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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Boost for swifter justice as legal aid consultation launches

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Vulnerable people at risk of unfair eviction or homelessness could benefit from a £20 million a year boost in legal aid as a consultation is launched today.

    • Consultation launched on additional £20 million a year increase to help rebuild legal aid sector

    • First major funding boost for civil legal aid since 1996 to help those facing homelessness

    • Increase also earmarked for immigration work to help reduce the asylum backlog

    Vulnerable people, including those who are at risk of unfair eviction or being pushed into homelessness, could benefit from a £20 million a year boost in legal aid as a consultation is launched today (Friday, 24 January) as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    This would represent the first meaningful increase in civil legal aid fees in almost 30 years which, once fully implemented, will improve access to legal advice for people if they face unfair housing battles or are at risk of losing their home.

    The investment, which represents a minimum 10 percent increase in fees, will also support lawyers who provide advice to victims of modern slavery and trafficking as well as speeding up asylum processing. This will help the Government to deliver commitments on reducing the asylum backlog and ending hotel use and ensure that the most vulnerable are better able to navigate a complex legal system and get swifter access to justice.

    Justice Minister, Sarah Sackman KC, said:

    Today’s launch marks a crucial step towards rebuilding the legal aid sector which has been left neglected for years.

    A key part of our Plan for Change is ensuring the legal aid sector is on a sustainable footing. These proposals will make a real difference to helping support quicker access to justice for those who need it most.

    Today’s consultation on the fee uplift marks an early step in the Government’s response to the evidence gathered as part of the Review of Civil Legal Aid. This demonstrated that both the housing and immigration sectors are under particularly acute pressure.

    In total, the proposals would increase the spend on fees in the housing sector by 24 percent and for immigration and asylum work by 30 percent.

    In addition to the fee proposals, the consultation is seeking further evidence from civil legal aid providers on improving access to remote legal advice. Fees for other civil legal aid categories will remain under consideration.

    Last month the Government also committed to a consultation on uplifting fees for criminal legal aid for solicitors, having already provided a £24 million increase in fees for solicitors who work in police stations and youth courts.

    Further Information:

    • The Government has launched a consultation on increasing legal aid fees for those working in the housing (housing and debt) and immigration (immigration and asylum) sectors, proposing to increase fees to a rate in the region of £65/£69 per hour (non-London/London), or provide a 10% uplift, whichever is higher. Fixed fees will be uplifted by the same percentage as the increase in the underlying hourly rate for that work. This will be implemented in 2025-26 with costs scaling up to £20m at steady state. This will increase overall spend by 24% for housing and 30% for immigration.

    • The Government has also published five of the remaining reports from the Review of Civil Legal Aid: these are the Call for Evidence Summary; User Experience Literature Review; two Data Publications – Deep Dive reports for Housing and Immigration; and the Overarching Report. This evidence has informed the consultation and will continue to shape future policy direction.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for House Burglary on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to three years in federal prison for burglarizing a home in the Tucker community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation.

    According to court documents, Sherente Tubby, 23, burglarized the home of a tribal member in December of 2021.  Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022, and pled guilty in September of 2024.  He was sentenced on January 14, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.  

    The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a nationwide initiative that was launched in 2001 and works to reduce violent crime and gun violence.  It’s a collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders.  PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit http://www.psn.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A registered sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to child pornography charges.

    Corey Bouchard, 34, of Douglas, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with accessing with intent to view child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025 in Worcester. Bouchard was charged by complaint in April 2024.  

    During a November 2023 search of Bouchard’s home, a cache file was found on Bouchard’s cell phone, which contained approximately 72 videos depicting child pornography. The file names of approximately 56 of those videos matched the file names from media files shared by others to Kik messenger group chats that Bouchard was in. Bouchard admitted to accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.

    Bouchard has a prior state conviction for possession of child pornography and is a registered sex offender. The charge of access with intent to view child pornography provides for a sentence of a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, an assessment of $5,000, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3014, and assessment of up to $17,000, a mandatory special assessment of $100, restation, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge and Douglas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bartlesville Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Dewey Couple

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Lucas Anthony Walker, 22, for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian County. Judge Russell ordered Walked to serve 420 months for each count, followed by five years of supervised release.

    In January 2023, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the disappearance of Deborah and Larry Dutton. After searching the Dutton’s home, deputies found Deborah and Larry deceased in a shallow grave in the backyard. Walker confessed to shooting and stabbing Deborah and stabbing Larry to death.

    Walker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump is firing out presidential pardons and warnings of retribution. What happens next?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Quinn, Associate Professor in American and International Politics, University of Birmingham

    Donald Trump has now pardoned or commuted the sentences of around 1,500 January 6 protesters, including those who were convicted of crimes against police officers relating to the riot at the US Capitol.

    But use of the presidential pardon in the last few days was not restricted to the incoming president. On his last day in office, outgoing president Joe Biden signed a number of pre-emptive pardons in an effort, he suggested, to shield people from possible “retribution” at Trump’s hands.

    This included not just members of the House committee that investigated the Capitol riot, but also Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor to the president during the COVID pandemic, and Gen. Mark Milley, who retired in 2023 after four years as the nation’s most senior military officer, and whom Trump has previously suggested would have been executed for treason in a previous era.

    In December, Biden granted his son Hunter a sweeping pardon, and he extended the same to several other relatives in the final minutes of his presidency. In an accompanying statement he said: “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”

    Such pardons may be greeted with ambivalence by some recipients. One person who received a pardon was Adam Schiff, now a US Senator and previously a House member who both served on the Jan 6 committee and was lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment. He had previously declared he did not want such a pardon because, first, it was unnecessary since he had done nothing wrong, and, second, it set a bad precedent. We may find out in the months and years ahead whether he was right on either count.

    So how did we get here?

    A year ago, Trump faced a daunting obstacle course of criminal cases. Among them, he faced trial in New York for falsifying business records. Federal prosecutors had indicted him for trying to steal the 2020 election, and for illegally holding onto classified documents after his presidency ended. He also faced state-level election subversion charges in Georgia.

    By the time of his inauguration, however, his legal problems had been almost entirely resolved. He was convicted on the New York charges, but his punishment, an unconditional discharge, is a slap on the wrist. The greatest symbol of Trump’s victory over legal threats, however, is the shelving of the two federal cases against him. Both cases have now been dismissed at the request of the Justice Department because its policy prevents a criminal case against a sitting president. Even if this were not the case, as head of the executive branch Trump would have authority to order them dropped.



    Read more:
    Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

    Trump enters a second term freer of personal legal jeopardy than he has been in years. He is convinced that the cases against him represented a weaponisation of the criminal justice system by his political opponents. Now restored to the highest office, there are widespread fears that he may wield federal power to retaliate against those he believes have wronged him.

    In the run-up to the election he spoke often about “retribution” against “the enemy within”. An NPR investigation of Trump’s rallies and social media posts since 2022 found more than 100 instances of his explicitly or implicitly threatening to “investigate, prosecute, jail or otherwise punish his perceived opponents”.

    He has repeated that he “would have every right” to go after those he believes have waged “lawfare” against him over the last several years.

    If he does decide to try, it is less likely than during his first term that top officials will block or dissuade him. Trump’s current nominee for attorney general, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, was part of his defence team during his 2020 impeachment, then an active supporter of his campaign to overturn the 2020 election. During her Senate confirmation hearing she refused to say that she would defy pressure from Trump, but she did say that “politics will not play a part” in deciding who to investigate. Few will have felt completely reassured.

    Even more concerningly, Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, the leading national criminal investigative agency, has resigned before the usual duration of his tenure, after Trump declared he intended to replace him with Kash Patel. Patel, more than any other senior Trump nominee, has spent his career at the heart of the post-2016 Maga movement. He held junior roles late in the first Trump administration, but in the years since he has advocated using criminal and civil prosecution to root out “conspirators” among journalists and government officials.

    Patel even published a book containing a list of “Members of the Executive Branch Deep State” (including both Democrats and Republican appointees), seen by some as an “enemies list”. This is an appointment that some believe suggests restraint is unlikely.



    Read more:
    Trump’s election interference case may be closed, but it still matters for America’s future

    The January 6 rioters and plotters were among the first beneficiaries of the transfer of power. While campaigning Trump had portrayed them as martyrs to his cause and pledged pardons. He made good on that promise on day one by pardoning or commuting sentences. He also ordered the Justice Department to dismiss all pending indictments.

    It remains to be seen what approach the new president will take toward those who have worked prominently against him. He had previously said that some who served on the Congressional committee investigating the attack on the Capitol ““should go to jail”, often singling out former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who also received a pre-emptive pardon from Biden. Trump has also suggested that Biden should have issued a pardon for himself.

    It is doubtful that targeted investigations could ultimately produce criminal convictions without some plausible case. For the time being at least, US courts and the jury system retain sufficient independence that blatantly groundless and malicious prosecutions would struggle to get that far against targets with the resources to defend themselves.

    But as previous federal probes have illustrated – such as those into the Clintons – even an investigation that ultimately stops short of bringing charges against its top targets can last years, impose significant legal expenses on those embroiled in it, and inflict stress and distraction.

    The aim of this kind of action may be to instil a climate of anticipatory fear in which outspoken criticism in the future seems, to most, more trouble than it is worth. The US is not there yet. But it is closer to such a state than it has been in any of our lifetimes.

    Adam Quinn has previously received research funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF)

    – ref. Donald Trump is firing out presidential pardons and warnings of retribution. What happens next? – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-is-firing-out-presidential-pardons-and-warnings-of-retribution-what-happens-next-247646

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Netflix’s La Palma’s ‘megatsunami’ has been debunked

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hannah Little, Lecturer in Communication and Media, University of Liverpool

    In the Netflix series La Palma, a Norwegian family goes on holiday to the Canary Islands when a young researcher discovers alarming signs of an imminent volcanic eruption. Cumbre Vieja is an active volcano on La Palma, which last erupted in 2021. The series culminates in a “megatsunami” capable of engulfing Europe and reaching as far as the west coast of the US.

    It’s a truly terrifying prospect.

    Disaster stories are hugely popular and La Palma is just the latest hit in the growing genre. In his book Disaster Mon Amour, the film critic David Thomson identifies the filmmakers’ goal of creating “a spectacle of devastation with cozy human interest”. But stories like La Palma can have real world impact.

    The series presents itself as being based on a real hypothesis, which is communicated by newscasters and a scientist in the title sequence of each episode. The tsunami expert Simon Day, whose research inspired the show, is also thanked in the closing credits. However, La Palma does nothing to capture the more up to date and reassuring science.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    While volcanic events can trigger tsunamis, as experts in volcanoes and the communication of disaster, we can assure you that the eruption and subsequent rapid collapse of the island depicted in the series isn’t a plausible scenario that scientists are concerned about.

    What should be taken more seriously are localised tsunamis. Such “megatsunami” scenarios have been debunked in recent years you’ll be happy to hear.

    There have been more than 17 eruptions in the Canary Islands since the 1400s, none resulting in a “megatsunami” across the Atlantic.

    Stories have the power to communicate information about environmental risk for audiences. Following the release of the film, some have dug up the megatsunami hypothesis, raising it back into the public awareness.

    The idea of a “megatsunami”, triggered in the way it is in La Palma, first arose in a 2001 paper by the academic the series thanks in its credits, Simon Day and the geophysicist Steven Ward based on one extreme hypothetical scenario. This theory has since been proven false by subsequent studies that show that a Canary Islands eruption and collapse might reach the US with a maximum wave height similar to a storm surge at one to two metres , not the 25-metre waves depicted in La Palma. Newer research has also called into question the scale of the landslide used in the original study which would cause such a tsunami.

    Since the initial work, we understand a lot more about how large landslides and tsunamis occur, and the computer models used to test tsunami scenarios have improved. Research on the underwater landslide deposits has shown that these collapses occur in multiple, smaller steps, not one massive slide into the ocean. Such a large tsunami would leave telltale deposits in North and South America – but they are nowhere to be found.

    The importance of understanding the risk relating to real volcanoes was encapsulated during the 2021 eruption of Cumbre Vieja. As the eruption progressed, volcanologists received messages from concerned and frightened people fearing a megatsunami, which prompted the US Geological Survey to respond outlining why the hypothesis doesn’t carry. This was even before a major Netflix drama had recounted such an imaginary event.

    Volcanogenic tsunamis of all sizes are a real threat around the world and hazards experts want to know what our risks are so we can prepare and protect our communities. This becomes difficult when facts are diluted or distorted by stories like La Palma’s. Volcanologists with limited resources during an eruption end up spending more time debunking information rather than talking to the press about the potential dangers.

    During the 2021 eruption, the people of La Palma suffered greatly and continue to struggle with claiming compensation and rebuilding their homes or accessing their properties. Tourist numbers dropped to a third of pre-pandemic levels after 2021’s volcanic eruption.

    Misinformation about eruptions and their risks can add to the stress of those inhabiting or visiting volcanic islands, not only concerned about their own safety, but the security of an economy that relies heavily on tourism. With the right information, we can empower communities to prepare themselves and to act fast when the time comes.

    A lot of people watch Netflix, but not many people read scientific papers on volcanology. Given this, it might be that the responsibility of getting the science right and accurately representing risk should lie with the people with a captive audience. There is an opportunity to work with scientists to help spread the right information alongside promotion for future stories about such disasters.

    Simon Day was approached for comment but hadn’t responded by the time this article was published.

    Katy Chamberlain received funding to work on the 2021 La Palma eruption from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency grant number: NE/ W007673/1

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

    – ref. Netflix’s La Palma’s ‘megatsunami’ has been debunked – https://theconversation.com/netflixs-la-palmas-megatsunami-has-been-debunked-246916

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why meteorologists are comparing Storm Éowyn to a bomb

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Suzanne Gray, Professor of Meteorology, University of Reading

    A satellite image of the British Isles during Storm Éowyn’s descent. ©EUMETSAT (2025), CC BY

    Storm Éowyn is today unleashing strong and damaging winds over the British Isles, and particularly over Ireland and Scotland.

    Air pressure at the centre of the storm plummeted 50 millibars in the 24 hours leading up to midnight on January 24. That’s more than twice what is required in the definition of “explosive cyclogenesis”, in other words, the development of a cyclonic (anticlockwise rotating) storm that is both rapid and severe – like a bomb going off. As a result, Éowyn can be termed a “bomb cyclone”.

    It is not unusual for winter storms in this part of the world to reach bomb cyclone status. However, only very few in recent years have shown a rate of deepening pressure that is comparable to that of Storm Éowyn.

    The exceptional intensity of Storm Éowyn was predicted and it has prompted the Met Office and Met Éireann to issue red warnings covering the whole island of Ireland and central and southern Scotland. This tells the public to expect widespread gusts of 80-90mph and up to 100mph in the most exposed locations. A record-breaking gust of 114 mph has this morning been provisionally reported at Mace Head on Ireland’s west coast.

    Similar intense storms have left widespread damage and tragically claimed lives. Some, such as the infamous Great Storm of 1987, have entered popular culture.

    Éowyn’s place in history

    The maximum gust during the Great Storm was measured as 115mph at Shoreham, on the west Sussex coast. However, the anemometer stopped recording immediately afterwards so the real peak may have been higher.

    A scientific paper has cast doubts on the UK national low-level wind gust record (so, excluding mountain summits) of 142mph. This was recorded at Kinnaird Head Lighthouse at Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on February 13 1989. The researchers documented brief power supply interruptions to the recording anemograph, which could have given a faulty reading.

    The record-highest wind gust measured in England sits at 122mph. This was recorded at the Needles, a very exposed site at the edge of the Isle of Wight, during Storm Eunice in February 2022. Two gusts of similar strength were recorded less than two years later (November 2023) in Brittany during Storm Ciarán.

    In Ireland, the strongest gust recorded by an inland low-altitude weather station was during ex-Hurricane Debbie in 1961, with 113mph measured at Malin Head, the most northerly point of mainland Ireland. A gust of 97mph was measured in October 2017 at Roche’s Point at the entrance to Cork harbour during ex-Hurricane Ophelia.

    The measurements we’re now seeing during the passage of Storm Éowyn are up there with those recorded during the most infamous storms of recent years and decades.

    What makes a storm ‘explode’

    Like making a cake, there are several key ingredients to cooking up an explosively developing bomb cyclone like Storm Éowyn.

    A strong jet stream – the ribbon of winds about six miles up in the atmosphere over the North Atlantic – is one. Winds here are currently exceeding 200 mph – their strength is linked to the strong temperature contrast between the cold plunge of air across the eastern US and the far warmer air over the western North Atlantic.

    This strong jet has provided the energy for the storm’s development and is also the cause of its race towards the UK across the North Atlantic. Storm Éowyn came to life off the eastern seaboard of the US during Wednesday January 22 and will have covered over 2,000 miles before it arrives off western Scotland by Friday midday.

    The low-pressure centre of Storm Éowyn crossed the jet stream from south to north en route, an ideal track for explosive development.

    Éowyn’s heavy rainfall as it tracks towards the UK is a result of another key ingredient for explosive storm development: deep clouds within the storm that generate energy when their water condenses. These clouds are fed by strong fluxes of heat and moisture from the warm ocean surface, and scientists have been detecting record-warm surface ocean temperatures in the North Atlantic in recent years.

    The role of climate change

    When a storm such as Éowyn occurs, people ponder the role of climate change in fuelling its strength. Our experiences of future storms will depend on what tracks these storms typically take and how that influences their intensity. Stormy weather is, of course, not unusual in the autumn and winter over the British Isles and it requires detailed research to attribute the strength of any specific storm to climate change.

    To date, the observed trends in storminess have not provided a conclusive link with climate change. The latest assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, experts relating to all aspects of climate change who are convened by the United Nations, states that there is “low confidence” in the direction of trends in the number and intensity of extratropical storms (those that form outside of the warm band surrounding Earth’s equator) over the last century.

    One reason why it is difficult to make this link is that the position and variability of storminess is very dependent on the jet stream, and its position varies a lot from day to day, week to week, and beyond. Large-scale climate patterns such as the El-Niño Southern Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation, and sea surface temperatures and the extent of sea ice are also likely to be important factors.

    Despite this uncertainty, there are indications that in the future, winter storms may become more frequent and more clustered (such that several storms occur within a few days of each other), which can exacerbate their overall impact. The frequency of storms with extreme winds may also increase. Rainfall is highly likely to increase, as a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.

    Another thing that could change about intense storms in future is their propensity to develop “sting jets”. Sting jets are descending airstreams that can produce particularly destructive surface winds, as in the Great October storm, Storm Eunice and Storm Ciarán. Sting jets are short-lived and occur over very small areas, making them hard to predict and identify.

    There is speculation over whether a sting jet has descended during Storm Éowyn. Post-event verification will be needed. While the overall impact on wind speed is uncertain, the small number of studies that have considered sting jets in future cyclones have predicted an increase in their likelihood.

    Cyclones that are capable of producing sting jets also typically show more vigorous cloud development, consistent with the hypothesis that the intense storms of the future will be influenced by our hotter and wetter atmosphere.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Suzanne Gray has previously received or currently has funding from the Natural Environmental Research Council and AXA Research Fund to work on sting jet storms, and storms in the Arctic and Mediterranean regions.

    Ambrogio Volonté has previously received or currently has funding from the Natural Environmental Research Council, AXA Research Fund and the University of Reading to work on sting jet storms, and storms in the Arctic and Mediterranean regions.

    – ref. Why meteorologists are comparing Storm Éowyn to a bomb – https://theconversation.com/why-meteorologists-are-comparing-storm-eowyn-to-a-bomb-248203

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The rector of the State University of Management took part in the meeting of the State Council Commission on Personnel

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev took part in the first meeting of the State Council of the Russian Federation Commission on Personnel in 2025, which took place on January 22, 2025.

    The Chairman of the Commission, Governor of the Kaluga Region, and graduate of the State University of Management Vladislav Shapsha opened the meeting with a speech in which he spoke about work plans for this year.

    The event was attended by representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Government, the Federation Council, the State Duma, heads of regions, federal and regional ministries, and the scientific and business community. Among them were the Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov, the First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, a graduate of the State University of Management Vasily Osmakov, the Chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education, and Culture Liliya Gumerova, the President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, and the Deputy Chairman of the State Council, Deputy Governor of the Kaluga Region, a graduate of our university Tatyana Leonova.

    The participants discussed the main areas of the Commission’s work in 2025 and approved the action plan for the year. The key task is to “land” in a number of pilot regions events related to technological sovereignty, regional personnel forecasts, and the professional education system, in accordance with the updated national objectives. At the same time, the entities participating in the project will be able to receive expert assessments from leading institutes, federal ministries, and subordinate institutions.

    The meeting participants identified assistance to veterans of the special military operation in adapting to civilian life, including in mastering a new profession, as a key priority.

    It was also decided that in February of this year, a visiting meeting would be held in the Kaluga region, in Obninsk, which would be dedicated to the human resources potential of Russian science.

    “We are working on mechanisms for mutual coordination of the goals of national projects. In our case, technological leadership with a regional personnel forecast and routing of students “school-SPO/university-employer”, – Vladislav Shapsha reported on his social networks.

    Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev noted that he will take part in the next meeting of the Commission and share the experience of the State University of Management in this area.

    The national project “Personnel” was launched this year by decision of President Vladimir Putin. The main objective of the national project is to help prepare employees efficiently and quickly to meet the needs of employers. This can be achieved through the coordinated work of the state, educational institutions and companies. The national project is aimed at career guidance for schoolchildren and employment of recent graduates – measures are provided for the development of targeted training and industrial practices, the formation of a flexible system of professional standards, and increased labor mobility; to transform the approach to the professional development of already working Russians – assistance will be provided in changing professions or acquiring new skills; to create conditions for the development of business competencies in young people.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/24/2025

    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 United Kingdom: Culture Secretary speech at the Creative Industries Growth Summit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s speech on government plans to grow the creative industries, at the Creative Industries Growth Summit in Gateshead.

    Welcome to the first Creative Industries Growth Summit. The first national and international gathering of the industries we have chosen to be the centre of our plan for economic growth. 

    Today I want to talk to you about how, together, we are going to take the brakes off our fastest growing industries and from design and TV to music, video games and fashion, we are going to unleash the power of our creative industries. 

    To grow our economy. To create good jobs, choices and chances for all our young people. To power the world through our dynamic creative industries. 

    It’s no accident that we chose to meet here in Gateshead. A town with a proud industrial history. Through iron, steel and coal the people of this town – and this region – powered us through the last century. And Gateshead is now at the forefront of Britain’s cultural renaissance. 

    Through great institutions like the Baltic and the Glasshouse, sculptures like the Angel of the North, and a growing film industry and video games industry across the region, Gateshead and the North East are a shining example – every bit as striking as the Millennium Bridge – of how you build a living, breathing bridge from our past to our future. 

    That potential exists in every nation and region of the United Kingdom. Where our world class creative industries have given us a uniquely British brilliance, from the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Derry Girls in Northern Ireland, the Hay Festival in Wales, the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, and the British Museum in London which pulls in more visitors from around the world than any apart from in New York.

    But while governments of every stripe have appreciated the social value of our creative industries, they have consistently underpriced the huge economic potential of industries that are already among our most powerful engines of growth. That ends with us.

    I shouldn’t have to say it but I do. From theatre to fashion, advertising to publishing, the creative industries have grown one and a half times faster than the rest of the economy. You together in this room are responsible for creating one in seven jobs through the creative economy. You contribute £124 billion to our economy. Your industries generate nearly 6% of our GVA.

    Paul Simon once sang: “Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.” There are only three countries that are net exporters of music. That is so uniquely true of Britain. We are the musicians, the creators, the storytellers, who tell our story, light up the world and power this economy. That is the talent and ambition that you have, that has built sectors that were worth more to the economy in 2022 than aerospace, life sciences and the automotive industries combined. 

    But too often you’ve done extraordinary things, not in partnership with your government, but despite it. You’ve been knocking on doors in Whitehall for far too long with a clear message. You want the stability that gives investors confidence to back you. You want a government willing to take a bulldozer to every barrier to growth.

    Well today we’re throwing those doors wide open. We share your passion. We match your ambition and we are going to back you to the hilt as one of only eight industries that we believe will power us through the next century.

    I’m delighted that Baroness Shriti Vadera has agreed to lead us through this new chapter as the next chair of our revamped Creative Industries Council. She and the titan that is Sir Peter Bazalgette have wasted no time in setting to work on the Sector Plan, which is our dedicated plan in the Industrial Strategy that will guide us forwards. 

    But as we put those plans in place to carry the torch forwards, you’ve been nothing but straight with us about what is holding you back. And we’ve heard it loud and clear. Investment, innovation, international competitiveness, and skills. So today in all of these areas we’re taking the brakes off our fastest growing industries and inviting you to motor ahead. 

    We’re starting by making sure you have the investment and backing you need. Like every part of the UK economy, the creative industries have amazing start-ups that struggle to scale up. The growth potential is huge, but the investments are often wrongly deemed too risky and this is particularly true outside London and the South East – forcing great British creative businesses to look overseas to scale.

    We are determined to keep that creative pound here in the UK. So as a first step to addressing that all-important finance barrier, the British Business Bank, which supports over £17 billion in finance for businesses already, is committing to increase the scale of its support for the creative industries. 

    Backing capital fund managers to invest in UK creatives, supporting those experts who understand the unique strengths of this sector in the UK. And we are asking the British Business Bank to report to us on its investment in the creative industries, so that we know the real world impact it is having.

    Secondly, we’re taking steps today to address some of the principal barriers to innovation, research and development investment. Time and again we’ve seen examples of creative businesses coming up with innovations that go on to benefit the wider economy. 

    3D modelling, pioneered for video games, is now employed by Rolls Royce in developing engines. 

    Visualisation technologies are helping bring down the backlog in the NHS, helping surgeons at hospitals like University College Hospital, to increase the number of prostate operations they do every year. That is lives changed because of the work you are doing.

    It’s why the Prime Minister’s Council of Science and Technology recommended that public investment in R&D in the creative industries reflect the size, economic contribution and future growth potential of the sector.

    So today we are announcing that we will strengthen the investment from our national research funding agency UKRI into creative R&D.

    This means building on the success of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and programmes like the Creative Clusters Programme. It means UKRI will develop a specific new strategy to support the creative industries.

    And it means a long-term investment plan for innovation and growth in the sector, allowing us to build world-leading infrastructure around the UK. And again, to underline this commitment, the Government will ask UKRI to report on its investment in the creative industries.

    Because underpinning this is our belief that public and private investment should better reflect the creative industries’ contribution to the economy and its enormous growth potential. 

    But as we embrace new innovation across the country, we will do it in a way that works for creatives, rather than just paying lip service to your concerns. Creators have always been at the cutting edge of new technologies. 

    But we hear creators’ concerns and we recognise the worry that AI is an existential threat to livelihoods. There is no value without content. I want to assure you in the clearest possible terms: creatives are at the core of our AI strategy.

    When it comes to copyright we’re unambiguous in our desire for a copyright regime that provides creators with real control, transparency and ensures they can license their content.

    Thirdly, we’re taking on the skills shortages holding your industries back. We are proud to be supporting major investment projects like the Crown Works film studio in Sunderland. But too often what I hear from young people is that they could no more dream of getting those jobs than going to the moon. 

    That is not just a tragic waste of human potential. It’s bad business. 

    It’s why people like Stephen Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, who is working to bring in a film school in Birmingham, is recruiting and training 20% of his workforce from local postcodes. 

    It is essential for investors to know that they don’t have to incur the costs of shipping people in to work on a project, because that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.

    [political content]

    So, the Education Secretary has announced a review of the curriculum. As part of that we are putting creativity, art, music, culture and sport back at the heart of the curriculum, supporting culture and creativity through the education system.

    We’re going to introduce shorter apprenticeships from August 2025. This is one of our first steps towards a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy, recognising the particular needs of this sector.

    A movie can take six months to film, while the inflexible apprenticeship model we inherited requires a commitment to 12. We’re knocking down these needless hurdles and this is just the start.

    Skills England, along with DfE and my department, are now committing to work with creative employers to identify where else the apprenticeship system can be more flexible to help them get the skills they need, when they need them.

    We want kids growing up in Gateshead and Wigan to know that they have a contribution to make, that is seen and is valued. And that contribution is not just for Britain – it’s for the world.

    Because our creative industries aren’t just at the heart of our Industrial Strategy and our economic plan, but right at the centre of our ambition to reconnect Britain to the world.

    This week the Foreign Secretary and I put the creative industries at the heart of our new Soft Power Council which we lead together and we launched on Wednesday.

    We both know that when it comes to international competitiveness, we cannot afford to stand still. So in Europe we are working together to unlock closer cooperation to support our touring artists and those across the EU.

    We’ve wasted no time in introducing tax credits for VFX and independent film. A shining example of how industry and government working together drives investment, creates jobs and allows the best storytellers in the world to tell those stories to the world.

    And to drive the sector’s international impact, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and I are extending the Music Export Growth Scheme, which will help great artists to take their talent to the next level. Because nobody has a monopoly on talent. 

    I spent three of the happiest years of my life just over the Tyne Bridge at Newcastle University. And apart from having to get used to being called a southerner, those years introduced me to the very rich culture and heritage here in the North East.

    And when I look around this region, it is obvious to me, as it is to so many of you, that this is a region that should be the Hollywood of the UK. With its innovation, its work ethic, its ability to reinvent and reimagine itself. 

    There is a reason why investors are clamouring to invest here. Not just the creativity of the people, and the strong local leadership, but the beauty of the backdrops and the sheer scale of the space to build film studios like Crown Works in Sunderland. 

    So it is extraordinary that for 19 of the last 20 years only two regions – London and the South East – have had the backing and investment to make a net contribution to the public purse. 

    Trying to grow the economy while ignoring the potential in most parts of Britain is like trying to fly a jet on only one engine. So as well as breaking down the barriers to investment, innovation and skills, we are going to build on what you’ve started through the Sector Plan – learning from the success of London as a global hub, to turbocharge the growth of the creative industries right across the UK. 

    There is huge untapped potential across our country, from the music industry in Liverpool to film and TV production here in the North East. And we know mayors and local businesses – like Kim McGuiness here in the North East and Tracy Brabin who has led trade delegations and created cultural collaborations all over the world – know better than anyone how to unlock this creativity, innovation, and growth. 

    That is why today we are announcing new funding for six Mayoral Strategic Authorities with high potential, which local leaders will be able to spend and invest on what they know local creative industry businesses need. They are: the North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and the West of England.

    This is just the first step in boosting growth in all parts of the country. The Sector Plan will include further support that will benefit all businesses wherever they are based. We will work with any part of the country that wants to prioritise the creative industries in their local growth plan.

    Alongside that, we are putting money where our mouth is. Today the Chancellor and I are committing £40 million of funding toward the creative industries in the next fiscal year. Including funding 127 businesses to take growth to the next level – including 11 here in the North East of England.

    That’s new funding for creators and creative businesses, major music labels, film studios and fashion houses. It is a serious sign of our belief in these industries and breaking down the barriers, so that many of you in this room can do the same.

    And this is just the first step. In the months ahead we will be taking more action, developing the Industrial Strategy across Whitehall and knocking down these barriers in the way of this sector’s growth.

    [political content]

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Response to Storm Éowyn

    Source: Scottish Government

    Severe weather and disruption expected to continue. 

    First Minister John Swinney has asked people to continue to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel during the red weather warning and to be mindful that dangerous conditions will persist for the rest of the evening while the amber warning remains in place. 

    It follows a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR), which is co-ordinating the response to the damage and disruption caused by Storm Éowyn in Scotland. 

    SGoRR was updated on the current impacts, including: 

    • Currently around 100,000 households without power 
    • Severe transport disruption with rail, bus, flight, ferry and tram cancellations as well as road closures across the network 
    • 92% of the school estate in Scotland is closed 
    • Cancellation of non-urgent medical appointments 

    The First Minister said utility companies are working at pace to restore power as quickly as possible, however as conditions remain too dangerous for recovery teams to operate fully, welfare provisions are in place to support the most vulnerable. Members of the public are also being urged to plan ahead and continue to follow safety advice in the coming days, including checking for the latest road conditions, Scotrail services and public transport advice which are all expected to experience continued disruption.   

    First Minister John Swinney said: 

    “Storm Éowyn is an exceptional weather event and is causing significant impacts across Scotland, with multiple reports of fallen trees and blown over vehicles. What the Met Office predicted has come our way, with gusts of 100mph winds reported. 

    “I want to thank members of the public for largely following Police Scotland’s advice not to travel. However, this storm is not over yet. Even once the red weather warning expires, severe weather warnings for wind, snow and ice remain in place across much of the country tonight and into tomorrow morning. 

    “A high level of vigilance is still required. There are still too many lorries on the road and I urge all HGVs to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel during the red weather warning. 

    “We are also seeing reports of multiple power outages across Scotland and expect these to continue over the course of the day. It will take time to recover power and transport services across the country, as conditions still remain too dangerous for recovery teams to operate.  

    “Utilities companies are focused on supporting their most vulnerable customers and I’d encourage everyone to please look out for each other and take extra care during this time.” 

    Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland, who is leading the multi-agency response to Storm Eowyn, said:

    “We have seen significant disruption across the country, particularly in the areas affected by the red weather warning. First and foremost, our thoughts are with those who have been injured and those impacted by the weather.

    “The high winds are forecast to continue, with Amber warnings in place into this evening and tomorrow morning.

    “It is concerning that there has been a large number of HGVs on the road. We have responded to 11 incidents so far where HGVs have overturned due to high winds and I want to reiterate the advice that you should not travel in or to areas under the red weather warning. Additionally, I would urge the public to avoid travelling in areas affected by the Amber warning and consider delaying your travel until conditions improve. We don’t ask you to do this lightly and we make this ask with public safety at the forefront of decision-making.

    “Roads are likely to be affected by debris for some time to come and motorists should drive with caution when it is safe to return to the roads.”

    Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Head of Operations Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Garry Mackay said:

    “Our Operations Control rooms are experiencing an extremely high number of 999 calls at the moment. Please only dial 999 and ask for us where there is an immediate risk of harm.

    “For fallen trees or obstacles that do not pose an immediate risk to the public or property, we are asking the public to please contact your local authority.”

    Background  

    SGoRR was attended by the Deputy First Minister, and Cabinet Secretaries for Health; Education; Transport; Justice; Rural Affairs and Islands; and Net Zero and Energy. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners. 

    The latest Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website.  

    Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website.   

    Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.   

    Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online. 

    To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on SP Energy Website. 

    During a power cut firefighters can be called to fires started by candles or portable heaters. For advice on how to stay safe during a power cut visit Scottish Fire and Rescue Website.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: FHLB Des Moines Announces 2025 Affordable Housing Advisory Council Appointments

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Housing and Community Investment Committee of the Federal Home Loan Bank Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) Board of Directors appointed one new individual and re-appointed four individuals to the FHLB Des Moines Affordable Housing Advisory Council (Advisory Council). The members are selected for their knowledge and experience providing or promoting affordable housing and community economic development within the FHLB Des Moines district. The Advisory Council is made up of 15 diverse members representing a variety of community-based and not-for-profit organizations.

    The role of the Advisory Council is to advise the FHLB Des Moines Board of Directors about the affordable housing and community lending needs of the Bank’s district.

    New appointee

    • Sharon Vogel, At Large – Executive Director of Cheyenne River Housing Authority on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation

    Re-appointed members

    • Mike Akerlow, Utah –Director of Housing and Community Development for the Mayor of Salt Lake County
    • Bob Peterson, Washington – Deputy Director of Washington State Housing Finance Commission
    • Kevin Bryant, Missouri – Executive Founder and Developer of Kingsway Development LLC, President of Kingsway Merchants District Association and CEO of Conversions Global Marketing
    • Renee Stevens, At Large – Executive Director of Open House Ministries in Vancouver, WA

    “I look forward to working with Sharon Vogel and the re-appointed members. Each bring a depth of expertise and experience that enriches the Advisory Council,” says Jennifer Ernst, FHLB Des Moines Community Investment director. “We are fortunate to have such a diverse Advisory Council that provides valuable perspectives and insights about ways FHLB Des Moines can support the affordable housing and community development needs in its district.”

    For a full list of the FHLB Des Moines Advisory Council members, please visit our website.

    # # #

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines is deeply committed to strengthening communities, serving 13 states and three U.S Pacific territories as a member-owned cooperative. We work together with more than 1,200 member institutions to support affordable housing, economic development and community improvement.  

    FHLB Des Moines is one of 11 regional Banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Members include community and commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, thrifts and community development financial institutions. The Des Moines Bank is wholly owned by its members and receives no taxpayer funding.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Bill to Ensure Dignified Burial for Aborted Fetal Remains

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    January 24, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led eleven colleagues in introducing the Dignity for Aborted Children Act. The bill would require abortionists to dispose of the remains of unborn children with the same dignity and respect as any other human being who dies.

    “A few years ago, the remains of over 2,200 aborted babies were discovered in an abortionist’s home,” said Senator Ricketts. “It’s horrifying that human remains would be treated like common medical waste. My bill will ensure that the remains of aborted children are given the dignity and respect they deserve.”

    Ricketts’ bill is co-sponsored by Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jim Justice (R-WV), James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

    The bill was first covered by the Daily Signal here. Bill text can be found here.

    Ricketts has long championed the right to life. When he was Governor, he signed into law bills to ban dismemberment abortion and bolster Nebraska’s informed consent protections for moms. He provided pregnant mothers priority parking spots and nursing mothers’ rooms at state buildings. He also allowed state teammates to donate unused vacation leave to support expecting mothers.

    BACKGROUND

    The Dignity for Aborted Children Act sets out requirements for the disposition of human fetal tissue from an abortion.

    Specifically, the bill:

    • Requires abortionists to dispose of the remains of unborn children just as any other human being.
    • Requires abortionists to obtain a patient’s informed consent for retaining possession of the remains or for allowing the abortionist to transfer the remains to an entity that provides interment or cremation services.

    Abortionists must ensure any tissue released to them is interred or cremated within seven days of the procedure in a manner consistent with state law regarding the disposal of human remains. Abortionists must report annually about these requirements and other specified information. The bill provides civil or criminal penalties for violations of disposal, informed consent, and reporting requirements.

    Ricketts’ bill is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Concerned Women for America, and Students for Life Action.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Retail Trade Remains Strong in Saskatchewan

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on January 24, 2025

    Province Ranks Second in Year-Over-Year Retail Trade Growth

    Latest data released by Statistics Canada shows retail trade sales in the province increased by 5.1 per cent from November 2023 to November 2024 (seasonally adjusted), reaching $2.2 billion. This ranks second in terms of percentage change among the provinces.

    “Saskatchewan’s nation leading retail trade numbers demonstrate the strength of our provincial economy,” Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding said. “This key economic indicator is reflective of our province’s thriving local business sector, supported by our strong and stable leadership. The growth we are experiencing is creating new jobs and opportunities for all those who call Saskatchewan home.”

    The Monthly Retail Trade Survey compiles data on sales, including e-commerce sales, and the amount of retail locations by province, territory and selected census metropolitan areas from a sample of retailers.

    Retail sales is a measure of total receipts at stores, or establishments, that sell goods and services to final consumers.

    The province continues to see economic success across several key indicators. Saskatchewan exports totalled over $102 billion for 2022 and 2023 combined. This is an increase of more than 52 per cent from the previous two-year period, and the highest export numbers in the province’s history. 

    Statistics Canada’s latest GDP numbers indicate that Saskatchewan’s 2023 real GDP reached an all-time high of $77.9 billion, increasing by $1.77 billion, or 2.3 per cent from 2022. This places Saskatchewan second in the nation for real GDP growth, and above the national average of 1.2 per cent.

    Private capital investment is projected to reach $14.2 billion in 2024, an increase of 14.4 per cent over 2023. This is the highest anticipated percentage increase in Canada.

    The Government of Saskatchewan also unveiled its new Securing the Next Decade of Growth – Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy last year. This strategy, combined with Saskatchewan’s trade and investment website, InvestSK.ca, contains helpful information for potential markets and solidifies the province as the best place to do business in Canada.  

    To learn more, visit: investSK.ca.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Plymouth Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to a Decade Long Cyberstalking Campaign Against Multiple Victims and Possession of Child Pornography

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

    Defendant allegedly posted digitally altered images of victim to social media accounts and programmed artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation with other unknown users of social media platforms

    BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to cyberstalking numerous Massachusetts victims through social media, email and various online platforms. The defendant allegedly programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of social media platforms and used generative artificial-intelligence tools to create pornographic images of the victims in order to post them online to websites that focus on shaming and degrading women.

    James Florence Jr., 36, has agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. Florence was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024. According to the charging documents, on or about January of 2014 through September of 2024, Florence engaged in an extensive cyberstalking campaign targeting victims and those associated with them. Florence used a variety of techniques and methods to allegedly harass and intimidate his victims and others in the community, including making fake nude images of the victims, doxing or exposing victims’ personal information, creating vulgar fake accounts in the victims’ names and accessing online accounts without authorization (i.e. “hacking”) the victims’ accounts.

    Florence’s cyberstalking campaigns allegedly included obtaining, -and then widely distributing, private information about the victims, such as private photographs or photographs shared amongst friends on social media. These photographs were frequently doctored to appear sexual or pornographic in nature. According to court documents Florence also allegedly accessed online accounts without authorization; created accounts in the name of his victims; and solicitated fantasy sexual encounters on their behalf. In the case of one victim, those fabricated sexual encounters allegedly included building a profile of the victim on an interactive platform with information about the victim’s apparent underwear preference, information that the victim was sexually adventurous, used sex toys and had a sex swing in her home. Florence allegedly listed the victims home address; posed as his victims by creating impersonation accounts in their names and then posted  or sent various harmful content from those accounts; encouraged others to extort, shame, defame and intimidate victims for pornographic material; and stole victims’ underwear and used photos of the underwear to both harass those victims or engage with others on the internet to further  mutual sexual fantasies.

    In addition to having received threatening messages from social media and email accounts believed to be controlled by Florence, the victims also allegedly received harassing and extorting communications that are believed to be from users who messaged the victims as a result of Florence’s posts encouraging them to do so. Florence allegedly created and posted photo collages of one of the victims to a website, including images edited to make her appear nude or semi-nude along with all her personal identifying information and captions that encouraged viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”

    The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth Fire Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Anderson Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Following Drunk Driving Crash

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Jonathon Jerald Ashley Jr., 30, of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    According to court documents, on October 22, 2023, an Anderson Police Department officer was called to a vehicle crash in the vicinity of 20th and Noble Streets. The officer arrived to find a heavily intoxicated Jonathon Ashley walking away from the accident.

    During a search of Ashley’s person, officers located a loaded Glock handgun in his front right pocket. At the time of arrest, Ashley had been previously convicted of domestic battery, resisting law enforcement, invasion of privacy, dealing in a narcotic drug, and pointing a firearm. His felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

    “This defendant has repeatedly demonstrated his utter disregard for the law or the safety of others, including those closest to him,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Many illegally armed perpetrators of gun violence in the home and in the community have a prior history of domestic violence. That’s why our office is working together with the FBI, through the LEATH initiative, to protect the public from these offenders and save lives.”

    “This dangerous combination of impaired driving and illegal possession of a firearm had the potential to lead to devastating consequences and this sentence underscores the seriousness of the defendant’s actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who show such reckless disregard for the law and the safety of others will be held accountable.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Anderson Police Department and investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call.  A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sexism linked to social ills for men and women, finds largest cross-cultural study of its kind

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Magdalena Zawisza, Associate Professor in Gender and Consumer Psychology, Director of Groups and Societies Research Centre and Chair of Faculty Athena Swan Committee, Anglia Ruskin University

    Feminism is facing a backlash, with women’s rights being rolled back in many countries and a significant number of people saying feminism has gone far enough or even too far. Yet women still face basic obstacles to education in some countries and are generally paid less than men. They still suffer from male violence and, in some places, face increasing restrictions to reproductive rights. There are even some places where families force midwives to kill their newborn girls.

    Many women are also fed up with doing both a full-time job and the lion’s share of domestic duties and unpaid caring jobs. It’s easy to wonder whether gender equality is simply impossible, especially as many men inaccurately perceive that gains for women equate losses for men.

    But there is hope. Our 62-nation psychological study, which is largest of its kind, suggests that gender equality benefits us all and sexism is harmful to everybody – women, men and nations in many surprising ways. As such, we all have an interest in promoting egalitarianism.

    As our findings show, sexism is linked with several social ills affecting us all. For example, higher sexism predicted lower GDP – indicating lower economic productivity. It also predicted a lower “global peace index”, meaning nation’s higher domestic and international conflict, militarisation and lower safety and security.

    Further, sexism was linked to a greater level of antidemocratic practices in a given country. Lastly, it even predicted shorter healthy lifespans (ones without chronic disease or disability) in women and men as measured with WHO’s Healthy Life Expectancy in Women and Men. For example, our data reveals that one point increase in sexism (measured from 0-5) is linked with a 9.12 months shorter lifespan in men and 8.88 months in women.

    While the type of analysis we did cannot directly prove that sexism causes these issues, the pattern of our findings aligns with theoretically driven predictions and with experiments that directly test such links on a smaller scale. It makes more sense to expect that sexism leads to poor health than that poor health leads to sexism, for example.

    Specifically, other research reports that sexism reduces human capital by restricting women’s education and job opportunities, thus depleting economic productivity. A country where most women work is likely to have much higher productivity than a country where all the women stay at home.

    Research also shows that sexist masculine norms encourage male violence contributing to greater conflict. And we know that sexism is linked to medical discrimination for women, such as less medical research on women and treating women’s complaints as less credible. This may lead to poorer health.

    Sexism prevents men from getting help with their mental and physical health.
    YURII MASLAK/Shutterstock

    For men, sexism discourages seeking help for psychological or medical problems, seeing it as weakness. It also encourages risk-taking, such as aggression or not using seatbelts. This may well cause a reduction in health and wellbeing.

    Two faces of sexism

    Importantly, our study also reveals that affectionate but patronising attitudes to women are also harmful to all – you might not even recognise them as sexist. And you are not alone.

    After 30 years of its conception, our research supports the ambivalent sexism theory. The theory proposes that sexism has two faces: hostile and benevolent. While both are ugly, the latter hides under the veil of superficial positivity. Hostile sexism is an open and overt hostility to non-traditional women and a desire to punish those who break norms, such as female politicians.

    Benevolent sexism, on the other hand, is superficially positive but patronising. It includes attitudes that reward traditional women, such as stay-at-home mums, by idealising them, offering them male protection and provision. This sounds innocent, but such beliefs imply women’s weakness.

    In fact, research has shown that exposure to benevolent sexism increases women’s acceptance of hostile sexism, decreases their work performance, and reduces their support for gender equality action.

    Both ideologies work together to maintain men’s power over women: they form a system of rewards and punishments akin to the iron fist (hostility) in a velvet glove (benevolence). Thus, hostile and benevolent sexism are internalised also by women.

    Our study shows that people who hold benevolent sexist views are also more likely to hold hostile sexist views, as the two correlate positively in 62 countries across five continents. Compared with 2000, when the last such study was done in 19 countries, average national sexism scores dropped a meagre 0.47 points (on a 0-5 scale). See our world map of this and other concepts we measured.

    While men are more sexist than women around the world, women’s beliefs about themselves are also sexist to some extent. Interestingly, as men’s hostile sexism increased, women embraced benevolent sexism more (sometimes outscoring men) – probably attempting to secure the promised protection and provision.

    Unfortunately, this benevolent promise appears false. Across our 62 countries, the higher benevolent sexism, the lower was the gender equality, women’s labour participation and the more time women spend on unpaid domestic chores.

    Taken together, our research suggests that it may well be in the interests of women, men and nations alike to tackle sexism for a better future for us all. In other words, women’s gains mean men’s gains too.

    Dr Magdalena Zawisza received funding for activities related to this study from from National Science Centre, Poland. She volunteers her expertise to Women on Boards CIC Leadership Committee and Think Tank, UK.

    This research was funded by a grant from the National Science Centre in Poland (grant 18 number: 2017/26/M/HS6/00360) awarded to Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka

    – ref. Sexism linked to social ills for men and women, finds largest cross-cultural study of its kind – https://theconversation.com/sexism-linked-to-social-ills-for-men-and-women-finds-largest-cross-cultural-study-of-its-kind-247183

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump labels drug cartels as terrorist groups – what it means for Mexico and beyond

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics, Lancaster University

    Donald Trump returned to the US presidency on January 20 with a flurry of executive orders. This included the designation of criminal gangs and drug cartels operating south of the Mexico border as “foreign terrorist organisations” – a first for a US president. The state department will now decide which groups are added to the list.

    Trump’s disdain for the criminal fraternity in Latin America is not new. When announcing his first run for the presidency in 2015, Trump claimed the Mexican government was deliberately sending drugs, rapists and criminals to the US.

    To keep them out, he floated and later implemented a rigorous border protection programme. This led not only to mass deportations, but also the building of a concrete and metal wall along the US-Mexico border that spans hundreds of miles.

    In his new order, Trump claimed the “cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the western hemisphere that has not only destabilised countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the US with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs”.

    How will this order, if it eventually becomes law, impact the people towards whom it is directed?

    Fears of military action

    A terrorist designation expands the government’s ability to collect military intelligence on the cartels and prosecute people deemed to be offering any “material support” to these groups. However, some fear the designation will also make it politically easier for the US government to order direct military intervention against the cartels without having to go through Congress.

    During Trump’s first term, for instance, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation. Its head, General Qasem Soleimani, was killed by a US drone strike less than a year later. The Trump Administration cited its foreign terrorist organisation order as justification for its actions.

    Trump has not yet ruled out similar military action in Mexico. On January 20, while signing executive orders in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he would send the special forces to confront Mexico’s cartels. “Could happen. Stranger things have happened”, he replied. In the past, Trump has also apparently suggested a missile attack on Mexican drug labs.

    The idea of unilateral US military action against the cartels has always faced stiff opposition from Mexico. And in December, as plans to designate the cartels as terrorist organisations gathered steam, Trump’s Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum said: “We collaborate, we coordinate, we work together, but we will never subordinate ourselves … Mexico is a free, sovereign, independent country and we do not accept interference.”

    However, US military operations in Mexico may not be so far-fetched. The US has previously staged armed interventions in Latin America when it has felt its national interests were under threat. The ousting of Panama’s leader, Manuel Noriega, in 1989 is a good example.

    That year, the then US president George H.W. Bush ordered 20,000 American troops to invade Panama in an operation to “protect the lives of American citizens”. Noriega, who was arrested after spending days hiding in Panama City’s Vatican embassy, was wanted by US authorities for racketeering and drug trafficking.

    The invasion resulted in the deaths of 514 Panamanian soldiers and civilians (though the unofficial count is closer to 1,000), and three American servicemen.

    Power of persuasion

    The terrorist designation could, on the other hand, simply be a tactic to pressure governments across Latin America into taking tougher action against the gangs. We have already seen the likes of El Salvador’s iron-fisted president, Nayib Bukele, do the heavy lifting for the US, so far as countering criminal gangs is concerned.

    With US assistance, El Salvador currently operates the infamous Terrorism Confinement Center, a maximum security jail that holds high-ranking members of the country’s main criminal gangs. Its critics consider it a “black hole of human rights” and one of the harshest prisons in the world.

    Over the past few weeks, Trump has rebuked Sheinbaum for not doing enough to curtail the power of cartels operating in her country. He claimed earlier in January that Mexico was “essentially run by the cartels”.

    Trump’s proposed appointment of Colonel Ronald Johnson, a former Green Beret with extensive experience in US military intelligence, as ambassador to Mexico signals a potential shift in US strategy toward direct confrontation with the region’s governments to step in line.

    Trump can also buy compliance from governments in Latin America to do his bidding against the cartels, as was the case with Plan Colombia. Launched in 2000, the US-funded US$1 billion project (equivalent to roughly £1.5 billion today) provided foreign and military aid to Colombia in an attempt to fight the production and trafficking of illegal narcotics in the country.

    Plan Colombia was subject to considerable controversy. Its critics claim it led to gross human rights violations as well as the destruction of the environment and people’s livelihoods. But successive US administrations have maintained that Plan Colombia, which came to an end in 2015, was a success.

    The terrorist designation will usher in seismic changes in Latin America. Should Sheinbaum embrace Trump’s initiative, in part or in its entirety, then it is likely to lead to a civil war-like situation in Mexico, given the firepower and deep pockets the cartels have.

    In 2007, under the so-called Mérida Initative, the US donated at least US$1.5 billion to help the then Mexican president, Felipe Calderón, launch his “war on drugs”. The outcome of that war was disastrous, with tens of thousands of lives lost and its effects still being felt today.

    Amalendu Misra is a recipient of British Academy and Nuffield Foundation Grants.

    – ref. Trump labels drug cartels as terrorist groups – what it means for Mexico and beyond – https://theconversation.com/trump-labels-drug-cartels-as-terrorist-groups-what-it-means-for-mexico-and-beyond-248035

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Holocaust: how ‘rescue archaeology’ is tackling the impending loss of surviving witnesses

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tony Kushner, James Parkes Professor of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations, University of Southampton

    This year is the 80th anniversary of the Soviet army’s liberation of Auschwitz, the huge and complex concentration and death camp in which one million Jews were murdered.

    The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is For a Better Future, a message of hope that is much needed in this extremely troubling world, where the far right is gaining power inside and outside of Europe.

    An issue which has troubled those, like myself, who are involved with Holocaust education and memorialisation for some time is what to do when the survivor generation passes on.

    This is no longer a theoretical concern. Every year, inevitably and at an accelerating rate, the numbers of Holocaust survivors diminishes. In the past few years in the UK alone, prominent survivors have been lost. Most recently Lily Ebert, aged 100, who late in life became famous through relating her harrowing story through the very modern media of TikTok.

    Speaking about her death, King Charles said: “Alongside other Holocaust survivors she became an integral part of the fabric of our nation; her extraordinary resilience and courage an example to us all, which will never be forgotten.”

    Indeed, many Holocaust survivors have been prominent in recent years, recounting their testimony to schools and the media. Holocaust Memorial Day, inaugurated at the start of the new millennium, has provided a special place for survivors at both a national and local level.

    This year at the University of Southampton, for example, we are privileged to have Janine Webber, a survivor of the Lvov ghetto in German-occupied Poland, speaking. She will relay to a diverse audience of all ages and backgrounds her life before, during and after the Holocaust.

    Through the Parkes Institute for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations, we have organised this city-wide event for over two decades. We know, however, that this may be one of the last times we will be privileged to have the survivors at the heart of our programme. In 2035 it will be the 90th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and by then few survivors, if any, will still be alive.



    Read more:
    Charlotte Delbo and the women of Convoy 31000: how researching their stories led me to a forgotten subcamp and Nazi lies in the Auschwitz archive

    There is a certain irony in the understandable angst about the devastating prospect of a world without Holocaust survivors (as well as their liberators, and those who helped Jewish people during their darkest hour).

    For many years after 1945, Holocaust survivors were not given the space to talk about their experiences – a silence that often extended to their children and wider families. It was only talking in their own small circles that these survivors felt that their experiences would be understood.

    Now the situation is very different. Survivors are honoured for their work in educating new generations born well after the second world war. King Charles’s heartfelt tribute to Ebert reflects a wider tendency. Many have been given honours, including a knighthood to the late survivor leader, Ben Helfgott, who died in 2023. Helfgott was one of over 700 child survivors who were flown to the UK in 1945 to recuperate and ended up making a huge contribution to the country.

    The Pride of Britain Awards honoured Sir Ben Helfgott in 2020.

    In the 1950s and 60s, when the first histories of the Holocaust were produced, the focus was on the perpetrators and the victims were voiceless and seen as “uneducated men” who had no place in accounts of the recent past. All of this changed in the late 20th century when the Holocaust grew in public awareness and interest.

    Belatedly, the survivors were rescued from obscurity and the human element of the tragedy came to the fore. Local and then international testimony projects emerged, the largest being the ongoing Visual History Archive which has interviewed close to 60,000 survivors, including of more recent genocides such as that in Rwanda.

    ‘Rescue archaeology’

    I have estimated that there may be up to 100,000 testimonies of Holocaust survivors in video, oral history and written format – perhaps the most related to any event in history. Most recently these interviews have been developed as interactive holograms where students and others can ask questions of the survivors such as the University of Southern California’s Dimensions project.

    These projects are a form of “rescue archaeology”, saving the testimony of survivors before it is too late. They are, especially in the hologram form, a way of directly confronting the dilemma of how to educate and commemorate without the survivors actually being present.

    The University of Southern California’s Dimensions in Testimony project.

    In 2000, the Imperial War Museum in London opened its first Holocaust galleries. Before then the Holocaust had rarely been confronted by this landmark museum. In 2019 a new permanent Holocaust exhibition was also opened. In both exhibitions, survivor testimony was a prominent and engaging feature. Video testimony especially can capture the attention of all age groups and backgrounds.

    But even with this remarkable resource of recorded Holocaust testimony, something huge and irreplaceable will be lost when we no longer have the survivors to tell their stories.

    Even when survivors are unfocused in their presentation, or they find it challenging to communicate what is ultimately indescribable, there has been a bond between them and their audience. In some ways their presence has made it too easy for those involved in education and commemoration to deal with the Holocaust.

    We must therefore find fresh ways of doing justice to their experiences, using their recorded experiences (including those who were killed but managed to write their testimony in the war itself through diaries) and finding creative ways of engaging a new generation to whom this is now distant history.

    It would be naive, however, to think that the post-survivor world will be an easy one to navigate. We have been lucky that the survivors have had the courage and energy to share their experiences and must regret that it took us so long to listen.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Tony Kushner 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. The Holocaust: how ‘rescue archaeology’ is tackling the impending loss of surviving witnesses – https://theconversation.com/the-holocaust-how-rescue-archaeology-is-tackling-the-impending-loss-of-surviving-witnesses-248202

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The pope’s memoir, Oscar nominees and a mafia exhibition – what to read, see and do this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Walker, Senior Arts + Culture Editor

    I finally got round to watching Conclave last week. Two hours of Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini in Oscar-nominated performances alongside Lucian Msamati and a stray papal turtle. The scandals. The tension. The outfits (also nominated). A sublime experience.

    On the way home from the cinema, I became lost in background reading. “How much do we know about real conclaves controversies?” I jabbed into Google. “How close was the film’s pope to the current pontiff, Francis?” As I soon realised, the real Vatican is frequently stranger than fiction. Take Wake Up!, for example, Pope Francis’s progressive rock album (no, really) which was released in 2015.

    More surprises are in store in his autobiography, Hope, which was published this week. It’s the first time a pope has written a memoir. As explained by our reviewer, the appropriately named historian of the Catholic church Professor Liam Temple, we’ve never known this much about the pontiff before. We learn that young Francis was an avid football and basketball fan, for example. But also, that he’s now a deeply remorseful man, often impatient and periodically anti-social.



    Read more:
    Pope Francis autobiography: we’ve never known so much about the pontiff before

    The book had us wondering. Would you rather learn about historic figures through their own words, or the art of others? Answer our poll to let us know and reply to this email with your favourite memoir of all time. My colleague Naomi’s is Just Kids by Patti Smith.

    A brutal backlash

    The Brutalist swept the Oscars shortlist yesterday with ten nominations including best picture, director and actor in a leading role. We asked a real architect to review the film.



    Read more:
    The Brutalist: an architect’s take on a film about one man’s journey to realise his visionary building

    The trailer for The Brutalist.

    Adrian Brody plays Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth. He’s arrived in Philadelphia after surviving the Holocaust and is taken under the patronage of wealthy industrialist, Harrison Van Buren (Guy Pearce). It’s a monumental work about the foundations, both literal and ideological, of post-war America. Three-and-a-half hours long (with a welcome intermission) it is staggering in its scale and ambition – a film that really must be seen in the cinema.

    For fans, the Academy’s support is a relief. For the past week, nominations were in doubt due to a growing backlash around the film’s use of AI to enhance the authenticity of the actors’ Hungarian accents. The language’s hard-to-imitate vowel sounds proved tricky even for Brody, whose mother was a Hungarian refugee. For Dr Dominic Lees, who has been researching the use of AI in filmmaking for six years, this creative decision is hardly shocking, especially in comparison to other recent uses of the technology – we’re looking at you, Here.



    Read more:
    AI voice technology used in The Brutalist is nothing new – the backlash is about transparency

    The trailer for Kyoto.

    With a climate-change denier back in the White House, the London opening of Kyoto at the West End’s Soho Place could hardly be timelier. The Royal Shakespeare Company production dramatises the intense negotiations of the world’s first climate change treaty. In doing so, it “turns diplomacy into a contact sport”, eliciting gales of laughter from the audience and raising plentiful questions to ponder on the way home.

    Kyoto is playing at London’s Soho Place theatre until May 3.

    Through the lens

    We caused some controversy last week with our rundown of six covers of Bob Dylan songs that were better than the originals. “What no Guns N’ Roses, Knocking on Heaven’s Door?” asked one reader. “I’ll give you Hendrix, but all the others are ersatz compared to Bob’s versions,” proclaimed another.

    The trailer for A Complete Unknown.

    Hopefully one thing Dylan fans can agree on is the strength of Timothee Chalamet’s Oscar-nominated performance in the new biopic, A Complete Unknown. To our reviewer’s mind, he brings charm, vulnerability and authenticity to what will surely become one of the stand-out roles of his career.



    Read more:
    A Complete Unknown: Chalamet’s brilliant performance captures the elusive essence of a young Dylan

    You might expect an exhibition of mafia photos to depict conflict, violence, men in suits and victims in pieces. But a new show of Sicilian photographer Letizia Battaglia at London’s Photographers’ Gallery instead presents images of lovers, flowers and children in the street.

    Born in 1935, Battaglia was one of the first women reporters in Italy. This is the first major UK exhibition of her work since her death in 2022. Through her lens, she frequently captured the ambiguous reality of the mafia in Sicily. The revolution of her work was the way it stripped the mafia of its glamour, by showing not only its violence, the murders, the desperation, but also the banality and the normalisation of their crimes.

    Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily is on at The Photographers’ Gallery, London, until February 23.

    – ref. The pope’s memoir, Oscar nominees and a mafia exhibition – what to read, see and do this week – https://theconversation.com/the-popes-memoir-oscar-nominees-and-a-mafia-exhibition-what-to-read-see-and-do-this-week-248184

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Yorkshire company fined for polluting river with bleach

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A Huddersfield company has been fined and ordered to pay costs totalling almost £9,000 after it polluted a river with bleach and killed hundreds of fish.

    Specialist packing company Liquipak Ltd, based at Queens Mill Business Centre at Queens Mill Road, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 January 2025, where it pleaded guilty to an illegal discharge of bleach.

    The court heard that in September 2021 the bleach – sodium hypochlorite – escaped after a wooden pallet collapsed. The spilt bleach was flushed into surface water drains which discharge into the River Holme where it meets the River Colne in Huddersfield.

    Over 800 dead fish were counted 3kms downstream in the River Colne, as well as dead aquatic invertebrates, such as insects that live in water.

    In mitigation the court heard the company was deeply remorseful and that it was an unfortunate accident. The court also heard the company had introduced new handling procedures for its containers and had obtained a drainage plan.

    The company was ordered to pay a fine of £2,666.67 after being given credit for an early guilty plea in addition to a victim’s surcharge and prosecution costs bringing the total amount to £8,973.67.

    Thorough investigation after reports of pollution

    Environment Agency Environment Officer Peter Kirton said:

    Companies have a responsibility to ensure their activities do not have serious environmental impacts.

    It’s important they understand their site drainage and the difference between surface and foul drains.

    We carried out a thorough investigation into this pollution incident and the company has since taken steps to ensure there is no recurrence in future.

    The court heard the liquid was stored in containers – those containing liquids are stored inside the warehouse and empty containers outside.

    In September 2021 the Environment Agency received a report of dead fish in the River Colne. Officers attended and their investigation traced the source to Liquipak.

    The company explained there had been a spillage of bleach inside the warehouse, which happened when a wooden pallet the containers were stacked on gave way, resulting in some of them toppling and spilling.

    The contents went down a manhole cover in the warehouse. It hadn’t been reported to the Environment Agency because the company thought the manhole led to the foul sewer.

    An Environment Agency officer used green dye to trace the discharge from the manhole, confirming it was a surface water drain that led to the river.

    While the court agreed the incident was negligent, it accepted there were mitigating circumstances including that the company co-operated fully with the investigation, carried out a clean-up and has since taken steps around storage and operation to prevent it happening again in the future. The court accepted the offence was not commercially motivated.

    Pollution incidents can be reported to the Environment Agency on its 24-hour incident hotline, 0800 807060.

    Background

    Full charge

    On 2 September 2021 Liquipak Ltd caused a water discharge activity, namely the discharge of Sodium Hypochlorite into inland freshwaters, namely the River Holme at its confluence with the River Colne, otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit.

    Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Seek to Honor All-Female WWII Six Triple Eight Battalion

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in urging Congressional Leadership to honor female WWII veterans. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Senators request he hold a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony commemorating the Six Triple Eight battalion, the only all-black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II. The Six Triple Eight were responsible for clearing out an overwhelming backlog of mail, making certain American troops received letters from home to boost their morale.
    Former President Joe Biden signed the Congressional Gold Medals into law in 2022. Today, only two members of the battalion are still alive and deserve to receive this long-awaited recognition in a timely manner.
    “We write today to request a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony commemorating the Women’s Army Corps unit, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This battalion, commonly known as the Six Triple Eight, was composed of courageous women who played a crucial role in America’s pivotal victory in the European Theatre during World War II,” the Senators wrote.
    “We first recognized these women in 2018 when the Senate passed a resolution to honor the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. In 2020, the Senate successfully passed the “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 to award the Congressional Gold Medal to members of this battalion. Finally, in 2022, the Six Triple Eight legislation was signed into law,” the Senators continued.
    The Senators concluded, “However, we are nearing a critical juncture. Today, only two members of the Six Triple Eight are known to be alive. Those still surviving ought to not wait any longer to receive this long-awaited recognition they rightfully deserve. The design and production of the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal is complete. Therefore, we ask that you swiftly schedule a ceremony to recognize the service these women gave to our nation.”
    On the letter, King was joined by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), James Risch (R-ID), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
    Representing one of the states with the highest rates of veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, he has worked to ensure that veterans have access to jobs and training after separating from military service. In 2024, Congress passed Senator King’s bipartisan legislation to improve veterans’ access to health care and benefits.
    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
    +++
    Dear Mr. Speaker,
    We write today to request a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony commemorating the Women’s Army Corps unit, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This battalion, commonly known as the Six Triple Eight, was composed of courageous women who played a crucial role in America’s pivotal victory in the European Theatre during World War II.
    The Six Triple Eight was the only all-Black, all-female unit of the United States Army serving overseas during World War II. Their momentous task was to clear out a three-year, 17-millionpiece backlog of mail sent to American servicemembers on the battlefield. Their motto, “no mail, low morale,” encouraged them as they faced these insurmountable odds.
    We first recognized these women in 2018 when the Senate passed a resolution to honor the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. In 2020, the Senate successfully passed the “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 to award the Congressional Gold Medal to members of this battalion. Finally, in 2022, the Six Triple Eight legislation was signed into law.
    Since passing this legislation, numerous historical articles have been written, and a film was produced in commemoration of the tireless work accomplished by more than 850 women. The role these women played in boosting the morale of young servicemembers during World War II is cemented in our nation’s history.
    However, we are nearing a critical juncture. Today, only two members of the Six Triple Eight are known to be alive. Those still surviving ought to not wait any longer to receive this long-awaited recognition they rightfully deserve. The design and production of the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal is complete. Therefore, we ask that you swiftly schedule a ceremony to recognize the service these women gave to our nation.
    We appreciate the work you do in ensuring the recognition of deserving Americans with the highest distinction Congress can bestow, and we look forward to working with you in making this ceremony a reality.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Forging the Future: Training Center Opens to Train Next Generation of Defense Manufacturers

    Source: United States Navy

    The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program, launched in 2021, has graduated more than 777 students from 45 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Australia. About 25% of participants are veterans, and the program boasts a 90% job placement rate within the defense industrial base. New cohorts begin every eight weeks, offering a fast track to meaningful careers across five trades.

    The new National Training Center, a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot facility on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) campus, opened its doors on January 13. On that day, the center welcomed its first cohort of students, marking the beginning of an expanded operation that will train 1,000 students annually, creating a pipeline of skilled workers critical for building and maintaining the nation’s submarines and warships.

    “This facility helps address our immediate workforce needs,” said Frederick “Jay” Stefany, the Direct Reporting Program Manager for the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program. “It advances our efforts to restore our industrial base and ensure our industry partners have the skilled workforce they need to build and maintain the Navy’s fleet.”

    ATDM’s graduates are essential in addressing the maritime industry’s expanding workforce needs. The Navy’s shipbuilding plans include the construction of Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines, along with more than 10 different classes of surface ships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, amphibious warships, and support vessels. This unprecedented scale of shipbuilding requires a comprehensive strategy to rebuild America’s manufacturing capabilities. The establishment of the National Training Center marks a significant milestone in this endeavor.

    A National Imperative

    The MIB Program leads the Navy’s workforce development initiatives while advancing shipbuilding and repair capabilities through industrial base development, supply chain resilience, and advanced manufacturing technologies. With the U.S. manufacturing base having shrunk to a third of its size from 30 years ago, the program must overcome major challenges. One of these pressing challenges involves recruiting and training 140,000 new workers over the next decade for submarine production and sustainment, with an additional 110,000 workers needed for surface vessel construction and maintenance.

    “The decline in American manufacturing has created a critical skills gap,” said Erica Logan, Workforce Director for the MIB Program. “But we’re not just filling jobs—we’re rebuilding America’s maritime manufacturing capability and offering meaningful careers for the next

    generation of workers. Every graduate represents another step toward restoring our nation’s industrial strength.”

    This workforce development initiative is vital for both new construction and fleet maintenance, underscoring the strategic importance of programs like ATDM in maintaining America’s naval readiness. This national revitalization effort takes shape through individual success stories and community partnerships.

    The IALR campus, which hosts the National Training Center, also houses another key MIB Program initiative: the Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. This co-location creates a hub for maritime manufacturing innovation.

    Transforming Lives, Strengthening Communities

    Natasha Barnes, part of the inaugural class that began training January 13 in the new facility, represents a growing wave of skilled workers entering the defense manufacturing workforce.

    “ATDM has done an excellent job adapting during the transition into the new facility,” said Barnes, a CNC student. “It’s been an uplifting experience to learn in such a clean and well-maintained environment. I am very excited to see what the future holds for the program.”

    For Telly Tucker, president of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), the program’s impact goes beyond the classroom.

    “This facility is about more than training—it’s about revitalizing southern Virginia,” Tucker said. “It’s creating jobs, fostering economic growth, and building a pipeline of skilled workers who will strengthen our nation’s security.”

    To deliver on this promise of regional revitalization and support to national security, the National Training Center provides intensive, hands-on preparation.

    Hands-On Training for Real-World Impact

    ATDM’s intensive, 16-week accelerated training program provides students with 600 hours of hands-on experience in one of five trades critical to maritime manufacturing: welding, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, quality assurance, and non-destructive testing. Training runs on three shifts, mirroring the 24/7 operations of the defense industry.

    “This program isn’t theoretical—it’s practical,” said Christa Reed, ATDM’s Interim Vice-President. “When our students graduate, they’re not just trained—they’re ready to hit the ground running.”

    The curriculum, developed in collaboration with industry leaders, ensures students are equipped with the skills and certifications needed to meet the Navy’s rigorous standards. By

    simulating real-world manufacturing environments, the program prepares graduates to succeed in high-demand roles. This focused training approach directly enhances America’s maritime security.

    A Shared Mission

    The opening of the National Training Center represents a milestone in the Navy’s efforts to address workforce challenges and bolster the maritime industrial base. For Stefany, it’s a reminder of how these efforts impact national security.

    “Every ship we build, every submarine we launch, is a promise to the American people,” Stefany said. “That promise begins here, with the people we train.”

    As the Navy ramps up its fleet expansion, programs like ATDM and the new National Training Center are creating a ripple effect—transforming communities, empowering individuals, and ensuring America’s maritime superiority. The center highlights innovation, collaboration, and resilience, its impact extending beyond Danville to strengthen America’s maritime future.

    For more information about ATDM and its programs, visit http://www.atdm.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Tai and RoadSync Join Forces to Revolutionize Payment Processing in Logistics

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Jan. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tai Software has announced a strategic partnership with RoadSync, a leading technology company specializing in freight payment solutions. This alliance is designed to improve payment processing and simplify back-office operations for freight brokers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs), enhancing overall productivity.

    “Our collaboration with Tai delivers cutting-edge payment infrastructure for carriers, accelerating transactions and simplifying operations for brokers,” said Robin Gregg, CEO of RoadSync. “This integration underscores our dedication to advancing payments across the logistics industry, making processes faster, smarter, and more reliable.”

    RoadSync’s best-in-class technology enables digital payments in under 60 seconds, significantly reducing the turnaround time between carrier invoice and final settlement. When integrated with Tai’s TMS, brokers gain seamless synchronization of carrier profiles, automatic payment recording, and instant shipment data integration. These features help eliminate costly and time-consuming reconciliation challenges, minimize manual data entry, and offer visibility into potential issues upfront.

    “At Tai, we remain focused on empowering freight brokers and 3PLs with technology that simplifies operations and enhances efficiency,” said Daniel Ely, CPO at Tai Software. “Our partnership with RoadSync brings transformative payment capabilities directly into the Tai platform, allowing our customers to expedite workflows, improve transparency, and concentrate on driving their businesses forward. Together, we’re reshaping what’s possible in logistics payment processing.”

    Through this partnership, freight brokers will benefit from the combined capabilities of two software powerhouses dedicated to helping clients save time, reduce costs, and elevate the value of their technology solutions.

    To learn more about Tai Software, visit http://www.taisoftware.com. To learn more about RoadSync, please visit https://roadsync.com/. For more information about the Tai-RoadSync integration, please contact Vanessa Galvis, Marketing Director, at vanessa.galvis@tai-software.com.

    About Tai
    Tai Software is a fully integrated freight management platform that drives brokers’ efficiency and growth. Tai TMS automates operations for both Full Truckload (FTL) and Less-than-Truckload (LTL) shipments, integrating seamlessly with major carriers and technology partners. With over 500 tool integrations and over 20 years of industry innovation, freight brokers trust Tai TMS to simplify their processes and focus on strategic business growth.

    About RoadSync
    RoadSync is the digital financial platform for the logistics industry. By removing paper and phone calls from business transactions, RoadSync offers a fast, convenient, and secure way to move and manage money and conduct business, dramatically reducing payment processing time and maximizing revenue collection. RoadSync offers payment products for warehouses, carriers, brokers, repair/tow merchants, and drivers, integrating and automating the financial systems fueling the logistics industry. For more information, visit http://www.roadsync.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: High-speed internet available in Lax Kw’alaams

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People living in Lax Kw’alaams off the northwestern coast of B.C. have access to reliable high-speed internet, enabling people to access online services and opportunities.

    “This announcement is an essential step in our commitment to connect all First Nations communities in B.C. to high-speed internet,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “Reliable connectivity will ensure people in Lax Kw’alaams will have better access to education, health care and economic opportunities available online.”

    With the installation of new last-mile infrastructure, approximately 340 households in Lax Kw’alaams have access to high-speed internet. Built and operated by service provider CityWest, the project leverages capacity provided by the Connected Coast network.

    “Reliable high-speed internet in Lax Kw’alaams will enhance access to vital services, support our education and health-care systems, and open up new opportunities for our families and businesses,” said Garry Reece, mayor of Lax Kw’alaams. “We look forward to the positive impacts it will bring to our people now and for generations to come.” 

    The Government of British Columbia invested $196,630 through the Connecting British Columbia program, administered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust. The Government of Canada invested $523,016 through the federal Universal Broadband Fund and CityWest contributed $423,591.

    Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity in British Columbia. As of January 2025, approximately 74% of rural homes and more than 80% of homes on First Nations reserves have access to high-speed internet.

    In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. The Province also made a specific commitment to connect every First Nations community to high-speed internet services in the government’s Declaration Act Action Plan.

    The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas of the province. The plan to provide access to high-speed internet to all households will level the playing field for the people in British Columbia, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities for every community.

    Quotes:

    Gudie Hutchings, federal Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency –

    “High-speed Internet is not a luxury; it is a necessity. That’s why the Government of Canada is working to bring high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by 2026 and 100% by 2030. In today’s digital world, communities big and small need reliable connectivity, whether for accessing health care or growing a business. The completion of this project marks a significant connectivity milestone for the people in Lax Kw’alaams.”

    Christine Boyle, B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation –

    “Access to high-speed internet is vital for supporting the growth and prosperity of Indigenous communities across British Columbia. The completion of this project not only connects Lax Kw’alaams to the digital world, but also strengthens cultural ties and supports education, health care and economic development that will unlock new opportunities for generations to come.”

    Tamara Davidson, MLA for North Coast-Haida Gwaii –

    “Access to high-speed internet transforms how people live, work and learn in remote and rural communities along the north coast of British Columbia. The completion of this project is a major step forward for the community of Lax Kw’alaams. I’m excited to see the opportunities this connectivity will create for local families and businesses.”

    Stefan Woloszyn, chief executive officer, CityWest –

    “CityWest is deeply rooted in northern B.C., and we are proud to provide improved services to another community in the North. We are honoured to deliver fibre-optic services in partnership with the Lax Kw’alaams Band. This project is not just about providing internet, it’s about enriching lives, fostering inclusion, creating opportunities and driving positive change.”

    Learn More:

    To learn more about connectivity in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

    To learn more about Connecting Communities BC, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601

    To learn more about Declaration Act Action Plan (action 4.36), visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/government/ministries-organizations/ministries/indigenous-relations-reconciliation/declaration_act_action_plan.pdf

    To learn more about StrongerBC: B.C.’s Economic Plan, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/ 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump inherits the Guantánamo prison, complete with 4 ‘forever prisoners’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lisa Hajjar, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara

    A control tower overlooks the Camp VI detention facility, at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    President Joe Biden’s record of handling the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, is decidedly mixed. He succeeded in reducing the detainee population he inherited by more than half, but he compounded problems in the military commissions that the Bush administration had invented in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to try people captured in the “war on terror.” Now all the problems at Guantánamo are again President Donald Trump’s.

    When Biden took office in 2021, there were 40 prisoners. Today there are 15, the lowest number since the first 20 Muslim men and boys captured in Afghanistan were airlifted to the base on Jan. 11, 2002.

    Biden left Trump four people the U.S. will not release but also cannot put on trial – the so-called “forever prisoners.” He also left intact the troubled military commissions system, with three pending criminal cases against a total of six detainees.

    In December 2021, former chief military defense attorney Brig. Gen. John Baker testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee: “It is too late in the process for the current military commissions to do justice for anyone. The best that can be hoped for at this point … is to bring this sordid chapter of American history to an end.” Baker made clear that the only viable option is to resolve the cases with plea bargains for the defendants.

    Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker tells U.S. senators that there is no opportunity for justice to be done at Guantánamo.

    A chance to make progress

    There are three cases that have not yet gone to trial – the 9/11 case with four defendants facing charges for their connections with the attacks, the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 with one defendant and the Bali bombing in October 2002 with one defendant.

    The 9/11 and USS Cole cases have been stuck in the pretrial phase since Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president. In the summer of 2024, a breakthrough in the 9/11 case appeared imminent: Prosecutors and defense lawyers for three of the four defendants reportedly reached plea-bargain agreements. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad – the alleged “mastermind” of the attacks – Walid bin Attash and Mustafa Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty and accept life sentences in exchange for the government taking the death penalty off the table. There was no deal for the fourth 9/11 defendant, Ammar al-Baluchi.

    The deals were approved on July 31 by the top military officer overseeing the Guantánamo commissions, retired Brig. Gen. Susan Escallier. But two days later, Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, stepped into the process and overrode Escallier – whom he had appointed. Austin announced that the plea deals were revoked.

    The judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, decided to schedule plea hearings for early January. But after some legal back-and-forth that forced a stay, he had to cancel them. Biden left the case against three 9/11 defendants in limbo.

    The basement of this government building in Bucharest, Romania, held a secret CIA prison, one of many across the world.
    AP Photo

    Witness to the transition

    In mid-January 2025, I made my sixteenth reporting trip to Guantánamo. I came for closing arguments on a motion in the 9/11 case that seeks to suppress statements that Ammar al-Baluchi made to the FBI in January 2007. That was four months after he and 13 others were transferred to Guantánamo from CIA black sites where they were held for years. The litigation to suppress those statements started in 2019.

    In Chapter 10 of my book, “The War in Court: Inside the Long Fight against Torture,” I detail how the litigation on this suppression motion made public previously unknown details and under-acknowledged horrors of the CIA’s rendition, detention and interrogation program.

    These closing arguments were the culmination of six years of litigation on the key question in the 9/11 case: Does torture matter in the pursuit of justice in the military commissions?

    A drawing by Guantánamo detainee Abu Zubaydah depicts a person being waterboarded.
    Copyright Abu Zubaydah 2019. Licensed by Professor Mark Denbeaux, Seton Hall Law School

    Can Guantánamo be closed?

    Of the 780 people ever detained at Guantánamo, 540 were released during the presidency of George W. Bush, who established the detention facility. Obama, who signed an executive order on his second day in office pledging to close Guantánamo within a year, released 200.

    In his first term, Trump pledged to keep the facility open. The only man to leave Guantánamo during Trump’s first term was Ahmed al-Darbi, who was repatriated to Saudi Arabia in 2018 to serve out the remainder of his sentence from a 2014 plea bargain agreement.

    When Biden took office, he said that he supported shutting down the military prison at Guantánamo. In the early years of his presidency, there was a slow stream of transfers, mostly people who had been cleared for release long ago and were freed.

    In Biden’s last months, the pace of transfers quickened. In December 2024, a Kenyan detainee, two Malaysian members of al-Qaida who had pled guilty the previous January, and a Tunisian man who had been in Guantánamo since the day the facility was opened were all repatriated to their countries of origin and freed. In January 2024, 11 Yemenis were transported from the prison to Oman to be resettled.

    15 men left behind

    The Biden administration had also planned to repatriate a severely disabled Iraqi detainee, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, to serve out his plea-bargained sentence in a Baghdad prison. But a federal judge blocked that transfer, ruling that al-Iraqi would not get necessary medical treatment in Iraq and might be subject to abuse there.

    Al-Iraqi is one of the 15 that Biden left behind. Three of them – a Libyan, a Somali and a stateless Rohingya – have long been cleared for release. Their continuing detention without charges highlights a key element of the Guantánamo problem: No one can be released unless the U.S. government finds another country willing to accept them.

    One of the remaining detainees, Ali Bahlul, is serving a life sentence for conspiracy to commit war crimes. Six others, including the four 9/11 defendants, are awaiting their trials.

    There are also four detainees whom the government refuses to transfer but cannot put on trial for lack of evidence.

    The U.S. goverment says it cannot release Abu Zubaydah from Guantánamo because he would disclose classified interrogation techniques critics have labeled torture.
    U.S. Central Command via AP

    These so-called “forever prisoners” include Abu Zubaydah, a Saudi-born man of Palestinian descent who was taken into CIA custody in 2002 and was used as the guinea pig for the CIA torture program. The government long ago conceded that Abu Zubaydah was not a top leader of al-Qaida – in fact he was not even a member. But he will not be released because he knows how he was treated by the CIA, and that treatment remains highly classified.

    The newest forever prisoner is one of the original 9/11 defendants, Ramzi bin al-Shibh; in September 2023, he was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. Now he is uncharged, unreleased and untreated for his psychological maladies that were caused by the torture he endured in CIA black sites.

    The ‘War on Terror’ is not over

    When Biden pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in August 2021, he claimed to have ended America’s longest war – and repeated this claim in a January 2025 speech. But the Guantánamo prison remains open, and as long as it is, the “war on terror,” which first put U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2001, is not over.

    How Trump will deal with Guantánamo is an open question. If he focuses on the death penalty, he will press ahead with military commission trials like his predecessors, hoping for unanimous guilty verdicts and death sentences. If he prioritizes cutting wasteful government spending, he will release additional detainees and allow the three plea bargain agreements to go into effect.

    No one I spoke to during my last trip was willing to predict what a second Trump term might bode for Guantánamo – except that it won’t be closed.

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

    – ref. Trump inherits the Guantánamo prison, complete with 4 ‘forever prisoners’ – https://theconversation.com/trump-inherits-the-guantanamo-prison-complete-with-4-forever-prisoners-247058

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: High-speed internet available in central coast communities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People in Nuxalk Nation, Bella Coola and Hagensborg on the central coast now have access to high-speed internet, enabling faster, more reliable access to digital services and opportunities.

    “Building a strong, sustainable economy begins with rural and remote Indigenous communities getting better access to the digital world,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “With high-speed internet now available in Nuxalk Nation, Bella Coola and Hagensborg, people can access the same services and opportunities as those in larger urban centres and unlock new opportunities for education, business and community growth.”

    Two connectivity projects, built and operated by service-provider CityWest, are complete, providing broadband internet services for approximately 440 households in Nuxalk Nation and Bella Coola, and approximately 420 households in Hagensborg.

    “Access to high-speed internet is a game-changer for our community,” said Samuel Schooner, Chief of Nuxalk Nation. “It opens new possibilities for education, health care and economic development, and we are excited to see the positive impact this will have on our community, allowing us to connect with the world like never before.”

    The Government of British Columbia invested more than $1.4 million in the Connecting Bella Coola project and nearly $1.5 million in the Hagensborg project. This was done through the Connecting British Columbia program, managed by the Northern Development Initiative Trust.

    CityWest contributed nearly $600,000 to the Connecting Bella Coola project and more than $330,000 to the Hagensborg project. Both were built on infrastructure installed as part of the Connected Coast Network. Local Bella Coola Valley service provider Central Coast Communications Society also contributed $250,000 to the Hagensborg project.

    These projects are part of the Province’s commitment to Coastal First Nations to ensure high-speed internet access for communities throughout the central and north coast regions, and Haida Gwaii. Access to high-speed internet supports stewardship programs, like the Coastal Guardian Watchmen, that protect and manage the water, land and air in the region. Connectivity ensures the delivery of digital training and online health care, and supports Indigenous-led language and cultural revitalization programs.

    “Coastal First Nations understand the importance of having reliable, high-speed internet available in all our communities across the coast and we congratulate the Nuxalk Nation on completing this crucial link for their community,” said Christine Smith-Martin, CEO, Coastal First Nations. “High-speed internet is a powerful socio-economic tool that supports the delivery of the services our people count on to succeed and we will continue to advocate for the technological advancement and investment our member Nations deserve.”

    Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity in British Columbia. As of January 2025, approximately 74% of rural homes and more than 80% of homes on First Nations reserves now have access to high-speed internet.

    In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. B.C.͛s commitment is to connect all remaining underserved households in B.C.

    The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas of the province. The plan to connect all households will level the playing field for British Columbians, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities for every community.

    Quotes:

    Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation –

    “Access to high-speed internet is a transformative step for B.C.’s Indigenous communities. This connectivity milestone in Nuxalk Nation, creates a foundation for better access to health care, education and economic opportunities, while establishing stronger connections with the digital world.”

    Tamara Davidson, MLA for North Coast-Haida Gwaii –

    “Reliable internet access is critical to ensuring residents of B.C.’s coastal communities have the chance to participate fully in today’s economy. It’s exciting to see communities like Nuxalk Nation, Bella Coola and Hagensborg gain the tools needed to stay connected, while also maintaining their unique traditions and culture.”

    Stefan Woloszyn, chief executive officer, CityWest –

    “These fibre-optic projects have brought urban-class connectivity to the Bella Coola Valley, creating equal opportunities for more rural, remote and Indigenous people in British Columbia. We are proud to deliver fibre-optic services in partnership with the Nuxalk Nation, and with collaboration from Central Coast Communications.”

    James Hindley, executive director, Central Coast Communications Society (CCCS) –

    “For almost three decades, the CCCS has provided internet services to residents of the Bella Coola Valley. The culmination of fibre-to-the-home was the end goal envisioned by many dedicated volunteer boards of directors and contractors over the years, and we are pleased to see the infrastructure come to fruition.”

    Jayme Kennedy, chair, Central Coast Regional District –

    “Access to high-speed internet is a transformative step for our community, unlocking new possibilities in education, health care and economic development. This vital service enhances the quality of life for our residents, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed in the digital age. As we embrace these advancements, it is crucial to ensure high-speed internet remains reliable and continuous, so our community can thrive today and well into the future.”

    Learn More:

    Connectivity in B.C.: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

    Connecting Communities BC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601

    StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/ 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman jailed for the manslaughter of her four small sons after fatal fire in Sutton

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A mother has been given a ten year sentence for manslaughter after her four small sons were left alone at home and killed in a house fire in Sutton.

    The boys – two sets of twins, Bryson and Kyson Hoath, aged four, and Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three – had been left alone at their home in Collingwood Road one evening in December just over three years ago when a fire broke out that would end their lives.

    Their mother, Deveca Rose, 30 (03.10.94), of Collingwood Road, Sutton, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, 24 January where she was sentenced to ten years in prison.

    The boys’ paternal grandmother, Kerrie, said:

    “This sentence marks the end of a three year ordeal.

    “Bryson, Kyson, Leyton and Logan were cruelly taken from us in a senseless act of negligence by their mother.

    “The disregard she showed towards them has been echoed throughout this trial, and our family have had to endure three years of lies, delays and false narratives, which has been a nightmare.

    “The toll it has taken on our family cannot be overstated.

    “The boys were beautiful, loving children who did not deserve this and the impact they made on us in their short lives cannot be measured.

    “We miss them every day and will always hold them in our heart.

    “We wish to thank the courts, the jury and the police for the work they have done to ensure the boys’ story has been heard and that justice is done.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said:

    “This has been a deeply upsetting investigation for everyone involved.

    “Deveca Rose was a mother who placed her own self-interest above the safety of her children.

    “Had she not left the children to go shopping, she may have been able to put out the fire, or at the very least, got the children to safety.

    “Instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she invented a story that was built around a babysitter whose very existence could not be confirmed.

    “The sadness at the needless loss of four young lives is beyond our comprehension.

    “I cannot begin to imagine the devastation felt by the children’s wider family and loved ones and our thoughts are with them all today.”

    Ms Rose had previously been convicted of manslaughter at the same court on Thursday, 3 October and was bailed for sentencing. She was found not guilty of child neglect.

    The court heard that shortly after 19:00hrs on the night of Thursday, 16 December 2021, a passer-by on Collingwood Road realised the house was on fire.

    They alerted a neighbour who kicked in the front door in an attempt to reach the children, but the fire, having taken hold of the property, prevented their entry.

    Officers attended the scene, along with colleagues from the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.

    Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control and recovered the four unconscious boys from an upstairs bedroom, whilst medics attempted to save them.

    Despite their efforts – treating the children at the scene – they sadly died in hospital.

    Their mother, Ms Rose, had left the boys alone to go shopping and returned whilst the house was on fire.

    She claimed the children had been left in the care of a woman called ‘Jade’, which prompted firefighters to go back into the house to search for Jade.

    No other people were found inside.

    Ms Rose was arrested on suspicion of child neglect that same night, and following interview, was released under investigation.

    Post-mortem examinations found the boys had died from inhalation of fire fumes, whist detectives undertook a meticulous investigation in order to identify the alleged babysitter, ‘Jade’.

    Detectives considered that the passer-by who raised the alarm may have been ‘Jade’, but the description of the woman who had alerted neighbours to the fire differed to the description of ‘Jade’ given by Deveca Rose.

    After Ms Rose described the circumstances of her meeting ‘Jade’ a few days before the fire, officers scoured hours of CCTV and could find no trace of them having met, to which Ms Rose responded with claims they had met on a minor road with no CCTV.

    In addition, examination of the call data on Ms Rose’s mobile phone showed no contact details for a ‘Jade’ and, when she had attempted to call ‘Jade’ from the scene of the fire, data showed that Ms Rose’s calls did not connect as the number was not viable, and the number was instead notably similar to her own phone number.

    CCTV enquiries in the area showed Ms Rose had also gone out alone the day before the fire.

    Investigators believed the fire was started in the living room on the ground floor either by a candle, tealight or a burning cigarette. Conditions inside the house were messy and unsanitary which helped the fire spread quickly.

    The children, who had been locked inside and were unable to escape the house, had fled to an upstairs bedroom where they would be overcome by smoke.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN rights office raises alarm over escalating violence in occupied West Bank

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday expressed grave concerns over escalating violence in the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank, condemning the use of “unlawful lethal force” by Israeli security forces.

    OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan added that the Israeli military operation in and around the Jenin refugee camp had involved “disproportionate” use of force, including airstrikes and shootings that reportedly targeted unarmed residents.

    “The deadly Israeli operations in recent days raise serious concerns about unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, including methods and means developed for war fighting, in violation of international human rights law, norms and standards applicable to law enforcement operations.”

    OHCHR verified that at least 12 Palestinians – most reportedly unarmed – have been killed since Tuesday and a further 40 injured. Those injured include a doctor and two nurses, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

    Obligation to protect civilians

    Mr. Al-Kheetan reiterated that Israel, as the occupying power, has a responsibility under international law to protect civilians living under occupation.

    He stressed the need for investigations into alleged unlawful killings, warning that a lack of accountability risks perpetuating violence.

    “All killings in a law enforcement context must be thoroughly and independently investigated and those responsible for unlawful killings must be held to account,” he said.

    “By persistently failing, over the years, to hold accountable members of its security forces responsible for unlawful killings, Israel is not only violating its obligations under international law, but risks encouraging the recurrence of such killings,” he warned.

    Impact on communities

    The ongoing violence has displaced over 3,000 families in Jenin, and essential services such as water and electricity have been severely disrupted for weeks.

    The Israeli military has closed off major entrances to Palestinian cities, including Hebron, restricting movement, and paralyzing daily life. Thirteen new iron gates have reportedly been installed at other towns’ entrances across the West Bank.

    Briefing the Security Council on Thursday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher also warned of record-high levels of casualties, displacement and access restrictions, since October 2023.

    Settler violence and settlement expansion

    Beyond military operations, there has been an uptick in settler attacks on Palestinian villages and the stoning of vehicles, in which several Palestinians have been injured.

    Houses and vehicles have been set on fire, according to the OHCHR spokesperson.

    He also voiced concern over some Israeli officials’ repeated comments about plans for further settlement expansion – in breach of international law.

    “We call for an immediate end to the violence in the West Bank. We also call on all parties, including third States with influence, to do everything in their power to ensure peace is achieved in the region,” Mr. Al-Kheetan stated.

    He reiterated High Commissioner Volker Türk’s call for Israel to halt settlement expansion and evacuate all settlements as required by international law.

    “We call on all parties, including third States with influence, to do everything in their power to ensure peace is achieved in the region,” Mr. Al-Kheetan urged.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Upper Onslow — Colchester County District RCMP charges several people after firearms stolen

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Colchester County District RCMP has arrested and charged several people after a residential break and enter where multiple firearms were stolen.

    On January 20, at approximately 5:50 p.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of a break and enter that had occurred at a residence on Adam McCallum Rd. earlier that morning.

    Officers learned that three men in masks had entered the home and stolen a variety of items, including two shotguns and a rifle. Three residents were home at the time and their demands for the men to leave were ignored. The men eventually left. No one reported injuries related to the incident.

    On January 22, Colchester County District RCMP, with assistance of the RCMP Emergency Response Team and Truro Police Service, executed a search warrant at a residence on Lockhart Ave. in Truro as part of the investigation. Officers arrested six people. During the execution of the search warrant, police located and seized items related to the offences. Lockhart Ave. was closed while the police operation was underway; officers appreciated the cooperation of the public in the area.

    Alexander Grady, 28, of Truro, and Tyler Burns, 27, of Truro, are both charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of a Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
    • Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
    • Breaking and Entering and Stealing Firearm
    • Breaking and Entering and Committing an Indictable Offence
    • Disguise with Intent to Commit an Indictable Offence

    Burns is also facing an additional charge of for Breach of a Release Order.

    Grady and Burns had first court appearances on January 24 at Truro Provincial Court and have been remanded into custody, pending future court appearances.

    Another woman arrested was found to be breaching conditions related to a previous, unrelated investigation and has been charged with Fail to Comply with Release Order, unrelated to the break and enter.

    Three other people have been released without charges.

    The investigation is ongoing and is being led by Colchester County District RCMP General Investigation Section and Street Crime Enforcement Unit, with assistance of the RCMP Forensic Identification Section.

    Anyone with information is asked to call the Colchester County District RCMP at 902-893-6820. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at http://www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Orders Flags to Fly at Half-Staff in Honor of Howard County Firefighter Larry Roland Duncan

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JANUARY 24, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe ordered U.S. and Missouri flags be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Howard County, the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City, and firehouses statewide on Sunday, January 26, 2025, from sunrise to sunset in honor of Howard County Firefighter Larry Roland Duncan.

    “Larry Roland Duncan dedicated 23 years of his life to the fire service and answering the call no matter the emergency, including responding to Ground Zero as a member of Missouri Task Force 1,” Governor Mike Kehoe said. “At the New York City site where the Twin Towers once stood, Firefighter Duncan and his Task Force 1 colleagues spent days exposed to toxic contaminants as they scoured the rubble looking for survivors of the terrorist attack. We honor his relentless commitment to serving others, regardless of the risk to himself.”

    Duncan was a Heavy Rigging Specialist with Task Force 1 from 1998 to 2003. Beginning in 1984, he also served as a member of the Cooper County Fire Protect District, Boone County Fire Protection District, and the Howard County Fire Protection District. He died on January 15, 2025, after a long and courageous battle against 9/11-related cancer.

    The flags will be held at half-staff on the day Duncan is laid to rest. To view the proclamation, click here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –