NewzIntel.com

Category: Gun Control

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government takes fight against poverty to people in poverty – CPAG

    Source: Child Poverty Action Group

    New figures from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) today show the Government thinks it can sanction its way out of poverty, and in doing so, has completely misunderstood the issue.
    The number of benefit sanctions for missed MSD appointments surged to 9,042 in the March 2025 quarter – more than double the 4,356 recorded in the same quarter last year.
    “I’d remind the Government that people on benefits are, first and foremost, people,” says Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) spokesperson Isaac Gunson.
    “It’s highly unlikely twice as many people suddenly started missing appointments.
    “What seems more likely is that MSD has become quicker to cut people off, despite the very real barriers many face in attending.”
    “These are people doing their best in tough circumstances. They may not have access to childcare, a working phone, or may simply be confused by the system.
    “When every dollar counts, even a short trip to the local office can be unaffordable. Buses don’t always run on time. Sometimes they don’t run at all.”
    “We’ve all missed meetings before. Now imagine doing that while trying to survive on the bare minimum.”
    “The last time sanctions were this high, a global pandemic had just broken out. If the Government blames ‘prolonged cost of living pressures’ for worsening poverty indicators, why wouldn’t those same pressures also lead to more missed appointments?”
    These sanctions largely affect people on Jobseeker Support and Sole Parent Support, those already made vulnerable by redundancy, solo parenting, or the rising cost of living.
    Pushing people off income support doesn’t make the job market fairer or more accessible. It just assumes success is possible while unemployment rises and support systems become harder to navigate.
    CPAG is calling on the Government to stop treating people on benefits as a spreadsheet to be cleared, and to remember its responsibility is to tackle poverty, not the people trapped in it.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Think Asia Forum 2025 presents Asian wisdom

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Think Asia Forum 2025 was held on April 15 in Singapore with a strong critique of U.S. trade policies and calls for greater Asian cooperation, as over 40 experts from across the region gathered to address global governance challenges.

    Cao Zhongming, Chinese ambassador to Singapore, delivers the opening address for the Think Asia Forum 2025 in Singapore, April 15, 2025. [Photo courtesy of ACCWS]

    Cao Zhongming, the Chinese ambassador to Singapore, delivered a pointed opening address, condemning the recent U.S. tariff war against the world. “The reckless abuse of tariffs has severely violated legitimate rights of nations, undermined the rules-based multilateral trading system and disrupted the global economic order,” he told attendees. “Such unilateral and protectionist acts weaponize tariffs for selfish gains at the expense of global economic stability and Asian development.”

    Ambassador Cao positioned China as a defender of multilateralism, stating: “China will continue taking resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests while opening its doors wider to the world.” He urged Asian nations to unite against protectionism and economic bullying, and strengthen cooperation to safeguard the stability of the global economic order, emphasizing that “development is a universal right of all nations, not the privilege of a select few.”

    The forum was co-sponsored by China International Communications Group (CICG), Tsinghua University and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. Organizers included the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS), Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication, the Center for International Security and Strategy, and the Institute for Global Industry, as well as NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

    Think tank experts and scholars from China, Singapore, Japan, India and other Asian nations gave speeches and engaged in in-depth discussions in front of approximately 200 audience members. The opening remarks were moderated by Zhou Qing’an, dean of Tsinghua’s School of Journalism and Communication, while the keynote speeches and special dialogue sessions were moderated by Wang Xiaohui, editor-in-chief of China.org.cn and special research fellow at ACCWS.

    President of Tsinghua University Li Luming highlighted Asia’s cultural ties as foundational for cooperation, stating, “Our civilizations provide enduring wisdom to address today’s challenges.”

    Yu Yunquan, vice president of CICG and president of ACCWS, speaks at the Think Asia Forum 2025 in Singapore, April 15, 2025. [Photo courtesy of ACCWS]

    Yu Yunquan, vice president of CICG and president of ACCWS, observed that Asia and the world face growing instabilities and uncertainties. “The intensification of major-country competition and geopolitical tensions has raised widespread concerns,” he noted. Yu added that think tanks across Asia bear unique and critical responsibilities in advancing the region’s shared future, and can help regional countries enhance political mutual trust and align their interests.

    “The U.S.’s recent erratic ‘tariff extortion’ demonstrates how instability, uncertainty and unpredictability have become the norm in our turbulent world. Such volatility is eroding the stable environment essential for all nations’ development and harming the welfare of people worldwide — including Americans,” Yu said, noting that Asia is home to many developing countries and emerging economies, with export-oriented industries that are particularly vulnerable to deteriorating international trade conditions. “We urge Asian nations to unite in supporting multilateralism and global trade development, ensuring our region remains both an anchor of stability and an engine of growth.”

    Professor Ernst J. Kuipers, vice president of NTU Singapore, emphasized that higher education institutions serve as guardians of human civilization and carry a critical responsibility to advance global development amid today’s challenges and opportunities. “Science communication is essential to dispel misconceptions and cultivate rational consensus,” he said. 

    Zhu Guangyao, former Chinese vice minister of finance, warned of serious global challenges — from weakened multilateralism and climate setbacks to unregulated AI and rising geopolitical tensions. He called on Asian nations to build a shared future, promoting peace and cooperation to stabilize the region and support global development. Citing Asia’s economic strength, Zhu urged the region to uphold values of “peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness” to strengthen solidarity and institutional development while advancing trade, financial ties, regional free trade processes, digital economy collaboration and financial safety mechanisms to meet common challenges and drive inclusive growth.

    Former Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office in Singapore Chan Soo Sen emphasized that amid global turbulence, Asian nations should draw upon traditional Asian wisdom — beginning with self-reflection and internal consolidation to build collective resilience. For Singapore, he said, facing risks of constrained international trade, it must strengthen social cohesion and government credibility to bridge potential divides and safeguard diversity and coexistence. He highlighted how Asia’s cultural emphasis on neighborly relations and cooperative spirit should guide enhanced regional collaboration to navigate an uncertain future together.

    Alfred Schipke, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), believes Asia can become a key growth engine through deeper reforms and fewer barriers. With the rise of multipolarization, Asia should take on a larger role in trade, investment and financial cooperation, he explained, while countries must pursue stability through pragmatic partnerships to help reshape global governance.

    (Left to right) Wang Xiaohui, editor-in-chief of China.org.cn, moderates a special dialogue session between renowned historian Wang Gungwu, and Dong Qiang, dean of Yenching Academy at Peking University, at the Think Asia Forum 2025 in Singapore, April 15, 2025. [Photo courtesy of ACCWS]

    A highlight of the forum was the special dialogue between Wang Gungwu, renowned historian and former chairman of the East Asian Institute at NUS, and Dong Qiang, dean of Yenching Academy at Peking University, which explored how Asian wisdom can inform global governance. 

    Wang emphasized its openness and adaptability — absorbing new ideas, respecting diverse civilizations and rejecting extremism. Meanwhile, Dong noted that traditional wisdom can be reshaped into modern governance tools, with its strength lying in flexibility and responsiveness. Both agreed that Asian wisdom, rooted in openness and mutual respect, should contribute the strength of cultural civilization to the development of a more equitable global governance system.

    Tuesday’s three parallel sessions featuring other speakers addressed themes of “Exchanges and Mutual Learning: The Coexistence of Diverse Asian Civilizations,” “Security and Stability: Asia’s Future in a Changing World” and “Development and Sharing: Asian Wisdom for Global Recovery,” reflecting the region’s push for greater collective influence amid global uncertainties.

    Participants attending the Think Asia Forum 2025 in Singapore, April 15, 2025. [Photo courtesy of ACCWS]

    The forum concluded by launching a cooperation network of Asian think tanks, with ACCWS serving as secretariat to coordinate input from all parties and promote the network’s development.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Seventy-six new police officers en route to districts

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Commissioner Richard Chambers, members of the police executive and wing patron Don Mann congratulated the 76 graduating constables from Wing 383 today.  Also attending and presenting a prize in absence of the Minister of Police was Mayor of Porirua Anita Baker.

    Families and friends celebrated the newly attested police officers at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua this afternoon to acknowledge the successful completion of their initial training course.

    There are some likeminded individuals in the wing with 19 of the graduates having family members currently working in police. Five officers worked for police in non-constabulary roles before choosing to become police officers.

    Twenty two of them were born in other countries, with 15 of them speaking more than just English.

    Many of the officers are top sports players and one of them was awarded the Minister’s prize for top of wing. Constable Casey Hales is a former New Zealand representative for White-water Canoe Slalom. She’s also a current member of the Paddle Ferns – the New Zealand Women’s Canoe Polo Team and has won several international titles. She is a current world champion, having won the 2024 World Championships just three weeks before beginning her police college journey last November. She will be competing in the upcoming World Games in China later this year.

    “I have spent the better part of ten years dedicated to my sporting passion. It is a privilege to be a member of the Paddle Ferns – the New Zealand Women’s Canoe Polo team and represent New Zealand at multiple international competitions. After winning the 2024 World Championships it felt like the right time to put my paddle down for a bit and shift my energy to starting a career I have always dreamed of. “It’s an honour to be recognised as top of wing, and I had no idea I was capable of it, but I’ve been lucky enough to go through this journey supported by an amazing group of people,” says Casey.

    Casey will be based in Eastern District alongside her sister and mentor Constable Tayla Hales.

    Leadership Award winner Ethan Semple has also followed a sibling into the police service. Ethan’s brother inspired him to join police. “I was very proud of my brother when he joined the police a few years ago. I’d always felt called to join police myself but felt like I wasn’t ready. I was going from job to job for a few years, working with youth in Oranga Tamariki, security, and a few tradie jobs. I was never satisfied with what I was doing, always feeling like it wasn’t where I was meant to be. Last year the recruiter tapped me on the shoulder so I put my name forward. As I did so, I’d never felt so sure about any job I’d applied for, and coming into college I knew I was where I am meant to be.”

    Ethan is deployed to Bay of Plenty District.

    Ten officers will head to Southern District, while nine will head to Northland District, a large number at either end of the country.

    The Northland-bound recruits is one of the biggest cohorts to head there in a long time. Regional recruiter Sergeant Joe Te Ao says it’s about making connections in the community and reaching out to people who you think may be a good fit to join police.
    “I spotted a rugby referee who also worked as an instructor at the gym. I knew he would be great in the job. I approached him and suggested he give it a go, met him at the station, had a good chat and he applied the following week. I supported him throughout the whole process and he is now at police college on Wing 386. There’s also someone graduating today who was our plumber and it’s great to watch him graduate. These are just two of many excellent people who I’ve sought out and encouraged them to join,” says Joe. 

    District Commander Northland, Superintendent Matt Srhoj says having the new officers join them in a week will be great. “We’re really excited having the extra people coming on board.  We’ve worked really hard to recruit them, and it’s good that we have filled a few gaps. Our staff up in Northland are very excited about this new team coming back.

    Southern District’s ten new officers will be deployed throughout the region to Invercargill, Queenstown, Gore and Dunedin stations.

    The rest of the wing are dispersed as follows:

    Deployment:
    Northland 9, Tāmaki Makaurau a total of 25 and broken down as follows: Auckland City – 9, Waitematā – 7, Counties Manukau – 9, Waikato – 5, Bay of Plenty – 6, Eastern – 3, Central – 3, Wellington – 7, Tasman – 3, Canterbury – 5, Southern – 10.

    The new constables will start their first week of duty in their Police districts from Monday 28 April 2025 and will continue their training on the job as probationary constables.

    All Awards:
    Minister’s Award recognising top student: Constable Casey Hales, posted to Eastern District. 
    Commissioner’s Award for Leadership: Constable Ethan Semple, posted to Bay of Plenty District.
    Patron’s Award for second in wing recognising second top student: Constable Kayla Massey-Borman, posted to Auckland City District.
    Firearms Award: Constable Ricardo Lewis, posted to Waitematā District.
    Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award: Constable Jared Curtis posted to Bay of Plenty District.
    Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award: Constable Jenna Dodd, posted to Counties Manukau District.

    Demographics:

    31.6 percent are female, 68.4 percent are male. New Zealand European make up 64.5 percent of the wing, with Māori 13.2 percent, Pasifika 6.6 percent, Asian 11.8 percent, LAAM 2.6 percent. 

    383 Wing Patron: Don Mann
    Don Mann (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe and Tongan descent) is a highly regarded leader who has served in the public and private sectors, and was a New Zealand police officer for 13 years.
    Don is the CEO of Pacific Media Network, a public service multimedia entity that serves a global Pacific audience, revitalising 10 Pacific languages while promoting Pacific culture and identity.
    Before that role, Don was CEO of the Pacific Cooperation Foundation where he led indigenous economic development partnerships across the Pacific region. In 2014, Don established a corporate partnerships team at Auckland Council, playing a pivotal role in supporting Auckland’s economic development strategy. 
    As a former general manager of the New Zealand Warriors franchise Don helped lead the club to seven National Rugby League (NRL) finals series including two NRL grand finals. He is a previous winner of the Pacific Sport Administrator the Year award and was twice recognised at the Aotearoa Māori Sport Awards.
    Don joined the New Zealand Police in 1984 and was awarded first prize for general excellence in Wing 92. During his 13 years of Police service he spent seven of those as a detective in Auckland CIB specialising in homicide investigation, sexual abuse and criminal intelligence. 
    He holds a Bachelor of Business from Massey University where he won awards for business leadership and market research. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and currently serves on the Boards of Literacy Aotearoa (as Co-chair), SkyCity Auckland Community Trust, and The Rising Foundation. Don is married to Louise, a former police officer of 17 years and a current Police employee.

    Watch out for our Ten One story coming soon with more images and stories.
    If you’re interested in joining police check out newcops.govt.nz

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minimum pension drawdown reminder

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    A self-managed super fund (SMSF) must pay a minimum amount each year to a member who is receiving a pension that commenced on or after 20 September 2007. These are mainly account based pensions (also known as a super income stream).

    If you haven’t already, then you’ll need to make sure all members receiving an account-based pension are paid their minimum pension amount by 30 June. This is calculated by applying the relevant percentage factor based on the member’s age by the member’s pension account balance calculated as of 1 July 2024 or on a pro-rata basis if the pension commenced part way through the 2024–2025 financial year.

    If the minimum payment is not made by 30 June, this could result in adverse taxation consequences for the member.

    You can learn more about how to calculate your member’s minimum pension payment by visiting minimum pension standards.

    Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? – You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Be aware of SMSF schemes

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    We have seen individuals be targeted by promoters to create an SMSF for inappropriate and illegal reasons. These promoters often promise high returns or early access to super.

    These schemes can be illegal and result in severe penalties. It’s important to recognise these warning signs of unlawful tax and super schemes.

    Stop, check and protect:

    • do your own research (check before investing)
    • don’t rush to make a quick decision
    • check ASIC’s financial advisers registerExternal Link to make sure your adviser is licensed, know who you are dealing with and confirm their registration
    • if it sounds too good to be true it usually is
    • request copies of all documents including such things as investment plans and read all documents before signing.

    You should consider how any arrangements may impact your SMSF and whether they contravene the tax and super laws.

    If you’ve been approached by a promoter or suspect a unlawful tax or super scheme, you can report it, by completing the tip off form or by contacting us on 1800 060 062.

    We work with ASIC to investigate scamsExternal Link and promoters involved in illegal activities in the super environment.

    For more information visit SMSF schemes.

    Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? – You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Woman charged with drug offences in North West

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Woman charged with drug offences in North West

    Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:19 am.

    A 28 year old Montello woman has been arrested and charged after a targeted search by Western Drugs and Firearms, Taskforce Scelus and the Dog Handler Unit today.
    About 1pm police executed a search warrant at a Montello address.
    Approximately 130grams of methylamphetamine in addition to unlawful prescription medication, cannabis and a quantity of cash were located.
    The woman was arrested and charged with several offences including trafficking in a controlled substance, dealing in property suspected of being proceeds of crime and selling a controlled drug.
    The woman was bailed to appear in Burnie Magistrates Court in June.
    Police would like to remind members of the public that if they have any information surrounding illicit drug possession and distribution to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
    Police will continue to target and hold to account those involved in the distribution of illicit drugs within the community.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Mexico Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Firearms Without A Federal Firearms License

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Santa Fe, New Mexico, resident pleaded guilty today to repeatedly purchasing a large quantity of firearms, then reselling those firearms to buyers in the United States and Mexico for profit.

    According to court documents and admissions made in court, from December 2020 through January 17, 2023, Celso Daniel Ruiz purchased at least 145 of the same or similar-type firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. Shortly after purchasing many of the firearms, he crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Eighteen firearms purchased by Ruiz were subsequently registered by individuals through various parts of Mexico. Furthermore, Ruiz knew that many of the firearms he purchased would be transferred outside of the United States. He did not have a license as a firearms dealer to sell or export firearms.

    Ruiz pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.

    United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II scheduled sentencing for August 20, 2025. At sentencing, Ruiz faces the maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and three years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig is prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information about the unlawful purchase of firearms can call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously at www.reportit.com/.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four St. Louis Area Residents Admit Committing Bank Fraud with Checks Stolen from the Mail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – Four people, including a former U.S. Postal Service employee, have pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted to involvement in a conspiracy that stole checks from the mail to commit bank fraud.

    Johnathan Barnett, 29, of University City, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 80 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp, who also ordered him to pay restitution of $44,135.

    Barnett pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of possession of stolen mail and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted participating in a conspiracy from January of 2022 to September of 2023 to steal checks from the mail and alter the checks to defraud banks.

    Barnett bought a key to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes from a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, Wynter Hinton, and then he and others, including Ryan McKinney and Jayden Burklow, used that key to open collections boxes in St. Louis County and steal mail. Hinton also stole checks from the mail while on her postal route.

    Barnett, Burklow and McKinney altered personal and business checks they found in the mail to create counterfeit checks. They recruited others to allow their bank accounts to be used to deposit the fraudulent checks. The conspirators then withdrew the money before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent. Barnett, Burklow and McKinney admitted trying to commit at least $800,000 worth of fraud this way.

    On Sept. 15, 2023, when investigators were conducting a court-approved search of Barnett’s home, he tried to flee through a window with an AR-15-style rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 76 rounds. Four other firearms were found in his home, as well as check-making equipment. Barnett was convicted of a 2014 drug charge and charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in 2020.

    Hinton, 29, of St. Ann, and McKinney, 24, of St. Louis, both pleaded guilty Wednesday. Hinton pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a mail key and McKinney pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail. They are scheduled to be sentenced in July.

    Burklow, 21, of O’Fallon, Illinois, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

    “The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.  “The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state and federal partners to bring Mail Theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”

    This sentencing and guilty pleas represent the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

    The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Creve Coeur Police Department and the University City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman who Straw Purchased Multiple Firearms for Her Boyfriend Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A woman who illegally purchased multiple guns for her boyfriend, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 18 months’ imprisonment.

    Daniella Maldonado-Paraday, age 29, from Palos Hills, Illinois, received the prison term after a December 4, 2024 guilty plea to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

    From 2021 through 2024, Maldonado purchased multiple firearms for her boyfriend, who was a felon.  Maldonado was also a drug user, but represented when purchasing firearms that she was not an unlawful user of marijuana. 

    Maldonado was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Maldonado was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR- 00030-002.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Chandra Releases New 3D Models of Cosmic Objects

    Source: NASA

    [embedded content]

    New three-dimensional (3D) models of objects in space have been released by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. These 3D models allow people to explore — and print — examples of stars in the early and end stages of their lives. They also provide scientists with new avenues to investigate scientific questions and find insights about the objects they represent.
    These 3D models are based on state-of-the-art theoretical models, computational algorithms, and observations from space-based telescopes like Chandra that give us accurate pictures of these cosmic objects and how they evolve over time.
    However, looking at images and animations is not the only way to experience this data. The four new 3D printable models of Cassiopeia A (Cas A), G292.0+1.8 (G292), Cygnus Loop supernova remnants, and the star known as BP Tau let us experience the celestial objects in the form of physical structures that will allow anyone to hold replicas of these stars and their surroundings and examine them from all angles.

    Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers uncovered a mysterious feature within the remnant, nicknamed the “Green Monster,” alongside a puzzling network of ejecta filaments forming a web of oxygen-rich material. When combined with X-rays from Chandra, the data helped astronomers shed light on the origin of the Green Monster and revealed new insights into the explosion that created Cas A about 340 years ago, from Earth’s perspective.

    This 3D model shows a star less than 10 million years old that is surrounded by a disk of material. This class of objects is known as T Tauri stars, named after a young star in the Taurus star-forming region. The model describes the effects of multiple flares, or outbursts that are detected in X-rays by Chandra from one T Tauri star known as BP Tau. These flares interact with the disk of material and lead to the formation of an extended outer atmosphere composed by hot loops, connecting the disk to the developing star.

    The Cygnus Loop (also known as the Veil Nebula) is a supernova remnant, the remains of the explosive death of a massive star. This 3D model is the result of a simulation describing the interaction of a blast wave from the explosion with an isolated cloud of the interstellar medium (that is, dust and gas in between the stars). Chandra sees the blast wave and other material that has been heated to millions of degrees. The Cygnus Loop is a highly extended, but faint, structure on the sky: At three degrees across, it has the diameter of six full moons.

    This is a rare type of supernova remnant observed to contain large amounts of oxygen. The X-ray image of G292.0+1.8 from Chandra shows a rapidly expanding, intricately structured field left behind by the shattered star. By creating a 3D model of the system, astronomers have been able to examine the asymmetrical shape of the remnant that can be explained by a “reverse” shock wave moving back toward the original explosion.

    The 3D models here are the subject of several scholarly papers by Salvatore Orlando of INAF in Palermo, Italy, and colleagues published in The Astrophysical Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Much of this work is also publicly available work on SketchFab.
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
    Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
    Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:

    chandra

    https://chandra.si.edu

    This release features visualizations of three supernova remnants and one star. Each is rendered as a composite image, and as a digital 3-dimensional model, presented in separate short video clips. The composite images are two dimensional and static, but the digital models rotate, showcasing their three-dimensionality.
    The first featured supernova is Cassiopeia A. In the X-ray, optical, and infrared composite image, the debris from an exploded star resembles a round purple gas cloud, marbled with streaks of golden light. In the rotating, 3D model, the purple gas cloud is depicted as a flat disk, like a record or CD. Bursting out the front and back of the disk is an orange and white shape similar to a ball of coral, or a head of cauliflower lined with stubby tendrils. Most of the ball, and the majority of the tendrils, appear on one side of the disk. On the opposite side, the shape resembles dollops of thick whipped cream.
    Next in the release is a star known as BP Tau. BP Tau is a developing star, less than 10 million years old, and prone to outbursts or flares. These flares interact with a disk of material that surrounds the young star, forming hot loops of extended atmosphere. In the composite image, BP Tau resembles a distant, glowing white dot surrounded by a band of pink light. The rotating, 3D model is far more dynamic and intriguing! Here, the disk of material resembles a large blue puck with round, ringed, concave surfaces. At the heart of the puck is a small, glowing red orb: the developing star. Shooting out of the orb are long, thin, green strands: the flares. Also emerging from the orb are orange and pink petal-shaped blobs: the loops of extended atmosphere. Together, the orb, strands, and petals resemble an exotic flowering orchid.
    The third celestial object in this release is the supernova remnant called Cygnus Loop. In the composite image, the remnant resembles a wispy cloud in oranges, blues, purples, and whites, shaped like a backwards letter C. The 3D model examines this cloud of interstellar material interacting with the superheated, supernova blast wave. In the 3D model, the Cygnus Loop resembles a bowl with a thick base, and a wedge cut from the side like a slice of pie. The sides of the bowl are rendered in swirled blues and greens. However, inside the thick base, revealed by the wedge-shaped cut, are streaks of red and orange. Surrounding the shape are roughly parallel thin red strands, which extend beyond the top and bottom of the digital model.
    The final supernova featured in this release is G292.0+1.8. The composite image depicts the remnant as a bright and intricate ball of red, blue, and white X-ray gas and debris set against a backdrop of gleaming stars. In the 3D model, the remnant is rendered in translucent icy blue and shades of orange. Here, the rotating shape is revealed to be somewhat like a bulbous arrowhead, or perhaps an iceberg on its side.

    Megan WatzkeChandra X-ray CenterCambridge, Mass.617-496-7998mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
    Lane FigueroaMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama256-544-0034lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Human Rights Violations During Mozambique’s Post-2024 Election Crackdown

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Footnotes

    [1] Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), “User Guide: OONI Probe Desktop App”, 25 October 2022, https://ooni.org/support/ooni-probe-desktop/

    [2] Amnesty International, Mozambique: turn the page! A human rights manifesto for political parties and candidates, October 2019 election (Index: AFR 41/1019/2019), 17 September 2019, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/1019/2019/en/; Amnesty International, “Mozambique: Civil society calls for the unconditional and immediate release of the Gaza-18 election party delegates”(Index: AFR 41/1427/2019), 25 November 2019, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/1427/2019/en/; Amnesty International, “Mozambique police must only use live ammunition to protect life during demonstrations”(Index: PRE 01/301/2010 ), 1 September 2010, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pre01/301/2010/en/; Amnesty International,“Mozambique: authorities must launch a full and impartial investigation into the killing of journalist” (Index: AFR 41/2361/2015), 31 August 2015, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/2361/2015/en/; Amnesty International, Mozambique: media freedom in ashes (Index: AFR 41/2947/2020), 31 August 2020, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/2947/2020/en/; Amnesty International,“Mozambique: civil society groups call for the unconditional and immediate release of radio journalist” (Index: AFR 41/0205/2019 ), 11 April 2019, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/0205/2019/en/; Amnesty International, “What I saw is death”: war crimes in Mozambique’s forgotten cape (Index: AFR 41/3545/2021), 2 March 2021, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/3545/2021/en/; Amnesty International, “Mozambique: Torture by security forces in gruesome videos must be investigated”, 9 September 2020, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2020/09/mozambique-torture-by-security-forces-in-gruesome-videos-must-be-investigated/

    [3] Amnesty International, “What I saw is death” (previously cited); Amnesty International, “Mozambique: Authorities must promptly investigate arrest of journalist while covering demonstration”, 7 June 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/06/mozambique-authorities-must-promptly-investigate-arrest-of-journalist-while-covering-demonstration/; Amnesty International, “Mozambique: Authorities must investigate killing of newspaper editor João Fernando Chamusse”, 15 December 2023, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/mozambique-authorities-must-investigate-killing-of-newspaper-editor-joao-fernando-chamusse/; Amnesty International, “Mozambique: Fears grow for election monitors secretly transferred to new prison”, 18 November 2019, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/11/mozambique-fears-grow-for-election-monitors-secretly-transferred-to-new-prison-2/; Caitlin Sturridge and others, Copping with the risk of conflict, climate and internal displacement in northern Mozambique: ‘We can’t just sit here with our arms crossed’, November 2022, https://media.odi.org/documents/USAID_CCD_Mozambique_final.pdf; Republic of Mozambique, Estratégia Nacional de Desenvolvimento (2015-2035), [National Development Strategy (2015-2035)], July 2024, https://www.mef.gov.mz/index.php/publicacoes/estrategias/397-estrategia-nacional-de-desenvolvimento/file; Human Rights Watch (HRW), Mozambique: abuses against media, activists before elections, 11 September 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/11/mozambique-abuses-against-media-activists-elections 

    [4] Africa News, “Frelimo’s candidate wins in Maputo amid ongoing vote count”, 14 October 2024, https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/14/frelimos-candidate-wins-in-maputo-amid-ongoing-vote-count/

    [5] Times Live, “Africa: Frelimo extends 50-year rule in Mozambique as it retains power in disputed general elections”, 24 October 2024, https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2024-10-24-frelimo-extends-50-year-rule-in-mozambique-as-it-retains-power-in-disputed-general-election/

    [6] Associated Press (AP), “Long-ruling party leads in Mozambique’s election as opposition candidate calls for strikes”, 16 October 2024, https://apnews.com/article/mozambique-election-frelimo-vote-6987692541d92a9c6a287be4af89a524

    [7] The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), “Mozambique opposition lawyer shot dead”, 19 October 2024,  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4d3j1mm2yo 

    [8] Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), “Elvino Dias was killed preparing a draft of the PODEMOS appeal to the Constitutional Council: Mozambique elections 316- 20 October 2024”, 20 October 2024, https://www5.open.ac.uk/technology/mozambique/sites/www.open.ac.uk.technology.mozambique/files/files/Election-Bulletin-316_20Out24_Murders_Will-CNE-change-results.pdf

    [9] Deutsche Welle (DW), “Mozambique: Police fire tear gas at opposition leader”, 21 October 2024, https://www.dw.com/en/mozambique-police-fire-tear-gas-at-opposition-leader/a-70561138; Venâncio Mondlane, “REVOLUÇÃO: Venâncio Mondlane anuncia nova manifestação [“REVOLUTION: Venâncio Mondlane announces new demonstration”], 22 October 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG5g-SbnNy8    

    [10] Interview by voice call with lawyer, 12 February 2025; HRW, “Mozambique: Abuses against media, activists before elections”, 11 September 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/11/mozambique-abuses-against-media-activists-elections

    [11] Integrity Magazine, “CNE confirma Daniel Chapo e Frelimo como vencedores das eleições de 9 de Outubro”, [“The National Electoral Commission confirms the victory of Daniel Chapo and Frelimo the winners of the 9 October elections”], 25 October 2024, https://integritymagazine.co.mz/arquivos/33773

    [12] DW, “Mondlane: “Está-se a cometer crimes contra a humanidade”, [“Mondlane: “Crimes against humanity are being committed”], 26 October 2024, https://www.dw.com/pt-002/ven%C3%A2ncio-mondlane-est%C3%A1-se-a-cometer-crimes-contra-a-humanidade/a-70608646

    [13] DW, Venâncio Mondlane anuncia “manifestação four by four”, [“Venâncio Mondlane announces “demonstrations four by four””], 2 December 2024, https://www.dw.com/pt-002/ven%C3%A2ncio-mondlane-anuncia-manifesta%C3%A7%C3%A3o-four-by-four/a-70938463; Al Jazeera, “Clanging pans: why Mozambique’s election protesters refuse to go away, 15 November 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/11/15/clanging-pans-why-mozambiques-election-protesters-refuse-to-go-away

    [14] Al Jazeera, “Clanging pans: why Mozambique’s election protesters refuse to go away, 15 November 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/11/15/clanging-pans-why-mozambiques-election-protesters-refuse-to-go-away

    [15] Al Jazeera, “Mozambique’s controversial election result upheld: What to know”, 23 December 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/23/mozambiques-controversial-election-result-upheld

    [16] Al Jazeera, “Chapo sworn in following Mozambique’s disputed presidential elections”, 15 January 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/15/chapo-sworn-in-following-mozambiques-disputed-presidential-election 

    [17] BBC, “Injuries as Mozambique police fire on opposition protest”, 6 March 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd3y2eyxy3o

    [18]  Televisão de Moçambique (TVM)’s video of President Chapo’s address, 24 February 2025, on file with Amnesty International; Radio France Internationale – International French Radio (RFI), “Daniel Chapo vows to fight “terrorism and demonstrations”, 25 February 2025, https://www.rfi.fr/pt/%C3%A1frica-lus%C3%B3fona/20250225-daniel-chapo-promete-combater-terrorismo-e-manifesta%C3%A7%C3%B5es

    [19] Amnesty International identified these units based on the uniforms apparent in visual evidence and description of uniforms provided in interviews with eyewitnesses and victims.

    [20] Amnesty International, Kinetic Impact Projectiles in Law Enforcement – an Amnesty International Position Paper, March 2023, pg. 18; https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2023/03/Amnesty-position-paper-kinetic-impact-projectiles.pdf?x55122

    [21] Interview by voice call with doctor, 17 February 2025; Interview by voice call with doctor, 22 February 2025.

    [22] Interview by voice call with doctor, 17 February 2025; Interview by voice call with doctor, 22 February 2025.

    [23] Interview by voice call with doctor, 17 February 2025; Interview by voice call with doctor, 22 February 2025.

    [24] TV Mirramar, “Ordem dos medicos preocupada com aumento de feridos por armas de fogo” [“Order of Doctors concerned about increase in firearm injuries”], 29 October 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0YqkTsYGaI&t=52s; Interview by voice call with doctor, 17 February 2025.

    [25] Interview by voice call with doctor, 17 February 2025; Interview by voice call with doctor, 22 February 2025.

    [26] For instance, interview by voice call with victim’s relative, 21 and 27 February 2025; Interview by voice call with victim’s relative, 18 and 21 February 2025

    [27] Interview by voice call with victim, 17 February 2025.

    [28] Interview by voice call with victim’s relative, 17 February 2025.

    [29] Plataforma DECIDE, “Preliminary report on the post-electoral context in Mozambique: 21 October 2024- 21 January 2025”, Undated, https://pdecide.org/blog/preliminary-report-on-the-post-electoral-context-in-mozambique-3-months

    [30] TVM, “Police records” Bernardino Rafael reports 956 acts of violence and records 96 deaths”, 23 January 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTS1gRRNJmY  

    [31] BBC Africa, “President Chapo on Mondlane’s ‘parallel government”, 22 January 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqSIetyQHyQ

    [32] Attorney General of Mozambique, Speech at the opening of the judicial year, 4 February 2025, on file with Amnesty International; Club of Mozambique, “Mozambique: 651 cases opened during post-elections protests- Attorney General”, 4 February 2025, https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-651-cases-opened-during-post-election-protests-attorney-general-275268/

    [33] Venâncio Mondlane, Facebook post, “O que se falou no encontro? [What was said at the meeting?]”, 24 March 2025, https://www.facebook.com/venamondlane/videos/998522575570322/  

    [34] Amnesty International, Guidelines on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly (Index: ACT 30/8426/2024), November 2024, ACT3084262024ENGLISH.pdf

    [35] HRC, General Comment 36: Article 6 (The Right to life), 30 October 2018, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/36, para. 7. The right to life is protected by article 6.1 of the ICCPR and article 4 of the ACHPR. Article 4.2 of the ICCPR also protects the right to life in exceptional circumstances, such as internal political instability or any other public emergency. See, also, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Resolution 1989/65: The Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, adopted on 24 May 1989.  

    [36] Amnesty International, Guidelines on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly (Index: ACT 30/8426/2024), November 2024, ACT3084262024ENGLISH.pdf

    [37] UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (Basic Principles), 7 September 1990.

    [38] Amnesty International, Use of Force – Guidelines for Implementation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by law enforcement officials, August 2015, https://www.amnesty.org.uk/files/use_of_force.pdf; UN Basic Principles.

    [39] HRC, Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, A/HRC/26/36, para 63.

    [40] Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), 10 December 1984. Mozambique ratified the CAT on 14 September 1999. United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body Database – Mozambique, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx

    [41] Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, A/72/178, para. 46. 

    [42] HRC, General Comment No. 37, (previously cited), para. 78. 

    [43] UN Guidance on less-lethal weapons in law enforcement, 2020, https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/CCPR/LLW_Guidance.pdf, guideline 6.3; HRC, General Comment No. 37 (previously cited).

    [44] UN Guidance on less-lethal weapons in law enforcement (previously cited), HRC, General Comment No. 37 (previously cited), para. 88; https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2017/07/guidelines_use_of_force_eng.pdf?x90620

    [45] Amnesty International Guidelines on the use of force (previously cited), guideline 5b and p. 114

    [46] African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), African Commission Guidelines for the Policing of Assemblies by Law Enforcement Officials in Africa, para. 21.3.1 https://achpr.au.int/en/soft-law/guidelines-policing-assemblies-law-enforcement-officials-africa

    [47] UN Guidance on less-lethal weapons in law enforcement (previously cited), guideline 6.3; Amnesty International, Guidelines on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (previously cited), guideline 14.1.

    [48] UN Guidance on less-lethal weapons in law enforcement (previously cited), guideline 7.5; Amnesty International, “Kinetic impact projectiles in law enforcement”, March 2023, https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2023/03/Amnesty-position-paper-kinetic-impact-projectiles.pdf?x36065

    [49] UN Guidance on less-lethal weapons in law enforcement (previously cited), guideline 7.5; HRC, General Comment No. 37 (previously cited), para. 87; Amnesty International, “Kinetic impact projectiles in law enforcement”, March 2023, https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2023/03/Amnesty-position-paper-kinetic-impact-projectiles.pdf?x36065

    [50] Amnesty International, “Chemical irritants in law enforcement”, June 2021, https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2021/07/Amnesty-position-paper-chemical-irritants.pdf

    [51]  Video published on the platform X on 27 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1861915616598167924

    [52] Video sent to researchers via messaging app, on file with Amnesty International.

    [53] Amnesty International, Guidelines on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly (Index: ACT 30/8426/2024), November 2024, ACT3084262024ENGLISH.pdf

    [54] In addition to the PP and TP, one eyewitness identified the presence of the Rapid Intervention Police that day. Interview by voice call, 14 February 2025.

    [55] In addition to the PP and TP, one eyewitness identified the presence of the Rapid Intervention Police that day. Interview by voice call, 14 February 2025.

    [56] RFI, “Moçambique: Polícia confirma morte de um manifestante pró-Mondlane no Niassa” [“Mozambique: Police confirm death of pro-Mondlane protester in Niassa”], 28 October 2024, https://www.rfi.fr/pt/%C3%A1frica-lus%C3%B3fona/20241028-mo%C3%A7ambique-pol%C3%ADcia-confirma-morte-de-um-manifestante-pr%C3%B3-mondlane-no-niassa

    [57] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 11 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 14 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 17 February 2025.

    [58] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 11 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 14 February 2025.

    [59] Video provided by eyewitness; on file with Amnesty International

    [60] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 11 February 2025.

    [61] Videos provided by eyewitness, on file with Amnesty International

    [62] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 14 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 17 February 2025.

    [63] Inerview by voice call with eyewitness, 27 February 2025.

    [64] Video provided by eyewitness; on file with Amnesty International

    [65] Video published on Facebook and YouTube, respectively, on 26 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1173170507612261, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj_AfHK_JcI

    [66] Video provided by eyewitness, on file with Amnesty International.

    [67] Interview by voice call, 11 February 2025; Interview by voice call, 14 February 2025; Interview by voice call, 17 February 2025.

    [68] Video published on Facebook and YouTube, respectively, 26 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1173170507612261, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj_AfHK_JcI

    [69] RFI, “Moçambique: Polícia confirma morte de um manifestante pró-Mondlane no Niassa” [“Mozambique: Police confirm death of pro-Mondlane protester in Niassa”], 28 October 2024, https://www.rfi.fr/pt/%C3%A1frica-lus%C3%B3fona/20241028-mo%C3%A7ambique-pol%C3%ADcia-confirma-morte-de-um-manifestante-pr%C3%B3-mondlane-no-niassa

    [70] Facebook profiles managed by Albino José Síbia. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084198734038 https://www.facebook.com/ShottasOficial, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069938172987

     

    [72] Videos published on the platform X on 12 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/mozinforma/status/1867313710223831438

    [73] 360 Mozambique, “General Protests: Ressano Garcia Border Returns to Normal”, 16 December 2024, https://360mozambique.com/business/general-protests-ressano-garcia-border-returns-to-normal/

    [74] A section of the video posted on the platform X on 12 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1867262509016920434

    [75] Video posted on the platform X on 12 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/justicefrontil/status/1867281218351640723

    [76] Video posted on Facebook on 12 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1526742851326323

    [77] Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), “Albino Sibia (Mano Shottas)”, https://cpj.org/data/people/albino-sibia-mano-shottas/

    [78] Mozambique ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 21 July 1993 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on 22 February 1989. See United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body Database – Mozambique, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx and ACHPR, https://achpr.au.int/en/charter/african-charter-human-and-peoples-rights/

    [79] Interview by voice call with someone with intimate knowledge of the situation, 10 February 2025; Adriano Nuvunga, Facebook post: “CDD entra com uma acção contra o Estado mocambicano pelo assassinato Bárbaro do jovem blogueiro “Shottas”” [“CDD files a lawsuit against the Mozambican state for the barbaric murder of the young blogger “Shottas””], 30 December 2024, https://www.facebook.com/Prof.adrianonuvunga/videos/cdd-entra-com-uma-ac%C3%A7%C3%A3o-contra-o-estado-mocambicano-pelo-assassinato-b%C3%A1rbaro-do-/1029506992507642/

    [80] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 10 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 27 February 2025; Miramar, “UIR invade cemitério e dispara no momento de luto” [“UIR invades cemetery and shoots during mourning”], 14 December 2024, https://miramar.co.mz/noticias/mocambique/uir-invade-cemiterio-e-dispara-no-momento-de-luto-14-12-2024-49489 

    [81] Videos published on the platform X on 14 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International 
    https://x.com/mozinforma/status/1867929771835076734/video/1 https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1867936730910703888
    https://x.com/mozinforma/status/1867929771835076734/video/1

    [82] Inerview by voice call with eyewitness, 27 February 2025.

    [83] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 27 February 2025.

    [84] Video published on Facebook on 14 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=595714569533356

    [85] Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), “COMUNICADO- MISA condena baleamento de repórter pela UIR” [“-STATEMENT- MISA condemns the shooting of a reporter by the UIR”], 20 December 2024, https://www.misa.org.mz/index.php/destaques/noticias/327-comunicado-misa-condena-baleamento-de-reporter-pela-uir

    [86] Interview by voice call with person known to the victim, 19 February 2025.

    [87] DW, “Vários mortos no regresso de Mondlane a Moçambique” [“Several dead on Mondlane’s return to Mozambique”]; 9 January 2025, https://www.dw.com/pt-002/v%C3%A1rios-mortos-no-regresso-de-mondlane-a-mo%C3%A7ambique/a-71257510; Observador, “Chegada de Mondlane a Maputo. Número de mortos em Moçambique sobe para três – como aconteceu” [“Mondlane arrives in Maputo. Death toll in Mozambique rises to three – as it happened”], 9 January 2025, https://observador.pt/liveblogs/mondlane-chegou-a-maputo-estou-aqui-presente-de-carne-e-osso/

    [88] Video published on YouTube on 9 January 2025, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnA0Ur-Eb8I

    [89] Video published on YouTube on 9 January 2025, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCVLf30Ajfs

    [90] Video published on Facebook on 9 January 2025, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1194732825606271

    [91] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 13 February 2025.

    [92] Interview by voice call with “Pedro”, 1 March 2025.

    [93] Interview by voice call with “Pedro”, 1 March 2025.

    [94] Interview by voice call with “Pedro”, 1 March 2025.

    [95] Interview by voice call with “Pedro”, 1 March 2025.

    [96] Videos published on the platform X on 9 January 2025, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/AllexandreMZ/status/1877368651554124233
    https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1877308762274329016
    https://x.com/AllexandreMZ/status/1877304210435330388/video/1

    [97] Videos received via messaging app; on file with Amnesty International; Video published on Facebook on 21 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International.
    https://www.facebook.com/tvsucessoofficial/videos/1049942656916240/

    [98] Interview by voice call with an eyewitness, 12 February 2025.

    [99] Video published on Facebook on 21 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1049942656916240

    [100] Interview by voice call with an eyewitness, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 21 February 2025.

    [101] Interview by voice call with an eyewitness, 12 February 2025.

    [102] Video published on Facebook on 21 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1049942656916240

    [103] Amnesty International reviewed videos and X-rays. The videos indicate the injury was caused by a tear gas canister. The X-rays clearly show a fracture in the tibia.

    [104] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 21 February 2025.

    [105] Videos sent via messaging app, on file with Amnesty International.

    [106] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 21 February 2025.

    [107] VOA, “Jornalistas moçambicanos feridos em manifestação em Maputo” [“Mozambican journalists injured in protest in Maputo”], 21 October 2025, https://www.voaportugues.com/a/jornalistas-mo%C3%A7ambicanos-feridos-em-manifesta%C3%A7%C3%A3o-em-maputo/7830621.html 

    [108] Publico, “Pelo menos 30 pessoas foram detidas nos confrontos em Maputo” [“At least 30 people were arrested in the clashes in Maputo”], 22 October 2024, https://www.publico.pt/2024/10/22/mundo/noticia/menos-30-pessoas-detidas-confrontos-maputo-2108971

    [109] Video published on Facebook on 21 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/tvsucessoofficial/videos/8571222766325965/

    [110] Video published on Facebook on 21 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/tvsucessoofficial/videos/8571222766325965/

    [111] Video published on Facebook on 21 October 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://www.facebook.com/tvsucessoofficial/videos/8571222766325965/

    [112] Videos sent via messaging app, on file with Amnesty International.

    [113] Principle 5(c) of the UN Basic Principles (previously cited).

    [114] RFI, “Moçambique: Três mortos e dezenas de feridos nas manifestações” [“Mozambique: Three dead and dozens injured in protests”], 8 November 2024, https://www.rfi.fr/pt/%C3%A1frica-lus%C3%B3fona/20241108-mo%C3%A7ambique-tr%C3%AAs-mortos-e-dezenas-de-feridos-nas-manifesta%C3%A7%C3%B5es; Radio Renascença (RR), “Protestos em Maputo deixam 57 pessoas feridas por arma de fogo“ [“Protests in Maputo leave 57 people injured by firearms”], 8 November 2024, https://rr.pt/noticia/mundo/2024/11/08/protestos-em-maputo-deixam-57-pessoas-feridas-por-arma-de-fogo/400690/

    [115] Videos published on the platform X on 7 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1854544977507856444 https://x.com/wilkerDias13/status/1854464732637327870 https://x.com/wilkerDias13/status/1854464732637327870

    [116] Videos published on the platform X on 7 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International.  https://x.com/wilkerDias13/status/1854461552214114747/video/1
    https://x.com/wilkerDias13/status/1854485342604104076

    [117] Video published on the platform X on 7 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/wilkerDias13/status/1854461552214114747/video/2

    [118] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 19 and 20 February 2025.

    [119] HRC, General Comment No. 37 (previously cited), para 80; ACHPR Guidelines on the Policing of Assemblies in Africa (previously cited), para. 3.2; Amnesty International, Guidelines on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly (previously cited), guideline 7.5.

    [120] Videos published on the platform X on 27 and 28 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1861684733605806131 https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1862014546333856026 https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1861685433677013386

    [121] Video published on the platform X on 27 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1861931525492617413

    [122] Video published on the platform X on 27 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1861919381283827798

    [123] Videos published on the platform X on 27 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/Cidiachissungo/status/1861919381283827798

    [124] Pictures published on the platform X on 30 November 2024, on file with Amnesty International. https://x.com/AllexandreMZ/status/1862832887285854247

    [125] VOA, “Ministry of National Defence admits to having run over young man [sic] in protest in Maputo”, 27 November 2024, https://www.voaportugues.com/a/ministério-da-defesa-nacional-reconhece-ter-atropelado-jovem-em-protesto-em-maputo/7879042.html

    [126] VOA, “Ministry of National Defence admits to having run over young man [sic] in protest in Maputo”, 27 November 2024, https://www.voaportugues.com/a/ministério-da-defesa-nacional-reconhece-ter-atropelado-jovem-em-protesto-em-maputo/7879042.html

    [127] Interview by voice call with individual with intimate knowledge of the situation, 11 February 2025.

    [128] Interview by voice call with individual with intimate knowledge of the situation, 11 February 2025.

    [129] Plataforma DECIDE, “Preliminary report on the post-electoral context in Mozambique: 21 October 2024- 21 January 2025” (previously cited), pg. 2.

    [130] Plataforma DECIDE, “Preliminary report on the post-electoral context in Mozambique: 21 October 2024- 21 January 2025” (previously cited), pg. 2.

    [131] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [132] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [133] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [134] Plataforma DECIDE, “Preliminary report on the post-electoral context in Mozambique: 21 October 2024- 21 January 2025” (previously cited), pg. 2.

    [135] Plataforma DECIDE, “Preliminary report on the post-electoral context in Mozambique: 21 October 2024- 21 January 2025” (previously cited), pg. 2.

    [136] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [137] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [138] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [139] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025.

    [140] Interview by voice call with a victim of arbitrary detention, 12 February 2025.

    [141] Interview by voice call with a victim of arbitrary detention, 12 February 2025.

    [142] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025; Interview by voice call with victim, 18 and 19 February 2025.

    [143] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 19 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a victim of arbitrary detention, 12 February 2025; Interview by voice call with a relative of a detainee, 18 and 21 February 2025.

    [144] Interview by voice call with son of victim of detainee, 18 and 21 February 2025.

    [145] Interview by voice call with son of victim of detainee, 18 and 21 February 2025.

    [146] Interview by voice call with a victim of arbitrary detention, 12 February 2025.

    [147] Interview by voice call with a victim of arbitrary detention, 12 February 2025.

    [148] Interview by voice call with a lawyer, 12 February 2025.

    [149] Interview by voice call with victim, 18 and 19 February 2025.

    [150] Interview by voice call with victim, 18 and 19 February 2025.

    [151] Photos of victim taken on 6 and 7 December 2024, on file with Amnesty International.

    [152] Interview by voice call with victim, 18 and 19 February 2025.

    [153] Interview by voice call with victim, 18 and 19 February 2025.

    [154] ICCPR, Article 9.1; ACHPR, Article 6.

    [155] ICCPR, Article 14; ACHPR, Article 7. See also the African Commission, Principles and Guidelines on the Rights to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa.

    [156] African Commission Principles and Guidelines on the Rights to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa; article 1(e) and (g).

    [157] For instance, ICCPR, Articles 7 and 10. Conditions of detention which violate article 10 of the ICCPR may also violate Article 7 of the ICCPR (prohibition of torture or other ill-treatment). See also, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Interim report, 3 August 2009, UN Doc. A/64/215 paras 48, 55.

    [158] The 1955 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules); Rules 15; 16; 19; 20; and 19. See also the ACHPR Guidelines on the Conditions of Arrest, Police Custody and Pre-Trial Detention in Africa (the Luanda Guidelines), March 2015; and The UN Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, 1990.

    [159] Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Article 37(b).

    [160] African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), Article 17.2(b). See also, ICCPR, Article 10.2(b).

    [161] ICCPR, Article 9.1; ACHPR, Article 6; Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique, 16 November 2004, Article 59.1.

    [162] ICCPR, Article 17.

    [163] ICCPR, Article 2.3. See also, HRC, General Comment 31: The Nature of the General Legal Obligation Imposed on States Parties to the Covenant, 26 May 2004, UN Doc. CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add. 13.

    [164] ICCPR, Article 9.5.

    [165] CAT, Article 14. See also, Committee Against Torture, General Comment 3: Implementation of article 14 by States parties (Article 14), 13 December 2012, UN Doc. CAT/C/GC/3; UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Resolution 22/21: Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: rehabilitation of torture victims, adopted on 12 April 2013.

    [166] Photo of police complaint, on file with Amnesty International.

    [167] Interview by voice call with victim, 18 and 19 February 2025 and correspondence on 1 April 2025.

    [168] Integrity Magazine, “Moçambique enfrenta 18 horas de corte de internet em meio `a tensão pós-eleitoral [“Mozambique faces internet shutdown amid post-electoral tension”], 26 October 2024, https://integritymagazine.co.mz/arquivos/33806; Sahara Reporters, “Social media platforms down in Mozambique ahead of protests against disputed election results”, 31 October 2024, https://saharareporters.com/2024/10/31/social-media-platforms-down-mozambique-ahead-protests-against-disputed-election-results

    [169] Internet Outage Detection & Analysis (IODA) and Cloudflare, “Mozambique’s post-election fallout: fatal protests and widespread internet shutdowns”, 26 February 2025, https://ioda-dev.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/reports/mozambiques-post-election-fallout-fatal-protests-and-widespread-internet-shutdowns/

    [170] Club of Mozambique, “Mozambique elections: Mondlane calls for week-long strike and a national march to Maputo”, 29 October 2024, https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-elections-mondlane-calls-for-week-long-strike-and-a-national-march-to-maputo-269757/

    [171] IODA and Cloudflare, “Mozambique’s post-election fallout: fatal protests and widespread internet shutdowns”, 26 February 2025, https://ioda-dev.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/reports/mozambiques-post-election-fallout-fatal-protests-and-widespread-internet-shutdowns/

    [172] Netblocks, X post, 25 October 2024, https://x.com/netblocks/status/1849839619291988399

    [173] IODA and Cloudflare, “Mozambique’s post-election fallout: fatal protests and widespread internet shutdowns”, 26 February 2025, https://ioda-dev.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/reports/mozambiques-post-election-fallout-fatal-protests-and-widespread-internet-shutdowns/

    [174] Netblocks, X post, 8 November 2024, https://x.com/netblocks/status/1854830014555914571

    [175] IODA and Cloudflare, “Mozambique’s post-election fallout: fatal protests and widespread internet shutdowns”, 26 February 2025, https://ioda-dev.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/reports/mozambiques-post-election-fallout-fatal-protests-and-widespread-internet-shutdowns/

    [176] IODA and Cloudflare, “Mozambique’s post-election fallout: fatal protests and widespread internet shutdowns”, 26 February 2025, https://ioda-dev.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu/reports/mozambiques-post-election-fallout-fatal-protests-and-widespread-internet-shutdowns/

    [177] Tmcel is a state mobile company that resulted from the merging of telecommunication company Telecomunicações de Moçambique (AS30619) and Mcel (mobile company).

    [178] Netblocks, X post, 31 October 2024, https://x.com/netblocks/status/1851892913292071349

    [179] OONI Probe testing of ‘www.facebook.com’, ‘www.instagram.com’ and WhatsApp services in Mozambique between 15 October and 18 November 2024.

    [180] Club of Mozambique, “Mozambique Elections: Second internet shutdown – AIM”, 1 November 2024, https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-elections-second-internet-shutdown-aim-269982/

    [181] Club of Mozambique, “Mozambique Elections: Second internet shutdown – AIM”, 1 November 2024, https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-elections-second-internet-shutdown-aim-269982/

    [182] RFI, “Moçambique: Ministro justificou restrições na internet para impedir ’destruição’ do país” [“Mozambique: Minister justified internet restrictions to prevent “destruction” of the country”], 11 November 2024, https://www.rfi.fr/pt/%C3%A1frica-lus%C3%B3fona/20241111-mo%C3%A7ambique-ministro-justificou-restri%C3%A7%C3%B5es-na-internet-para-impedir-destrui%C3%A7%C3%A3o-do-pa%C3%ADs

    [183] Text messages shared with researchers by Vodacom, Movitel and Tmcel clients, on file with Amnesty International. See also, HRW, “Mozambique: post-election internet restrictions hinder rights”, 6 November 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/06/mozambique-post-election-internet-restrictions-hinder-rights

    [184] Ngani, “Manifestações pós-eleitoral: mais um apagão dos serviços de internet em Moçambique” [“Post-election demonstrations: another blackout of internet services in Mozambique”], 1 November 2024, https://ngani.co.mz/tech/01/11/2024/manifestacoes-pos-eleitoral-mais-um-apagao-dos-servicos-de-internet-em-mocambique/

    [185] Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (Centro para Democracia e Direitos Humanos – CDD), “Depois da proibição do bloqueio pelo tribunal: submetida acção principal contra as operadoras de telefonia móvel por bloqueio de internet” [“After a blockage from court has been denied: a complaint against internet shutdown by mobile companies submitted down”], 18 December 2024, https://cddmoz.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Submetida-accao-principal-contra-as-operadoras-de-telefonia-movel-por-bloqueio-de-internet.pdf

    [186] Video sent by eyewitness, on file with Amnesty International.

    [187] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 11 February 2025; Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 14 February 2025.

    [188] Interview by voice call with eyewitness, 11 February 2025.

    [189] Interview by voice call with media professional, 12 February 2025.

    [190] ICCPR, Article 19.2.

    [191] ICCPR, Article 19.3(a)(b). See also the African Commission, Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, November 2019; the Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, 1 October 1995.

    [192] ACHPR, Article 9.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Chief of Defence Staff confers MacGregor Memorial Medal Award to four Armed Forces personnel for outstanding contributions in military reconnaissance, exploration & adventure

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 16 APR 2025 6:45PM by PIB Delhi

    Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan felicitated four individuals from the Armed Forces for their outstanding contributions in the fields of military reconnaissance, exploration and adventure activities during the MacGregor Memorial Medal Award Ceremony held at the United Service Institution of India in New Delhi on April 16, 2025. The awardees for 2023 included Wing Commander D Panda, Indian Air Force and EA (R) Rahul Kumar Pandey, Indian Navy. For 2024, CHEAA(R) Ram Ratan Jat, Indian Navy and Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia, Indian Air Force were honoured with the MacGregor Memorial Medal.

     

     

    Instituted on July 03, 1888, the MacGregor Memorial Medal commemorates Maj Gen Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, KCB, CSI, CIE – founder of the United Service Institution of India established in 1870. Originally intended to recognise the acts of military reconnaissance and exploratory journeys, the medal’s scope was expanded in 1986, post-independence, to include military expeditions and adventure activities.

    While military reconnaissance and exploration remain the foremost criteria, the medal is open to all ranks (serving and retired) of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, Rashtriya Rifles and Assam Rifles. To date, 127 medals have been awarded, including 103 prior to independence.

    Among the notable recipients are Capt FE Younghusband (1890), Maj Gen Orde Charles Wingate (1943), Maj ZC Bakshi, VrC(1949), Col Narinder Kumar for Siachen Glacier exploration (1978–81) and Cdr Dilip Donde and Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy for their solo global circumnavigations. The honour continues to inspire and motivate the Armed Forces personnel to undertake courageous feats and uphold the tradition of valour, perseverance and discovery.

    The event also featured the launch of the book Bravest of the Brave, a truly inspirational chronicle on the life and heroic journey of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, AC, VrC, SM, by the Chief of Defence Staff. General Anil Chauhan complimented Lt Gen Satish Dua (Retd), the author and former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) for his vivid and heartfelt portrayal of the personal turmoil of a soldier, their unwavering resolve in the face of adversity and their indomitable spirit. The book serves as a poignant tribute to a gallant soldier and a reminder of the selfless service rendered by the men and women in uniform.

    The ceremony at USI highlighted the enduring legacy of the Indian Armed Forces in exploration, bravery and service to the nation, while also celebrating stories that continue to inspire future generations.

    *******

    SR/Savvy

    (Release ID: 2122199) Visitor Counter : 103

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, law enforcement partners arrest more than 200 alien offenders during enhanced immigration enforcement operation in New York

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEW YORK — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and law enforcement partners apprehended 206 illegal aliens during an enhanced targeted immigration enforcement operation focusing on egregious criminal alien offenders in and around New York City April 6-12.

    “New York is much safer today because of the hard work of ICE and our law enforcement partners,” said acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Working with our partner agencies, ICE officers and agents arrested hundreds of alien offenders and removed them from the streets of New York. Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around the city of New York. Our efforts resulted in 206 arrests in just one week. I commend the efforts of everyone involved, as all were truly committed to the success of this operation. ICE remains dedicated to our mission to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from communities throughout this great nation.”

    During the week-long enhanced operation, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE Homeland Security Investigations and their law enforcement partners from the Federal Bureau of Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices from the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York targeted egregious criminal alien offenders including transnational criminal organizations known to operate in and around New York. These organizations include the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Sureños and 18th Street gangs.

    “The success of this enhanced operation highlights the resolve of ICE and our federal partners in keeping our country safe from violent criminal aliens,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Acting Field Office Director Judith Almodovar. “The majority of the aliens arrested have egregious criminal histories to include manslaughter, rape, assault, drug trafficking and sex assault against minors. I am exceptionally grateful for the professionalism and dedication of our ICE New York City officers and special agents as well as the unwavering support from our partners in the FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, DSS and the USAOs of both SDNY and EDNY during this week-long operation to remove dangerous alien offenders from our New York City communities.”

    ICE and their federal partners concentrated their efforts in and around the New York City area, but operations extended throughout Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley region of New York.

    121 of the 206 apprehended had significant criminal convictions or are currently facing charges or for crimes such as murder, assault, arson, sex crimes, drug crimes and firearms crimes. One is a foreign fugitive wanted for crimes in his home country, and one has a conviction of homicide in the Philippines.

    ICE and their law enforcement partners made many of the apprehensions after local jurisdictions refused to honor immigration detainers and released the alien offenders back into their communities.

    Among those arrested during the enhanced targeted operation include:

    • Camilo Cesar Gonzales-Encalada, 23, an illegally present Spanish national and member of the Sureños gang whose criminal history includes convictions for assault, criminal possession of a loaded firearm and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Officers with ICE New York arrested Gonzales April 6.

    • Alexander Steven Jimbo-Perez, 25, an illegally present Ecuadoran national whose criminal history includes arrests assault with intent to cause physical injury, act in a manner to injure a child less than 17, criminal possession stolen property and harassment physical contact. Officers with ICE New York arrested Jimbo April 6.

    • Derrick Alphonso Roberts, 60 an illegally present Jamaican national whose criminal history includes convictions for manslaughter with intent to cause serious physical injury, criminal possession of controlled substance, criminal solicitation, corruption of minors, possessing an instrument of crime, terrorist threats, criminal conspiracy, cocaine possession with intent to distribute, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Roberts April 7.

    • Luis Olmedo Quishpi-Poalasin, 35, an illegally present Ecuadoran national whose criminal history includes a conviction for rape: forcible compulsion, sexual abuse: contact by forcible compulsion, rape: anal sexual contact with a person incapable of consent, unlawful imprisonment, forcible touching – touch sexual/intimate parts of another person, sexual misconduct: engage in vaginal sexual contact without consent and sexual abuse: subject another person to sex contact without consent. Quishpi also has arrests for witness tampering: prevent testimony – fear of injury, criminal contempt: violate order protection – communicating with person, aggravated harassment – communicating threat by phone/computer/mail, unlawful imprisonment and various traffic charges including driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of property damage accident. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Quishpi April 7.

    • Edimar Alejandra Colmenares Mendoza, 22, an illegally present Venezuelan national and member of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang whose criminal history includes charges for conspiracy, larceny and possession of stolen property. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Colmenares April 8, 2025.

    • Marcos Tul-Guallpa, 39, an illegally present Guatemalan national whose criminal history includes an arrest for sexual abuse: subject another person to sex without consent and a conviction for acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 years old. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Tul April 9.

    • Modesto Arias-Soto, 35, an illegally present Dominican national whose criminal history includes a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and an arrest for tampering with public records. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Arias April 9.

    • Jhonny Morocho-Veletanga, 32, an illegally present Ecuadoran national whose criminal history includes convictions for assault: causing injury to a non-participant during the commission of a felony and disorderly conduct: fight/violent behavior. ICE New York City arrested Morocho April 10.

    • Will Alexander Ordonez, 48, an illegally present Honduran national whose criminal history includes convictions for arson, criminal possession of controlled substance, criminal possession of stolen property, unlawful use of controlled substance, driving while intoxicated and false impersonation. Ordonez has numerous additional charges for criminal possession of controlled substance. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Ordonez April 11.

    • Jaime Gustavo Quizpi-Romero, 51, an illegally present Ecuadoran national whose criminal history includes arrests for assault: intent to cause physical injury with weapon/instrument and strangulation: obstruct breath/blood circulation causing serious injury. ICE New York City arrested Quizpi April 11.

    • Adnan Paulino-Flores, 58, an illegally present Mexican national whose criminal history includes arrests for sexual abuse: person incapable of consent – physically helpless, Sexual Abuse-3rd Degree: Subject Another Person to Sex Contact Without Consent, and Forcible Touching – Touch Sexual/Intimate Parts of Another Person, pending. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Paulino April 11.

    • Jose Felix Ortiz-Martinez, 49, an illegally present Mexican national whose criminal history includes a conviction for assault and an additional arrest for assault. Officers with ICE New York City arrested Ortiz April 12.

    Partner law enforcement participating in the operation were FBI New York; DEA New York; ATF New York; USMC New York; DSS New York and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @ICEgov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Fitchburg Man of Illegally Possessing Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – After a two-day jury trial, Malcolm Whiteside, 30, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was found guilty yesterday of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. The jury reached a verdict after just over 30 minutes of deliberation. The guilty verdict is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.

    On August 12, 2024, Whiteside led police on a dangerous high-speed chase on a Madison highway and ultimately crashed the car he was driving into a semi-truck. From there, Whiteside fled on foot to the parking lot of a home improvement store, where a police officer found him hiding in a garden shed. Officers at the crash scene searched the vehicle Whiteside was driving and found a loaded firearm underneath the driver’s floormat. Later, an analyst from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab found Whiteside’s DNA on multiple locations on the firearm. Whiteside was previously convicted of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon in 2019.

    Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for June 25. Whiteside faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

    The case was investigated by the City of Monona Police Department, Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chadwick M. Elgersma and Collen Lennon. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison Man Sentenced to Over 5 Years for Heroin Trafficking and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Patrick Bishop, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 63 months in federal prison for possessing 100 grams or more of heroin intended for distribution and possessing a firearm as a felon. Bishop pleaded guilty to these charges on February 10, 2025.

    On July 31, 2024, while fleeing from police, Bishop broke into an occupied apartment and climbed onto the roof of the apartment complex. He remained on that roof for over an hour in a standoff with law enforcement until he ultimately agreed to come down.

    Bishop was observed carrying and rummaging through a bag. Law enforcement searched the bag and found two large baggies with approximately 169.4 grams of heroin, $28,000 in currency, a baggie with 18 bindles of heroin, and 5 bindles of cocaine.  The bag also contained a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with a 22-round extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device.

    About an inch-long, a machine gun conversion device is an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully functioning machinegun. A firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device is extremely dangerous, even for experienced firearms users, because it is difficult to control and is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger.

    Bishop is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition due a prior felony conviction.

    At sentencing, Judge Conley remarked on the seriousness of the offense and on the dangerousness of selling drugs with an automatic weapon.

    The charges against Bishop were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Littleton Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Littleton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his involvement with a conspiracy to traffic cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area. 

    Alan Robinson, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

    Robinson engaged in a controlled purchase with a cooperating witness to sell four firearms – which included two ghost guns, one of which was an assault rifle, knowing that the cooperating witness was a prohibited individual. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at Robinson’s residence, where approximately 3.3 kilograms of powdered cocaine was recovered, as well as several firearms and accessories including a ghost gun assault rifle. 

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas woman indicted for unemployment fraud using stolen identities

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with illegally collecting more than $100,000 by defrauding a federal program aimed at helping people who lost their livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    According to court documents, Kylie Charles, 35, of Wichita is charged with 17 counts of wire fraud and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft. 

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided financial relief to Americans dealing with the economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. The program expanded unemployment benefits to some people who would not typically qualify such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, those with a limited work history, and people who lost their business as a result of the pandemic.

    Between May 2020 and August 2021, Charles is accused of stealing the identities of people she knew and using their information without their knowledge or consent to file false claims in multiple states for unemployment benefits under the CARES Act program. 

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.

    OTHER INDICTMENTS

    Chad M. Abildgaard, 33, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigation the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case.

    Nelson Agustin Gonzalez-Diaz, 74, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

    Manuel Jacquez Ibarra, 45, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. 

    David Yitzhak Espinoza, 31, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: SMSF auditor number (SAN) misuse

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    In 2023 we stopped sending yearly mail outs to auditors with lists of SMSFs that reported an auditor’s SAN on the SMSF annual return (SAR) for a specific year. Now, auditors can ask for these lists from us, if they are worried about SAN misuse.

    Auditors can request the list through Online services for business (OSB). The list will show funds that reported the auditor’s SAN where we could not find a matching auditor completion advice (ACA).

    This financial year, only 21 auditors have requested a list of SMSFs reporting their SAN.

    By checking the responses to these lists and matching audit complete advice (ACA) with SMSF annual returns (SARs), we found 13 cases of SAN misuse involving 11 tax agents and 79 SMSFs. Of these, 6 were deliberate instances of SAN misuse and 7 were inadvertent misuse.

    When we find deliberate SAN misuse by a tax agents, we refer them to the Tax Practitioner’s Board (TPB), which may apply sanctions. This year, we referred 7 cases to the TPB, which issued 5 cautions.

    We encourage auditors to lodge an Audit complete advice through OSB after completing the audit so we can identify potential SAN misuse.

    Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? – You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stairway to jail over GST fraud

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    A Melbourne man has been sentenced to 2 years and 11 months imprisonment after obtaining over $390,000 in fraudulent GST refunds and attempting to obtain a further $330,000, as well as failing to comply with a court order.

    Acting Deputy Commissioner Kath Anderson commended the latest outcome under the ATO-led investigation Operation Protego.

    ‘There are no ifs, ands or buts here – if you don’t run a business, you don’t need an ABN and you cannot claim GST refunds. This is fraud,’ Ms Anderson said.

    ‘Fraud against the ATO is not tolerated and we continue the fight against criminals seeking to exploit the tax system.’

    Joshua Merrett was sentenced for one count of obtaining a financial advantage by deception, one count of attempting to obtain a financial advantage by deception and one count of failing to comply with an order. The failing to comply with an order charge was due to Mr Merrett refusing to provide his phone passcode to the Australian Federal Police after they seized his phone.

    Mr Merrett had registered for an Australian Business Number (ABN) for a business that specialises in staircase manufacturing and antique furniture repairs. Between June 2021 and June 2022, he submitted 31 business activity statements (BAS) containing false information. This resulted in $394,801 in refunds being paid within a 3-month period, which triggered an audit and account lock down.

    In addition, he attempted to obtain over $330,000 in GST refunds, however this was stopped by the ATO.

    Mr Merrett tried to avoid ATO auditors but could not escape the consequences of his deceptive actions. Two months following the last GST refund being paid, ATO investigators and the Australian Federal Police conducted a search warrant at Merrett’s residence. The search showed no evidence of any commercial activity, or sales or purchases consistent with running a business.

    He was ordered to be released after serving 1 year and 8 months, upon entering into a recognisance to the sum of $1,000 on condition he be of good behaviour for a period of 2 years. He was also ordered to pay reparations to the amount of $392,917.74.

    This conviction is not the end of the story for Mr Merrett. The debt from the fraudulent GST returns is still on his record and the ATO will continue to chase it down, which includes seizing any future refunds.

    This matter was prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (CDPP) following a referral from the ATO.

    The ATO reminds the community that GST fraud is not a victimless crime. Those who engage in this illegal activity are actively taking away funds that would otherwise be used for essential services such as healthcare, infrastructure, and education.

    The ATO will continue to pursue those who commit fraud through criminal investigations and debt recovery actions to enforce repayment.

    As part of Operation Protego, the ATO has taken compliance action against more than 57,000 alleged offenders, and those involved in this fraud have already been handed in the order of $300 million in penalties and interest.

    As of 31 March 2025:

    • 103 people have been convicted with a range of sentencing outcomes, including jail terms of up to 7 years and 6 months and with orders made to restrain real property.
    • The ATO has 3 individuals currently under active investigation.
    • The ATO has finalised 61 investigations and referred 51 briefs of evidence to Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

    You can confidentially report suspected tax crime or fraud to us by making a tip-off online or call 1800 060 062.

    For more information about Operation Protego visit ato.gov.au/GSTrefundfraud.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kylie Thomas, Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer (Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork), NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies

    Ernest Cole is famous for photographing the everyday realities of South Africa’s racist apartheid system. His 1967 book House of Bondage ensured his damning critique of the white minority regime was seen by the world. But its publication sent him into exile and was banned at home.

    The startling discovery of a vast archive of his work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017 has returned him to public view.

    House of Bondage was republished in 2023 and then, in 2024, celebrated Haitian film-maker Raoul Peck made Ernest Cole: Lost and Found.

    It would win the documentary prize at the Cannes Film Festival and show around the world, restoring the legacy of a photographer who died penniless in New York in 1990 at the age of 49.

    As a researcher of South African photography under apartheid, I was intrigued by how the film would convey this complex life story.

    It draws extensively on Cole’s images, made in South Africa, Europe and the US. It’s a beautiful, poetic interpretation of how his images mirrored his own experiences of oppression, displacement and the loneliness of exile.

    House of Bondage

    Cole was just 10 when the state introduced the Group Areas Act and entrenched racial segregation. He was 22 when his childhood neighbourhood of Eersterust was razed to the ground. His family was among the thousands forcibly removed to a new township.

    In his second year of high school, he elected to drop out. The state had introduced Bantu Education, designed to ensure Black children learned only enough for a life of servitude.

    Cole began to study by correspondence, taking a course with the New York Institute for Photography. By 18, he’d landed a position as a darkroom assistant at Drum magazine, working alongside German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg.

    Cole captured the everyday realities of Black life in South Africa. Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures

    In 1959, Cole saw a copy of French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The People of Moscow, and decided he would create a similar book to convey what it meant to live under apartheid.

    He spent six years taking the photographs that would become House of Bondage, a book that exposed the apartheid state.

    Determined to publish his images, he fled to the US in 1966, where his book appeared a year later. Acclaimed internationally, it was banned for 22 years in South Africa. Cole was prohibited from returning home and spent the next 20 years stateless.

    Read more: Ernest Cole: South Africa’s most famous photobook has been republished after 55 years

    He hoped to find freedom in America. Instead he felt pigeonholed as a Black photographer, dismayed at only ever being commissioned to document suffering.

    He made hundreds of photographs of people in Harlem, often drawn to scenes that were impossible in South Africa. Mixed-race couples holding hands in public, young people of different races hanging out, neon signs offering “Sex, sex, sex” rather than the “Whites only” signs of segregation he documented at home.

    Under apartheid, public space was segregated. Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures

    Commissioned to take photos in the Deep South, he found the same suffering and racism he’d thought particular to South Africa.

    In a letter to the Norwegian government requesting an emergency travel certificate to leave the US, he wrote:

    Exposing the truth at whatever cost is one thing. But having to live a lifetime of being a chronicler of misery and injustice and callousness is another.

    A life in fragments

    For me, the most poignant moment of the film is the footage of Cole speaking in his own voice in a 1969 documentary. A slight man with a sorrowful gaze, he’s seated at a table with prints of his photos:

    I’ve been banned in absentia, but that doesn’t matter because it (his book) will stand in the future. Because I’m sure South Africa will be free.

    His youthful conviction is undercut by the presence, in his voice, of the weight of all he’s experienced. Correspondence shows Cole’s book was sent to government officials in the US and Europe, and to the United Nations, but it would take decades of resistance before apartheid fell.

    Black life in America was as painful as back home. Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures

    Despite his fame, and the support of leading international photographers, writers and editors, Cole’s determination was ground down by the racism he encountered everywhere he went. Although he received grants to continue his work, he descended into poverty and depression.

    By the mid-1980s he stopped taking photos – his cameras were lost, stolen, or sold, and he learned that his belongings, including negatives and prints that he’d left in a hotel storage room in New York, had been discarded. Cole was destitute and ill.

    Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he watched Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 from his hospital bed. Cole died in New York that same year. All his negatives and the work he’d made during his life in exile were thought to be lost.

    Cole also captured street images of childhood joys wherever he went. Ernest Cole/Magnolia Pictures

    Finding Ernest Cole

    Peck’s meditative film draws on Cole’s notebooks and letters, along with research interviews, in a rather bold attempt to have him “tell his own story”. It’s a story driven by both curiosity and heartbreak, narrated by actor LaKeith Stanfield, whose rather jarring American accent gives voice to a South African experience.

    Although she’s not mentioned in the credits, Peck’s script draws heavily on interviews by Swedish curator and researcher Gunilla Knape. Her association with the Hasselblad Foundation might account for why she remains unacknowledged – the organisation is linked to the ongoing controversy over ownership of Cole’s work.

    Read more: Glimpses into the history of street photography in South Africa

    In 2017, Cole’s nephew, Leslie Matlaisane, received an email requesting that he travel to Sweden to discuss the return of items belonging to his uncle, discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm.

    The film includes footage of Matlaisane’s journey to Sweden and the bizarre scene that unfolds as Cole’s archive is returned without any explanation about how it came to be either lost or found, or who’d placed it there.

    The boxes included 60,000 negatives, and Cole’s notebooks and research materials for House of Bondage. An incredible trove of history has resurfaced, but as Peck’s film shows, Cole himself was irrecoverably lost in exile.

    Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is showing in Johannesburg. It can be streamed on various services.

    – Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film
    – https://theconversation.com/ernest-cole-the-south-african-photographer-at-the-centre-of-a-powerful-and-heartbreaking-film-254508

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: El Paso Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

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

    EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso husband and wife were sentenced together in a federal court to a combined 25 years in prison for charges related to drug trafficking.

    According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Carlos Morales, 41, and Rebekah Sue Morales, 55, during an FBI surveillance operation on March 5, 2024. Two handguns were located in a backpack belonging to Carlos, a convicted felon. The subsequent execution of a search warrant on the couple’s home resulted in the seizure of additional firearms, ammunition and methamphetamine. Further investigation revealed that both Carlos and Rebekah were involved in trafficking the methamphetamine.

    Carlos pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2025, to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Rebekah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower sentenced Carlos Morales to the statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison. Schydlower sentenced Rebekah Sue Morales to 10 years in federal prison. In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of the defendant’s residence, as well as the forfeiture of multiple firearms, all used to facilitate the commission of their crimes.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the El Paso Country Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso Country Constables.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Susanna Martinez prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kylie Thomas, Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer (Radical Humanities Laboratory, University College Cork), NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies

    Ernest Cole is famous for photographing the everyday realities of South Africa’s racist apartheid system. His 1967 book House of Bondage ensured his damning critique of the white minority regime was seen by the world. But its publication sent him into exile and was banned at home.

    The startling discovery of a vast archive of his work in a Swedish bank vault in 2017 has returned him to public view.

    House of Bondage was republished in 2023 and then, in 2024, celebrated Haitian film-maker Raoul Peck made Ernest Cole: Lost and Found.

    It would win the documentary prize at the Cannes Film Festival and show around the world, restoring the legacy of a photographer who died penniless in New York in 1990 at the age of 49.

    As a researcher of South African photography under apartheid, I was intrigued by how the film would convey this complex life story.

    It draws extensively on Cole’s images, made in South Africa, Europe and the US. It’s a beautiful, poetic interpretation of how his images mirrored his own experiences of oppression, displacement and the loneliness of exile.

    House of Bondage

    Cole was just 10 when the state introduced the Group Areas Act and entrenched racial segregation. He was 22 when his childhood neighbourhood of Eersterust was razed to the ground. His family was among the thousands forcibly removed to a new township.

    In his second year of high school, he elected to drop out. The state had introduced Bantu Education, designed to ensure Black children learned only enough for a life of servitude.

    Cole began to study by correspondence, taking a course with the New York Institute for Photography. By 18, he’d landed a position as a darkroom assistant at Drum magazine, working alongside German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg.

    In 1959, Cole saw a copy of French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The People of Moscow, and decided he would create a similar book to convey what it meant to live under apartheid.

    He spent six years taking the photographs that would become House of Bondage, a book that exposed the apartheid state.

    Determined to publish his images, he fled to the US in 1966, where his book appeared a year later. Acclaimed internationally, it was banned for 22 years in South Africa. Cole was prohibited from returning home and spent the next 20 years stateless.



    Read more:
    Ernest Cole: South Africa’s most famous photobook has been republished after 55 years

    He hoped to find freedom in America. Instead he felt pigeonholed as a Black photographer, dismayed at only ever being commissioned to document suffering.

    He made hundreds of photographs of people in Harlem, often drawn to scenes that were impossible in South Africa. Mixed-race couples holding hands in public, young people of different races hanging out, neon signs offering “Sex, sex, sex” rather than the “Whites only” signs of segregation he documented at home.

    Commissioned to take photos in the Deep South, he found the same suffering and racism he’d thought particular to South Africa.

    In a letter to the Norwegian government requesting an emergency travel certificate to leave the US, he wrote:

    Exposing the truth at whatever cost is one thing. But having to live a lifetime of being a chronicler of misery and injustice and callousness is another.

    A life in fragments

    For me, the most poignant moment of the film is the footage of Cole speaking in his own voice in a 1969 documentary. A slight man with a sorrowful gaze, he’s seated at a table with prints of his photos:

    I’ve been banned in absentia, but that doesn’t matter because it (his book) will stand in the future. Because I’m sure South Africa will be free.

    His youthful conviction is undercut by the presence, in his voice, of the weight of all he’s experienced. Correspondence shows Cole’s book was sent to government officials in the US and Europe, and to the United Nations, but it would take decades of resistance before apartheid fell.

    Despite his fame, and the support of leading international photographers, writers and editors, Cole’s determination was ground down by the racism he encountered everywhere he went. Although he received grants to continue his work, he descended into poverty and depression.

    By the mid-1980s he stopped taking photos – his cameras were lost, stolen, or sold, and he learned that his belongings, including negatives and prints that he’d left in a hotel storage room in New York, had been discarded. Cole was destitute and ill.

    Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he watched Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 from his hospital bed. Cole died in New York that same year. All his negatives and the work he’d made during his life in exile were thought to be lost.

    Finding Ernest Cole

    Peck’s meditative film draws on Cole’s notebooks and letters, along with research interviews, in a rather bold attempt to have him “tell his own story”. It’s a story driven by both curiosity and heartbreak, narrated by actor LaKeith Stanfield, whose rather jarring American accent gives voice to a South African experience.

    Although she’s not mentioned in the credits, Peck’s script draws heavily on interviews by Swedish curator and researcher Gunilla Knape. Her association with the Hasselblad Foundation might account for why she remains unacknowledged – the organisation is linked to the ongoing controversy over ownership of Cole’s work.



    Read more:
    Glimpses into the history of street photography in South Africa

    In 2017, Cole’s nephew, Leslie Matlaisane, received an email requesting that he travel to Sweden to discuss the return of items belonging to his uncle, discovered in a bank vault in Stockholm.

    The film includes footage of Matlaisane’s journey to Sweden and the bizarre scene that unfolds as Cole’s archive is returned without any explanation about how it came to be either lost or found, or who’d placed it there.

    The boxes included 60,000 negatives, and Cole’s notebooks and research materials for House of Bondage. An incredible trove of history has resurfaced, but as Peck’s film shows, Cole himself was irrecoverably lost in exile.

    Ernest Cole: Lost and Found is showing in Johannesburg. It can be streamed on various services.

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

    – ref. Ernest Cole: the South African photographer at the centre of a powerful and heartbreaking film – https://theconversation.com/ernest-cole-the-south-african-photographer-at-the-centre-of-a-powerful-and-heartbreaking-film-254508

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nashville Felon on Probation for Homicide Now Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug Crimes

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    NASHVILLE – Dejuan Bell, 33, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    “Our efforts in Operation Bond Watch are designed to keep those with violent histories from possessing firearms and putting our community at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “A person previously and recently convicted of killing someone should not have a handgun – period.”

    According to court documents, on the afternoon of March 18, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department detectives monitoring Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) cameras saw Bell arrive at the James Cayce Homes. The detectives were familiar with Bell because of his involvement in a 2018 homicide in Nashville. They saw Bell get out of the driver’s seat of a Nissan Altima and walk up to several people who were on porches. Bell was on the MDHA “No Trespassing” list, and he had a suspended driver’s license.

    On the MDHA cameras, the detectives saw Bell approach the driver’s side door of a black truck that was stopped on South Sixth Street. Bell and the truck’s driver exchanged pills and a plastic bag, then Bell put the pills and plastic bag in his pant pockets and walked back to the James Cayce Homes porches. Bell went back to the Nissan Altima several times. When the detectives attempted to make contact with Bell, he fled on foot. While running from detectives, Bell threw away a firearm that had been in his pants waistband. The firearm, a Glock 23 Gen5, .40 caliber pistol, was recovered, and a search of the firearm’s history revealed that it had been reported stolen. Detectives caught Bell, and during a search incident to his arrest, detectives discovered $2,180 cash and 4.2 grams of suspected oxycodone pills in a plastic bag in Bell’s pants pockets.

    The Nissan Altima smelled of marijuana and detectives conducted a probable cause search of the car and discovered individual plastic bags of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, a plastic bag containing 4.5 grams of a white/grey powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, and a digital scale in the car’s console.

    After being read his Miranda rights, Bell agreed to answer questions. Bell admitted he had a manslaughter conviction for which he was on probation. Bell told detectives he had marijuana and cocaine for sale. Bell admitted to purchasing the firearm in the Cayce area approximately two weeks earlier, and that he ran from the detectives because he had the firearm on him.

    Bell has three prior felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court: for Reckless Aggravated Assault, for which he received a two-year sentence; Evading Arrest by Motor Vehicle, for which he received a one-year sentence; and Voluntary Manslaughter, for which he received a six-year sentence, and was placed on probation October 27, 2023.

    If convicted, Bell faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge.

    This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Member of San Antonio Gun Theft Ring Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his role in a gun theft and trafficking conspiracy.

    According to court documents, between January and October 2023, Alcapone Maximus Pena, 23, was involved in the theft of firearms and vehicles in and around the San Antonio area as well as the sale of those stolen firearms. Pena, codefendant Nathan Tyler Padilla, 27, and others repeatedly broke into vehicles which they identified as likely to have firearms and that they believed they would be able to illegally sell.

    A search of Pena’s home on Oct. 25, 2023 resulted in the seizure of 14 firearms. An additional 17 firearms were located in a separate search warrant and determined to be trafficked by Pena. During the course of the conspiracy, Pena was responsible for the knowing and illegal trafficking of 25-99 firearms. The investigation also revealed information that showed Padilla’s cell phone had been present during the theft of several seized firearms. For his work in the firearm thefts, Padilla would receive a share of the proceeds that came from the firearms’ eventual sale to third parties.

    Both Pena and Padilla were named in a seven-count indictment filed Nov. 15, 2023. Pena was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, one count of possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of stolen firearms. Padilla, who had been previously convicted on Aug. 16, 2023 for the offense of evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, was charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.

    The two codefendants pleaded guilty Jan. 7, 2025. Padilla was sentenced on April 1 to 90 months in federal prison.

    “This case highlights the importance of holding individuals trafficking in firearms accountable for their actions.  Each year, thousands of guns are stolen from vehicles in the San Antonio area, and then many of these are used to commit crimes, including violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “We, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, remain fully committed to investigating and prosecuting these firearm thefts as part of our commitment to public safety.”

    “This case is a great example of our unwavering commitment to protecting our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division. “By bringing individuals involved in gun theft and trafficking to justice, we are not only holding criminals accountable but also taking meaningful steps to reduce the kind of violent crime that threatens our neighborhoods. Our community is safer today because of the tireless efforts of our agency and our law enforcement partners.”

    The ATF investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Parsons prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Online Dashboard Offers Look at Violent Deaths in Connecticut – When, Where, and How

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    A new online tool from the UConn ARMS Center aims to help policymakers and frontline workers in their efforts to reduce the number of violent deaths in Connecticut, demonstrating that over time, violent death is a statewide phenomenon.

    The Violent Mortality Dashboard, which was launched in mid-March, shows that between 2020 and 2024 hundreds of violent deaths, classified as homicides and suicides, were recorded in Connecticut – with a high of 205 and 204 in New Haven and Hartford, respectively, and a low of two in places like Franklin, Norfolk, and Somers.

    “We have a tendency to say violent death is something that happens over there in a different community, but we can see that over time most of our state experiences some kind of violent death,” says Kerri Raissian, director of UConn ARMS and an associate professor in the UConn School of Public Policy. “Hopefully this dashboard will help providers figure out where and how they can provide their services most effectively.”

    Years in the making, the dashboard allows users to manipulate the data for their purposes, whether that means looking at things like gun-related vs. non-gun-related violent deaths, number of cases vs. rate per 100,000, veteran vs. civilian status, even the number of hometown deaths vs. deaths happening elsewhere.

    Raissian says that information on when, where, and how much violent death is in Connecticut has been hard to come by until now. Previously, users would have had to access the Connecticut Violent Death Reporting System, which offers details on trends but doesn’t always break information into smaller bites like the new dashboard – though data may be available by request from the state Department of Public Health.

    And while UConn ARMS (Advancing Research, Methods, and Scholarship in Gun Injury Prevention) focuses its work on gun-related deaths and injuries, Raissian says she and her team recognized the importance of the dashboard providing a full picture of violent deaths, whether gun-related or not.

    After all, the needs of each dashboard user are just as unique as the needs of each Connecticut community.

    “We might define frontline workers as doctors, social workers, mental health providers, colleges and schools,” Raissian says. “Whoever they are, this dashboard can help them see violence is a statewide problem that we all have an interest in solving and reducing.”

    UConn ARMS used the state Department of Public Health’s Data Request Form for Non-Confidential Data to access the information from the State Office of Vital Records, she explains. Using details from death certificates and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, researchers were able to discern demographics and filter out nonviolent deaths caused by things like car accidents and natural causes.

    The dashboard, funded solely by UConn ARMS, will be updated twice a year.

    Raissian notes the dashboard does not include accidental gun deaths, like the death of Ethan Song in Guilford in 2018 which admittedly happened two years before the capture period.

    That was intentional, she says, for two reasons: 1. These deaths are rare in Connecticut, and 2. They most often involve children. So, to protect a young person’s confidentiality, the team agreed to keep them off the dashboard.

    Their omission is in no way meant to signal that these deaths do not deserve careful policy intervention, Raissian says, underscoring that Connecticut’s secure storage laws are a model for the nation.

    Nonetheless, the dashboard provides some interesting facts about violent deaths in Connecticut. For instance, homicide deaths went down in 2024, but suicide deaths went up sharply, and this seems to be driven by changes in gun homicides and gun suicides.

    “I don’t think we understand why,” Raissian says. “That’s a new finding and that’s one of the benefits of this dashboard – we’ll be able to get data into the hands of policymakers that much sooner. But in order to understand something, we must first discover it.”

    In addition to frontline workers, UConn ARMS hopes legislators will use the dashboard in their deliberations. It’s been distributed to all members of the Public Health, Judiciary, and Health and Human Services committees.

    Raissian says that according to the dashboard there appears to be more gun-related homicide victims dying at the hospital as opposed to dying at a crime scene. That could mean people are getting to the hospital quicker, which might equate to there being more opportunities to intervene.

    “Guns only account for about 30% of suicides in Connecticut,” she says, giving another example of novel stats from the dashboard. “That’s a nontrivial chunk of suicides, but most are perpetrated by something other than guns in Connecticut. I don’t yet know how getting that information to more people – as certainly suicide prevention providers already know that – can be used, but I hope it will.”

    She continues, “While violent deaths may not happen in every community every year, when we look at the cumulative effects, we can see it touches all of us. The actual goal of all this is to not have these violent deaths at all. Maybe one day these maps can fade away.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fentanyl and Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 11, 2025, Azjuan Meriwether (age: 25) of Milwaukee, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. 

    According to court records, a proactive law enforcement investigation revealed that Meriwether was the leader of an armed drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing at least 32 kilograms of fentanyl, at least 375 grams of para-fluorofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue), as well as methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs.  Meriwether and his organization also engaged in firearms trafficking involving the illegal sale of firearms, machinegun-conversion devices, also known as “switches,” and “ghost guns.” “Ghost guns” are privately made firearms, often assembled from pre-made kits, that do not possess serial numbers or other identifying markings, which make the firearms difficult to trace back to the original purchaser and manufacturer. As part of his plea agreement, Meriwether agreed that he personally and illegally sold 18 firearms and 6 “switches.”  Below is a photograph from the court record of firearms recovered as a result of this investigation.

    As a result of the investigation, Meriwether was arrested in Indiana. Before his arrest, Meriwether led officers on a high-speed chase that lasted approximately 2 hours and involved Meriwether driving his vehicle the wrong way on a highway, endangering civilians and officers. Law enforcement ultimately recovered approximately 375 grams of para-fluorofentanyl combined with heroin, approximately 165 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 29 grams of cocaine from Meriwether’s vehicle.

    “The conduct at issue in this case presented layer upon layer of danger to the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “This individual and his organization not only distributed dangerous – potentially lethal — controlled substances but also further endangered others through the sale of switches and ghost guns. The sentence imposed in this case is the direct result of strong partnerships among federal and local agencies, supported by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). I commend the agents, task force officers, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to build this investigation and hold Mr. Meriwether accountable for his actions.”

    “Meriwether’s possession and sale of fentanyl and Machine Gun Conversion Devices posed a dual threat to our communities,” stated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Division Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon. “Through the use of NIBIN and collaborations like those seen in the Waukesha County Drug Task Force, law enforcement was able to link firearms possessed by Meriwether to violent acts. 

    Taking him off the streets helps stop the flow of drugs and Machine Gun Conversion Devices into our communities, which reduces crime, protects residents, and fosters safer neighborhoods.”

    “The DEA and their partners from the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department continue to relentlessly pursue dangerous fentanyl traffickers like Meriwether. The DEA is grateful to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department for their unwavering commitment to dismantle violent drug-trafficking organizations and keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Milwaukee District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge John G. McGarry.

    “This investigation originated in a small Waukesha County community and through the hard work of our local Drug Task Force, and their partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, a criminal organization was dismantled.  These law enforcement relationships are paramount to effectively maintaining safety in our communities,” said Captain Tony Kasta, Waukesha County Drug Task Force.

    This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

               This matter was investigated by ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Waukesha County Drug Task Force, through a coordinated partnership supported by the North Central HIDTA. 

               In addition to the investigating agencies noted above, multiple law enforcement agencies participated in arrests, the execution of search warrants, and other matters related to the case, including the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (WI DOJ-DCI), the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the Milwaukee Police Department, the West Allis Police Department, as well as the Indiana State Patrol, Vermillion County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Office, and the Vermillion County District Attorney’s Office. 

               The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Halopka-Ivery and Patricia Daugherty.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Daily summary of the Berlin offensive operation

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Exactly 80 years ago, on April 16, 1945, the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation began, ending the Great Patriotic War with the complete and unconditional victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany.

    The Guinness Book of Records lists this operation as the largest-scale battle in world history. About 3.5 million people, 52 thousand guns and mortars, 7,750 tanks and 11 thousand aircraft took part in it on both sides. The German capital was attacked by forces from three fronts: the 1st Belorussian under the command of Georgy Zhukov, the 2nd Belorussian under the command of Konstantin Rokossovsky and the 1st Ukrainian under the command of Ivan Konev.

    The scale of the operation is clearly described by Zhukov in his book “Memories and Reflections”: “On the first day, 1,197,000 shots were planned for artillery alone, but in fact 1,236,000 shots were fired. Think about these numbers! 2,450 train cars of shells, that is, almost 98 thousand tons of metal fell on the enemy’s head.”

    On April 16, at exactly 4 a.m., the final chord of retribution for Germany’s treacherous attack sounded – the code signal “Rodina” swept through the communication lines and the battle began. Having recovered from the first artillery barrage, the Germans put up serious resistance, the Soviet tanks got bogged down in heavy fighting and were unable to outpace the infantry.

    On April 17, as a result of bloody battles, the Seelow Heights, 50-60 kilometers from Berlin, were taken; they were considered by the German command to be the most reliable line of defense.

    On April 18, the Red Army began to cross the Ost-Oder.

    On April 19, the breakthrough of the entire Oder defensive line was completed.

    On April 20, Soviet long-range artillery began shelling Berlin.

    On April 21, troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts reached the eastern and southern outskirts of the city, respectively. The first street battles began.

    On April 22, the German command transferred troops of the Frankfurt-Guben group from the Western Front to stop the envelopment of Berlin from the north. This attack was repelled by Soviet troops with the help of the 2nd Polish Army.

    On April 23, during particularly fierce battles, the 9th Rifle Corps of Major General Ivan Roslov captured the Karlshorst and Kölönig areas, and immediately crossed the Spree River, where the Dnieper military flotilla was already operating.

    On April 24, in the southeast of Berlin, in the Bonsdorf area, troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts met, encircling the German Frankfurt-Guben group.

    On April 25, the troops of the same fronts united in the Ketzin area, encircling the enemy’s Berlin group. At the same time, the famous meeting on the Elbe with the troops of the 1st US Army took place.

    On April 26, the two-day air operation “Salute” ended, during which 1,222 tons of bombs were dropped on the central districts of Berlin to suppress the enemy – 70 tons per square kilometer.

    On April 27, the assault on the central districts of the German capital began – the city front stretched from the southeast to the northwest in a narrow strip 16 km long and 2-3 km wide. The Red Army seemed to be plunging into the capital of Germany with a bayonet.

    On April 28, the commander of Army Group Vistula, Gotthard Heinrici, ordered his troops to retreat, for which he was removed from command and later surrendered to British troops. Meanwhile, the Russians reached the Reichstag area.

    On April 29, the Moltke Bridge leading to the Government Quarter of Berlin was captured.

    April 30 – German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler committed suicide. On the same day, the Frankfurt-Guben group, the largest German unit at the time, numbering about 200 thousand soldiers, was liquidated. The Ministry of Internal Affairs building next to the Reichstag was captured. Red flags also began to rise over the Reichstag itself. There was more than one Victory Banner; a total of nine special flags were prepared for the Red Army assault groups.

    On May 1, the German government announced Hitler’s death and offered to conclude a truce, but did not agree to an unconditional surrender. The storming of the Government Quarter resumed.

    On May 2, still at night, a radio message in Russian arrived at the headquarters of the 1st Belorussian Front asking for a ceasefire. At 6 a.m., after brief negotiations, the commander of the Berlin defense, Helmut Weidling, surrendered and signed the capitulation order. The units that refused to surrender were destroyed by the end of the day.

    Thus ended the Berlin offensive operation. And although the capitulation of all of Germany was still ahead, it was already a matter of time. The main result of the battle was the destruction of the last large forces of Germany and the capture of its top leadership, as well as the liberation from captivity of hundreds of thousands of civilians of the Soviet Union and many European countries. About 1 million Red Army servicemen were awarded the Medal “For the Capture of Berlin”. Among them were employees and graduates of the Moscow Engineering and Economics Institute, heroes of the Scientific Regiment of the State University of Management: – Georgy Bryansky – Dean of the Faculty of Organizers of Industrial Production and Construction, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Professor, during the war assistant to the division commander for political affairs; – Boris Ionas – Head of the Department of Construction Economics, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, twice Knight of the Order of the Red Star; – Alexey Kozhin – Professor of the Department of Management in Automobile Transport, Candidate of Economic Sciences, during the war commander of a control platoon, and later a battery of a howitzer-artillery regiment; — Arkady Pashenin – 1941 graduate of the Moscow Institute of Power Engineering, retired lieutenant colonel, during the war a major in the headquarters of the 5th Shock Army, standard-bearer at the signing ceremony of the act of surrender of Germany; — Alexey Strigin – associate professor, candidate of historical sciences, retired lieutenant, during the war served as a tank platoon commander.

    #Scientific regiment

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/16/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canastota Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Drug Conspiracy and Firearm Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Andrew Snyder, age 46, of Canastota, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and for possessing firearms as an unlawful user of controlled substances.

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood made the announcement.

    As part of his prior guilty plea, Snyder admitted that from approximately October 2020 through May 17, 2022, he conspired with his wife, Jessica Snyder, to distribute both methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl mixture to others out of the garage of their home in Madison County. Snyder further admitted that on May 17, 2022, while he was an unlawful user of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, he possessed two 9mm handguns and ammunition.

    Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered Snyder to serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. Jessica Snyder is currently scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2025.

    This case was investigated by ATF and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas R. Sutcliffe and Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dedicated to the heroes. Moscow museum projects for the 80th anniversary of Victory

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    City museums are preparing special projects dedicated to the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. About what exhibitions can be seen in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the State Museum of the Defense of Moscow and other cultural institutions – in the material mos.ru.

    “Dedicated to Heroes” at the Ilya Glazunov Gallery

    Dates: April 3 – December 30

    Address: Izmailovsky Boulevard, Building 30

    Age limit: 6

    The exhibition “Dedicated to Heroes” introduces the indomitable strength and courage of the Russian army, captured in the paintings of naive artists and in the works of masters of heroic popular prints. The exhibition presents works dedicated not only to the Great Patriotic War, but also to the stories of other military exploits over many centuries.

    Popular prints on military subjects are unique documents, they preserve the people’s memory of the exploits and glory of heroes. Many popular prints still serve as a source of knowledge about the military history of tsarist Russia.

    Buy tickets you can on mos.ru.

    “Immortal Regiment of Russian Geneticists” at the State Darwin Museum

    Dates: April 15 – June 29

    Address: Vavilov street, house 57, building 1

    Age limit: 12

    The scientists discussed at the thematic exhibition in the State Darwin Museum are the cream of Russian genetics. They made a great contribution to the overall victory. Among the front-line soldiers were famous practicing doctors of science who managed to distinguish themselves during the war years, many were awarded military orders and medals, and achieved high military ranks. Visitors will be able to see portraits of outstanding geneticists, learn about their scientific work, participation in military operations, and awards.

    You can visit the exhibition with an entrance ticket to the museum.

    “Hero Cities” at the State Museum of the Defense of Moscow

    Dates: April 18 – June 30

    Address: Michurinsky Prospect, Olympic Village, Building 3

    Age limit: 6

    The new exhibition will be dedicated to 12 cities of the Soviet Union and the Brest Fortress, which became famous for their heroic defense during the Great Patriotic War and received the titles of “Hero City” and “Hero Fortress”.

    The exhibition will feature unique items from the collection of the State Museum of the Defense of Moscow. The hero cities will be represented by graphics by Ivan Tsarevich, Vasily Medvedev, Pavel Baranov, Vasily Konovalov, Yaroslav Titov and other artists who fought at the front. The works reflect the mood of the war years: the will to win, the suffering of civilians and the hard work of soldiers. Each painting is a true portrait of the city.

    Buy tickets you can on mos.ru.

    “The Darwin Museum during the Great Patriotic War” at the State Darwin Museum

    Dates: April 22 – July 27

    Address: Vavilov street, house 57, building 1

    Age limit: 6

    Visitors will learn how the State Darwin Museum survived many difficult trials from 1941 to 1945, but did not stop its educational activities. The exhibition is based exclusively on items from the institution’s collections: photographs, archival materials, original and printed graphics.

    Already in the third week of the war, several employees went to the front with the people’s militia units, and 11 people continued to work in the museum, for whom it became a matter of honor to preserve the collections and throw the ideas reflected in them into the fight against the enemy.

    The specialists took patronage over several Moscow hospitals, where they carried out cultural and educational work. In a short period of time, they prepared lectures, supplemented with visual material. For example, the theme “Animals on the Fronts of the Great Patriotic War” was illustrated by paintings by Konstantin Flerov and Alexey Komarov, painted within the walls of the Darwin Museum during this difficult time.

    Entrance to the exhibition – with a museum ticket.

    Exhibition for the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War at the Nikolai Ostrovsky Museum

    Dates: April 22 – June 29

    Address: Tverskaya street, house 14

    Age limit: 0

    Nikolai Ostrovsky was a figure inspiring Soviet people to feats – during the Great Patriotic War, not only military equipment but also military units of various purposes (for example, partisans) bore his name. The new exhibition will tell about the lives and feats of people united by a common goal.

    Visitors will see exhibits evacuated from the museum in August 1941, letters from frontline soldiers, and materials about the Ostrovsky family’s participation in the Great Patriotic War. The exhibition will feature documents and photographs from the institution’s employees’ archives, telling about their work at the front and support for servicemen in the rear.

    Among the interesting exhibits is the book “How the Steel Was Tempered”, donated by members of the Nikolai Ostrovsky partisan detachment, which was part of the Alexander Suvorov brigade. In rare moments of rest, the fighters were inspired by the story of Pavka Korchagin, whose main motto was the words: “Only forward, only to the line of fire, only through difficulties to victory.”

    Entrance to the exhibition – with a museum ticket.

    “Maestro, take off!” at the Cosmonautics Museum

    Dates: April 24 – October 6

    Address: Mira Avenue, Building 111

    Age limit: 6

    The 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Berlin Red Banner Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky Regiment (5th GIAP) became the most effective air combat unit of the Great Patriotic War. The pilots carried out over 15 thousand combat sorties, destroyed over 700 enemy aircraft, inflicted great damage on ground troops, and collected important intelligence data.

    The profession of a pilot was extremely popular and in demand in the USSR in the first half of the 20th century. The exploits of its representatives had a huge impact on the younger generation: the flight of Valery Chkalov, the rescue of the Chelyuskinites, in which the future head of the first cosmonaut detachment Nikolai Kamanin took part, the dropping of the Victory Banner on the roof of the Reichstag (for this the 5th GIAP received the title of “Berlin”). Yuri Gagarin in his autobiography described a meeting with pilots during the occupation and his admiration for these amazing people: “In the morning the pilots flew away, leaving behind bright memories. Each of us wanted to fly, to be as brave and beautiful as they were. We experienced some strange, unknown feeling.” The first cosmonauts, whose childhood fell on the war years, became military pilots – thus the baton of heroes was passed on.

    The exhibition is based on the story of two people united by the goal of preserving the memory of the heroic past of their ancestors: the son of ace pilot Ivan Laveykin, Hero of the Soviet Union, USSR pilot-cosmonaut No. 61 Alexander Laveykin, and the great-grandson of sniper Vasily Zaytsev, Vladimir Donshin.

    Visitors will see the squadron’s authentic battle flag — a sacred symbol of the regiment, personifying the glory and valor of the military unit. Descendants of the heroes will help them learn their stories: the exhibition will feature documentary and photo materials, personal belongings, including priceless relics — uniforms and awards. One of the sections of the exhibition will be a large-scale video installation, which combines newsreel footage and fragments of the film “Only Old Men Are Going to Battle”. Among the artifacts on display is the heart of the legendary combat vehicle, the fiery engine. At the end of the exhibition, you can learn the story of the feat of Pyotr Kalsin, who was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but did not have time to receive the award, as he went missing.

    Entrance to the exhibition – with museum tickets.

    “And courage, like a banner, was carried” in the Alexander Shilov Gallery

    Dates: April 24 – May 30

    Address: Znamenka street, building 5

    Age limit: 6

    “Such concepts as love for the Motherland, readiness to defend it, the image of a person standing guard over the Fatherland have always been very close to me,” says Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, People’s Artist of the USSR Alexander Shilov. The theme of the Great Patriotic War is one of the main ones in his work, portraits of veterans are a genuine chronicle of the war years created by the artist. With these images, Alexander Shilov tells about courage, patriotism, high human dignity of people who went through severe trials. His heroes were generals and doctors, pilots and sailors, partisans, intelligence officers and ordinary soldiers.

    Over the years of his work, the master has created the history of Russia in faces. The exhibition will feature the following portraits: “On Victory Day. Machine Gunner P.P. Shorin”, “Sister of Mercy (Elena Mikhailovna Ogneva)”, “Special Purpose Partisan M. Stroganov”, “War Veteran I.F. Rubtsov”, “Hero of the Soviet Union Attack Pilot V.B. Yemelyanenko”, “Participant in the Victory Parade Colonel N.A. Gorbachev”, “Hero of the Soviet Union Intelligence Officer G.A. Vartanyan” and a number of other paintings. More than 50 portraits, each with its own story, its own destiny. You can get acquainted with them at the exhibition “And Courage, Like a Banner, They Carried”.

    Tickets – on mos.ru.

    “Victory Salute” at the State Museum of the Defense of Moscow

    Dates: April 25 – August 31

    Address: Michurinsky Prospect, Olympic Village, Building 3

    Age limit: 6

    On May 9, 1945, to commemorate the victory over Germany, a special salute was given in Moscow: 30 artillery salvos from one thousand guns, accompanied by the cross-beams of 160 searchlights and the launch of multi-colored rockets.

    The Victory Salute is an exceptional event with unique aesthetics and impeccable organization based on engineering and management solutions that were unique for its time. The exhibition at the State Museum of Defense of Moscow will tell the story of this most regulated festive event. The exposition will feature paintings, photographs, and rare materials from personal archives.

    Tickets are available for purchase on mos.ru.

    “With faith in the victory of life…” in the panorama museum “Battle of Borodino”

    Dates: April 29 – July 20

    Address: Kutuzovsky Prospect, Building 38, Building 1

    Age limit: 12

    The exhibition will feature drawings by Nikolai Zhukov, Leonid Golovanov, Vladimir Gorbachenko, Anatoly Gorpenko, Pavel Kirpichev, Yuri Tsishevsky, Dmitry Pyatkin and other front-line artists. They showed how peaceful life was gradually reviving in the territories liberated from occupation. At the same time, the drawings are filled with tragic signs of war, reminding us that battles had recently taken place here. But these works are characterized by faith in victory, historical optimism and humanism.

    You can buy tickets on mos.ru.

    “Victory Park. Images of Memory in Contemporary Russian Art” at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art

    Dates: April 30 – August 24

    Address: Petrovka street, house 25, building 1

    Age limit: 6

    The exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War focuses on modern sculptural monuments. Each room will feature photographs, texts and other exhibits to present a monument, and works from the museum’s collection will be gathered around it.

    Visitors will be able to see how the themes of war and Victory have been represented over the last three decades. These events, which in one way or another touched every corner of the country, became a powerful impulse for artists who created countless works throughout Russia and beyond. The exhibition will feature photographs, texts and graphics created at the front, as well as works by veteran and nonconformist artists such as Ernst Neizvestny, Nikolai Vechtomov, Vadim Sidur and other masters.

    Tickets are available for purchase on mos.ru.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152643073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourth Member of Alleged Chicago Robbery Crew Ordered Detained in Federal Custody Pending Trial

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    CHICAGO — The fourth member of a robbery crew allegedly responsible for violently robbing multiple liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago has been ordered detained in federal custody pending trial.

    XAVIER HARRIS, 26, of Chicago, conspired with his brother and two others to rob or attempt to rob more than a dozen Chicago businesses in 2023 and 2024, according to charges unsealed last month in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  In three of the robberies, Xavier Harris brandished a gun and pistol-whipped victims, including the cashier of a liquor store in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, according to a government memorandum filed in support of Xavier Harris’s detention.

    Xavier Harris was arrested last month.  Over the government’s objection, a federal Magistrate Judge ordered him released on an unsecured $10,000 appearance bond and location monitoring.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office appealed the release to U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood, who on Monday ordered Xavier Harris to remain detained without bond pending trial.

    The three other defendants – Xavier Harris’s brother, ARDARIES HARRIS, 27, of Chicago, JORDAN FOX, 25, of Chicago, and ROOSEVELT VEAL, 27, of Rockford, Ill. – were previously ordered detained without bond while they await trial.  All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, robbery, attempted robbery, and firearm charges.  The maximum sentence for each of the defendants is life in federal prison. Ardaries Harris, Fox, and Veal each face mandatory minimum sentences of thirty years, while Xavier Harris faces a mandatory minimum of 21 years. 

    A full list of the 15 robberies and attempted robberies can be found here.

    The detention order was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, the Illinois State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Great Lakes Regional Task Force.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  The case was also conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.

    “The nature and circumstances of these serious offenses and the weight of the evidence demonstrate the danger posed to the community by Xavier Harris if he is released,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern argued in the government’s detention memorandum.  “Xavier Harris committed these robberies with absolutely no regard for human life or human safety.”

    The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –