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Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI: Peter Lambrinakos, O.O.M., CPP, Joins Draganfly’s Public Safety Advisory Board, Strengthening Canadian Leadership in Public Safety

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Veteran leader in public safety, national security, and critical infrastructure protection brings strategic, operational, and innovation expertise to advance Draganfly’s public safety mission

    Saskatoon, SK, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO; CSE: DPRO; FSE: 3U8), an industry-leading drone solutions and systems developer, is proud to announce the appointment of Peter Lambrinakos, O.O.M., CPP, to its Public Safety Advisory Board. An internationally recognized authority in public safety leadership, national security, and the responsible deployment of emerging technologies, Mr. Lambrinakos brings more than three decades of operational, strategic, and innovation experience to advance Draganfly’s next phase of growth.

    Mr. Lambrinakos previously served as the inaugural Chief of Police and Chief of Corporate Security for VIA Rail Canada, where he established and led Canada’s first dedicated intercity rail police service, protecting critical transportation infrastructure across a 12,500-kilometre national network. Before his tenure at VIA Rail, Mr. Lambrinakos held senior executive leadership roles with the Montreal Police Service (SPVM), where he commanded key divisions including Major Crimes, Economic Crimes, Organized Crime, Intelligence, and Crisis Response. He spearheaded transformational public safety reforms, created the Montreal Metro Police Division for North America’s third-busiest subway system, oversaw counter-terrorism and national security initiatives, and led the development of major crisis management structures for the City of Montreal. His leadership was instrumental in advancing public safety innovation, protecting critical infrastructure, and enhancing public trust in Canada’s second-largest urban police service.

    Currently, Mr. Lambrinakos serves as a Commission Member with the Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada, an independent federal body providing civilian oversight of military policing. He is also the Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Public Safety Program at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute, and Co-Founder of the IJIS Institute’s Center of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence for Justice, Public Safety, and Security, advancing ethical AI integration across public safety sectors.

    A recipient of the prestigious Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (O.O.M.), Lambrinakos’s career exemplifies a steadfast dedication to innovation, operational excellence, and public trust. His appointment strengthens Draganfly’s mission to develop secure, ethical drone technologies that address the evolving needs of public safety agencies and national security stakeholders.

    “Canada has long been a global leader in integrating technology into public safety operations,” said Peter Lambrinakos. “Draganfly’s commitment to responsible, secure drone innovation that supports front-line responders is critical—not only to Canada’s evolving safety landscape but to setting global standards for public protection and critical infrastructure resilience.”

    Lambrinakos’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as governments and agencies increase their demand for domestically developed, secure, and non-foreign-made drone technologies that meet stringent operational and national security standards. Draganfly, proudly Canadian-founded and headquartered, is uniquely positioned to support North American and allied public safety agencies with secure, scalable solutions that align with national defence and homeland security priorities.

    “We are honoured to welcome Peter to our Public Safety Advisory Board,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “His track record of service and dedication to Canadian public safety is unmatched. With his guidance, Draganfly will continue to lead the way in deploying advanced, ethical drone technologies that protect communities, support law enforcement, and empower emergency response teams.”

    Draganfly’s Public Safety Advisory Board brings together experienced leaders from law enforcement, emergency management, and defence sectors to guide the development and deployment of its public safety drone ecosystem. This includes situational awareness platforms, AI-enhanced aerial systems, and integrated response tools—many of which are designed, engineered, and manufactured in Canada.

    With Lambrinakos’s expertise, Draganfly will continue to strengthen its position as a trusted Canadian ally in public safety, upholding the country’s legacy of innovation, integrity, and operational excellence.

    For more information about Draganfly and its leadership team, visit draganfly.com.

    About Draganfly

    Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO; CSE: DPRO; FSE: 3U8) is a global leader in drone technology, AI, and autonomous systems, providing innovative solutions for public safety, defense, agriculture, and industrial applications. With over 25 years of experience, Draganfly is recognized for its groundbreaking contributions to the UAV industry and commitment to delivering cutting-edge, North American-made technology.

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    Media Contact
    Erika Racicot
    Email: media@draganfly.com

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    Email: info@draganfly.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Alexandra Jones, Sally McInnes, Sally Sheard, James Strachan, Aruna Verma and Simon Wessely appointed to the ACNRA Board.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Alexandra Jones, Sally McInnes, Sally Sheard, James Strachan, Aruna Verma and Simon Wessely appointed to the ACNRA Board.

    The Secretary of State has appointed 6 Board Members to the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives for four years from 10 March 2025 to 09 March 2029.

    Alexandra Jones

    Alexandra Jones, the Director of Anti-Money Laundering at the Solicitors Regulation Authority, brings a wealth of experience in governance, compliance, and leadership to her role. At the SRA, Alexandra leads the development and implementation of AML policies, ensuring regulatory compliance across the legal sector. Her career spans diverse sectors, including finance and regulation, providing her with a unique perspective on risk management and ethical considerations.

    Before joining the SRA, Alexandra served as CEO of the Registry Trust, where she gained deep insight into legal and ethical issues related to data access, copyright, and privacy. She also held senior roles at the Financial Ombudsman Service and HSBC Bank, where she managed teams while upholding confidentiality and compliance standards. Her leadership experience is complemented by her commitment to professional development, including studying data ethics at the London School of Economics.

    Alexandra’s career reflects a dedication to promoting transparency and integrity. She is motivated by the vision of safeguarding collective heritage and leveraging it as a resource for education and public engagement.

    Sally McInnes

    Sally McInnes was formerly Head of Unique and Contemporary Content at the National Library of Wales. A professionally trained archivist, she has extensive experience in promoting, preserving and providing access to unique content of national significance, as well as policy development within the Welsh cultural sector.

    Sally has a particular interest in managing digital content, as well as improving professional competence in digital preservation, for which she has earned international recognition. As a former Director of the Digital Preservation Coalition, she worked to raise public and institutional awareness of digital preservation issues in Wales and beyond.

    She has played a leading role in a number of national and international professional networks. In recognition of her contribution to recordkeeping, she was awarded an MBE in 2024 for Services to Documentary History. She is a Fellow of the Archives and Records Association.

    Sally Sheard

    Professor Sally Sheard is Executive Dean of the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool, where she also holds the Andrew Geddes and John Rankin Chair of Modern History. She is a health policy analyst and historian, with a research focus on the interface between expert advisers and policymakers. 

    Sally has extensive experience of using history in public and policy engagement, including working with national and local government organisations and health authorities. She has written for and appeared in numerous television and radio programmes. In 2018 she wrote and presented the twenty-part BBC Radio 4 series National Health Stories, to mark the seventieth anniversary of the NHS. Her books include The Passionate Economist: how Brian Abel-Smith shaped global health and social welfare (Policy Press, 2013); Making Genetics and Genomics Policy in Britain: from Personal to Population Health (co-authored with Philip Begley; Routledge, 2022) and NICE: A Contemporary History of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (co-authored with Paul Atkinson; Routledge, 2025).

    James Strachan

    James is Chief Executive of Eastleigh Borough Council in south Hampshire, and has been a senior leader in Hampshire local government for 16 years.  In addition to overseeing local services such as waste collection, planning, homelessness support and elections, James is ultimately responsible for information governance at the Council.  Prior to moving to Hampshire, James was Director of Public Services and Marketing at The National Archives, and served as Secretary to the official review of the 30-year rule, which was commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. 

    James has also worked at the Cabinet Office, and had a career in publishing prior to joining the civil service.  He oversaw the online launch of Encyclopaedia Britannica in Europe and was among the first employees of the mobile network ‘3’, negotiating the first ever mobile highlights deal with the Premier League.  James lives in Salisbury and serves as a magistrate on the West Hampshire Bench, based in Southampton.

    Aruna Verma

    Aruna Verma is a distinguished lawyer, associate professor, and Campus Dean at The University of Law, Moorgate. With a strong background in legal education and practice, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of legal professionals. As an academic leader, she combines her expertise in law with a passion for teaching, ensuring that students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for success in the legal profession.

    Her career spans legal practice, academia, and educational leadership, making her a respected figure in the field. At The University of Law, she oversees academic programs, fosters student engagement, and works closely with industry professionals to bridge the gap between law school and legal practice.

    Beyond academia, Aruna is known for her contributions to legal scholarship, mentorship, and commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession. Her leadership ensures that the Moorgate campus remains a hub for aspiring solicitors and barristers, preparing them for the challenges of the ever-evolving legal Landscape.

    With her wealth of experience and dedication to legal education, Aruna Verma continues to make a lasting impact on both students and the legal community. Aruna also sits as a Chair at The Valuation Tribunal and the Chair of Governors at a local school. Aruna is a trained mediator and online dispute resolution specialist.

    Simon Wessely

    Sir Simon Wessely FRS is the Regius Chair of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IOPPN), part of King’s College London (KCL), the first such chair in the United Kingdom. He is also a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist at the Maudsley and King’s College Hospitals.

    After studying medicine and History of Art at Cambridge, he finished his medical training at Oxford. He is an active clinical academic psychiatrist with >1000 publications, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). He is a Past President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Society of Medicine. He was Dean of the IOPPN (2022-23) and is now a Non Executive Director of NHS-England.

    In 2003 he founded the King’s Centre for Military Health Research, which is now ranked 1st globally for publications on military health. He remains the Honorary Consultant Advisor in Psychiatry to the British Army, and works with several charities for Veterans. He was knighted in 2013 for services to military health and psychological medicine. He continues to have a broad interest in how people and populations react to adversity, past present and future.

    He chaired the government’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act (2017-19), which should receive Royal Assent at Easter. He also was a member of the Judicial Appointments Commission (2017-23). His amateur interests revolve around history, and he is proud of having written some papers in “proper” history journals. Finally, if you are a follower of “Desert Island Discs” you will know his favourite occupation is arguing in Viennese cafes , perhaps reflecting the fact that his father was born in Central Europe, coming over to the UK in 1939.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Board Members will be remunerated at a rate of £386 per day. James Strachan requested not to be remunerated for this role. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. None of the candidates have declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council crackdown on underage vape sales in Tunstall

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Wednesday, 14th May 2025

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council is stepping up its crackdown on underage and illegal vape sales after seizing more than £21,000 of illegal cigarettes, tobacco, and vapes from a Tunstall shop.

    It follows the sale of an illegal vape to a 17-year-old girl. The legal limit for vapes is 600 puffs, the one sold was three times over the legal limit.

    Trading Standards officers, supported by Staffordshire Police, visited TKT Express on High Street Tunstall on Friday, 9 May. During the operation, they discovered illegal products hidden in a nearby car linked to the shop. Officers seized 22,360 cigarettes, 6.2kg of tobacco and 290 vapes- all illegal – and with a total retail value of £21,600. The shop is now under formal investigation.

    Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Our teams are taking firm action against shops that put young people at risk. I want to thank our Trading Standards for more hard work that protects all residents and upholds the law.

    “We want our city to be a safe place for children and young people, so the fact that this shop sold an illegal vape to somebody underage shows complete disregard for their safety. We will take action against those who put people at risk and undermine the hard work of legitimate businesses.”

    “I encourage any residents to report any suspicious activity related to illegal tobacco, vapes, or underage sales.”

    Anyone who wants to report a similar issue to Trading Standards can call the Trading Standards Hotline 01782 238444 or visit stoke.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detectives name victim of murder in Manor House

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives have now named an 87-year-old man – much loved by his community – as the victim of a murder in Manor House.

    John Mackey sadly died on Thursday, 8 May after being robbed around 17:53hrs on Tuesday, 6 May in Goodchild Road.

    His family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, who is leading the investigation, said:

    “John was a proud Irishman and an innocent member of the public, and was walking back home after running errands when he was the victim of this tragic incident.

    “His family tell us he was one of 11 children. He was born in Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland and moved to London in the 1950s. He was uncle to a remarkable 22 nieces and nephews and a brother to his remaining four siblings, they will all miss him.

    “John’s family describe him as funny and charming. He was a life-long Arsenal fan, who was adored by his family and was loved by his local community.

    “His family will join John on one final trip back to Ireland where he’ll be laid to rest.

    “I would like to reassure the local community that a man has been charged and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with John’s death.”

    Peter Augustine, 58 (25.10.1966), of Green Lanes, Hornsey, was charged on Friday, 10 May, with murder and robbery. He is remanded in custody.

    Anyone with information for the investigation team can contact them on 0208 345 3715 quoting 6012/06MAY. If you wish to remain anonymous please contact CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH continues to follow up on suspected closure of private healthcare facilities

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    DH continues to follow up on suspected closure of private healthcare facilities 
    As announced on May 2, the Government set up an inter-departmental dedicated team to follow up on the incident. The team comprises representatives from the Security Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the DH and the Consumer Council.
     
    The DH has set up a telephone hotline, email and a WhatsApp account since May 3 for public enquiries on related issues. As at 5pm today, a total of 149 enquiries were received. Most of the enquiries were related to vaccines for children or other age groups. One enquiry about laboratory services has been received.

    Laboratory reports
    ——————— 
    For the sake of prudence, the DH is also reaching out to local registered professionals operating medical laboratories and radiological imaging services, inviting them to contact the DH for assistance if they are unable to deliver any laboratory reports to referring doctors from the private healthcare facilities in question.
     
    Anyone who has received laboratory or diagnostic radiological imaging services through the private healthcare facilities in question and has not yet been able to obtain the report from their doctor may call the DH hotline (2125 1188), which operates from 9am to 5pm daily, or send an email to dhhelpdesk_2501@dh.gov.hk 
    Childhood immunisation
    —————————
    Public enquiries
    —————— 
    The DH has compiled a series of Frequently Asked Questions from recently received enquiries and uploaded them to the DH’s     website 
    The DH will continue to join hands with other members of the inter-departmental dedicated team to follow up on the incident and take appropriate actions, with a view to handling all cases as soon as possible and provide assistance to those affected by the incident.
    Issued at HKT 18:25

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: #iubilaeum2025 – Audience with Participants in the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches

    Source: The Holy See

    #iubilaeum2025 – Audience with Participants in the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches, 14.05.2025
    This morning, in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches.
    The following is the address delivered by the Pope to the participants in the audience:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Your Beatitudes, Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,
    Dear priests, consecrated men and women,
    Dear brothers and sisters,
    Christ is risen. He is truly risen! I greet you in these words that Eastern Christians in many lands never tire of repeating during the Easter season, as they profess the very heart of our faith and hope. It is very moving for me to see you here during the Jubilee of Hope, a hope unshakably grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Welcome to Rome! I am happy to be with you and to devote one of the first audiences of my pontificate to the Eastern faithful.
    You are precious in God’s eyes. Looking at you, I think of the diversity of your origins, your glorious history and the bitter sufferings that many of your communities have endured or continue to endure. I would like to reaffirm the conviction of Pope Francis that the Eastern Churches are to be “cherished and esteemed for the unique spiritual and sapiential traditions that they preserve, and for all that they have to say to us about the Christian life, synodality, and the liturgy. We think of early Fathers, the Councils, and monasticism… inestimable treasures for the Church (Address to Participants in the Meeting of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches [ROACO], 27 June 2024).
    I would also like to mention Pope Leo XIII, the first Pope to devote a specific document to the dignity of your Churches, inspired above all by the fact that, in his words, “the work of human redemption began in the East” (cf. Apostolic Letter Orientalium Dignitas, 30 November 1894). Truly, you have “a unique and privileged role as the original setting where the Church was born” (SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Orientale Lumen, 5). It is significant that several of your liturgies – which you are now solemnly celebrating in Rome in accordance with your various traditions – continue to use the language of the Lord Jesus. Indeed, Pope Leo XIII made a heartfelt appeal that the “legitimate variety of Eastern liturgy and discipline… may redound to the great honor and benefit of the Church” (Orientalium Dignitas). His desire remains ever timely. In our own day too, many of our Eastern brothers and sisters, including some of you, have been forced to flee their homelands because of war and persecution, instability and poverty, and risk losing not only their native lands, but also, when they reach the West, their religious identity. As a result, with the passing of generations, the priceless heritage of the Eastern Churches is being lost.
    Over a century ago, Leo XIII pointed out that “preserving the Eastern rites is more important than is generally realized”. He went so far as to decree that “any Latin-Rite missionary, whether a member of the secular or regular clergy, who by advice or support draws any Eastern-Rite Catholic to the Latin Rite” ought to be “dismissed and removed from his office” (ibid). We willingly reiterate this appeal to preserve and promote the Christian East, especially in the diaspora. In addition to establishing Eastern circumscriptions wherever possible and opportune, there is a need to promote greater awareness among Latin Christians. In this regard, I ask the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches – which I thank for its work – to help me to define principles, norms, and guidelines whereby Latin Bishops can concretely support Eastern Catholics in the diaspora in their efforts to preserve their living traditions and thus, by their distinctive witness, to enrich the communities in which they live.
    The Church needs you. The contribution that the Christian East can offer us today is immense! We have great need to recover the sense of mystery that remains alive in your liturgies, liturgies that engage the human person in his or her entirety, that sing of the beauty of salvation and evoke a sense of wonder at how God’s majesty embraces our human frailty! It is likewise important to rediscover, especially in the Christian West, a sense of the primacy of God, the importance of mystagogy and the values so typical of Eastern spirituality: constant intercession, penance, fasting, and weeping for one’s own sins and for those of all humanity (penthos)! It is vital, then, that you preserve your traditions without attenuating them, for the sake perhaps of practicality or convenience, lest they be corrupted by the mentality of consumerism and utilitarianism.
    Your traditions of spirituality, ancient yet ever new, are medicinal. In them, the drama of human misery is combined with wonder at God’s mercy, so that our sinfulness does not lead to despair, but opens us to accepting the gracious gift of becoming creatures who are healed, divinized and raised to the heights of heaven. For this, we ought to give endless praise and thanks to the Lord. Together, we can pray with Saint Ephrem the Syrian and say to the Lord Jesus: “Glory to you, who laid your cross as a bridge over death… Glory to you who clothed yourself in the body of mortal man, and made it the source of life for all mortals” (Homily on our Lord, 9). We must ask, then, for the grace to see the certainty of Easter in every trial of life and not to lose heart, remembering, as another great Eastern Father wrote, that “the greatest sin is not to believe in the power of the Resurrection” (SAINT ISAAC OF NINEVEH, Sermones ascetici, I, 5).
    Who, better than you, can sing a song of hope even amid the abyss of violence? Who, better than you, who have experienced the horrors of war so closely that Pope Francis referred to you as “martyr Churches” (Address to ROACO, ibid.)? From the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray and the Caucasus, how much violence do we see! Rising up from this horror, from the slaughter of so many young people, which ought to provoke outrage because lives are being sacrificed in the name of military conquest, there resounds an appeal: the appeal not so much of the Pope, but of Christ himself, who repeats: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19, 21, 26). And he adds: “Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. I do not give it to you as the world gives it” (Jn 14:27). Christ’s peace is not the sepulchral silence that reigns after conflict; it is not the fruit of oppression, but rather a gift that is meant for all, a gift that brings new life. Let us pray for this peace, which is reconciliation, forgiveness, and the courage to turn the page and start anew.
    For my part, I will make every effort so that this peace may prevail. The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace. The peoples of our world desire peace, and to their leaders I appeal with all my heart: Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate! War is never inevitable. Weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not resolve problems but only increase them. Those who make history are the peacemakers, not those who sow seeds of suffering. Our neighbours are not first our enemies, but our fellow human beings; not criminals to be hated, but other men and women with whom we can speak. Let us reject the Manichean notions so typical of that mindset of violence that divides the world into those who are good and those who are evil.
    The Church will never tire of repeating: let weapons be silenced. I would like to thank God for all those who, in silence, prayer and self-sacrifice, are sowing seeds of peace. I thank God for those Christians – Eastern and Latin alike – who, above all in the Middle East, persevere and remain in their homelands, resisting the temptation to abandon them. Christians must be given the opportunity, and not just in words, to remain in their native lands with all the rights needed for a secure existence. Please, let us strive for this!
    Thank you, dear brothers and sisters of the East, the lands where Jesus, the Sun of Justice, dawned, for being “lights in our world” (cf. Mt 5:14). Continue to be outstanding for your faith, hope, and charity, and nothing else. May your Churches be exemplary, and may your Pastors promote communion with integrity, especially in the Synods of Bishops, that they may be places of fraternity and authentic co-responsibility. Ensure transparency in the administration of goods and be signs of humble and complete dedication to the holy people of God, without regard for honors, worldly power or appearance. Saint Symeon the New Theologian used an eloquent image in this regard: “Just as one who throws dust on the flame of a burning furnace extinguishes it, so the cares of this life and every kind of attachment to petty and worthless things destroy the warmth of the heart that was initially kindled” (Practical and Theological Chapters, 63). Today more than ever, the splendor of the Christian East demands freedom from all worldly attachments and from every tendency contrary to communion, in order to remain faithful in obedience and in evangelical witness.
    I thank you for this, and in cordially giving you my blessing, I ask you to pray for the Church and to raise your powerful prayers of intercession for my ministry. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two teenagers convicted of stabbing man to death in Lewisham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two teenagers have been convicted of savagely stabbing a young man to death as he ran for his life following a dispute between feuding families.

    Ryan Wedderburn, 18 (29.05.06) of Windlass Place, Lewisham, and Kirk Harris, 19 (29.03.06) of Upper Brockley Road, Lewisham, were convicted on Tuesday, 13 May of the murder of 21-year-old Robert Robinson following a trial at the Old Bailey.

    They will all be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 15 May.

    Detective Inspector Neil Tovey from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased that we have today secured justice for the family and friends of Robert. He was stabbed to death in a brutal attack in a residential road when numerous families would have been home. Robert was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him, it was instead taken away by Wedderburn and Harris in a senseless attack. Robert tried to run for his life, but was chased down and viciously attacked.

    “This was a cowardly attack on Robert, who was outnumbered and unarmed. His family listened to the details of the attack and watched the CCTV of Robert’s last moments. They also heard the evidence from Wedderburn and Harris where they attempted to justify their actions. I am pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence we presented to the court to prove their guilt. I would like to pay tribute to the dignity that Robert’s family and friends have shown throughout the trial.”

    Police were called at about 22:35hrs on Thursday, 6 June 2024 to reports of a stabbing in Carteret Way, SE8. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended but despite their best efforts the victim, later identified as Robert, sadly died at the scene.

    He had suffered 12 serious stab wounds, including injuries indicating he tried to defend himself from the attackers.

    The court heard that on 6 June 2024, Robert had been with some friends who lived near Wedderburn. Those friends and the Wedderburn family had been close friends until October 2022 when they had a falling out. Tensions had been brewing since that time, with it coming to a head on 6 June 2024.

    Earlier that day, one of Robert’s friends allegedly had his bike stolen by a man who was known to be friends with Wedderburn.

    The victim wanted to get his bike back, so the friends, Robert and a group went to Wedderburn’s house hoping they would find the bike and the person who stole it. There was no answer, so the group eventually left the address. Some of the group then allegedly damaged two cars belonging to the Wedderburn family.

    Shortly afterwards, Wedderburn and Harris left the property in Windlass Place armed with knives and walked to nearby Carteret Way, SE8.

    When the defendants arrived at the property in Carteret Way, one of the friends, their mother and Robert spotted them approaching with the knives and ran away. The friend’s mother was on the phone to 999 at the time, reporting the earlier theft of the bike and her son being threatened. Robert was chased and overpowered by Wedderburn and Harris who carried out a savage attack on him.

    Wedderburn and Harris then fled on foot and got into a waiting pre-arranged taxi, which was booked by a friend who was acquitted by the jury of perverting the course of justice.

    Officers quickly arrived and Wedderburn was named by witnesses as being one of those involved. A 44-year-old man was arrested near the scene shortly afterwards on suspicion of murder. He was acquitted by the jury.

    Knowing they were wanted, Harris and Wedderburn handed themselves into the police on 17 June and 19 June 2024 respectively.

    Detectives tirelessly scoured CCTV from the area, which clearly showed not only the attack but the defendants being at the scene. The defendants were tracked from the scene and CCTV footage showed they had discarded clothing and weapons. This led to searches of the Thames which recovered clothing worn during the attack and some of the murder weapons.

    The defendants admitted their presence and all gave evidence in their defence attempting to justify their actions on the day. Both Wedderburn and Harris admitted to stabbing Robert with Wedderburn claiming self-defence and Harris claiming he did not intend to cause serious harm.

    However, CCTV captured Wedderburn and Harris arming themselves with knives and running along the corridor of the building before turning back and arranging for a cab to be booked, in which they later fled the scene.

    This evidence led to the defendants being charged and convicted as above.

    + An 18-year-old man is due to stand trial in January 2026 charged with Robert’s murder. A 23-year-old man is due to stand trial in October 2026, charged with perverting the course of justice.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Crypto Casinos Canada: JACKBIT Rated Top Bitcoin Online Casino For Canadian Players!

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    Getting Started with JACKBIT

    Joining JACKBIT is a breeze, tailored for Canadians eager to explore a new crypto casino:

    1. Visit the official JACKBIT website.
    2. Click “Sign Up” in the top-right corner.
    3. Enter minimal details (email, password, preferred currency).
    4. Choose a payment method (crypto or fiat) and deposit.
    5. Claim your 30% Rakeback and 100 free spins.
    6. Dive into 7,000+ games or the sportsbook.

    JACKBIT’s streamlined process makes it the best crypto casino Canada offers for accessibility.

    Bonuses & Promotions: Rewards That Deliver

    JACKBIT’s promotional offers are a key reason it’s ranked as the best crypto casino Canada has in 2025. New players kick off with a 30% Rakeback and 100 wager-free spins, with ongoing promotions including:

    • Weekly giveaways with $10,000 and 10,000 free spins.
      • Frequent Opportunities: Regular events mean more chances to win without extra deposits.
      • Player Value: High prize pools add excitement to every week.
      • Why It’s Great: Keeps you engaged with fresh rewards.
    • VIP Rakeback up to 30%, scaling with loyalty tiers.
      • Loyalty Boost: The more you play, the bigger the cashback.
      • Tailored Perks: Higher tiers unlock exclusive benefits.
      • Why It’s Great: Rewards dedication with tangible returns.
    • Pragmatic Drops & Wins with a €2,000,000 prize pool.
      • Massive Stakes: Huge prizes elevate everyday gaming.
      • Wide Reach: Available across multiple games for broad appeal.
      • Why It’s Great: Offers a shot at life-changing wins.
    • Social media bonuses for engaging on Twitter and Telegram.
      • Community Connection: Bonuses for joining the JACKBIT conversation.
      • Easy Access: Simple tasks like retweeting unlock rewards.
      • Why It’s Great: Adds fun beyond the games.
    • Regular slot and table game tournaments with cash prizes.
      • Competitive Edge: Battle for leaderboard spots and cash.
      • Inclusive Play: Open to all skill levels.
      • Why It’s Great: Adds a thrilling competitive layer.

    These fair, high-value bonuses make JACKBIT a standout among Canadian bitcoin casinos.

    <<>>

    A Deep Dive into JACKBIT’s Excellence

    JACKBIT’s 2025 ranking as Canada’s top crypto casino stems from a rigorous evaluation of player-focused criteria:

    • Licensing and Regulation
    • Game Variety and Quality
    • Bonuses and Promotions
    • Payment Flexibility and Speed
    • Security and Fair Play
    • Mobile Gaming Experience
    • Customer Support Quality
    • Sportsbook Features
    • Responsible Gambling Tools
    • No-KYC Benefits

    JACKBIT outperformed competitors in every category, cementing its status as the best bitcoin casino Canada trusts. Let’s unpack why with added insights and details.

    Licensing: A Pillar of Trust

    JACKBIT operates under a Curacao Gaming License, a respected credential in the crypto gambling world. This license mandates adherence to fair play and security standards, with regular audits ensuring compliance. While some players may prefer licenses from Malta or Ontario’s iGaming authority, Curacao’s framework enables JACKBIT to serve a global audience, including Canadians, while maintaining transparency.

    • Global Accessibility: The Curacao license allows JACKBIT to welcome players from diverse regions, making it a versatile choice for Canadians seeking international gaming options.
    • Player Confidence: Regular audits mean your gameplay and funds are protected, letting you focus on the fun.
    • Regulatory Balance: Curacao strikes a balance between flexibility and oversight, ideal for crypto-focused platforms.

    For those searching for the best BTC casino, JACKBIT’s licensing provides a secure, reliable foundation for worry-free gaming.

    Game Variety: A World of Choices

    With over 7,000 games from 85 premier providers like NetEnt, Evolution Gaming, Microgaming, and Pragmatic Play, JACKBIT’s library is a major draw. It’s a cornerstone of why it’s hailed as the best crypto casino Canada offers. Here’s the breakdown:

    • Slots: Over 5,000 titles, from classic fruit machines to modern video slots like Gold Party and Chilli Heat. Players can explore 180+ Megaways titles and progressive jackpots with life-changing payouts.
      • Endless Themes: From adventure to mythology, slots cater to every interest, keeping sessions fresh.
      • Jackpot Appeal: Games like Mega Moolah offer million-dollar prizes, drawing thrill-seekers.
      • Why It’s Great: Variety ensures there’s always a new slot to discover.
    • Table Games: A rich selection including blackjack (Power Blackjack, Infinite Blackjack), roulette (European, Lightning), poker (Texas Hold’em), baccarat, and craps.
      • Strategic Depth: These games reward skill, appealing to players who enjoy outsmarting the house.
      • Variety Boost: Multiple variants keep classics exciting.
      • Why It’s Great: Perfect for both casual and seasoned players.
    • Live Dealer Games: Powered by Evolution Gaming, the live section features Live Blackjack, Live Roulette, Live Baccarat, and game shows like Dream Catcher and Crazy Time.
      • Real-Time Thrills: Interact with professional dealers for an authentic casino vibe.
      • Social Edge: Chat features create a community feel.
      • Why It’s Great: Brings the casino floor to your screen.
    • Sportsbook: A comprehensive platform covering 140+ sports, with 82,000+ live monthly events and 4,500+ betting types, including hockey, basketball, and e-sports.
      • Canadian Focus: Heavy emphasis on hockey aligns with national passion.
      • Live Betting: Real-time odds keep the action intense.
      • Why It’s Great: Ideal for sports fans and casual bettors alike.
    • Specialty Games: Casual options like bingo (Shamrock Bingo), scratch cards, and crypto-friendly mini-games such as Aviator and Plinko.
      • Quick Play: Low-stakes games for relaxed fun.
      • Crypto Fit: Mini-games designed for fast crypto bets.
      • Why It’s Great: Perfect for a quick gaming break.
    • Virtual Sports: 24/7 betting on simulated events like virtual football, horse racing, and greyhound racing.
      • Non-Stop Action: Bet anytime, regardless of real-world schedules.
      • Realistic Graphics: Advanced algorithms mimic live sports.
      • Why It’s Great: Keeps the excitement going around the clock.

    This vast selection ensures JACKBIT remains a top Canada bitcoin casino for players seeking variety and quality.

    <<>>

    Payment Flexibility: Fast and Secure

    JACKBIT excels as an instant payout casino, supporting over 17 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Solana, and Dogecoin. Crypto transactions are instant and fee-free, offering unmatched convenience. Traditional options include:

    • Visa and MasterCard: Instant deposits, withdrawals in 1-3 days.
    • Google Pay and Apple Pay: Instant mobile deposits.
    • Bank transfers: Withdrawals in 3-5 days.

    With high withdrawal limits (up to $10,000 weekly) and robust SSL encryption, JACKBIT ensures secure, flexible banking, reinforcing its position as the best bitcoin casino Canada has.

    <<>>

    Security: A Safe Haven

    Security is paramount at JACKBIT, a trusted online casino. The platform uses SSL encryption and blockchain technology to protect player data and transactions. Provably fair games and Random Number Generators (RNGs) guarantee unbiased outcomes, making JACKBIT one of the safest crypto casinos Canada offers. The no-KYC policy enhances privacy, allowing instant withdrawals without verification while maintaining trust.

    • Blockchain Transparency: Verify transactions for added peace of mind.
    • Fairness Certified: Independent audits confirm game integrity.
    • Why It’s Great: Play confidently knowing your experience is secure.

    Mobile Gaming: Play on the Go

    JACKBIT’s mobile-optimized platform delivers a seamless experience on iOS and Android without a dedicated app. Players can access the full game library, deposit instantly, and claim bonuses anywhere. The responsive design ensures smooth navigation, making JACKBIT a top choice for mobile gamblers seeking the best crypto casino Canada has.

    • Cross-Device Sync: Switch between phone and desktop without losing progress.
    • Intuitive Interface: Easy navigation on smaller screens.
    • Why It’s Great: Game wherever life takes you.

    Customer Support: Always Ready

    JACKBIT offers 24/7 live chat support in multiple languages, including English, French, and Spanish, resolving queries within minutes. Email support and a comprehensive FAQ section provide additional resources. Player feedback highlights the team’s professionalism, cementing JACKBIT’s reputation as a trusted Canada bitcoin casino.

    • Bilingual Support: French options cater to Canada’s diverse population.
    • Fast Response: Issues are handled promptly, day or night.
    • Why It’s Great: Reliable help enhances the player experience.

    Sportsbook: Betting Done Right

    JACKBIT’s sportsbook is a standout, covering 140+ sports, including hockey, basketball, tennis, and e-sports. With 82,000+ live monthly events and 4,500+ betting types, it caters to sports enthusiasts. Live streaming and competitive odds make JACKBIT the best BTC casino for Canadian sports fans.

    • Hockey Focus: Extensive NHL betting options resonate with Canadians.
    • Live Action: Real-time updates keep bets engaging.
    • Why It’s Great: A must for sports betting lovers.

    Responsible Gambling: Prioritizing Well-Being

    JACKBIT promotes player safety with tools like deposit limits, self-exclusion, reality checks, and links to organizations like GamCare and Gambling Therapy. These features ensure a fun, controlled experience, aligning with the standards of safe crypto casinos Canada trusts.

    • Proactive Measures: Tools help you set boundaries before issues arise.
    • Support Access: Resources are a click away for those needing help.
    • Why It’s Great: Keeps gaming enjoyable and responsible.

    No-KYC Benefits: Privacy First

    JACKBIT’s no-KYC policy allows anonymous play and withdrawals, a game-changer for privacy-conscious players. This feature, paired with fast crypto payouts, makes it the best crypto casino Canada offers for discreet gaming.

    • Hassle-Free: Skip ID checks and play instantly.
    • Secure Anonymity: Your data stays private without compromising safety.
    • Why It’s Great: Ideal for players valuing personal freedom.

    Crypto Gambling Trends in Canada

    Crypto gambling is booming in Canada, driven by growing cryptocurrency adoption and frustrations with traditional banking restrictions. Platforms like JACKBIT are at the forefront, offering solutions that align with these trends:

    • Increased Crypto Use: More Canadians hold Bitcoin and Ethereum, making crypto casinos a natural fit.
    • Privacy Demand: No-KYC platforms like JACKBIT cater to players seeking discretion.
    • Tech Integration: Blockchain and fast transactions enhance gameplay.
    • Why JACKBIT Leads: Its crypto-first approach makes it the best crypto casino Canada embraces.

    This alignment with market shifts positions JACKBIT as a leader in the new crypto casino space.

    Player Psychology: Why Canadians Choose JACKBIT

    Canadians are drawn to crypto casinos like JACKBIT for several psychological reasons:

    • Control and Freedom: No-KYC and instant payouts empower players to manage their gaming.
    • Risk-Reward Balance: Bonuses like Rakeback offer rewards without high stakes.
    • Community Appeal: Social media bonuses and tournaments foster a sense of belonging.
    • Why It Works: JACKBIT taps into these drivers, making it a top Canada bitcoin casino.

    Understanding these motivations highlights why JACKBIT resonates as the best online crypto casino.

    JACKBIT’s Community Initiatives

    Beyond gaming, JACKBIT builds a vibrant community:

    • Charity Drives: Partners with Canadian organizations to support local causes.
    • Player Events: Hosts virtual meetups for fans to connect.
    • Feedback Forums: Actively incorporates player suggestions for platform improvements.
    • Why It Matters: Strengthens loyalty and makes JACKBIT a crypto casino Canada loves.

    These efforts create a dynamic, inclusive environment for players.

    Regulatory Landscape for Crypto Gambling in Canada

    Canada’s gambling laws are evolving, with provinces like Ontario regulating online gaming while crypto remains a gray area. JACKBIT’s Curacao license ensures compliance with international standards, but future Canadian regulations could shape the industry:

    • Potential Licensing: Provinces may introduce crypto-specific rules.
    • Player Protections: Enhanced safeguards could boost trust.
    • JACKBIT’s Advantage: Its global license and no-KYC model keep it flexible, reinforcing its status as the best crypto casino Canada offers.

    Staying ahead of these changes ensures JACKBIT’s long-term success.

    JACKBIT’s Innovation Pipeline

    JACKBIT is poised to stay ahead with planned enhancements:

    • New Cryptos: Adding support for emerging coins like Cardano.
    • AR/VR Gaming: Testing immersive slot and live dealer experiences.
    • AI Personalization: Tailoring game suggestions based on player habits.
    • Why It’s Exciting: These innovations keep JACKBIT the best crypto casino Canada looks to in the future.

    This forward-thinking approach ensures continued leadership.

    Why JACKBIT Reigns Supreme in 2025

    JACKBIT’s blend of no-KYC freedom, instant crypto payouts, and an unmatched game library makes it the best crypto casino Canada offers. Its focus on security, player rewards, and innovation creates a gaming experience that’s hard to beat, whether you’re a casual player or a high roller.

    <<>>

    Final Words About The Best Crypto Casino Canada

    JACKBIT combines anonymous, no-KYC gameplay with lightning-fast crypto payouts and an extensive game selection, setting a new benchmark in online gaming. With generous promotions, strong security measures, and a user-first approach, it offers both excitement and peace of mind. While its Curacao license may not be the strictest, JACKBIT reinforces player trust through transparent practices and responsible gambling features.

    Despite being a newer name in the industry, JACKBIT has quickly emerged as a leader among the best online casinos Canada, delivering a seamless experience tailored to both casual players and high-stakes users.

    Contact: support@jackbit.com

    Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure

    This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Gambling carries risks; verify information and play responsibly. You must be 19 (or 18 in some provinces) to gamble legally in Canada. Laws vary, so comply accordingly. We may earn commissions from links at no extra cost to you. Our JACKBIT review is unbiased, based on thorough research.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7840cef4-dbeb-4803-a97c-446bf76ebb69

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f7df58a-8a1d-4354-939e-cf0308241911

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4806fed5-7d61-4c01-bd3a-78d597ea26bd

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: The Civil Rights Division Hosts the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    On May 7, 2025, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon welcomed the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America to the Justice Department to address the alarming rise in Anti-Semitism since October 7th, as well as the Civil Rights Division’s ongoing efforts to protect all people of faith nationwide.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhxYM5VD6BA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ15: Training of artificial intelligence talents

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Rock Chen and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):

    Question:

    In September last year, the State President delivered an important speech at the National Conference on Education, following which the 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education (the master plan) was issued, setting out a roadmap for the national education development in the next 10 years. The master plan clearly proposed to establish a mechanism for co-ordinating and promoting the integration of education, technology and talent by leveraging the support of education to technology and talent. The master plan also set out the close collaboration with the development of the innovation and technology (I&T) hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the building of a high-calibre talent hub and platforms for talent attraction and retention, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the innovation system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) against the background of the master plan’s proposals to establish a mechanism for co-ordinating and promoting the integration of education, technology and talent as well as to closely collaborate with the development of I&T hub in the GBA, how the Government will further deepen the collaboration among the “government, industry, academic and research” sectors to promote the transformation of research and development outcomes of tertiary institutions into a driving force for innovation in the industry, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the GBA’s I&T ecosystem;

    (2) as there are views that universities of applied sciences (UAS) play an important role in Hong Kong in complementing the master plan’s proposal to leverage the support of education to technology and talent, how the Government will further define the self-positioning of UAS and assist UAS in leveraging their unique advantages, so as to nurture more applied technology talents who suit the needs of the industries in the GBA;

    (3) how the Government plans to assist tertiary institutions and scientific research institutions in increasing their expenditure on research and development (R&D) and intensifying the efforts in nurturing talents in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), so that Hong Kong can contribute to the development of the I&T hub in the GBA in the aspect of AI technology’s R&D and application; and

    (4) whether it has studied how the Government should further strengthen STEAM (i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools (particularly focusing on AI), including teaching basic AI knowledge, methods of data processing and interdisciplinary knowledge, so as to enhance students’ skills in AI, critical thinking and capacity for innovation, thereby meeting the demand for education, technology and talent arising from the GBA development?

    Reply:

    President,

    Solid promotion of education and technological development can provide and replenish talents and manpower for various trades and industries, boost socio-economic development, and render firm support for building an international hub for high-calibre talents. The 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education, issued earlier by the nation, clearly proposes establishing an integrated co-ordinating mechanism for education, technology and talents, and strengthen the supporting role of education for science and talents. To this end, the Government has set up the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents, which is led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, to co-ordinate and drive the integrated development of education, technology and talents, expand connections, formulate policies to attract and cultivate talents, foster the development of technologies, and also promote Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talents.

    The replies of the Education Bureau (EDB) and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau to the Hon Rock Chen’s questions are as follows:

    (1) With an aim to enhance the innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem and Hong Kong’s competitiveness on the I&T front in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Government has been promoting collaboration among the Government, industry, academic and research sectors through various measures, and adopting a multi-pronged approach to support commercialisation of research and development (R&D) outcomes of tertiary institutions. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) funds, on a matching basis, research teams from universities with good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their R&D outcomes, while industry sponsorship is a mandatory requirement. Furthermore, the ITF will continue to provide annual funding to the Technology Transfer Office of each of the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities, thereby supporting the development of innovative ideas and R&D outcomes into new products or services. The R&D centres set up by the Government have also been taking forward industry-driven applied R&D work that suits market needs and transferring technologies to the industries through contract researches, licensing arrangements, etc to commercialise their R&D outcomes. Meanwhile, the Government has facilitated the establishment of the Hong Kong New Industrialisation Development Alliance. The Alliance serves as a platform for collaboration among the Government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors, with a view to promoting new industrialisation and co-operation among enterprises and organisations.

    (2) To provide an alternative pathway to success for young people who aspire to pursue careers in professional skills sectors, the Government has been promoting the establishment of universities of applied sciences (UAS), and, in February 2024, promulgated the criteria for qualifying as UAS along with the relevant mechanisms. UAS provide vocational and professional education and training (VPET) programmes with an applied focus blending theory and practice, including applied degree programmes, and closely collaborate with professional skills sectors, incorporating substantial internship and work-based learning opportunities in other degree programmes to nurture students’ applied skills, demonstrating a clear division of labour with traditional academic research universities. The EDB announced in March and November 2024 respectively that Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Saint Francis University had been confirmed as the first two UAS in Hong Kong after undergoing stringent procedures and reviews.

    The Government proactively supports UAS to collaborate with industries and other stakeholders in accordance with the VPET development strategy of fostering industry-institution collaboration and diversified development to respond to the keen manpower needs of different sectors and nurture more professional talent with applied skills. In this connection, the Government has allocated $100 million to support UAS and VPET institutions to establish the Alliance of UAS (the Alliance) in November 2024. The Alliance has been actively engaging supporting organisations and stakeholders and has drawn up the future work plan and strategic direction, which include fostering collaboration and joint promotion efforts among member institutions and over 80 supporting organisations from different sectors, organising international conferences, and strengthening exchanges and co-operation with Mainland and overseas UAS. Amongst others, the Alliance has planned to visit VPET institutions in the GBA within the year to strengthen exchanges and co-operation. The EDB will continue to work closely with the Alliance to support its work.

    (3) Strengthening the nurturing of local I&T talents and fostering the deep integration of technology and industry are key factors in advancing the development of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Taking the opportunity of the triennial planning exercise for the UGC-funded universities, the Government set out strategic directions to guide the universities to align their planning with our nation’s and Hong Kong’s strategic development and policy priorities, including nurturing talents for growth, transformation and future challenges.

    With the advent of AI, innovative and breakthrough technology in the new era, the universities are encouraged to introduce appropriate teaching frameworks and new programmes to meet ever-changing societal needs and enhance support for academic staff and students. A number of UGC-funded universities have offered AI-related undergraduate programmes in the 2025-28 triennium in response to the strategic directions, for example, Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology and Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Primary) – Mathematics of the Education University of Hong Kong, Bachelor of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science of the University of Hong Kong.

    In addition, the Government has been developing the AI ecosystem on different fronts through various measures such as provision of infrastructure and computing power, promoting R&D and talent cultivation. The first-phase facility of Cyberport’s Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre (AISC) commenced operation to meet the strong local demand and enhance Hong Kong’s R&D capabilities in various technological research and application fields. With a view to encouraging the industry to optimise the AISC’s computing resources, the Government launched the Artificial Intelligence Subsidy Scheme to subsidise local institutions, R&D centres and enterprises, etc to leverage the AISC’s computing power to achieve scientific breakthroughs and launch promotional and educational activities. As of April 2025, Cyberport has organised 35 promotional activities (including information seminars at local institutions), attracting over 6 500 participants. The Government is also nurturing local talents and gathering top-notch researchers from all around the world, through the AIR@InnoHK research cluster and its R&D laboratories focusing on AI and robotic technologies. To further promote the R&D and applications of AI in Hong Kong, the 2025-26 Budget announced the establishment of the Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute (AIRDI), which will spearhead and support Hong Kong’s innovative R&D and industry applications of AI, facilitating upstream R&D, midstream and downstream transformation of R&D outcomes, and expanding application scenarios. We expect the AIRDI will help pool talents in AI-related fields, promote R&D and extensive application of AI, and facilitate exchanges on AI between Hong Kong and the Mainland (including the GBA) as well as overseas countries and regions.

    The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved on May 9 a funding of $3 billion for the implementation of the Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme, with a view to attracting international top-notch talents in frontier technology areas such as AI to conduct research in Hong Kong, thereby expanding Hong Kong’s research capacity. The eligible applicant institutions for the Scheme are local universities funded by the UGC, and funding will be provided to the institutions concerned on a matching basis to encourage them to invest in research, promote cross-sector collaboration and enhance manpower training.

    (4) To align with the national strategy of building a leading country in education, keeping pace with global development trends, and nurturing talents for the advancement of I&T in Hong Kong, the EDB has been stepping up to promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, further promoting the digitalisation of education. Through a range of diversified strategies, including ongoing curriculum renewal, strengthening teacher training, providing resource support to schools, and enhancing collaboration with stakeholders, the EDB seeks to integrate digital technology into learning and teaching, enhance students’ creativity and problem-solving skills, and lay a solid foundation of talent for the future development of the country and society. Additionally, the EDB established the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education in early 2025, making reference to the latest developments on the Mainland and relevant policies and experiences from other countries, to propose recommendations on the goals, strategies and future directions for the implementation of digital education in Hong Kong.

    Regarding curriculum renewal, the EDB launched the “Module on Artificial Intelligence for Junior Secondary Level” in the 2023/24 school year that covers topics such as AI basics and AI ethics. The EDB also launched the “Enriched Module on Coding Education for Upper Primary Level” to enhance computational thinking and creative thinking. At present, almost all publicly-funded primary and secondary schools have implemented enriched coding education and AI education at the upper primary and the junior secondary levels respectively. On the other hand, the newly introduced Primary Science and the updated Junior Secondary Science will be implemented starting from the 2025/26 and 2027/28 school years respectively. Both curricula emphasise inquiry-based learning and cross-disciplinary learning, with a view to cultivating students’ capabilities in innovation.

    As for teacher training, the EDB focuses on empowering teachers by helping them equipping with AI-related knowledge and teaching strategies. The EDB continuously organises training programmes on the aforementioned AI and coding education modules, covering fundamental AI theories, applied technologies, pedagogical practices, data security, and the use of generative AI in education. These training sessions are conducted in both online and face-to-face modes to broaden participation and coverage among teachers. Furthermore, the EDB promotes the application of AI in learning and teaching through an “AI+Subject” approach and provides relevant teacher training. Examples include the launch of the “AI for Science Education” programme in Junior Secondary Science, the integration of digital technologies (including AI elements) into mathematical modelling activities in Mathematics, and the incorporation of AI into learning and teaching activities in Visual Arts. These efforts aim to enhance teachers’ confidence and competence in utilising AI to assist teaching.

    The EDB also provides various resource support to schools. The EDB updated the “Information Literacy for Hong Kong Students” Learning Framework to strengthen data security and AI ethics education, and collaborated with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Journalism Education Foundation to launch teaching resources on cyber security and media and information literacy, to help students to develop critical thinking skills when using I&T. Moreover, the Quality Education Fund has allocated $500 million for the implementation of the e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme, supporting 22 projects related to AI, big data and education technology. These projects cover various subjects and deploy innovative technologies to enhance learning and teaching effectiveness. As at end-March 2025, around 400 schools and 31 000 students have participated in this programme. It is expected that the deliverables of the projects will be successively released starting from mid-2025 for subscriptions and use by all local schools.

    The EDB actively promotes collaboration and exchange by deepening partnerships with local, Mainland, and international stakeholders. The EDB works closely with tertiary institutions and I&T-related organisations to conduct various projects and activities, enabling school leaders and teachers to stay abreast of the latest developments in science and I&T. Examples include the “Exchange cum Training Programme for Hong Kong STEAM Education Leaders”, co-organised with the Teacher Education Centre under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the “Professional Development Programme on Innovation and Technology”, co-organised with Cyberport. In collaboration with Hong Kong Education City, the EDB is organising the “Digital Education Week” from June 30 to July 7 this year. Key events include the “Learning & Teaching Expo”, and the International Summit on the Use of AI in Learning and Teaching Languages and Other Subjects & Post-Summit Workshop Series jointly hosted with the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The events will invite experts to share insights on I&T education (including the use of AI in teaching) to promote the integration of AI in education.

    The EDB will actively align with the competencies and skills required by national and global trends. In close collaboration with stakeholders from various sectors, the EDB aims to strengthen basic education in primary and secondary schools. To dovetail the integrated development of “education, science and technology, and talent” advocated by our country, the EDB is committed to nurturing the next generation of innovators in science and technology.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI-Deputy Secretary Edgar: “An Illegal Immigrant Killed Two Teenagers In My Community. Under The Trump Administration, He Will Face Justice”

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: ICYMI-Deputy Secretary Edgar: “An Illegal Immigrant Killed Two Teenagers In My Community

    Under The Trump Administration, He Will Face Justice”

    Oscar Ortega-Anguiano is set to be released from prison after serving just three-and-a-half years of his 10-year sentence for the killing of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin 

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Washington Examiner published Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar’s Op-Ed in the Washington Examiner titled, “An Illegal Immigrant Killed Two Teenagers In My Community

    Under the Trump Administration, He Will Face Justice

    ”  

    The Op-Ed highlights the story of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin, two 19-year-olds that were killed in 2021 by an illegal alien who was driving under the influence in the Deputy Secretary’s home state of California

    Recently, it was revealed that Oscar Ortega-Anguiano—the teens’ killer—is set to be released from a California state prison after serving just three-and-a-half years of a 10-year sentence

    However, the Trump administration is intervening to ensure Ortega-Anguiano does not walk free

    The worst call you could ever receive as a parent is one telling you that your teenage son or daughter has been in a car accident

    It’s a lifechanging call that would go down as one of the worst days of your life

    It could be even worse though: What if you also found out that the driver that caused the accident was in our country illegally? This tragic circumstance is a reality for the parents of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin

    At just 19 years old, these two young people from Orange County, California had their whole lives ahead of them

    Varfolomeev was a bright young woman, who was a dedicated ballerina and scout

    Osokin was a gifted student at Pepperdine University who excelled in both music and academics

    But in November 2021, their lives were senselessly stolen in a fiery crash caused by a criminal illegal alien who should have never been in this country in the first place

    Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano was driving drunk, high on drugs, and speeding at nearly 100 mph on the 405 freeway when he crashed into a vehicle carrying Varfolomeev and Osokin

    Even worse, Ortega-Anguiano was a repeat criminal, with a track record that includes multiple felonies and convictions for driving without a license

    Despite being deported, he re-entered our country illegally twice

    Now, four years later, Ortega-Anguiano is set to be released from California state prison after serving just 3

    5 years of his 10-year sentence

    I’ve spoken to Anya’s father, and he is outraged

    So am I

    This story hits especially close to home because I served as mayor and city council member of Los Alamitos for over a decade, and this tragic incident happened in our community

    It also represents so much that is wrong with our broken immigration system

    As Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, I work relentlessly under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem to carry out their priorities to protect our communities from brutal criminals who should not be loose on American streets

    Under the Trump administration, DHS is enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and seeking to punish criminals to the fullest extent of the law, and this has my direct attention

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer for Ortega-Anguiano with the California Department of Corrections

    If state authorities do not honor the ICE detainer, federal agents will take custody of Ortega-Anguiano and deport him immediately upon release

    The U

    S

    Attorney for the Central District of California has also filed a felony immigration charge against Ortega-Anguiano, which could put him behind bars for an additional 20 years

    Under the secretary’s leadership, the department is also giving support to victims by reopening the ICE’s Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office

    VOICE was first launched in 2017 by the Trump administration as a dedicated resource for those who have been victimized by crime that has a nexus to immigration

    The Biden administration shuttered the office, leaving victims and their families without access to key resources and support services–but we will not allow their stories to be silenced any longer

    Every day, the Trump Administration is working to prevent these tragedies from happening in another town, to another family

    We owe it to Anya and Nikolay, and every family like theirs, to never stop fighting for justice and safety

    That starts with removing the worst of the worst– and making sure they never return

    Not in my town

    Not in any American town

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California’s groundbreaking water initiative in Tombstone helps residents access safer and cleaner drinking water

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 13, 2025

    What you need to know: The consolidation of the Tombstone water system location in California’s Central Valley will benefit residents who rely on domestic wells. Since Governor Newsom took office, the number of Californians who don’t have access to clean drinking water has been cut by nearly half.

    SANGER – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the groundbreaking of a fully state-funded $5 million consolidation project in the City of Sanger that will secure safe drinking water for residents who currently rely on private wells. The groundbreaking was attended by the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Sanger, drinking water advocates, and residents of the Tombstone Territory.  

    “All Californians deserve access to clean drinking water – a priority since day one of my administration. Today’s event in Tombstone brings us full circle, because it was in this community I signed legislation to get safe drinking water into the home of every Californian. Thanks to major state investments, infrastructure projects like this are connecting communities, delivering safe drinking water, and creating a brighter future in rural towns and cities.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Tombstone, an unincorporated and severely disadvantaged community about two miles south of Sanger in Fresno County, is where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 200 in 2019, establishing the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. The fund provides $130 million annually, through 2030, to address drinking water needs, especially in underserved communities. Since Governor Newsom took office, the number of Californians who don’t have access to clean drinking water has been cut by more than half. 

    The State Water Board launched the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program in 2019 to advance California’s Human Right to Water. Since 2019, over 250 failing water systems across the state have returned to compliance with drinking water standards, reducing the number of people without access to safe drinking water by nearly half. 

    “Ninety-eight percent of Californians have reliable access to safe drinking water in their homes, but for too many communities across the state, especially in rural areas, this is not the reality,” said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Yana Garcia. “Helping communities like Tombstone bring about enduring, sustainable drinking water solutions is a top priority for the state. But we can’t do these projects alone or with the snap of our fingers. It’s a long game that takes collective commitment from every player involved, including water systems, community members, property owners and technical assistance providers.”

    When the project is completed later this year, Tombstone residents will receive their water through an extension of services from the City of Sanger to their homes.

    The project was coordinated through the SAFER program and received $4 million from Proposition 68 and $1 million from the state’s General Fund. 

    “Although over 140 consolidations benefiting 300,000 people have been completed since the SAFER program began, we still learn a lot from each one we do. The Tombstone project taught us important lessons about right-of-way and the need to continually adapt to the unique needs of each community,” said State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. “Consolidations with domestic well communities are among the most difficult drinking water projects we finance and support, but time and again, what we find is that it is the goodwill of water systems and community members themselves that resolves problems and brings projects over the finish line.” 

    The City of Sanger played a critical role throughout the consolidation planning and design process, embracing the opportunity to extend its services to Tombstone from the beginning. The city applied for and received grant funding, waived surcharges typically levied on customers outside their service area, and helped adapt the project design to avoid right-of-way problems posed by private property lines. 

     “The Tombstone Project was a collaborative effort of multiple agencies, and I am proud of the work my team contributed,” said Sanger City Manager Nathan Olson. “It was easy to recognize the need, so we felt ensuring our neighbors had reliable access to safe drinking water was the only choice. I am so pleased to see all the planning and hard work come to fruition, making the project a success and improving the lives of our communities for generations to come.”

     “We are thrilled to have reached this tremendous milestone in Tombstone,” said Nataly Escobedo Garcia, Ph.D., policy manager for Water and Climate Programs at Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability. “Thanks to advocacy from residents, the support of the City of Sanger, and the SAFER program, Tombstone and dozens of other communities are now closer to having access to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.” 

    Strengthening communities for a safer and brighter California

    Building water infrastructure is a key part of the Governor’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades and thousands of jobs across the state.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    May 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom will take action tomorrow to lower drug prices, increase transparency for PBMs, and expand authority for the state to acquire medication abortion. Sacramento, California – As part of the 2025-26 May Revision, Governor Gavin…

    May 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: California today filed a request for a preliminary injunction to immediately stop President Trump’s unlawful tariffs while the state’s lawsuit proceeds. Tariffs are not only expected to impact trade, but the upcoming state revenues and…

    May 13, 2025

    News What you need to know: Sacramento’s Monarch housing project is the latest affordable housing site brought to fruition under Governor Newsom’s executive order to develop excess and underutilized state lands into affordable new homes. SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – An area of freedom, security and justice: general aspects – 13-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The Treaties attach great importance to the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice. In 2009, several important new features were introduced: a more efficient and democratic decision-making procedure that comes in response to the abolition of the old pillar structure; increased powers for the Court of Justice of the EU; and a new role for national parliaments. Basic rights are strengthened by the legally binding Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Competences of the Court of Justice of the European Union – 13-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) consists of two courts, the Court of Justice proper and the General Court, and it offers various means of redress, as laid down in Article 19 of the Treaty on European Union, Articles 251-281 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 136 Euratom, and Protocol No 3 annexed to the Treaties on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Violation of the international Law of the Sea by obstructing cable laying between Greece and Cyprus – E-001193/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU has stated repeatedly its deep concern about such actions and statements, expressing its expectation for Türkiye to de-escalate tensions in the interest of regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean[1].

    In particular, the Commission has underlined in the 2024 enlargement report on Türkiye[2] that, as stemming from obligations under the Negotiating Framework, Türkiye is expected to make an unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations, international agreements and the peaceful settlement of disputes, including through the International Court of Justice. Türkiye must avoid threats and actions that damage good neighbourly relations and respect the sovereignty of all Member States over their territorial sea and airspace as well as all their sovereign rights, including inter alia the right to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with EU and international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

    This is essential to ensure a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and the development of a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between the EU and Türkiye[3].

    • [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/57442/2022-06-2324-euco-conclusions-en.pdf .
    • [2] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/8010c4db-6ef8-4c85-aa06-814408921c89_en?filename=T%C3%BCrkiye%20Report%202024.pdf .
    • [3] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/16679fa1-cb73-4481-bc02-e3620b8c6dd3_en?filename=Joint%20Communication%20to%20the%20European%20Council%20-%20State%20of%20play%20of%20EU-Turkiye%20political%2C%20economic%20and%20trade%20relations.pdf .
    Last updated: 13 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Students must not be abandoned by Housing Bill

    Source: Scottish Greens

    14 May 2025 Housing

    Students in Scotland need afforable housing

    More in Housing

    The Scottish Government will be abandoning students to the ‘wild west’ of the student accommodation market if they do not include support for students in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, says Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman.

    During a committee meeting yesterday, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, confirmed that the Scottish Government has no intention to include the purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) sector in the Housing Bill.

    This follows MSPs voting to ensure student accommodation could be covered by rent control regulations only last week, with calls supported by MSPs from the Scottish Greens, Conservatives, and Labour.

    Ms Chapman said: 

    “I’m disappointed and angry that the Scottish Government has decided to leave students out in the cold on the Housing Bill. Only last year they publicly committed to legislate on student accommodation, but now seem to be abandoning their commitments to students all together. [1]

    “The student accommodation market is currently an unregulated wild west, and we should not allow this to continue. PBSA providers, companies who often provide just the bare minimum to students, often snatch up potential sites that should be used for family homes and community facilities too. We desperately need regulation of this sector.

    “We’ve been listening to students and housing campaigners and they’ve been clear: the market is broken. Students across Scotland are paying on average over 80% of their loan on poor quality and insecure PBSA housing, because the Scottish Government has yet to engage with stakeholders on alternative solutions. [2]

    “I hope that the Cabinet Secretary reconsiders her statement and helps us to fight for students in this housing bill. We have had too many years of an unregulated, unsustainable, and unaffordable housing market in Scotland. It’s time we make it fair and affordable for everyone.”

    Notes:
    [1] In February 2024, the Scottish Government commit in the chamber to take forward recommendations from the PBSA Review Group, which had significant student input, which is shown here: Written question and answer: S6W-25244 | Scottish Parliament Website

    [2] The statistic on PBSA cost is sourced from this NUS research showing the state of student housing: Towards a Student Housing Strategy for Scotland – NUS Scotland

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s State Council outlines legislative priorities for 2025

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

    BEIJING, May 14 — The General Office of the State Council has unveiled its legislative agenda for 2025, with a focus on strengthening legislation in key sectors, emerging industries, and areas involving foreign affairs.

    In its push for high-quality development and a high-standard socialist market economy, the legislative plan lists draft laws including the national development planning law and the financial law.

    As part of efforts to improve governance and promote rule-based administration, the State Council is set to introduce regulations on the sharing of government data, among others.

    To enhance public well-being, the legislative plan includes draft laws such as the social assistance law and the medical insurance law.

    The plan also includes draft amendments to the Food Safety Law and the Prison Law.

    To bolster legal frameworks related to foreign affairs, the agenda includes a proposed revision to the Foreign Trade Law and new rules for implementing China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Safety of hikers

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Chan Pui-leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):
     
    Question:
     
         Various hiking trails and country parks in Hong Kong have all along attracted many local people and overseas visitors to go hiking. However, it has been reported that quite a number of hikers are inexperienced or ill-equipped, resulting in frequent hiking accidents, and some of them have even disregarded safety in a bid to “check-in”, which has aroused concerns and worries in society. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the number of mountain search and rescue (S&R) calls received by the Government in the past two years, as well as the respective numbers of casualties of local people and overseas visitors involved in the relevant incidents; the government expenditures involved in the relevant calls and S&R operations;
     
    (2) given that the webpage of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) contains the high risk locations with records of fatal and serious accidents in country parks, whether the authorities have further drawn up a list of “hiking blackspots” and the points to note and stepped up publicity among members of the public and tourists; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (3) as it is learnt that in order to deter risk-taking behaviours without regard to the consequences, some places have started to collect rescue fees from hikers, whether the Government will erect fences and warning signs at high-risk locations where hiking accidents frequently occur; whether the authorities will follow the practice of other regions and collect rescue fees from hikers who have accidents despite warnings and seek rescue; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether there are other measures intended to be implemented to deter the risk-taking behaviours concerned; and
     
    (4) as it is learnt that the “Enjoy Hiking” mobile application launched by the AFCD is equipped with a “Hiker Tracking Service” which can record the location of users so as to shorten the S&R time after they have an accident, of the number of downloads of the application and, among such downloads, the number of users with Internet Protocol addresses outside Hong Kong; of the measures put in place by the authorities to enhance the promotion of hiking safety among overseas visitors?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Government attaches great importance to publicising and promoting hiking safety, as well as promoting hiking etiquette and the message of protecting the natural environment to the public and tourists through various channels. Having consulted the Security Bureau, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Pui-leung is as follows:
     
    (1) In the past two years, the number of mountain search and rescue calls received by the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the number of casualties involved are tabulated below: 
     

    Year Number of mountain search and rescue calls received Number of Injuries (Fatalities)
    2023 695 cases 424 (15)
    2024 588 cases 345 (15)

     
         The FSD does not keep a breakdown of the number of casualties involving local residents and foreign visitors. As the above rescue operations do not involve additional manpower and salary expenditure, the FSD does not keep a breakdown of the expenditure involved.
     
    (2) Through the “Enjoy Hiking” website (hiking.gov.hk), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) provides consolidated information of different hiking trails to hikers to facilitate their planning of hiking trips. It also lists 20 high risk locations with records of fatal and serious accidents in country parks (high-risk locations), according to factors such as previous records of serious and fatal accidents, the causes of such accidents, as well as the site conditions, with a view to reminding hikers to avoid accessing those areas. The AFCD will regularly review and update the list of high-risk locations as needed. 

         To promote public awareness on hiking safety, the AFCD regularly organises education activities, including school visits, guided tours, roving exhibitions and game booths at shopping malls and Country Parks Visitor Centres. The AFCD will also disseminate safety information through online videos, social media platforms, websites, and pamphlets distributed at Country Parks Visitor Centres. Concurrently, the Hong Kong Police Force, the FSD, the Government Flying Service and the Civil Aid Service also raise hiker’s awareness on hiking safety through various channels and events.
     
    (3) The Government has always accorded top priority to public safety and the protection of people’s life and property. While the Government strongly discourages the public from taking risks to perform dangerous activities, effective, reliable and efficient emergency services will still be provided to people in distress or in need under all circumstances. We do not hope that those in need would hesitate in seeking emergency call services due to any reasons, including levy. The AFCD has also installed warning signs in suitable areas of the high-risk locations to remind hikers to avoid accessing those areas. The AFCD will review the situations of different areas from time to time, modify or add suitable warning signs and barriers where needed. 

    (4) As at April 2025, the “Enjoy Hiking” mobile application had been downloaded for over 480 000 times, including approximately 100 000 downloads by users with non-local IP addresses. 

         The AFCD, in collaboration with the Tourism Commission and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), has been promoting green tourism and sharing messages on hiking safety and nature conservation through HKTB’s “Hong Kong Great Outdoors” thematic website (www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/explore/great-outdoor.html) and its social media platforms, to ensure that tourists enjoy the countryside in Hong Kong in a safe and nature-friendly manner. Furthermore, the AFCD collaborates with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the Mainland and the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province to promote Hong Kong’s natural scenery and hiking routes, as well as to disseminate hiking safety messages, through their social media platforms in the Mainland.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ18: Manpower of lifeguards

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Luk Chung-hung and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):
     
    Question:
     
    There are views pointing out that the problems of insufficient manpower and recruitment difficulties of lifeguards in Hong Kong have remained unresolved for many years, which may lead to the chaotic situation of unlicensed lifeguards being employed, undermining the dignity of the industry’s workforce and jeopardising the lives and safety of swimmers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the current number of vacancies of civil service lifeguards; whether the Government has assessed the impact of the vacancy situation on the services to the public;
     
    (2) whether it has studied if the Government has difficulties in recruiting lifeguards; if it has studied and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the support measures and proposals to resolve the problem;
     
    (3) as some members of the industry have relayed that at present, civil service lifeguards have limited promotion prospects and their remuneration packages are inadequate, and their posts are only included in the Artisan grade, but they have to obtain a number of certificates and regularly renew their licenses in order to be employed on a continuous basis, which has resulted in a high wastage rate and stifled the development of the industry, whether the Government will further review and adjust the grade structure of civil service lifeguards, thereby retaining talents and attracting new blood to join the industry;
     
    (4) of the respective numbers of (a) surprise and (b) non-surprise (i) inspections of private swimming pools conducted by the relevant government departments in the past three years, and the respective numbers of non-compliance cases found during such inspections in which (ii) there was insufficient manpower on duty at the swimming pools, and (iii) unqualified lifeguards were employed and on duty (set out in the table below); the actions taken by the Government to pursue such non-compliance cases;

    Year (a) (b)
    (i) (ii) (iii) (i) (ii) (iii)
    2022            
    2023            
    2024            

    (5) as it has been reported that the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will check the identity documents and Pool Lifeguard Awards (PLA) of the lifeguards on duty during inspections of private swimming pools and verify the validity of PLA with the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society (HKCLSS), of the specific procedures adopted by the FEHD for verifying the validity of the PLAs with the HKCLSS, including whether the FEHD has established a formal and regular liaison mechanism with the HKCLSS; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will consider establishing such mechanism; and
     
    (6) as it has been reported that the HKCLSS intends to introduce an online service for checking the qualifications of lifeguards, whether the Government will collaborate with the HKCLSS to establish a checking system for qualified lifeguards, so as to rigorously combat unlicensed lifeguards and, at the same time, facilitate employers in checking the qualifications of the lifeguards they employ?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    In consultation with relevant policy bureaux and government departments, the consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Luk Chung-hung is as follows:
     
    (1) The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is responsible for managing 46 public swimming pools, 42 gazetted beaches (Note 1) and five water sports centres. As at May 1, 2025, a total of 1 308 civil service lifeguards were employed by the LCSD. The number of vacancies was 188 (Note 2) .
     
    During the swimming season every year (i.e. April to October), the LCSD needs to employ about 700 seasonal lifeguards. However, with increasing market demand for lifeguards due to the growing number of local private swimming pools in recent years, it has become more challenging for the LCSD to recruit seasonal lifeguards, which inevitably affects the provision of services at aquatic venues. The LCSD has all along flexibly deployed its serving lifeguards and other resources with a view to maintaining the services provided at aquatic venues as far as possible. The LCSD will arrange sufficient lifeguards to be on duty at aquatic venues that are open and deploy additional manpower when necessary, such as calling off-duty lifeguards to report for duty or arranging lifeguards to work overtime where practicable. Having regard to the usage of swimming pools and habits of swimmers, the LCSD will also temporarily close facilities with low usage rates during sessions with fewer attendees to optimise the use of manpower resources.
     
    (2) The LCSD proactively puts in place various measures to increase and stabilise the manpower supply of lifeguards, including improving the remuneration package of seasonal lifeguards, enhancing the flexibility of recruitment procedures and exploring the recruitment of more eligible persons to join lifesaving services, etc.
     
    The LCSD has recruited 110 full-year lifeguards on a two-year contract since 2023, and further employed 70 additional full-year lifeguards on a two-year contract in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Such relatively long contract period is conducive to stabilising the manpower supply of lifeguards. The LCSD has also taken into account market trends to further enhance the remuneration package of seasonal lifeguards, with monthly salary reaching as high as $23,000 (excluding end-of-contract gratuity) to reduce the salary gap between lifeguards in the public and private sectors.
     
    Furthermore, as contractors of outsourced services offer more flexibility on remuneration packages and working hours, which makes the recruitment arrangement more flexible and attractive, the LCSD has outsourced lifesaving and first aid services at six public swimming pools on a trial basis since September 2024. The relevant service contractor has been providing stable lifesaving and first aid services. The LCSD will continue to review and evaluate the effectiveness of outsourcing lifesaving and first aid services.
     
    As for expanding the new labour markets, the LCSD will continue to step up its publicity efforts for recruitment exercises, including extensively displaying recruitment posters and disseminating recruitment information/advertisements to reach out to more target groups. The LCSD will also proactively liaise with youth services organisations and schools to promote and encourage young people to pursue a career in lifeguarding, as well as to raise their interests in working as seasonal lifeguards, with a view to increasing the manpower supply of lifeguards. Besides, the LCSD launched the “Combined Seasonal Lifeguard Training Scheme” in 2023 and has so far organised six “Integrated Certificates Courses on Life Saving” to attract more people with no lifesaving qualifications to join the profession. In addition, the LCSD has collaborated with the Employees Retraining Board to organise specific lifesaving training programmes and provide relevant job opportunities with a view to increasing the manpower supply of lifeguards.
     
    (3) Under the prevailing policy of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), when a specific civil service grade has proven and persistent recruitment and retention difficulties, or fundamental changes in the job nature, job complexity and responsibilities, the Government will consider conducting a grade structure review for the grade concerned. There have been no fundamental changes to the job nature, job complexity and responsibilities of civil service lifeguards. In the past three years, the average vacancy rate of civil service lifeguards was 5.28 per cent, which was lower than the rate of 9.38 per cent for the entire civil service in the same period. The LCSD will continue to monitor the situation with the CSB.
     
    (4), (5) and (6) In the past three years, the number of surprised inspections conducted by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) on licensed swimming pools is provided below:
     

      Number of inspections Number of cases of insufficient number of personnel on duty Number of non-compliance cases involving
    employment of unqualified lifeguards
    2022 8 845 0 0
    2023 8 834 0 0
    2024 12 828 4 0

    As all inspections conducted by the FEHD on licensed swimming pools are surprise inspections, there is no record on non-surprise inspections.
     
    For the four cases in 2024 in which sufficient number of qualified lifeguards was not made available in accordance with the law or licensing conditions, the FEHD had taken prosecution or issued warnings to the licensees depending on the actual situation.
     
    The lifesaving qualifications required by lifeguards are assessed and awarded by the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society (HKCLSS) (Note 3). Starting from May 19, 2025, the FEHD will implement a number of measures to strengthen the monitoring of the qualifications of lifeguards at private swimming pools. These measures include stepping up inspections of swimming pools. Apart from checking the identity documents of lifeguards on duty and their Pool Lifeguard Awards (PLA) during each surprise inspection, the FEHD will also send all information of the PLA to the HKCLSS for verification. The FEHD and the HKCLSS have established a regular verification mechanism to handle the matter.
     
    Note 1: Lifesaving services are not provided by the LCSD at three of the gazetted beaches as beach facilities such as beach buildings and shark prevention nets are not available there.
    Note 2: With lifesaving and first aid services being outsourced at six public swimming pools under the LCSD on a trial basis since September 2024, the 98 civil service lifeguard vacancies in the venues concerned will not be filled for the time being.
    Note 3: The HKCLSS is the only national sports association recognised by the International Life Saving Federation for assessing lifeguard qualifications and awarding lifeguard certificates in Hong Kong.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Government public transport fare concession scheme

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Michael Tien and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):
     
    Question:
     
    Starting from August 25 last year, people aged 60 or above must use the JoyYou Card to enjoy a concessionary fare of $2 per trip under the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (the new measure). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether it knows the number of contravention cases uncovered by the MTR Corporation Limited involving the use of JoyYou Card to enjoy the concessionary fare of $2 since the implementation of the new measure and, among such cases, the number of those referred to the Police for follow-up;
     
    (2) in respect of the cases referred to the Police for follow-up as mentioned in (1), of the respective numbers of cases prosecuted and not prosecuted by the Police; the reasons for the Police not prosecuting such cases; and
     
    (3) in respect of the prosecution cases mentioned in (2), of the number of convicted persons who were eventually sentenced to imprisonment?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,

    The Government has implemented in full a real-name registration system for the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (the $2 Scheme) starting from August 25, 2024, mandating Hong Kong residents aged 60 or above to use a JoyYou Card, and eligible persons with disabilities aged below 60 to use a Personalised Octopus card encoded with the “Persons with Disabilities Status”, to enjoy the $2 Scheme.
     
    The Transport Department (TD) has all along been requesting public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen ticket inspection and passenger identity verification work and to strictly enforce the penalty as set out in relevant legislation and by-laws to prevent any abuse. The TD also conducts surveys and monitors the situation. The TD also conducts joint inspection and enforcement actions with PTOs from time to time and refers abuse cases with sufficient evidence to the Police for criminal investigation so as to achieve deterrent effect.
     
    In respect of the enforcement actions carried out by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) during the period from the full implementation of the real-name registration system to April 2025, the number of abuse cases of the $2 Scheme with surcharges imposed was 280 (i.e. eight cases per week on average). The number of cases concerned has been lowered significantly as compared to the 9 624 cases (i.e. 158 cases per week on average) before the implementation of the real-name registration system from June 25, 2023, to August 24, 2024.
     
    After the full implementation of the real-name registration system, the MTRCL had sought assistance from the Police for 14 suspected cases of abuse of the $2 Scheme using JoyYou Card. Police officers were deployed to the scene for each case. Among the 14 cases, five arrests were made after investigation by the Police. One of those arrest cases had completed prosecution (with the arrested person convicted of theft and fined $400), while the arrested person of another case was prosecuted by the Police for theft (with the hearing taking place on May 9, 2025) and two cases are still under investigation. Another case was referred to the MTRCL for follow-up as a case of violation of the Mass Transit Railway By-laws since no criminal elements were found after investigation by the Police. The remaining nine cases had also been referred to the MTRCL for follow-up as cases of violation of the Mass Transit Railway By-laws since no arrestable offences were identified after investigation by the Police.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS OF THE AMBASSADOR OF GEORGIA TO THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA

    Source:

    Share this:

    [PRESS RELEASE – WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL 2025] – His Excellency Mr. Beka Dvali presented his Letters of Credence to the Head of State of the Independent State of Samoa, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II, at a Credentials ceremony held this morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele, accrediting His Excellency as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Samoa with residence in Canberra, Australia.

    Samoa and Georgia have enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations since the establishment of formal ties on 12 March 2010. The two countries continue to collaborate at the multilateral fora, including the United Nations on matters on mutual interest including the attainment of the 2030 Agenda on sustainable development. Ambassador Dvali reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to strengthening the growing partnership between our nations, both bilaterally and multilaterally, building on the solid foundation laid by his predecessors.

    Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II welcomed the Ambassador and acknowledged the growing relations between Samoa and Georgia. The Head of State expressed appreciation for the shared commitment to global priorities such as democracy, peace and security, human rights, and reaffirmed Samoa’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, principles that have underpinned our diplomatic relations since the establishment in 2010.

    H.E. Mr. Beka Dvali holds a Masters of Law in Comparative and European Law from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and a Diploma in Law at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University in Georgia. He is a career diplomat who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia in 1999 holding various senior positions. He was posted to Georgia’s Diplomatic Missions as Senior Counsellor in the USA, Mexico, Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in London, United Kingdom (2009-2012). Mr. Dvali was appointed as Georgia’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa from 2013 to 2022 with cross-accreditation to 12 other African countries. This is Mr. Dvali’s second Ambassadorial appointment as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Australia with across accreditation to the Pacific including Samoa. Mr. Dvali is married with one son.

    END

    Photo by the Government of Samoa (Jasmine Netzler-Iose)

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leader announces new Cabinet for 2025/26

    Source: City of Oxford

    Wednesday, 14 May 2025

    Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, has announced her Cabinet for 2025/26.

    Councillor Louise Upton is not on the Cabinet in 2025/26 because she will be serving as the Lord Mayor of Oxford.

    The Cabinet has subsequently been reduced from nine members to eight.

    The Cabinet Members are:

    • Councillor Susan Brown, Leader, and Cabinet Member for Partnership Working and Inclusive Economic Growth
    • Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory), and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management
    • Councillor Anna Railton, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for a Zero Carbon Oxford
    • Councillor Lubna Arshad, Cabinet Member for a Safer Oxford
    • Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies
    • Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet member for Planning and Culture
    • Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Fairer Oxford and Small Business Champion
    • Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities

    The responsibilities of each Cabinet Member are:

    • Councillor Susan Brown
      • Council strategy and policy delivery
      • Democratic Services and Member Support
      • Partnerships and outside bodies including
      • District Councils Network (Labour Vice Chair)
      • Fast Growth Cities (Chair)
      • Local Government General Assembly member
      • Oxford Growth Commission
      • Oxford Strategic Partnership
    • Councillor Ed Turner
      • Deputise for Leader as required
      • Financial and treasury strategy
      • Financial support for local residents and businesses
      • Links with our twin cities
      • Property and asset management and maintenance
    • Councillor Anna Railton
      • Deputise for Leader as required
      • Air Quality
      • Biodiversity delivery including verge and tree planting
      • Carbon reduction, heat decarbonisation and retrofitting
      • Delivery of Zero Carbon Oxford City Council by 2030
      • Delivery of the outcomes of the Oxford Citizens Assembly on Climate Change
      • Parks, Allotments, Cemeteries and Open Spaces
      • Renewable energy and energy planning
      • Sustainability
      • Taxi Licensing
      • Transport liaison with Oxfordshire County Council and Highways England and other providers
    • Councillor Lubna Arshad
      • Community safety and tackling antisocial behaviour
      • Safeguarding Adults and Children
      • Working with Thames Valley Police to tackle anti-social behaviour, child sexual exploitation, county lines, drug dealing, domestic abuse, knife crime, modern slavery, violence against women and girls and crime generally
    • Councillor Nigel Chapman
      • Business Improvement
      • Customer Service
      • Oxford Direct Services as contractor
      • OX Place as a company
      • Service delivery
      • Street scene, public conveniences
      • Tree management
      • Waste and recycling
    • Councillor Alex Hollingsworth
      • Car Parking Policy
      • City Centre Action Plan delivery
      • Culture, cultural partnerships and events (including St Giles Fair, Cowley Road Carnival etc.)
      • Development and Building Control
      • Infrastructure planning
      • Licensing Policy
      • Local Plan and planning policies including biodiversity
      • Spatial Planning and conservation
      • Major projects delivery
      • Museum of Oxford
      • Promotion of a thriving music and night-time economy
      • Tourism
    • Councillor Chewe Munkonge
      • Addressing health inequalities and public health promotion
      • Children and young people policies and school liaison
      • Leisure partnership and contract management
      • Local market promotions
      • Promotion of Oxford Living Wage
      • Small Business Champion
      • Sport and physical activity
    • Councillor Linda Smith
      • Affordable housing delivery
      • Community centres, pavilions and grants
      • Estate regeneration projects
      • Homelessness services including prevention
      • Housing allocations and strategy
      • Regulation of the Private Rented Sector
      • Tenancy management and sustainment
      • Tenant and Resident involvement

    The new Cabinet will be announced at the Annual Council Meeting tomorrow (15 May).

    “The Cabinet will continue our work focused on our key priorities: tackling inequality and the high cost of living in Oxford, delivering more affordable homes, making Oxford a great place to live and preparing our city for climate change. In order to achieve this, we will continue to provide stable and prudent council finances and good quality services.

    “We want to make sure that Oxford’s strong and growing economy is delivering for all of Oxford’s citizens. As a cabinet we are committed to continuing to work with Oxford’s diverse communities and businesses to support their needs. Oxford is a great place to live, work and do business and we want everyone to feel proud of their neighbourhood. That is what we are striving to achieve.”

    Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: Israel admits it bombed a hospital to kill a journalist for doing journalism

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    The IDF has admitted to bombing a hospital in order to assassinate a prominent Palestinian journalist in Gaza, Hassan Aslih, explicitly stating that they assassinated him for engaging in journalistic activities.

    The official Israel Defense Forces account made the following post on Twitter (emphasis added):

    “Don’t let Aslih’s press vest fool you:
    Hassan Abdel Fattah Mohammed Aslih, a terrorist from the Hamas Khan Yunis brigade, was eliminated along with other terrorists in the ‘Nasser’ hospital in Khan Yunis.
    Aslih participated in the brutal October 7 massacre under the guise of a journalist and owner of a news network. During the massacre, he documented acts of murder, looting, and arson, posting the footage online.
    Journalist? More like terrorist.”

    Documenting newsworthy acts and posting the footage online is also known as journalism. It’s the thing that journalism is.

    Aslih was killed in Nasser Hospital’s burn unit where he was recovering from a previous Israeli assassination attempt in which they bombed a tent near that same hospital.

    Assassinated Palestinian journalist Hassan Aslih . . . “documenting newsworthy acts and posting the footage online is also known as journalism. It’s the thing that journalism is.” Image: APR

    That’s right kids, Israel will literally assassinate a journalist by bombing a hospital, openly admit that they bombed the hospital to assassinate the journalist for engaging in journalistic activities — and then call you an antisemite if you say Israel bombs hospitals and assassinates journalists.

    ❖

    The following things are Hamas: journalists, journalism, the new pope, the last pope, the UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, human rights, critical thinking, hospitals, schools, campus protesters, Greta Thunberg, doctors, women, children, Ireland, and Ms Rachel.


    Israel admits it bombed a hospital to kill a jourmalist.      Video: Caitlin Johnstone

    Benjamin Netanyahu is now saying that the forced ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza was “inevitable,” reportedly telling the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee on Sunday that “We are destroying more and more homes, and Gazans have nowhere to return to. The only inevitable outcome will be the wish of Gazans to emigrate outside of the Gaza Strip.”

    So there you have it. Shut up about hostages. Shut up about Hamas. Shut up about October 7. This is about removing Palestinians from a Palestinian territory to replace them with Jewish settlers. That’s all this has ever been about. Anyone who pretends otherwise is evil.

    ❖

    “You support terrorism,” said the person who supports daily massacres of civilians to advance political aims.

    ❖

    Everyone’s yelling about Trump accepting a jet from Qatar as a bribe, which would make sense if they hadn’t been completely ignoring how Trump has openly admitted to being bought and controlled by the world’s richest Israeli Miriam Adelson, and how pervasively influential the Israel lobby is throughout all of US politics.

    It’s so gross that Western society tolerates the existence of an Israel lobby. Like “Oh so you’re here to convince my government to stomp out my free speech rights and use my tax dollars for wars and genocide to advance the interests of an apartheid state? Yeah cool, I guess that’s fine.”

    The existence of the Israel lobby should be treated the same as a Nazi lobby or a pedophilia lobby. Taking donations from pro-Israel groups should be as stigmatised as taking donations from the KKK or NAMBLA.

    It’s not okay that each Western nation has its own high-powered lobby group whose whole entire job is to insert itself into key points of influence and persuade our governments to destroy our civil rights and commit genocide. Nobody should tolerate the existence of these groups.

    ❖


    ❖

    I always get Israel apologists telling me “Stop calling it a genocide! It’s not a genocide!”

    And I’m always just like okay well then they’re doing some sort of thing where the people in power work to eliminate a population because of their ethnicity using mass-scale violence and deliberate starvation. I guess there’s no word for it.

    ❖

    The last year and a half in Gaza is a strong enough reason to dismantle the entire US-led Western empire. The Gaza holocaust could end tomorrow and it would still be reason enough. All the empire’s other worldwide abuses could have never happened and it’d still be reason enough.

    In Gaza alone the empire has already established beyond any doubt that it should not exist, even if you ignore all its other crimes throughout the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia. If you would perpetrate history’s first live-streamed genocide in full view of the entire world, then you are not the sort of power structure who should be leading humanity into the future.

    If you would inflict the kinds of abuses we’ve been watching on our screens for the last year and a half upon helpless human beings who have done nothing wrong, then you should not rule the world. Your rule must end.

    The alternative is to let the fate of humanity be determined by genocidal monsters. This is simply not an option. The sooner the US-centralised empire ends, the better.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Public International Law panels recruitment open

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Public International Law panels recruitment open

    Applications close on Wednesday 18 June

    The Public International Law panels (PIL) panels were created in 2014 and supplement the work of the Attorney General’s existing panels of civil counsel.

    Members of the panels advise the government on matters of public international law and undertake cases involving public international law in international courts and in the courts of the UK. The PIL panels are divided into A, B and C panels based on experience in the practical application of international law, whether as an adviser or advocate, or a mix of both. Further information is available: PIL information sheet 2025 (MS Word Document, 93.8 KB)

    The five-week application window is now open and will close at midday on Wednesday 18 June. Appointments will commence on 1 January 2026 for a 5 year term.

    This exciting opportunity is open to practitioners and academics with relevant experience in the practical application of international law and who are qualified in a UK jurisdiction. All panellists are expected to understand and be able to advise on fundamental precepts of international law, including treaties, customary law and other sources and state responsibility. Applications are welcomed from those with experience in specific areas of international law.

    Application process

    Contact the Panel Counsel Secretariat for an application pack, which includes referee templates, an equality and diversity monitoring form and panel specific criteria. Make sure to include whether you are applying for the A, B or C panel.

    Those applying to the A panel will be expected to supply 5 references and those applying to the B and C panels will be expected to supply 3 references.

    Join the virtual information evening on  Tuesday 20 May, 5pm to 6pm. Details of this session and how to register: PIL event flyer (MS Word Document, 444 KB)

    If you have any queries, please contact the Panel Counsel Secretariat.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: E-scooter trial extension to be considered at next week’s Council meeting

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Council will next week consider if the share hire e-scooter trial in Greater Bendigo should be extended for another 12 months.

    The City of Greater Bendigo appointed Beam Mobility (Beam) following a public Request for Quote process to operate the trial until May 23, 2025 at no cost to the City.

    The trial was developed in consultation with the City to assess the success of shared hire e-scooters as an alternative mode of transport for residents and visitors.

    Beam has been operating a small trial area in urban Bendigo to provide better links between precincts and encourage a shift away from cars for shorter trips.

    The purple e-scooters are only available for hire between 5am and 11pm, 7 days a week. The maximum speed limit is set at 20km/h, and 15km/h in some busy areas, and e-scooters are only allowed to ride on roads, bicycle lanes, and shared cycle paths in line with Victorian road rules.

    It is illegal to ride e-scooters on footpaths and significant penalties apply. The Victorian Police enforce fines.

    Manager Strategic Planning Anthony Petherbridge thanked community members and external stakeholders who provided valuable feedback about the trial.

    “824 people contributed to our Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo survey and the results indicated mixed sentiment from the community with 66.88% expressing some level of dissatisfaction with the trial, 17.9 per cent offered solutions to improve the trial, 8.5 percent found it to be good and 6.6 per cent said it was excellent,” Mr Petherbridge said.

    “The City also collaborated with internal and external stakeholder groups throughout the trial to improve it. They support the proposal for a trial extension with further recommendations in place. This includes expanding the area to include Golden Square, Long Gully and White Hills to align with shared walking/cycling networks. They also want to see improved operator patrols and a faster response to incidents if the trial extends.

    “The trial demonstrated that e-scooters continue to have potential as an alternative transport option that is sustainable. However, community and stakeholder feedback has informed a set of recommendations.

    “A 12-month trial extension in an expanded urban Bendigo is recommended with improved trial requirements. This would allow the share hire scheme’s full potential to be assessed over a larger area and incorporate important lessons from the initial trial. This phase may also explore integrating e-bikes and technological improvements for e-scooters to curb illegal footpath riding.”

    The feedback collected through the survey and insights from key stakeholders has contributed to the overall evaluation of the trial in a Council report. It will be presented at the next Council meeting at The Capital on Monday May 19. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chu, Hirono Introduce Bills to Address Mental Health in AANHPI Communities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    Legislation would raise awareness of the importance of mental health and help increase access to culturally-competent mental health care in AANHPI communities 

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) reintroduced a package of bills focused on mental health awareness for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in observance of May as National Mental Health Awareness Month and AANHPI Heritage Month. The package included a resolution recognizing May 10th as National AANHPI Mental Health Day, as well as the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025 to increase awareness and access to mental health care throughout the AANHPI community.

    “This AANHPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m honored to join Senator Hirono to reintroduce this legislative package to confront the unique mental health challenges faced by AANHPI communities,” said Rep. Chu. “The AANHPI community is the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to seek out mental health services. This disparity is largely driven by language barriers, taboos around shame, a lack of access to culturally competent care, and insufficient disaggregated data within research. As the only psychologist in Congress, I know how important it is to break down these barriers, challenge harmful misconceptions about seeking help, and ensure every community can access the mental health care they need. Recognizing May 10th as National AANHPI Mental Health Day brings long-overdue attention to the unique challenges our communities face and helps break the silence and stigma that too often surround mental health. But awareness must be matched with action, which is why the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act would invest in culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach, education, and disaggregated data collection, so we can deliver care that truly reflects and serves the full diversity of the AANHPI community.”

    “As we recognize AANHPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, I am proud to lead the introduction of this legislation to bring attention to the importance of mental health well-being in the AANHPI community,” said Senator Hirono. “Too many members of our communities face economic, cultural, and language barriers preventing them from accessing critical mental health care and these bills reaffirm our commitment to breaking down those barriers. Every person deserves access to culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health care, and I’m glad to partner with Representative Chu as we work to invest in mental health resources, combat the stigma surrounding mental health, and ensure that every member of our communities can access the care they need and deserve.” 

    According to data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), members of the AANHPI community have the lowest rates of mental health service utilization of any racial/ethnic group, with only 35 percent of Asian adults with a mental health problem receiving treatment in 2023. In 2023, an estimated 65 percent of the AANHPI community, who met criteria for a mental health problem, did not receive necessary treatment. And, even though suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States, it is the leading cause of death for AANHPI youth ages 10 to 24, and they are the only racial or ethnic group in this age category whose leading cause of death is suicide. In Hawaii, the suicide rate is greater than national average and the rate of suicide for Native Hawaiians is nearly double the national rate.

    The National AANHPI Mental Health Day resolution recognizes the importance of mental health to the well-being of AANHPI families and communities and acknowledges the importance of raising awareness around mental health care. It also encourages health agencies to adopt policies to improve utilization of mental health services for the AANHPI community, as well as other marginalized communities.

    Rep. Chu and Senator Hirono also reintroduced the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025, bicameral legislation to curb mental health stigma and help increase access to mental health care in AANHPI communities. 

    Specifically, the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act would instruct SAMHSA to:

    • Establish a national outreach and education mental health and substance misuse strategy for the AANHPI community by partnering with advocacy and behavioral health organizations that have an established record of serving AANHPI communities; and
    • Conduct research and collect disaggregated data on the state of behavioral health among AANHPI youth and on the shortage of AANHPIs in the behavioral health workforce.

    “The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association welcomes the 5th introduction of the National AANHPI Mental Health Day resolution and strongly supports the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities act,” said Dr. Pata Suyemoto, Executive Director of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA). “This bill is critical as it provides necessary investments to reduce stigma within Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Stigma is a driving force that keeps AANHPI individuals from seeking mental health services when they need them. This bill hopefully will improve mental health outcomes through culturally and linguistically relevant services, increased culturally trained workforce, as well as increased research on AANHPI communities.” 

    “Stigma and persistent barriers have kept AANHPIs from the mental health care they deserve—leading to some of the lowest utilization rates nationwide. It’s time for change. We know that better health outcomes are attainable, but we must take legislative action to invest in a mental health care workforce and infrastructure that are culturally and linguistically appropriate,” said Juliet K. Choi, President & CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF). “The bicameral introductions of the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act and the AANHPI Mental Health Day Resolution mark vital steps toward closing the unacceptable disparities in mental health care and chronic disease treatment experienced in our communities.”

    “The Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act and the establishment of a National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day are vital steps forward in addressing the unique cultural barriers that too often prevent people from seeking care,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “Together, these measures affirm that mental health is a fundamental part of public health and that every community deserves equal access to services. NAMI thanks Senator Hirono and Rep. Chu for their leadership and proudly supports this important legislation.”

    The National AANHPI Mental Health Day resolution was co-led by Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10) and was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-01); Grace Meng (D-NY-06); Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15); Mark Takano (D-CA-39); Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Al Green (D-TX-09); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Derek Tran (D-CA-45); Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA-44); Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50); Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06); Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03); Dave Min (D-CA-47); and Robert Menendez (D-NJ-08). 

    The Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and U.S. Representatives Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-01); Grace Meng (D-NY-06); Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Mark Takano (D-CA-39); Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Al Green (D-TX-09); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Derek Tran (D-CA-45); and Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA-44). 

    Both bills are endorsed by AAPI Youth Rising; Advancing Justice (AAJC); Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA); Asian Mental Health Collective; Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education; Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF); Asian Psychedelic Collective; Asian Youth Act; Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC); Japanese American Citizens League; LEAD Filipino; National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA); National Asian Pacific American Families Allied for Substance Awareness and Harm Reduction; National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA); National Partnership for New Americans; National Partnership for Women & Families; Prevention Institute; Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus; The Asian American Foundation; Thriving Asians; Thriving Twentysomethings; UCA WAVES; We Make It Matter; Wellness Ranch Equine Assisted Therapy; API Tennessee; Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of New Jersey (AAPI NJ); Asian Counseling and Referral Service; Association for Infant Mental Health In Hawaii; Coalition for Asian American Children and Families; Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction Center; Hawai‘i Office of Wellness and Resilience; Hep Free Hawai’i; Mental Health America of Hawaii; Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity; NAMI Hawaii (National Alliance on Mental Illness); Sakura Foundation; Yellow Chair Collective; Asian Americans for Community Involvement; Asian Mental Health Project; Centro de Ayuda y Esperanza Latina, Inc.; Filipino Mental Health Initiative of Hawaii; RAMS (Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc.); and SPEAK, a Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin. 

    The full text of the resolution is available here. The full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Chu Condemns DOJ’s Cancellation of Critical Gun Violence and Victim Advocacy Grants

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) abruptly canceled hundreds of grants to community organizations and local governments, slashing critical funding for gun-violence prevention, addiction services, and crime-victim advocacy programs.“ As someone who has looked into the eyes of families who have just lost loved ones to gun violence, it’s deeply troubling to hear that efforts to prevent more deaths and tragedies are being dismissed as ‘wasteful spending’ by the Attorney General. This alarming justification ignores the devastating human toll of gun violence across our nation and unnecessarily risks more Americans’ lives,” said Rep. Judy Chu, whose congressional district includes Monterey Park, where 11 people died in Los Angeles County’s worst ever mass shooting in January 2023. “This is a crushing setback for our community and the rest of our country, but we will not waver.”

    Since the shooting, Rep. Chu has introduced and co-led several bills to help prevent future mass shootings and gun violence in America, including the Language Access to Gun Violence Prevention Strategies Act, which would ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency can access gun violence prevention resources through in-language materials and culturally competent outreach. 

    “I’m fighting to pass legislation that depends on the DOJ for proper implementation,” continued Rep. Chu. “By undermining these critical efforts, Republicans are endangering lives. They bear responsibility for future gun violence in America.” 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Soon, your boss will have to pay your wages and super at the same time. Here’s how everyone could benefit

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Hodgson, Professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University

    Dragon Images/Shutterstock

    If you have a job in Australia, you’ve probably noticed each of your payslips has a section telling you how much superannuation will be paid alongside your wages.

    But while your wages are deposited in your bank account however frequently you receive a payslip – whether that’s weekly, fortnightly or monthly – it’s a different story for your super.

    Under current superannuation laws, employers are only required to pay super into an employee’s nominated fund at least four times a year – 28 days after the end of each quarter – although many do pay more regularly.

    But that’s set to change. From July 1 2026, new “payday super” rules will require employers to pay super into the employee’s fund within seven days of wages.

    This reform was announced in the 2023–24 federal budget, allowing employers, superannuation funds and software providers three years to set up compliant systems. But it hasn’t yet been legislated.

    Now, some industry groups are calling for a further delay of up to two years. So, who are these reforms designed to benefit? And does business really need more time to get ready?

    Missing or incorrect super

    Missing or incorrect super payments present a huge problem for Australia’s retirement system.

    The Super Members Council claims one in four Australians are missing out on the correct amount of superannuation contributions.

    Missing super payments are a multi-billion dollar problem.
    Wara1982/Shutterstock

    The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) estimates A$5.2 billion of guaranteed superannuation went unpaid in 2021–22.

    This can be due to payroll errors, misclassification under an award or, in extreme cases, non-payment of superannuation as a form of wage theft. All these things can be harder to spot when super is paid less frequently.

    Rules only requiring super to be paid quarterly may have been appropriate 30 years ago, in the early days of the superannuation guarantee. Business systems were often not computerised, and wages were often paid in cash.

    Times have changed

    Payroll systems are now much more sophisticated.

    From 2018, the federal government rolled out the single-touch payroll program that requires employers to report wages in real time, including details of superannuation guarantee withheld from an employee’s wages.

    The government is already benefiting from the increased automation of data submitted through this system.

    Single-touch payroll data helps improve official labour statistics and provides up-to-date income information for employees through the MyGov portal.

    Sending real-time data to Centrelink addresses one of the major flaws underpinning the Robodebt scandal, which used an averaging system to estimate fortnightly earnings.

    Benefits for employees

    In simple terms, the coming changes are basically a change in timing. Payments will be transferred to an employee’s super fund in the same way their wages are transferred directly to their bank account.

    Once bedded down, the changes will provide benefits across the board to employees, employers and the government.

    Currently, if an employee believes the correct amount of superannuation is not being paid to their fund, they are expected to follow this up directly with the ATO.

    Unfortunately, many employees presume the withheld amount shown on the payslip has already been paid into their super account.

    Unless a member is actively monitoring their super balance, they may be unaware that the amount shown on their payslip is not being paid into their fund on a timely basis.

    Payday super changes could help employees more easily check their super is being paid.
    Chay_Tee/Shutterstock

    Benefits for business

    Employers should also benefit from these changes, many of whom already do transfer superannuation when wages are paid.

    Currently, superannuation guarantee payments are run on a separate payment cycle to payroll, coinciding with payment of tax liabilities. If payments are on the same cycle as payroll, it should make budgeting easier, and ensure the separate super payment run is not overlooked.

    This assumes, of course, that the business is not relying on unpaid superannuation contributions to manage their cash flows elsewhere in the business. If that is the case, payday super changes will help protect the employee if the employer runs into financial difficulties.

    The change will also allow the tax office to match deductions and payments in real time to detect fraud – and check that super is actually being paid. This can reduce audit costs and – in the long run – reduce reliance on the aged pension as super account balances improve.

    Why wait any longer?

    So, with all of these expected benefits, why has the financial services sector this month asked for implementation to be delayed further – by up to two years? The building blocks of the system – electronic payments to transfer funds and the government’s single-touch payroll gateway – are already in place.

    One challenge is legislative. Although announced in May 2023, the draft legislation was only released for consultation in March 2025.

    The Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 needs extensive amendments to rewrite references to the calculation and payment of the superannuation guarantee charge.

    The draft legislation also makes some changes to definitions that may impact on how systems must be set up for payday super. Although not intended to change entitlements, they need to be made accurate in the software.

    Still, payday super has the potential to strengthen Australia’s superannuation system, protecting employee contributions and smoothing the payment system for employers. Concerns around its implementation are largely due to the time it has taken for the draft legislation to emerge.

    Following the election, the federal government has the numbers to pass this legislation as a matter of priority.

    Helen Hodgson has received funding from the ARC, AHURI and CPA Australia. Helen is the Chair of the Social Policy Committee and a Director of the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW). Helen was a Member of the WA Legislative Council from 1997 to 2001, elected as an Australian Democrat. She is not a current member of any political party. She is a Registered Tax Agent and a member of the SMSF Association, CPA Australia and The Tax Institute. Helen has superannuation with Unisuper and jointly owns positively geared rental properties.

    – ref. Soon, your boss will have to pay your wages and super at the same time. Here’s how everyone could benefit – https://theconversation.com/soon-your-boss-will-have-to-pay-your-wages-and-super-at-the-same-time-heres-how-everyone-could-benefit-256564

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Woman reported after road rage crash at Nailsworth

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A driver has lost her licence after a road rage crash on Main North Road, Nailsworth on Monday night.

    Just before 10pm on Monday 12 May, police and emergency services were called to Main North Road, Nailsworth after a silver sedan crashed into and ruptured a fire hydrant.

    Footage obtained from an eyewitness captured the collision.  The silver sedan also crashed into the side of a blue sedan, which did not stop at the scene, before colliding with the fire hydrant.

    The blue sedan continued south on Main North Road.

    Following investigations, a 21-year-old Para Hills woman, who was the driver of the silver sedan, was reported for driving in a manner dangerous to the public and issued with a 12-month instant loss of licence.  She will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.

    Anyone with information about the blue sedan or its driver is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detectives issue a reward for information following a fatal shooting in Lambeth

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A year on from the fatal shooting of a man in Lambeth, detectives have announced a £20,000 reward as they seek justice for his bereaved family.

    Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime have been leading the investigation into the murder of 26-year-old Jazmel Patterson-Low over the past year.

    They hope the offer of this substantial reward will encourage anyone with information to come forward.

    Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe said: “It has been a year since the death of Jazmel and we are still actively searching for those involved.

    “We want to know what happened that morning on St Rule Street SW8. We know there was a group of around 40 people gathered there on Friday evening and into the early hours of Saturday morning. If you were there, then you may have crucial information for us.

    “I am grateful to those who have come forward already, however we still need more from the public. This is why we are now offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the successful charge and conviction of the person responsible.

    “Think back to last May, did you witness what happened to Jazmel? Do you know who fired the gun? Did you see anyone running from the St Rule Street area? If you know what happened, then you need to speak to us.

    “We will support you throughout, you can also contact Crimestoppers to remain anonymous and your identity will be protected. Alliances change over time, so please do the right thing by coming forward.”

    On Saturday, 11 May 2024, police were called by medical staff at 02:30hrs to St Thomas’ Hospital after a man was dropped off in a private car, suffering from a gunshot injury.

    Despite the best efforts of medical staff, Jazmel, who lived in Lambeth, sadly died shortly after 03:00hrs.

    Jazmel was shot at around 02:25hrs that morning on the Westbury Estate in St Rule Street. A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as a single gunshot wound. Jazmel’s family continue to receive support from specially trained officers

    A 25-year-old man was arrested in south London in the early hours of Tuesday, 14 May 2024 on suspicion of murder. He was taken into custody but subsequently released without charge.

    Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call 101 quoting Op Bulbhorn or CAD 884/11MAY24. You can also submit information via this MIPP link.

    To remain 100 per cent anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –