Plan for Change, with operations there deterring threats to our nation and protecting our economic security.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:

As the world becomes more dangerous, our military base on Diego Garcia becomes more important. Today’s Treaty secures full operational control, strengthens our UK-US defence partnership and keeps British people safe at home for the next 99 years and beyond.

Without this base, our ability to deter terrorists, defend our interests and protect our troops around the world would be at risk. This agreement will safeguard our national and economic security for generations to come.

Critically, the deal ensures the UK retains full operational control of Diego Garcia, including management of the electromagnetic spectrum satellite used for communications – vital for countering hostile interference.

There will also be robust provisions to keep adversaries out, including:

A 24 nautical mile buffer zone where nothing can be built or placed without UK consent – meaning we can protect UK interests.

A rigorous process, including joint decision-making, to prevent any activities on the wider islands – some over 100 nautical miles away – from disrupting base operations. Joint decision-making means there can be no development unless we agree.

A strict ban on foreign security forces on the outer islands, whether civilian or military.

A binding obligation to ensure the base is never undermined.

Both countries have also agreed to a ban on the presence of foreign forces across the wider territory and a binding guarantee that base operations cannot be undermined.

Without this deal, international legal proceedings could have rendered the base inoperable, affecting UK national security in the process with our adversaries being allowed to capitalise on this – building outposts near the base.

Within a matter of weeks, with no deal, the UK could face legally-binding provisional measures through an Arbitral Tribunal under the Law of the Sea Convention – affecting the ability of the Armed Forces to patrol the waters around the base.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP said:

This treaty secures the Diego Garcia military base for generations to come, protecting national and global security.

Without this deal, the land, sea and air operations of the base would become inoperable – doing nothing was not an option.

The US, Australia, Canada and India all back this deal because they understand its importance for global security. This government has always been clear that we will act in the national interest, not gamble with our national security like those who oppose this deal.

It was clear that this agreement was the only route to securing the future of the base and preventing the UK’s adversaries from establishing a presence in the region.

It is a clear demonstration of the UK’s commitment to act decisively in defence of its interests and ensure that the base continues to support operations that keep British citizens safe, now and in the decades to come.

Notes to editors:

The cost per year is £101 million and the net present value of payments under the treaty is £3.4 billion. All costs have been verified by the Government Actuary’s Department.

Further details will be laid out in Parliament.

Diego Garcia Capabilities

Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean. The joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has a strategic location which makes it vital to UK and US power projection in the Indian Ocean and beyond. The base provides a unique shared platform with irreplaceable security capabilities that enable a UK and US military presence across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Africa.

Strategic and operational importance:

Diego Garcia’s strategic location allows it to support a wide array of operational activity in a number of theatres, helping to combat some of the most challenging threats, including terrorism, and hostile states.

Diego Garcia is the only UK base in the region with guaranteed freedom of use. It is central to current UK and US emergency planning and operations, just as it was with Afghanistan and Iraq.

The base offers the UK and its Allies unique and vital capabilities that help us understand and anticipate those who would do us harm. This includes capabilities which have been used to support counter terrorism operations against high value Islamic State targets.

The base is a critical logistics hub at a strategic location, with a full range of facilities that acts as a key refuelling and resupply station for naval and air operations. This enables power projection and global reach, allowing for rapid and flexible deployment of our forces across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.

The base helps protect some of the most important shipping lanes in the world, while also remaining isolated enough to be protected from attack by adversaries.

The close collaboration between UK and US delivers shared real-world operational outcomes, in the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. The base has also hosted visits from Allies and partners such as Japan, France, Republic of Korea and Australia.

Base capabilities

Airfield: Location and infrastructure accommodate a broad range of military aircraft, with capability to support military requirements from strike operations, as seen through the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns, to humanitarian response.

Port: A multitude of berthing options for the UK and US navies to support various missions including Carrier Strike Group deployment. The UK maintains a Nuclear Emergency Response Organisation to permit nuclear powered submarines to safely berth at the port. The US uses Diego Garcia to strategically position equipment and supplies at sea for rapid deployment in various global theatres, including for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions over the years, across the Indo-Pacific.

Seismic monitoring: Permanent location of three pieces of critical Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty monitoring equipment, a network constantly monitoring for indicators of nuclear testing, vital in preventing nuclear proliferation.

Space capabilities: Hosts one of the monitoring stations and one of the four ground antennas for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Also hosts part of the Ground-Base Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) System. This provides situational awareness of objects in Earth’s orbit, helping to track space debris that pose a risk to space systems.

Government Legal Position – Diego Garcia

Mauritius’s legal claim of sovereignty over the island of Diego Garcia is supported by a number of international institutions, including the UN General Assembly.

The International Court of Justice considered this issue in an Advisory Opinion delivered on 25 February 2019. An Advisory Opinion of the ICJ carries significant weight; in particular it is likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court/tribunal considering the issues arising out of disputed sovereignty, and whose judgment would be binding in international law. The ICJ concluded that “the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible”.

The 2019 Advisory Opinion was followed in 2021 by a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (in a case about delimitation of the boundary between Mauritius and The Maldives) which ruled that Mauritius’ sovereignty was inferred from the ICJ’s determinations.

If a long-term deal is not reached between the UK and Mauritius, it is highly likely that further wide-ranging litigation would be brought quickly by Mauritius against the UK. This might, for example, include further arbitral proceedings against the UK under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”). A judgment from such a tribunal would be legally binding on the UK.

The longstanding legal view of the United Kingdom is that the UK would not have a realistic prospect of successfully defending its legal position on sovereignty in such litigation. Even if the United Kingdom chose to ignore binding judgments made against it, their legal effect on third countries and international organisations would give rise to real impacts to the operation of the Base and the delivery of all its national security functions. International organisations have already adopted decisions based on Mauritian Sovereignty, and others would follow suit following such litigation.

These impacts could include: our ability to protect the electromagnetic spectrum from interference, to ensure access to the Base by air and by sea, effectively to patrol the maritime area around the Base, and to support the Base’s critical national security functions.

Further, the UK would likely face a Provisional Measures Order within a matter of weeks of Mauritius commencing proceedings, which would also be legally binding. That would mean facing the sorts of detrimental impacts set out above, with the effect of substantially disrupting the operation of the military Base, in very short order.

This deal is thus the only way to secure unfettered access to the Base for the long-term and to ensure its full contribution to national security.

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Published 22 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Xi Jinping Calls on China, France to Be Reliable Forces to Maintain International Order /detailed version-1/

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 22 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on China and France to be reliable forces for maintaining the international order, open forces for promoting global growth and progressive forces for advancing multilateral cooperation in a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Xi Jinping called on the two countries to jointly safeguard the authority and status of the UN, uphold the rules of international trade and the world economic order, and adhere to genuine multilateralism.

The Chinese leader recalled that during his visit to France last May, the two sides agreed to carry forward the spirit of establishing Chinese-French diplomatic relations, which is characterized by independence and self-sufficiency, mutual understanding, strategic vision, mutual benefit and common gain, and to infuse this spirit with new and modern content. Over the past period, Chinese-French cooperation has made significant progress, the Chinese leader noted.

The two sides should strengthen strategic communication and seek consensus, seize opportunities to deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as investment, aviation, space and nuclear energy, while expanding cooperation in emerging sectors such as the digital economy, green development, biomedicine and the “silver economy” (economic activities related to the needs and interests of the elderly), Xi said.

The Chinese leader also stressed the need to expand cultural and humanitarian exchanges and strengthen friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Xi Jinping stressed that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. He said that as permanent members of the UN Security Council and independent powers, China and France are the founders and builders of the post-war international order, and the two countries should strengthen unity and cooperation.

The more complex the international situation becomes, he added, the more China and France need to make the right strategic choices.

The Chinese President said that China always regards Europe as an independent pole in a multipolar world and supports the European Union in strengthening its strategic independence and enhancing its important role in international affairs.

China is ready to work with the EU to address global challenges and achieve results that will benefit both sides and the world, Xi Jinping said. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE, Europol, law enforcement partners, dismantle major illicit drug networks in global Darknet crackdown
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with Europol, the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement Team, and various national and international partners, announced the results of Operation RapTOR May 22. This historic takedown, led by Europol, resulted in the highest number of seizures in JCODE’s history.

The seizures, to which ICE Homeland Security Investigations significantly contributed, include more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, comprised of 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms. In addition, the United States and international law enforcement partners made 270 arrests of dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Led by Europol’s European Cyber Crime Centre Operation RapTOR united the FBI-led JCODE team — comprised of ICE HSI and law enforcement partners from the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia — to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as sale of other illicit goods and services on the Darknet. Building on the successes of prior years’ operations, Operation RapTOR furthered global efforts to dismantle darknet marketplaces, resulting in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets. These actions provided investigators across the globe with invaluable leads and evidence, strengthening the ongoing fight against cybercrime and illicit activities on the darknet.

“This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen — your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said ICE acting Director Todd Lyons. “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE HSI, Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals — they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

The Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris, commented: “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement. Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

In furtherance of Operation RapTOR and in their first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market.

“This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web — this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

“These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

“This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date — seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

“Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united. No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale, United States Postal Inspection Service.

“The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Chad Menster, Deputy Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”

The impact of Operation RapTOR builds on years-long legacy of dark web enforcement and the tireless work of HSI and our U.S. and international law enforcement partners, as seen in the following cases:
- “Incognito Market” Owner Pleads Guilty For Operating One Of The Largest Illegal Narcotics Marketplaces On The Internet
  - Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics — including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine as well as heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, and misbranded prescription medication. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access and was designed to foster seamless narcotics transactions across the world. It incorporated many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. While concealing their identities users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Prescription medication was also listed that was advertised as being authentic but was not, as seen in November 2023, when an undercover federal agent purchased and received several tablets that purported to be oxycodone, but were in fact, fentanyl pills.
- Central District of California | Two Southern California Men Who Supplied Fentanyl Sold to Darknet Customers in All 50 States Sentenced to Federal Prison | United States Department of Justice
  - Ruiz of Orange County was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison, and Omar Navia of South Los Angeles was separately sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in January 2025 for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the Darknet Navia and Ruiz admitted that at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the Darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses in the process.
- In February 2024, the Eastern District of Virginia issued a criminal complaint charging Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
  - Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency. Collectively, these prolific darknet vendors were responsible fulfilling over 13 thousand drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10 thousand pills. While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, Federal Law Enforcement officers seized more than $330 thousand, close to 80 thousand counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from HSI and our law enforcement partners.
- Van Nuys Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine via Darknet Marketplaces and Possessing Guns
  - A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced to 20 plus years in federal prison for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose. From at least April 2021 to May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. Specifically, McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed the activities of other coconspirators to carry out hundreds of drug sales involving the distribution of large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine, including hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills. The FBI and the DEA investigated this matter as part of JCODE.
“Cybercriminals think the Darknet makes them untouchable — we just proved they’re dead wrong,” said ICE HSI acting Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer. “HSI is on the front lines of a digital battlefield, deploying cutting-edge tech, relentless enforcement, and global coordination to hunt down these predators. Cybercrime is a global threat, and that’s why we’re committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners at Europol and across the world to dismantle these networks together. If you profit from pain online, we’re looking for you — and you’ll soon learn that no corner of the internet is beyond our reach.”

Operation RapTOR includes law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, to include ICE HSI; the DEA; FBI; FDA-OCI; IRS-CI; and USPIS; in addition to foreign partners listed below. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF; Army CID; CBP; Department of Treasury’s FinCEN and Office of Foreign Assets Control; and NCIS enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTOR. Local, state, and other federal agencies also contributed to investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships. The investigations leading to Operation RapTOR were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with additional support from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces; multi-agency Special Operations Division; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section’s Digital Currency Initiative, and Fraud Section; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Europol and its Dark Web team; and international partners.

The international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany‘s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); The Netherlands’s National Police (Politie), Post Interventie Team; Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs’ Council.

HSI is a worldwide law enforcement leader in Darknet and other cyber-related criminal investigations. The DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) combats cybercrime, online child sexual exploitation, and criminal exploitation of the internet with state-of-the-art forensic technology. The Center investigates large-scale cybercrime threats and provides expertise on cybercrime investigations to the field. It also uses global law enforcement networks, like Europol, to combat cybercrime threats.

C3 delivers computer and cyber-based technical services in support of HSI cases — including investigations into underground online marketplaces selling illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband; enabling the trade of images of child exploitation materials; and facilitating the theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, and export-controlled technology and data.

Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL OSI USA News –
May 27, 2025