NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Crime affects everyone, not only certain groups: Lamola

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has firmly denied allegations of persecution against white South Africans, especially white farmers. 

    This is after a group of 49 Afrikaners left South Africa on Sunday after being granted refugee status by the Trump administration, following claims that they were “victims of unjust racial discrimination“.

    The group is expected to arrive at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Monday. 

    Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday on South Africa’s G20 Presidency, Lamola said the South African government refutes the claim that white South Africans are persecuted and qualify as refugees. 

    “We have stated… that, in line with the international definition, they do not qualify for that status, according to us, and there is no persecution of Afrikaners in South Africa.” 

    Lamola said that crime in South Africa affects all citizens regardless of race, and there is no systematic targeting of Afrikaners.

    “Crime in South Africa affects everyone, irrespective of race and gender. There is a more pronounced crime that we are dealing with, which the President has declared a pandemic, [and that] is… gender-based violence, which is a societal challenge that we have to respond to. 

    “But there’s no danger at all that backs that there is persecution of white South Africans or Afrikaners (sic).” 

    The Minister said police statistics do not support claims of racial persecution, and that crime is a national challenge affecting all South Africans. 

    “In fact, more farm dwellers are also affected by crime, and white farmers do get [more] affected by crime, just like any other South African who gets affected by crime. So this is not factual… and [it is] without basis.” 

    On the question of whether these “refugees” have been vetted, Lamola said there was a process they had to undergo involving the South African Police Service (SAPS), such as checking all their criminal records. 

    “As I’ve said earlier, they can’t provide any proof of prosecution because there’s none… And we’re glad that a number of organisations, even from Afrikaner structures, have denounced this so-called ‘persecution’.”

    Lamola stated that where there are challenges, there are platforms to resolve them within the South African context, making this a domestic issue.

    “Our legislation provides sufficient platforms for any issue to be ventilated in that regard, and white South Africans, including Afrikaners, have voiced their views in this regard, and we welcome that as the government of South Africa. We encourage more of such engagements and platforms to clarify on the world stage this disinformation.” 

    The Minister took the time to denounce the notion of persecution and highlighted domestic platforms for resolving issues. 

    Regarding the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit set for later this year, he said all members are invited, and that the participation of the United States and Russia is left to their discretion. 

    Meanwhile, Lamola announced that South Africa has extended invitations to African countries and other global entities, with any further invitations requiring consensus among G20 members. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi, Research fellow, University of the Western Cape

    Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country’s children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to double by 2030.

    This problem has been linked to the regular consumption of calorie-dense foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
    South African children are growing up in a food environment that tends to cause obesity.

    One of its key features is intense marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, using various channels and appealing strategies. Misleading health and nutrition claims are sometimes made.

    Children are considered lucrative consumers because they can sometimes buy food themselves, influence their parents’ food purchases (they have “pester power”, for one thing), and are future consumers.

    Marketers use several strategies that children find appealing, such as cartoon characters, brand mascots, bright colours, colourful packages, catchy songs and slogans.

    Although there is no specific regulation of marketing to children in South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act 58 of 2008 has important provisions that guide the marketing of goods and services. The law prohibits false, deceptive marketing.

    As a researcher into children’s rights and nutrition I coauthored a recent paper examining how the Consumer Protection Act could be used to address the misleading marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

    In our view, the South African consumer protection legal framework has the necessary scope to address misleading forms of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But there needs to be better enforcement.



    Read more:
    Profit versus health: 4 ways big global industries make people sick

    Health claims: not always the full package

    A common strategy in food marketing is the use of misleading health or nutrition claims. These are often written (“contains vitamin C”, “high fibre”, “boosts immunity”, “supports brain health”), or implied by images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of products.

    Some studies in South Africa have demonstrated the misleading use of these claims in television and magazine
    advertisements and food packages, including products meant for children.

    For instance, fruit juices often claim to be rich in vitamin C, but they have a high sugar content. Dairy products typically boast a high calcium content, but are also high in added sugar. Breakfast cereals frequently highlight their fibre content, despite being ultra-processed and containing a high amount of total carbohydrates and added sugar.

    Packaged foods often contain nutrition labels, but the printed words are small and usually obscured by the “healthy” claims. Those are positioned more prominently to capture the attention of the consumer.

    Health and nutrition claims can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially in the South African context. Research has shown that many South African consumers do not read nutrition labels on packaged foods.



    Read more:
    Half of all South Africans are overweight or obese. Warning labels on unhealthy foods help change that

    What the law says

    Firstly, the Consumer Protection Act recognises children as vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers who deserve special protection (section 3(1)(b)(iii). This is because they have limited capacity to understand marketing strategies or defend themselves against their persuasive effects.

    Secondly, the Consumer Protection Act, in sections 29 and 41, prohibits the marketing of goods in a way that is reasonably likely to imply a false or misleading representation of facts such as their ingredients, benefits and qualities.

    Thirdly, the Consumer Protection Act provisions do not require a consumer to show that they were actually misled by the claim or that children’s health was negatively affected by consuming the food product. It is enough that it has been marketed in a manner that is reasonably likely to mislead children or their parents or caregivers into buying the product.

    Consumers have various ways to seek redress for misleading marketing. These include the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud and the Advertising Regulatory Board, the National Consumer Commission, the National Consumer Tribunal and the courts.

    However, delays and poor compliance with decisions can put consumers off.



    Read more:
    South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

    Food for thought: the way forward

    Mandatory front-of-pack labels are needed in South Africa. They should be easy to understand and highlight nutrients of concern – salt, fat, sugar and artificial sweeteners – to reflect the overall nutritional profile of food products. They can also override the misleading “health halo” effect generated by health or nutrition claims.

    The public should support the Draft Regulation R3337 Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs made under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic, and Disinfectant Act 54 of 1972. It specifically prohibits marketing unhealthy food to children.

    The act needs to be used more and this requires much greater consumer activism.

    Dispute mechanisms could be stronger and the processes could be streamlined to encourage consumer participation.

    The government and public interest organisations need to create greater public awareness of consumer rights.

    Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi is a Research Fellow at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, which receives funding from the Global Center for Legal Innovation on Food Environments at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC.

    – ref. Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it – https://theconversation.com/marketing-unhealthy-food-as-good-for-kids-is-fuelling-obesity-in-south-africa-how-to-curb-it-253994

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Stefanik Honors Police Officers During National Police Week

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    Stefanik Honors Police Officers During National Police Week | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Traveling to the District of Columbia for Sex with Child

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96-months in federal prison in connection with traveling to sexually abuse a six-year-old girl in the District of Columbia.

    The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

    Scott pleaded guilty October 16, 2024, to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Scott to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

    According to the government’s evidence, in May 2024 Scott began communicating via an encrypted messaging application with a man he met on a fetish website. Scott believed the man to be a pedophile who was sexually abusing his six-year-old daughter. The man actually was an undercover officer with the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Over the next several days, Scott engaged in graphic conversations with the undercover officer about sexually abusing the purported child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in the District where he was arrested.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Paul V. Courtney.

    24cr287

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Five in the Eastern District of Michigan

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    DETROIT – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “We are called to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.  “Our office will bring the full force of the law against those who exploit innocent children. We are firmly committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to hurt our children.”

    “Operation Restore Justice demonstrates the strength of our law enforcement partnerships,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Members of the FBI Detroit Field Office’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with the Macomb County FBI Gang and Violent Crime Task Force, greatly appreciate the coordinated efforts and support from our law enforcement partners, including ICE HSI, U.S. Border Patrol, CBP Air and Marine Operations, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby Township Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Westland Police Department, and Centerline Police Department. This operation led to multiple arrests across eastern Michigan, underscoring our commitment to protecting and strengthening community safety.”

    Those charged in the Eastern District of Michigan were:

    Adarius Carr, 36, of Belleville.  Carr is charged in a criminal complaint with distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.  The complaint alleges that Carr communicated with a convicted sex offender over an Internet-messaging service. The two discussed their sexual interest in children and exchanged images and videos of child pornography.

    Aroul Kaliamurthy, 53, of Westland, Michigan. Kaliamurthy was charged in a criminal complaint with transportation, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography.  It is alleged that Kaliamurthy traveled to North Carolina where he took hidden camera videos of a naked prepubescent child. Kaliamurthy is alleged to have possessed these electronic devices as well as images of child pornography on his cell phone and personal computers and brought them back to the Eastern District of Michigan.

    Scott Rocky, 57, of Centerline.  Rocky was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The complaint alleges that Rocky shared approximately 4141 files believed to be child pornography with other internet users over peer-to-peer software.

    Amor Pedro Martinez, 26, of Ecorse.  Martinez was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  According to the criminal complaint, Martinez is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit conversations on a messaging application with other individuals and received child pornography on this application from another user.

    Whitney Williams, 38.  Williams was charged in a criminal complaint with sex trafficking of a minor. According to the criminal complaint, Williams is alleged to have advertised, rented hotel rooms and transported a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

     

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

     

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Seven in the Western District of Michigan

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

              May 7, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

              “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

              “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

              Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised that “With this operation, we are amplifying the message that the Department is fully committed to securing justice for the most innocent of victims: children in our communities.”

              “Operation Restore Justice highlights the importance of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The members of the FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force and the Lansing Resident Agency appreciate the vital support from our partners, including the Michigan State Police, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Shores Police Department, Grand Rapids Police Department, Lansing Police Department, and the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office. This coordinated effort led to numerous arrests across western Michigan and in Arkansas and Tennessee, with crucial assistance from the FBI Little Rock (Texarkana Resident Agency) and Nashville (Knoxville Resident Agency) Field Offices. Operation Restore Justice demonstrates our shared commitment to public safety in Michigan and throughout the United States.”

              In the Western District of Michigan, seven individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes: Christian Vanderveen, of Comstock Park; Paul Masko, of Grand Haven; Terry Hopkins, of Muskegon Heights; Martell Scott-Ware, of Grand Rapids; Shauntelle Blackmon, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas; Joesph Brandon, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and George Edward Lebaron, of Egelston Township.

    *  Christian Vanderveen, 24, of Comstock Park, was charged by Complaint with Sexual Exploitation of a Child. According to court documents, Vanderveen repeatedly requested sexually explicit images from a minor who was under the age of thirteen. Evidence obtained from his cell phone revealed the sexually explicit media, as well as Vanderveen’s requests. In an interview with law enforcement, Vanderveen admitted to this conduct.

    If convicted, Vanderveen faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 30 years.

    This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police and FBI.

    # # #

    *  Paul Masko, of Grand Haven, was indicted for three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.  Each charge is punishable by a minimum of 15 years, and a maximum of 30 years, in prison.

    Masko was a teacher at a public school in Muskegon County.  The indictment alleges that Masko gave his phone to a minor victim and directed the minor to take pictures of explicit images of the minor on the minor’s cell phone.

    This case was investigated by the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department, the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, and the FBI.

    # # #

    * Terry Hopkins, of Muskegon Heights, was indicted for possession of child pornography.

    Hopkins was previously convicted of possession of child sexually abusive material on two occasions and criminal sexual conduct with a minor.  As a result, he is subject to an enhanced sentence if convicted – a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

    This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections, and the FBI.

    # # #

    * Martell Scott-Ware, 29, of Grand Rapids and Shauntelle Blackmon, 23, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, were indicted on criminal charges related to alleged sexual exploitation of a child. The grand jury also returned a separate charge accusing Blackmon alone of sex trafficking of a child.

    According to court documents, Scott-Ware and Blackmon are charged with persuading a minor female under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity, which Scott-Ware and Blackmon then recorded. Blackmon also allegedly recruited and offered the same minor for commercial sexual activity, both in the Western District of Michigan and in Arkansas.

    If convicted, Scott-Ware and Blackmon each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison on their charge of sexual exploitation of a child. Blackmon faces a separate mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison on the sex trafficking charge.

    The Michigan State Police and FBI investigated this case.

    # # #

    * Joseph Brandon, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was arrested by criminal complaint on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child.  According to court documents, Brandon formed an agreement with a man in Michigan to use social media accounts to produce and trade child pornography.

    If convicted, Brandon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 30 years.

    This FBI investigated this case

    # # #

    *  George Edward Lebaron, of Egelston Township, was arrested by criminal complaint on charges related to alleged coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

    According to court documents, Lebaron is charged with establishing an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl and coercing and inducing her to send him naked pictures of herself.  Lebaron asked another minor girl to also send him naked pictures.  Lebaron was previously convicted in 2003 of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree for a victim under 13 years old.

    If convicted, Lebaron faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted of coercion and enticement.  If convicted of receipt of child pornography, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.  If convicted of possession of child pornography, Lebaron faces a mandatory minimum of 10 year and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

    The FBI is investigating this case.

    # # #

              Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

              In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

              This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

              The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

              The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

              The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

    A complaint and an indictment are merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: AI Innovation Takes Center Stage at iManage ConnectLive 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iManage, the company dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™, today announced that it will showcase its latest wave of AI-driven innovation at its flagship customer conference, iManage ConnectLive 2025. The company enters the event on a strong growth trajectory, driven by rapid adoption of generative AI capabilities and continued investment in modernizing knowledge work.

    Since the start of the year, iManage has signed 87 new customers, bringing its total to 4,275 organizations globally — including 80% of the AmLaw 100 and 41% of the Fortune 100. More than 75% of these customers rely on iManage Cloud, which saw 25.3% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue as of March 2025.

    AI-Powered Knowledge Work, Evolved
    A centerpiece of iManage’s innovation is Ask iManage, a secure, AI-powered assistant natively embedded in the iManage Work 10 experience. Launched in 2024 and rapidly enhanced in 2025, Ask iManage is designed to reduce context switching and elevate productivity — bringing AI directly into the tools professionals already use.

    Major recent enhancements include:

    • Smart Guided Actions: Ready-to-use intuitive capabilities like “Overview,” “Extract,” “Summarize,” and “Analyze” allowing users to get results from legal, financial and accounting content without needing expertise in prompt engineering.
    • Chronology Action: Automatically organizes events from documents into structured, citation-backed timelines, ideal for litigation prep, due diligence, checklist summaries and more.
    • Unified document insights with Ask Across: Extracts consistent, relevant answers from document sets, streamlining information gathering and review. This is particularly useful for legal teams who need to analyze large sets of documents quickly and efficiently.
    • Microsoft Word Integration: Stay within your work environment when drafting – Allows users to engage with Ask iManage capabilities directly in Word to summarize, extract, find and analyze content without switching applications and context switching.
    • Ask iManage History: Reference personalized project history to save, manage, and revisit Ask iManage document collections with ease and leverage previous work.

    These updates demonstrate iManage’s commitment to embedding AI seamlessly into daily workflows — helping customers unlock the full value of their organizational knowledge.

    Customers enabling Ask iManage are supported by the extensive Wayfinder program — a guided rollout initiative offering structured enablement, onboarding, and support for iManage Cloud customers. Feedback from Wayfinder participants has directly shaped new features, ensuring real-world relevance and immediate value.

    Continued Investment in the iManage Platform
    These AI advancements build on iManage’s broader investment in its core platform — ensuring that while AI accelerates insight and efficiency, the underlying user experience remains seamless, secure, and intuitive. From productivity features to cloud-native integrations, iManage continues to enhance the foundation that knowledge workers rely on every day.

    Unleashing Knowledge Velocity: Removing Friction, Advancing Governance
    iManage continues to drive meaningful productivity gains by removing friction from knowledge work — while also investing in the foundations that make AI effective: good data, responsible governance, and secure collaboration.

    iManage has introduced high-performance tools like iManage Work OCR — a high-speed, AI-powered optical character recognition capability that makes image-based documents searchable. Powered by Azure Document Intelligence – Read, the iManage Cloud OCR is now 25% more accurate, 100x faster, and supports 6x more throughput than previous versions. This powerful OCR capability exemplifies the ways the deep technical partnership between Microsoft and iManage delivers tangible benefits to today’s knowledge professionals.

    This improved OCR service, powered by Azure Document Intelligence – Read is available to all subscribed iManage Cloud Work OCR users at no additional cost.

    This is part of a broader strategy to Unleash Knowledge Velocity by helping customers build high-quality, well-governed data sets — the essential ingredient for effective use of AI. iManage’s integrated records management and governance capabilities ensure customers have integrated capabilities to meet the governance, security and compliance obligations.

    “As we welcome customers to ConnectLive 2025, we’re excited to showcase the innovations that are reshaping how legal and knowledge professionals work,” said Neil Araujo, CEO, iManage. “This year marks our 30th anniversary — a milestone that reflects our long-standing commitment to empowering professionals to maximize their productivity while also keeping their information assets governed and secure. With the rapid evolution of AI, we’re not just adding new features — we’re using AI to enhance our core capabilities and make the work that legal professionals do every day faster, smarter and safer.”

    ConnectLive 2025
    ConnectLive 2025 brings together legal, financial, and corporate professionals to explore the future of AI-powered knowledge work — and how modern platforms like iManage are enabling organizations to work safer, faster, and smarter.

    Across all three cities, attendees will gain hands-on exposure to the platform capabilities driving this transformation — from practical AI applications to records governance and secure collaboration. With over 30 sessions each day, the event offers deep dives into knowledge management innovation, customer use cases, and product strategy, as well as opportunities to connect with and learn from peers and iManage experts.

    Chicago Keynote Highlight
    Fireside Chat: Building an Effective AI Strategy: Tony Surma, CTO for Microsoft’s Americas Global Partner Solutions organization, joins Neil Araujo for a conversation on the real-world challenges and practical considerations of implementing a successful AI strategy.

    Whether attending in New York, Chicago, or London, ConnectLive attendees will experience how iManage is Unleashing Knowledge Velocity — helping organizations modernize their approach to information, build better data sets, and govern knowledge more effectively in the era of AI.

    • ConnectLive New York: May 13, 2025
    • ConnectLive Chicago: May 15, 2025
    • ConnectLive London: June 4, 2025

    Learn more here.

    About iManage
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    press@imanage.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands AG Bondi Release Promised Jeffrey Epstein Files, Share Whether President Trump Has Intervened in Case to Hide Extensive Relationship with Epstein

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    DOJ’s Extended Delay Raises Serious Questions Over Whether President Trump is Burying Files Due to His Well-Documented Association with the Child Sex Offender 

    Promised Report is Now 2 Months Late, Despite FBI Assigning Dozens of Agents to Process It 

    Read the Letter Here 

    Watch Rep. Goldman’s Exclusive Interview Here 

    Washington, D.C – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi today demanding that she promptly release the Jeffrey Epstein Files in full, as well as inform Congress whether President Trump has intervened or delayed the release of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) report due to his well-documented and extensive relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. 

    “I write to express my grave concern about what appears to be a concerted effort by you to delay and even prevent the release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files in their entirety – potentially at the direction of the sitting President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” Congressman Goldman wrote. 

    Following the broadly ridiculed release of The Epstein Files: Part 1 on February 27, 2025, AG Bondi demanded that the FBI deliver the complete Epstein Files within 24 hours to DOJ, as well as a comprehensive report from FBI Director Patel within 14 days. It has now been 74 days since Bondi issued those directives, yet the Department has not released the report despite months-old reporting that the FBI Field Office in New York has delayed other investigations to review and redact information for public release. The Congressman questioned if this delay may be related to President Trump’s long-running relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. 

    “The convergence of your unexplained delay in releasing the Epstein Files, the reporting nearly two months ago that numerous FBI agents were working overtime to redact the materials, President Trump’s well-documented affiliation with Epstein, and his view that the Department of Justice is his personal law firm raises serious questions about whether President Trump has intervened to prevent the public release of the Epstein Files in order to hide his own embarrassing and potentially criminal conduct,” Congressman Goldman continued. 

    Attorney General Bondi’s oath of office requires her to represent the United States’ interest without fear or favor, not protect the President’s embarrassing or even criminal behavior from being made public. Congressman Goldman requested that Attorney General Bondi inform Congress of whether the White House or Donald Trump himself has sought to intervene in the case in any way, as well as to provide a detailed timeline for the release of the Epstein Files. 

    “I look forward to your response to this matter of intense public interest. Both Congress and the American people are eager for you to follow through on your promise of transparency about the Epstein Files,” the Congressman concluded. 

    Read the full letter here or below: 

    Dear Attorney General Bondi, 

    I write to express my grave concern about what appears to be a concerted effort by you to delay and even prevent the release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files in their entirety – potentially at the direction of the sitting President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.  

    On February 27, 2025, to much fanfare, the Department of Justice under your leadership released a trove of already-public documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein 

    case titled The Epstein Files: Phase 1. This document dump, which was redacted ostensibly to “protect victims,” was sold to the American people as a fulfillment of President Trump’s promise of government transparency. It was rightly met, however, with widespread ridicule from across the political spectrum as a ham-handed attempt to gaslight the American people. 

    Shortly after the underwhelming ‘Phase 1’ release, you sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel attempting to pin blame on the FBI’s New York field office for the missing material. In that letter, also dated February 27, 2025, you demanded that the FBI deliver, within 24 hours, “the full and complete Epstein files…including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained.” You went on to clearly state that, “[t]here will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.” You further demanded a “comprehensive report” from the FBI Director “within 14 days.” Director Patel subsequently indicated his intent to comply with your request in a post on X: “There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned.” 

    It is now 74 days past the issuance of both your 24-hour demand and 14-day deadline for a comprehensive report, yet you have provided no additional materials nor an explanation for the delay. Reporting from March 21, 2025, indicates that the FBI field office in New York, presumably at your direction, delayed other investigations in order to work around the clock to review and redact information contained in the Epstein Files for release.3 Although you stated on May 8, 2025, that “[t]here are thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn,” which would require redaction to protect the victims’ identities, it simply cannot take this long for dozens of agents working around the clock to make the necessary redactions. 

    Further, extensive reporting has revealed that President Donald Trump had a lengthy and close relationship with both Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, including being named in Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs as having flown on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times between 1993 and 1997. In 2002, President Trump was quoted as saying, “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy… He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”5 Moreover, Epstein’s personal address book, leaked in 2009 by an Epstein employee, contained 14 phone numbers for President Trump, his wife, Melania, and members of his staff. 

    The convergence of your unexplained delay in releasing the Epstein Files, the reporting nearly two months ago that numerous FBI agents were working overtime to redact the materials, President Trump’s well documented affiliation with Epstein, and his view that the Department of Justice is his personal law firm raises serious questions about whether President Trump has intervened to prevent the public release of the Epstein Files in order to hide his own embarrassing and potentially criminal conduct. 

    As a former 10-year DOJ prosecutor, I remind you that, as Attorney General, your oath of office requires you to represent the United States’ interest without fear or favor, not President Trump’s personal interest. That obligation to the American people requires the immediate release in their entirety of the Epstein Files in your possession, subject to appropriate redactions related to victims and minors. To be clear, there is no proper basis to redact the name, identify, or likeness of President Trump. 

    If you have been directed to redact instances of President Trump’s name or likeness that are included in the Epstein Files, then your oath of office and your commitment to transparency requires you to inform the American people of that directive. As part of Congress’ oversight authority provided by the Constitution of the United States, I request that you respond, in writing, to the following questions no later than June 2, 2025: 

    1. Are you or the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in possession of all of the Epstein Files in the FBI’s custody and control? 

    1. Have the necessary redactions of victims’ identities and likenesses been completed? If not, why not?  

    1. Has the name, identity or likeness of President Donald Trump been redacted? If so, why?  

    1. Have you, OAG, or any other member of the DOJ been contacted by President Trump, anyone working in the White House, or another agent of President Trump’s about the Epstein Files?  

    1. If so, did they request that you or your staff prevent the release of the Epstein Files? 

    1. Did they request that you redact the name, identity or likeness of President Trump from the Epstein Files prepared to be released publicly pursuant to your previous promise?  

    1. If not, why haven’t you released the Epstein Files as you promised to do in February?  

    1. If you do still intend to release the Epstein Files, please provide a detailed timeline of your plan to do so. 

    I look forward to your response to this matter of intense public interest. Both Congress and the American people are eager for you to follow through on your promise of transparency about the Epstein Files. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

    Craters in the lunar surface are visible in this photo taken during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA via AP

    April 2025 was a busy month for space.

    Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon.

    At the end of April, a dedicated Working Group of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Essentially, these are rules to govern mining on the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere in space for elements that are rare here on Earth.

    As a space lawyer and co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space, I know that the Moon could be the proving ground for humanity’s evolution into a species that lives and thrives on more than one planet. However, this new frontier raises complex legal questions.

    Space, legally

    Outer space – including the Moon – from a legal perspective, is a unique domain without direct terrestrial equivalent. It is not, like the high seas, the “common heritage of humankind,” nor is it an area, like Antarctica, where commercial mining is prohibited.

    Instead, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – signed by more than 115 nations, including China, Russia and the United States – establishes that the exploration and use of space are the “province of all humankind.” That means no country may claim territory in outer space, and all have the right to access all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies freely.

    The fact that, pursuant to Article II of the treaty, a country cannot claim territory in outer space, known as the nonappropriation principle, suggests to some that property ownership in space is forbidden.

    Can this be true? If your grandchildren move to Mars, will they never own a home? How can a company protect its investment in a lunar mine if it must be freely accessible by all? What happens, as it inevitably will, when two rovers race to a particular area on the lunar surface known to host valuable water ice? Does the winner take all?

    As it turns out, the Outer Space Treaty does offer some wiggle room. Article IX requires countries to show “due regard” for the corresponding interests of others. It is a legally vague standard, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration has suggested that due regard means simply paying attention to what’s reasonable under the circumstances.

    First mover advantage – it’s a race

    The treaty’s broad language encourages a race to the Moon. The first entity to any spot will have a unilateral opportunity to determine what’s legally “reasonable.” For example, creating an overly large buffer zone around equipment might be justified to mitigate potential damage from lunar dust.

    On top of that, Article XII of the Outer Space Treaty assumes that there will be installations, like bases or mining operations, on the Moon. Contrary to the free access principle, the treaty suggests that access to these may be blocked unless the owner grants permission to enter.

    Both of these paths within the treaty would allow the first person to make it to their desired spot on the Moon to keep others out. The U.N. principles in their current form don’t address these loopholes.

    The draft U.N. principles released in April mirror, and are confined by, the language of the Outer Space Treaty. This tension between free access and the need to protect – most easily by forbidding access – remains unresolved. And the clock is ticking.

    The Moon’s vulnerable legacy

    The U.S. Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2028, China has plans for human return by 2030, and in the intervening years, more than 100 robotic missions are planned by countries and private industry alike. For the most part, these missions are all headed to the same sweet spot: the lunar south pole. Here, peaks of eternal light and deep craters containing water ice promise the best mining, science and research opportunities.

    Regions of the lunar south pole, left, and north pole, right, contain water in the form of ice (blue), which could be useful for space agencies hoping to set up lunar bases.
    NASA

    In this excitement, it’s easy to forget that humans already have a deep history of lunar exploration. Scattered on the lunar surface are artifacts displaying humanity’s technological progress.

    After centuries of gazing at our closest celestial neighbor with fascination, in 1959 the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first human-made object to impact another celestial body. Ten years later, two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first ever to set foot upon another celestial body.

    More recently, in 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side. And in 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land successfully near the lunar south pole.

    These sites memorialize humanity’s baby steps off our home planet and easily meet the United Nations definition of terrestrial heritage, as they are so “exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.”

    The international community works to protect such sites on Earth, but those protection protocols do not extend to outer space.

    Astronaut footprints are still intact on the lunar surface because the Moon doesn’t have weather. But nearby spacecraft or rovers could kick up dust and cover them.
    AP Photo

    The more than 115 other sites on the Moon that bear evidence of human activity are frozen in time without degradation from weather, animal or human activity. But this could change. A single errant spacecraft or rover could kick up abrasive lunar dust, erasing bootprints or damaging artifacts.

    Protection and the Outer Space Treaty

    In 2011, NASA recommended establishing buffer, or safety zones, of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to protect certain sites with U.S. artifacts.

    Because it understood that outright exclusion violates the Outer Space Treaty, NASA issued these recommendations as voluntary guidelines. Nevertheless, the safety zone concept, essentially managing access to and activities around specific areas, could be a practical tool for protecting heritage sites. They could act as a starting point to find a balance between protection and access.

    The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space recently proposed new principles for space resource use.
    United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND

    One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth.

    Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols — such as a permitting process, activity restrictions, shared access rules, monitoring and other controls — for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory.

    At this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection. Instead, they defer to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm that everyone has free access to all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies.

    As more countries and companies compete to reach the Moon, a clear lunar legal framework can guide them to avoid conflicts and preserve historical sites. The draft U.N. principles show that the international community is ready to explore what this framework could look like.

    Michelle L.D. Hanlon is affiliated with For All Moonkind, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting human cultural heritage in outer space starting with the Apollo lunar landing sites.

    – ref. Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could – https://theconversation.com/space-law-doesnt-protect-historical-sites-mining-operations-and-bases-on-the-moon-a-space-lawyer-describes-a-framework-that-could-255757

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Antitrust scrutiny will only increase as Big Tech caught in escalating trade war, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Antitrust scrutiny will only increase as Big Tech caught in escalating trade war, says GlobalData

    Posted in Strategic Intelligence

    The consensus around the need to regulate digital monopolies has never been stronger on both sides of the Atlantic. Under the second Trump administration, transatlantic tensions over digital regulation, including antitrust, will heighten, as Big Tech is caught in an intensifying trade war, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest Strategic Intelligence report “Antitrust,” reveals that the European Commission is enforcing the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and is expected to wrap up its investigations of Google, Meta, and Apple by 2026. The US government has stepped up efforts to tackle digital monopolies through lawsuits. The Department of Justice is considering breaking up Google, which would represent the most decisive intervention to date against one of the world’s most powerful tech companies. So far only Apple and Meta have been fined for a DMA infringement, while all lawsuits opened against Big Tech in the US are ongoing.

    Laura Petrone, Principal Analyst, Strategic Intelligence team at GlobalData, comments: “US President Donald Trump views the DMA as ‘overseas extortion’ of US companies, but Brussels is determined to go ahead with its antitrust investigations and has said that it will make no concessions on its digital rules in trade negotiations with the US.

    “There will likely be an acceleration in DMA enforcement as the EU uses the threat of fines and sanctions as bargain chips in tariff negotiations with Washington. The result could be a damaging tit-for-tat trade war in the tech industry.”

    While the Trump administration is expected to be more friendly to consolidation across different sectors, the tech industry will likely be the exception, as both recently appointed heads of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DoJ) have signaled their interest in scrutinizing Big Tech over antitrust. However, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and partnerships perceived to be in the national interest, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), will likely receive a green light from US regulators.

    According to GlobalData’s regulatory risk scorecard, Big Tech will continue to be the target of intense antitrust scrutiny, and most Big Tech companies could be caught in the crossfire of trade wars ignited by Trump’s tariffs.

    Samsung Electronics has the lowest regulatory risk among Big Tech companies, while Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon have the highest. US and Chinese Big Tech companies will face intense regulatory scrutiny due to their dominant position in most digital markets.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In death penalty cases, the quest for justice is not America’s highest value

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    Between 1976 and 2015, 80% of Louisiana’s capital sentences were later reversed. Bernd Obermann/Getty Images

    Jimmie Christian Duncan learned in April 2025 that a Louisiana judge had dismissed his capital murder conviction and he would no longer face the prospect of execution. In 1998, a jury convicted Duncan of murdering his girlfriend’s 23-month-old daughter, and he had been on death row ever since.

    Louisiana has a long and troubled death penalty history. From 1976 to 2015, 80% of the state’s capital sentences were reversed on appeal, and 12 people have been exonerated from its death row.

    But the Bayou State is not the only death penalty state with a wrongful conviction problem. Death row exonerations – when someone is released after being sentenced – have become more common in the United States. More than 200 people have been freed in the past half-century.

    DNA evidence has been involved in only a handful of those cases, but not Duncan’s. Most of the others have happened when defense lawyers discovered new evidence of faulty eyewitness identification, or when prosecutorial misconduct cast doubt on the legality of the conviction.

    Duncan’s case stands out because it was the first successful use of Louisiana’s 2021 factual innocence statute. Under that law, reconsideration of convictions can be based on new facts rather than just constitutional or legal violations of a defendant’s rights.

    As Louisiana District Judge Alvin Sharp explained in his April 2025 opinion in Duncan’s case, “To possibly be successful on a ‘factual innocence’ claim, a Petitioner shall present new, reliable, and non-cumulative evidence that would be legally admissible at trial and that was not known or discoverable at or prior to trial…”

    In overturning Duncan’s conviction, Sharp highlighted new understandings about the unreliability of so-called bite mark analysis that played a key role in Duncan’s case. He also cited the testimony of “a very compelling witness” who testified that the child’s death was “accidental drowning,” not homicide.

    It might seem odd that it took the factual innocence statute in 2021 to make what Sharp did possible. But as a death penalty scholar, I believe it’s the latest reminder that, even in capital cases, the quest for justice has not always been the United States’ highest value.

    The shadow of Herrera v. Collins

    States such as Louisiana have enacted factual innocence statutes because there is no nationwide, constitutional bar to executing people who are factually innocent. More than three decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court turned back a challenge to the constitutionality of executing people who might not have committed the crime for which they were sentenced to death.

    In February 1992, 10 years after his conviction, Leonel Herrera filed a writ of habeas corpus – a legal action used to challenge the legality of a person’s imprisonment. Herrera said he had new evidence showing he had not committed the murder for which he had been sentenced to death.

    Herrera’s lawyers argued that executing a factually innocent person would violate the Eighth Amendment, prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. He also said it would violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of due process of law.

    Herrera wanted the courts to consider affidavits given long after Herrera’s conviction. Those affidavits claimed that Raul Herrera, Leonel Herrera’s brother, had said before he died that he, not Leonel, was guilty of the killing for which Leonel had been convicted.

    But the Supreme Court refused to consider that evidence.

    A 6–3 majority concluded that evidence of actual innocence was “not relevant … absent some other constitutional violation.” This ruling means that so long as applicable legal procedures are followed, it doesn’t matter whether the outcome is correct.

    In 1992, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of executing people who might not have committed the crime for which they were sentenced to death.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Making a place for actual innocence

    Not surprisingly, death penalty abolitionists were appalled by the outcome in Herrera’s case. They saw it as condoning the execution of the innocent.

    And in 2013, the Supreme Court opened the door for litigating actual innocence claims under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, which restricts prisoners’ habeas corpus rights.

    The court allowed prisoners who can show proof of innocence to file a habeas petition even after the normal time limit for filing one. But it did not say that executing the innocent would violate the Constitution.

    States have responded to this by enacting laws that allow people convicted of crimes to bring actual innocence claims, based on newly discovered DNA evidence.

    In 2012, Massachusetts passed a law allowing prisoners to seek “forensic or scientific analysis” of evidence in support of a claim of “factual innocence of the crime for which the person has been convicted.”

    Five other states – Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Virginia and Utah – have passed laws allowing post-conviction actual innocence claims, even without DNA evidence.

    Under the Louisiana statute that Duncan invoked, “A petitioner who has been convicted of an offense may seek post-conviction relief on the grounds that he is factually innocent of the offense for which he was convicted.”

    In Louisiana, new evidence can be “scientific, forensic, physical, or nontestimonial documentary evidence.” Under some conditions, testimonial evidence is also admissible to prove innocence in post-conviction cases.

    Someone seeking such relief must prove “by clear and convincing evidence that, had the new evidence been presented at trial, no rational juror would have found the petitioner guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

    A prison warden discusses the gurney used for lethal injections at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola in September 2009.
    AP Photo/Judi Bottoni

    Opposition to actual innocence

    Many people oppose allowing convicted criminals to reopen their cases, even if they are, like Duncan, on death row.

    In the Herrera case, for example, Chief Justice William Rehnquist said that doing so would have a “very disruptive effect … on the need for finality in capital cases.”

    It looks like Louisiana will again be weighing the value of finality and justice in capital cases.

    Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wants to see its actual innocence law repealed, calling it a “woke, hug-a-thug policy” and arguing that “once a verdict has been finalized, there are no more ‘get out of jail free’ cards.”

    A bill in the Louisiana Legislature to change the law has been introduced in the 2025 legislative session.

    The stakes could not be higher.

    As former Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun wrote in his Herrera dissent, “Just as an execution without adequate safeguards is unacceptable, so too is an execution when the condemned prisoner can prove that he is innocent. The execution of a person who can show that he is innocent comes perilously close to simple murder.”

    Louisiana will soon have to decide how close it is willing to come to producing that tragic result.

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

    – ref. In death penalty cases, the quest for justice is not America’s highest value – https://theconversation.com/in-death-penalty-cases-the-quest-for-justice-is-not-americas-highest-value-256042

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Right now, space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

    Craters in the lunar surface are visible in this photo taken during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA via AP

    April 2025 was a busy month for space.

    Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon.

    At the end of April, a dedicated Working Group of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Essentially, these are rules to govern mining on the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere in space for elements that are rare here on Earth.

    As a space lawyer and co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space, I know that the Moon could be the proving ground for humanity’s evolution into a species that lives and thrives on more than one planet. However, this new frontier raises complex legal questions.

    Space, legally

    Outer space – including the Moon – from a legal perspective, is a unique domain without direct terrestrial equivalent. It is not, like the high seas, the “common heritage of humankind,” nor is it an area, like Antarctica, where commercial mining is prohibited.

    Instead, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – signed by more than 115 nations, including China, Russia and the United States – establishes that the exploration and use of space are the “province of all humankind.” That means no country may claim territory in outer space, and all have the right to access all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies freely.

    The fact that, pursuant to Article II of the treaty, a country cannot claim territory in outer space, known as the nonappropriation principle, suggests to some that property ownership in space is forbidden.

    Can this be true? If your grandchildren move to Mars, will they never own a home? How can a company protect its investment in a lunar mine if it must be freely accessible by all? What happens, as it inevitably will, when two rovers race to a particular area on the lunar surface known to host valuable water ice? Does the winner take all?

    As it turns out, the Outer Space Treaty does offer some wiggle room. Article IX requires countries to show “due regard” for the corresponding interests of others. It is a legally vague standard, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration has suggested that due regard means simply paying attention to what’s reasonable under the circumstances.

    First mover advantage – it’s a race

    The treaty’s broad language encourages a race to the Moon. The first entity to any spot will have a unilateral opportunity to determine what’s legally “reasonable.” For example, creating an overly large buffer zone around equipment might be justified to mitigate potential damage from lunar dust.

    On top of that, Article XII of the Outer Space Treaty assumes that there will be installations, like bases or mining operations, on the Moon. Contrary to the free access principle, the treaty suggests that access to these may be blocked unless the owner grants permission to enter.

    Both of these paths within the treaty would allow the first person to make it to their desired spot on the Moon to keep others out. The U.N. principles in their current form don’t address these loopholes.

    The draft U.N. principles released in April mirror, and are confined by, the language of the Outer Space Treaty. This tension between free access and the need to protect – most easily by forbidding access – remains unresolved. And the clock is ticking.

    The Moon’s vulnerable legacy

    The U.S. Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2028, China has plans for human return by 2030, and in the intervening years, more than 100 robotic missions are planned by countries and private industry alike. For the most part, these missions are all headed to the same sweet spot: the lunar south pole. Here, peaks of eternal light and deep craters containing water ice promise the best mining, science and research opportunities.

    Regions of the lunar south pole, left, and north pole, right, contain water in the form of ice (blue), which could be useful for space agencies hoping to set up lunar bases.
    NASA

    In this excitement, it’s easy to forget that humans already have a deep history of lunar exploration. Scattered on the lunar surface are artifacts displaying humanity’s technological progress.

    After centuries of gazing at our closest celestial neighbor with fascination, in 1959 the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first human-made object to impact another celestial body. Ten years later, two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first ever to set foot upon another celestial body.

    More recently, in 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side. And in 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land successfully near the lunar south pole.

    These sites memorialize humanity’s baby steps off our home planet and easily meet the United Nations definition of terrestrial heritage, as they are so “exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.”

    The international community works to protect such sites on Earth, but those protection protocols do not extend to outer space.

    Astronaut footprints are still intact on the lunar surface because the Moon doesn’t have weather. But nearby spacecraft or rovers could kick up dust and cover them.
    AP Photo

    The more than 115 other sites on the Moon that bear evidence of human activity are frozen in time without degradation from weather, animal or human activity. But this could change. A single errant spacecraft or rover could kick up abrasive lunar dust, erasing bootprints or damaging artifacts.

    Protection and the Outer Space Treaty

    In 2011, NASA recommended establishing buffer, or safety zones, of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to protect certain sites with U.S. artifacts.

    Because it understood that outright exclusion violates the Outer Space Treaty, NASA issued these recommendations as voluntary guidelines. Nevertheless, the safety zone concept, essentially managing access to and activities around specific areas, could be a practical tool for protecting heritage sites. They could act as a starting point to find a balance between protection and access.

    The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space recently proposed new principles for space resource use.
    United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND

    One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth.

    Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols — such as a permitting process, activity restrictions, shared access rules, monitoring and other controls — for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory.

    At this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection. Instead, they defer to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm that everyone has free access to all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies.

    As more countries and companies compete to reach the Moon, a clear lunar legal framework can guide them to avoid conflicts and preserve historical sites. The draft U.N. principles show that the international community is ready to explore what this framework could look like.

    Michelle L.D. Hanlon is affiliated with For All Moonkind, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting human cultural heritage in outer space starting with the Apollo lunar landing sites.

    – ref. Right now, space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could – https://theconversation.com/right-now-space-law-doesnt-protect-historical-sites-mining-operations-and-bases-on-the-moon-a-space-lawyer-describes-a-framework-that-could-255757

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PSNA says broadcast ruling a warning to NZ news media to be wary of ‘Israeli propaganda’

    Asia Pacific Report

    A decision by the Broadcasting Standards Authority to uphold a complaint against a 1News broadcast last November is a warning to news media, says the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

    The authority ruled that a TVNZ news item on violence in Amsterdam in the Netherlands breached BSA rules.

    1News described violence in the streets of Amsterdam on November 7 and 8 following a soccer match as “disturbing” and ‘antisemitic’ and stated the graphic video of beatings were Maccabi Tel Aviv fans under attack just for being Jewish.

    Videographers who took the footage which 1News had used, complained to their news agencies that this description was wrong. The violence had been perpetrated by the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans against those they suspected of being Arab or supporters of Palestine.

    The visiting Israelis were the attackers — not the victims, said the PSNA statement, as widely reported by global media correcting initial reports.

    Before the match these same Maccabi fans had gathered in large groups to chant “Death to Arabs” — a racist genocidal chant which if used with the races reversed (“Arabs” replaced by Jews”) “would have been rightly condemned in purple prose by Western news media such as TVNZ”, said PSNA co-chair John Minto in the statement.

    “But no such sympathy for Palestinians or Arabs,” he added.

    Requested broadcast correction
    PSNA said in its statement that it had immediately requested that TVNZ broadcast a correction. TVNZ refused, though admitting they had got the story wrong.

    PSNA then referred a complaint to the BSA which upheld the complaint as failing to meet the accuracy standard.

    Minto said in the statement that the BSA decision should be seen as a warning to news media to be aware that Israel was using “fabricated charges of antisemitism, to justify and divert attention from its genocide in Gaza and silence its critics”.

    “Just because [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and the then US President Joe Biden made statements turning Amsterdam attackers into victims, doesn’t mean TVNZ news should automatically parrot them,” Minto said.

    “That’s effectively what the BSA concluded.”


    Framing violence: How Israel shaped the narrative and the impact on Dutch politics   Video: Al Jazeera

    Minto also pointed to what he called a recent fabricated hysteria about antisemitism in Sydney, which the New South Wales police found to be completely based on hoaxes by a criminal gang.

    “In the US, Trump is using the same charge as an excuse to close down university courses and expel anyone who protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza,” Minto said.

    “Of course, we strongly condemn the real antisemitism of anti-Jewish, Nazi-type Islamophobic groups,” Minto says.

    Call for media ‘self education’
    “It should be easy for professional reporters and editors to tell the difference between criticism of Israeli apartheid, ethnic cleansing and violence on one hand, and on the other hand Nazis and their fellow travellers who condemn Jews because they are Jews.

    “The BSA is, in effect, demanding the news media educate themselves.”

    In a half-hour report on 16 November 2024 headlined “Media bias, inaccuracy and the violence in Amsterdam”, Al Jazeera’s global mediawatch programme The Listening Post said “one night of violence revealed … Western media’s failings on Israel and Palestine”.

    “In the wake of an ugly eruption of violence on the streets of Amsterdam, the media coverage of the story [was] put under the microscope with editors scrambling to revise headlines, rework narratives, and reframe video content.”

    In an investigative documentary, The Full Report, on 22 January 2025, Al Jazeera’s Dutch correspondent Step Vaessen reported how Israel had framed the violence, shaped the narrative, manipulated the global media, and impacted on Dutch politics.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muscatine Woman Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    DAVENPORT, Iowa –A Muscatine woman was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography.

    According to public court documents, Jessica Rochelle Peters, 37, produced seven videos and three photos containing child sexual abuse material in July 2021, including videos of Peters sexually abusing a minor victim. Peters sent the videos and photos to a man in Indiana, who sent Peters money. The Indiana man was charged with felony child endangerment and possession of child pornography. The charges were dismissed following the man’s death.

    After completing his term of imprisonment, Peters will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including One in the District of Nebraska

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local FBI partners have a long history of prioritizing these types of cases and working together to achieve justice for victims of these crimes. We were proud to contribute to this initiative.”

    On April 29, 2025, Kody Dickes, 34, of Ashland, Nebraska, was arrested by criminal complaint for distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

     

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Couple Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Jaiveer Tyee, 53, and Xanthe Tabbs, 56, both of Coral Gables, Florida, were sentenced on May 2, 2025 in federal court in for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tyee to 9 months’ imprisonment and Tabbs to 3 years’ probation. Tyee and Tabbs were also ordered to pay $138,926.71 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After Tyee’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

    From April 25, 2018, to July 19, 2018, Tyee and Tabbs conspired to participate in a scheme to defraud a company located in the District of Nebraska. The victim company specialized in subscription-based services for the analysis and delivery of real-time weather, agricultural, energy, and commodity market information.

    Using a spoofed email account, an unknown person posed as a vendor of the victim company and requested a change payment related to an invoice the victim company was in the process of paying.  The fraudulent email purporting to be from the vendor contained wiring instructions and third-party bank account information, that in fact was not associated with the vendor. The victim company’s employee, thinking the wire transfer request was legitimate, complied with the wire transfer request.

    On May 23, 2018, the victim company was induced into making an unauthorized wire transfer totaling $280,646 from its financial institution to a third-party bank account that was jointly accessed and controlled by Tyee and Tabbs.  After the unauthorized wire transfer was deposited, Tyee and Tabbs immediately conducted numerous financial transactions, which included obtaining cashier’s checks and making wire transfers to other bank accounts controlled and accessed by Tyee and Tabbs.  After detection of the fraudulently induced transfer, the victim company was able to recover a portion of the proceeds resulting a loss of $138,926.71.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings

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

    CHICAGO — A federal superseding indictment returned today charges three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs.

    EDSON RESENDEZ, MAVERICK CELA, and PREZILA APREZA committed the violence as part of their membership or association with the Spanish Gangster Disciples street gang, a criminal organization based on the Northwest Side of Chicago, according to a second superseding indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Cela was among the leaders of the gang, the indictment states.  The indictment alleges that in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy, Resendez, Cela, Apreza, and other gang members and associates committed three murders, two attempted murders, four carjackings, an attempted carjacking, and an act of arson. The violence occurred in a two-week period in 2020, the charges allege.

    Resendez, 23, Cela, 24, and Apreza, 24, all of Chicago, are in law enforcement custody. Arraignments on the new superseding charges have not yet been scheduled.

    The superseding indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Skokie, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Morton Grove, Ill. Police Department, and Berwyn, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cornelius A. Vandenberg and Simar Khera.

    “Combating the unacceptable level of gang violence in the Chicago area has been and will continue to be a top priority in our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “As I mark my first 30 days as the United States Attorney, I want to emphasize that we are using every available federal law enforcement tool to bring impactful cases that hold violent gang members accountable and reduce violent crime.”

    “The FBI is committed to eradicating neighborhood street gangs and the violence unleashed in our communities,” said FBI Chicago SAC DePodesta.  “This investigation is just one of many cases worked by FBI Chicago’s Violent Crime Task Force along with our dedicated Task Force Officers (TFOs) and local law enforcement partners.  We remain united in using all available resources to ensure that groups like these can no longer harm Chicago’s residents.”

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vital support for victims in £20 million funding boost

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Vital support for victims in £20 million funding boost

    Thousands more victims to access life-saving support through a £19.9 million investment in specialist services.

    Minister Jess Phillips on a visit to Refuge, a charity supporting victims of domestic abuse

    Thousands more victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, ‘honour’-based abuse and stalking will have access to specialist support services thanks to a boost of nearly £20 million announced by the Safeguarding Minister today.

    Part of this funding will go towards backing helplines which can offer potentially life-saving support for survivors of abuse. Victims can find these experiences incredibly hard to talk about and contacting helplines for advice is often the first critical step in their journey to escape abuse, access vital support and eventually seek justice.

    To help more victims access support at the most vulnerable moments in their lives, a range of helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, ‘honour’-based abuse and stalking will benefit from £6 million in investment this year – an increase of around a fifth compared to the previous year.

    This investment is designed to reach as many different communities as possible and will bolster a range of vital specialist services in England and Wales supporting victims and survivors who face unique and challenging circumstances.

    Nine helplines across 8 charities, including: Refuge who run the National Domestic Abuse helpline; Hourglass, a charity supporting older victims; SignHealth who support victims who are Deaf; Galop; The Suzy Lamplugh Trust; Karma Nirvana; and Respect will receive funding to continue providing vital helpline services to victims, recruit more staff and support more victims escaping abuse.

    Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips said:

    No victim should ever feel abandoned when trying to escape abuse. But the harsh reality is that too many do – especially those from marginalised communities who face significant additional hurdles.

    Last week, I met survivors who felt the system wasn’t built for people like them. I hope this funding will change that. It’s about smashing down barriers and making sure every single person facing abuse has somewhere to turn when they make the brave decision to seek help.

    The funding package announced today also includes £5.3 million for services supporting children affected by domestic abuse, who are often the hidden victims of this devastating crime, to support them through one-to-one and group counselling, classroom-based assistance and help for their non-abusive parents across 8 specialist services nationwide.

    Charity Southall Black Sisters will receive £2.4 million to support migrant victims of abuse who are not able to access public funds.

    And to give victims direct access to financial support to escape abusive relationships, a wide range of specialist domestic abuse services will receive around £2 million through the Women’s Aid Flexible Fund. Through the fund, organisations across England and Wales, including Welsh Women’s Aid, will give payments of up to £500 to help victims secure safety and one-off payments of up to £2,500 for deposits for rental accommodation to help secure sustainable and independent futures.

    This is underscored by £2.5 million for projects to help prevent and improve the response to violence and abuse against women and girls, raise awareness of these issues and protect victims who are at risk.

    The government was elected on a mission to make our streets safer for everyone as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

    Today’s announcement marks a vital step in our pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, ensuring victims of these appalling crimes have somewhere to turn and the support they need to recover from abuse.  

    Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said:

    Whether fearing for their lives or growing up in a home filled with stress and anxiety, victims should feel confident that support will be there to help them recover, but sadly too often this isn’t the case. 

    This funding for struggling specialist domestic abuse services, especially those supporting children, will bring much needed relief to survivors and services, who have been doing all they can to ensure help is there for people during one of their most vulnerable moments in life.

    Tackling domestic abuse requires drive, ambition and political will. I look forward to seeing how the government’s forthcoming violence against women and girls’ strategy builds on this investment by ensuring every victim and survivor gets what they need – exactly when they need it – so they can recover from abuse.

    Last week, the Minister for Safeguarding visited Refuge’s headquarters to meet with charity leaders and victims and discuss the unique challenges facing vulnerable individuals and harder to reach communities when they seek help. She also saw the National Domestic Abuse helpline in action and spoke to call handlers about the vital work they do.

    CEO of Refuge, Gemma Sherrington said:  

    The National Domestic Abuse Helpline, operated by Refuge, offers a lifeline for thousands of survivors every year. Open 7 days a week and 365 days a year, the support given by the helpline often represents the first step towards a life free from abuse and fear.  

    We are incredibly grateful for this much-needed funding boost, which will sustain this vital service for the coming year. Rather than covering the running costs of the helpline, our fundraised resources can now be directed towards supporting survivors, while bringing us one step closer to a world where domestic abuse is not tolerated.  

    The funding will also allow us to extend our live chat hours and make accessibility improvements to the helpline website, meaning we can reach more survivors than ever before.

    Esther*, a survivor of domestic abuse supported by Refuge, said:

    Funding for domestic abuse services is not only vital but absolutely necessary. Domestic abuse, in all its shapes, is still very much a problem and I’m hearing more and more tragic stories than ever before. Funding is needed for not only the aftercare for victims/survivors but also for the services that provide advice and support for people that are fleeing abuse.

    The transition from deciding to leave and actually leaving is one of the scariest experiences and it’s important that support and guidance is on hand. I know for certain that without help from these services, my story would have ended very differently, and I would not be here to talk at all. They gave me the courage and opportunity to live and smile again. I will always be forever grateful.

    Alongside Raneem’s Law, with domestic abuse specialists embedded in the first 999 control rooms across the country, this £19.9 million investment will help ensure that wherever victims of these crimes reach out for help – whether to police or charities – they will receive a specialist response tailored to their needs.

    This announcement follows a £13.1 million investment in a new policing centre to tackle violence against women and girls and enable police to better target these crimes, an uplift of nearly £2 million.

    Nikita Kanda, broadcaster and Refuge ambassador, said:

    I welcome today’s announcement of almost £20 million in funding for a range of vital and specialist services including Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse helpline. With this investment we will be able to strengthen our commitment to support all communities and empower those enduring domestic violence.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by SJ and S for S after joint meeting of Panel on Security and Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, and the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, at a media session after attending a joint meeting of the Panel on Security and the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services this afternoon (May 12):
     
    Reporter: The first question is regarding the timing of the Security Law. It was passed five years ago, and the (Article) 55 had never been used. Why does the Government choose this time to push this subsidiary bill? Is it related to ongoing trade wars or ongoing or future court cases regarding the Security Law? The second question was asked before. It’s about the time frame of the bill. It was mentioned that it will be done as soon as possible, but is there an exact time frame for the whole bill? And are there any future arrangements to plug the current loophole in the Security Law?
     
    Secretary for Justice: Your first question concerned why we pick this point of time to make subsidiary legislation pursuant to the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. I think the answer is twofold. Firstly, as a matter of principle, it’s very important for us to bear in mind that the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) is under a constitutional duty to refine and perfect our national security legal system as well as its enforcement mechanism. And it has to be emphasised that this is a continuing duty. And in the light of the nature of this duty, it goes without saying that this important duty ought to be discharged as soon as possible.
     
    The second point is that as a matter of practice, there’s no doubt whatsoever that in the light of the very complicated geopolitical situation in the world, and having regard to actual hostile actions taken by some foreign countries against China and also Hong Kong, there’s plainly a need to ensure that our national security legal system will be perfected and will be put in place so that we can be in a position to address all present and potential national security risks in an effective and proper manner.
     
    As to exactly when the subsidiary legislation will come into existence, as we said, we will do so, in particular after hearing opinions and advice raised by members of the Legislative Council. We will try to complete our task as soon as possible. We will definitely let the public know once in a position to do so. And lastly, as to your last point, since we are under a continuing duty to refine and perfect our national security legal system, it must mean that we have to review the legal regime continuously. So in future, whenever we see the need to do so, we will definitely consider the possibility of making subsidiary legislation or to improve our system by whatever means within the boundary of the law.
     
    (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.) 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commencement 2025 at a Glance

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    It’s UConn’s most important weekend of the year.

    Yes, move-in weekend is huge; and yes, the last three years have featured Final Four weekends exciting enough to keep the entire population of Connecticut glued to their screens.

    But this is why we – the staff, the faculty, and above all, the students – are here in the first place.

    From Saturday, May 10 through the evening of Monday, May 12, nearly 8,000 Huskies will hear their names called and walk across the stage at Gampel Pavilion, the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, or the Student Union Theatre, and walk off the stage as graduates and alumni. The celebration wraps up on May 18, as the UConn School of Law confers its degrees in Hartford.

    It’s a long weekend of big smiles, happy tears, and striking a pose near the statue of Jonathan or the giant U-C-O-N-N on Rte. 195, all combining to make lifelong memories of the final minutes before “student” turns into “graduate.”

    University photographers Sean Flynn, Sydney Herdle, and Peter Morenus will be at all 17 ceremonies this month. Here are just a few of the unforgettable moments they captured on Saturday and Sunday.

    The College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Degree candidates prepare for the College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Greer Fieldhouse on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the School of Social Work sit during the school’s Commencement ceremony in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Benjamin Rosen ’25 (ENG) gives the studen remarks during the College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    President Radenka Maric speaks during the College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    The College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Bachelor of General Studies program sit during the program’s Commencement ceremony in the Student Union Theater on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates toss their caps during the College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Jonathan XIV poses with a student during the College of Agriculture, Health & Natural Resources commencement ceremony on May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    The School of Business Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the UConn School of Nursing stand in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts after having their degrees conferred to them during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Faculty and staff of the School of Nursing award degrees to graduate in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the School of Nursing sit in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Bachelor of General Studies program walk down the aisle of the Student Union Theater during the program’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Jonathan XV leads the Commencement procession to Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Jonathan XV greets graduates at the UConn School of Business’ Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Jonathan XV greets graduates at the UConn School of Business’ Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Jonathan XV greets graduates at the UConn School of Business’ Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the School of Business walk into Gampel Pavilion on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Degree candidates prepare for the College of Engineering Commencement ceremony at Greer Fieldhouse on May 10, 2025. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Bachelor of General Studies program sit during the program’s Commencement ceremony in the Student Union Theater on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    UConn School of Nursing Dean Victoria Vaughan Dickson speaks during the school’s Commencement ceremony in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the UConn School of Nursing have orange ribbons put on their regalia as the walk across the stage of the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the UConn School of Nursing sit in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Neag School of Education greet their friends and family outside of the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts following the school’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Neag School of Education accept their diplomas in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Neag School of Education sit in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Graduates of the Neag School of Education accept their diplomas in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during the school’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    Dorothea Anagnostopoulos, associate dean for academic affairs of the Neag School of Education, speaks during the school’s Commencement ceremony in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 11, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 11, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 11, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 11, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
    UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Commencement ceremony in Gampel Pavilion on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo) on May 10, 2025. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CNC participates in Mental Health Awareness Week

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    CNC participates in Mental Health Awareness Week

    The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is participating in Mental Health Week, which runs from Monday 12 to Sunday 18 May.

    Mental Health Awareness Week 2025.

    Led by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) aims to encourage conversation and reduce stigma around mental health.

    This year the theme for the week is ‘community’, something we’re confident our workforce can feel part of thanks, in part, to our strong and diverse staff networks.  

    The Constabulary is proud to foster a strong culture of mutual support to all our officers and staff.

    Our Occupational Health team provide a comprehensive offer to support mental and physical wellness. Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), PAM Wellness, is a confidential and free service for employees and their families that offers guidance and counselling on a wide range of issues, including managing stress, anxiety, bereavement, medical concerns and money matters.

    The EAP is complemented by the range of peer support networks available at the CNC, including qualified Mental Health First Aiders, the Diverse Ability and Wellness Network (DAWN), and Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) practitioners to support employees who have experienced traumatic events or environments on or off duty.

    We work closely with our staff associations – the Civil Nuclear Police Federation for officers, and Prospect for police staff – which provide their members with further support.

    And finally, as we know maintaining healthy bodies can help create a healthy mind, our officers and staff have access to free gyms, annual wellness assessments and free fitness advice from trained staff.

    ACC Michael Vance, Chair of the Strategic Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group, said: “The CNC is committed to fostering an inclusive culture and creating a supportive working environment, so everyone can feel safe to be their authentic self at work and be enabled to reach their potential.

    “Every one of our employees faces individual challenges that can impact their mental health, and so raising awareness, having open conversations and challenging the stigma around mental health is vitally important.”

    For more information about MHAW, visit the Mental Health Foundation’s website.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PAKISTAN – Ceasefire between India and Pakistan: “Fruit of the children’s prayers”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nostra Signora Regina degli Angeli, Bhai Pheru,

    Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “We know that the Lord hears the prayers of the children who are in his heart. And the ceasefire between India and Pakistan has a very special meaning for us because we consider it a truce,” says to Fides Fr. Qaisar Feroz, Capuchin friar and parish priest at the parish of Our Lady Queen of Angels, Bhai Pheru, on the outskirts of Lahore, in Pakistani Punjab. “On Saturday, May 10, a group of children and families gathered in front of the grotto and shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace in our parish of Bhai Pheru,” he reports. “I, Brother Father Robinson OFM Cap, and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary celebrated a Rosary of Peace with the parish community. Children and young people were present, while the girls from the ‘Ibne Mariam’ boarding school recited songs of peace and devotional prayers. At the end of the prayer, we released some doves as a symbol of peace and the children’s fervent desire, holding signs reading ‘Yes to Peace, No to War.’ At the end of the rosary, we received the wonderful news of the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Now we hope that it will hold and that we can create a just and lasting peace between the peoples.”The people in the parish were very concerned, among other things, because, as Father Feroz explains, in the days before the military clashes in the disputed region of Kashmir, a bullet struck the industrial area on the territory of the parish of Our Lady, Queen of Angels in Bhai Pheru. “It was a bit like we felt the war coming home. There was great concern, and that is why we intensified our prayers for peace,” Father Feroz reported. Meanwhile, the entire Church in Pakistan welcomes the ceasefire. In an official statement, the President of the Pakistani Bishops’ Conference and Bishop of Hyderabad, Samson Shukardin (OFM), emphasized: “This significant step toward peace is a source of great relief and hope for millions of people throughout the region following the recent tensions and military clashes. The Pakistani bishops express their appreciation to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing the path of dialogue and moderation, and are deeply grateful to international mediators, especially the United States and other global partners, for their role in facilitating this peaceful breakthrough.” “The peoples of South Asia have long yearned for peace, stability, and cooperation,” said the Pakistani bishops. “We pray that this ceasefire marks not only the end of hostilities, but also the beginning of a new chapter of mutual understanding, reconciliation, and regional harmony,” assuring them that they pray “for lasting peace and for the common good of all.” Chairman of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) and Archbishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Joseph Arshad, added: “This ceasefire is also a reminder that diplomacy has the power to overcome conflict. It is vital that both nations continue dialogue to address long-standing issues and find lasting solutions that prioritize the well-being and security of their peoples. A peaceful future for the South Asian region begins with cooperation, dialogue, mutual respect, and a commitment to peace.” The Catholic Church on both sides of the border hopes that India and Pakistan can “build stronger, more reliable, and peaceful relations to ensure a better future for all” and that “the spirit of justice, peace, solidarity, and fraternity prevails in this region to build bridges of hope, love, and peace between nations.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 12/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Bend Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison

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

    SOUTH BEND – Demetrius Clark, 41 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Clark was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, in February 2024, Clark delivered 5 pounds of methamphetamine to another distributor. A search warrant was executed at Clark’s home in South Bend resulting in the recovery of an additional 5 pounds of high-purity methamphetamine along with packaging materials, a firearm, and over $8,000 cash.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Otago academics plan declaration on Palestine to ‘face daily horrors’

    Asia Pacific Report

    A group of New Zealand academics at Otago University have drawn up a “Declaration on Palestine” against genocide, apartheid and scholasticide of Palestinians by Israel that has illegally occupied their indigenous lands for more than seven decades.

    The document, which had already drawn more than 300 signatures from staff, students and alumni by the weekend, will be formally adopted at a congress of the Otago Staff for Justice in Palestine (OSJP) group on Thursday.

    “At a time when our universities, our public institutions and our political leaders are silent in the face of the daily horrors we are shown from illegally-occupied Palestine, this declaration is an act of solidarity with our Palestinian whānau,” declared Professor Richard Jackson from Te Ao O Rongomaraeroa — The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.

    “It expresses the brutal truth of what is currently taking place in Palestine, as well as our commitment to international law and human rights, and our social responsibilities as academics.

    “We hope the declaration will be an inspiration to others and a call to action at a moment when the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is accelerating at an alarming rate.”

    Scholars and students at the university had expressed concern that they did not want to be teaching or learning about the Palestinian genocide in future courses on the history of the Palestinian people, Professor Jackson said.

    Nor did they want to feel ashamed when they were asked what they did while the genocide was taking place.

    ‘Collective moral courage’
    “Signing up to the declaration represents an act of individual and collective moral courage, and a public commitment to working to end the genocide.”

    In an interview with the Otago Daily Times published at the weekend, Professor Jackson said boycotting academic ties with Israel was among the measures included in a declaration.

    The declaration commits its signatories to an academic boycott as part of the wider Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanction (BDS) campaign “until such time as Palestinians enjoy freedom from genocide, apartheid and scholasticide”, they had national self-determination and full and complete enjoyment of human rights, as codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    The declaration says that given the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled there is a “plausible” case that Israel has been committing genocide, and that all states that are signatory to the Genocide Convention must take all necessary measures to prevent acts of genocide, the signatories commit themselves to an academic boycott.

    BDS is a campaign, begun in 2005, to promote economic, social and cultural boycotts of the Israeli government, Israeli companies and companies that support Israel, in an effort to end the occupation of Palestinian territories and win equal rights for Palestinian citizens within Israel.

    It draws inspiration from South African anti-apartheid campaigns and the United States civil rights movement.

    The full text of the declaration:

    The Otago Declaration on the Situation in Palestine

    We, the staff, students and graduates, being members of the University of Otago, make the following declaration.

    We fully and completely recognise that:
    – The Palestinian people have a right under international law to national self-determination;
    – The Palestinians have the right to security and the full enjoyment of all human and social rights as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

    And furthermore that:
    – Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinian nation, according to experts, official bodies, international lawyers and human rights organisations;
    – Israel operates a system of apartheid in the territories it controls, and denies the full expression and enjoyment of human rights to Palestinians, according to international courts, human rights organisations, legal and academic experts;
    – Israel is committing scholasticide, thereby denying Palestinians their right to education;

    We recognise that:
    – Given the International Court of Justice has ruled that there is a plausible case that Israel has been committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, that all states that are signatory to the Genocide Convention, which includes Aotearoa New Zealand, have a responsibility to take all necessary measures to prevent acts of genocide;

    We also acknowledge that as members of a public institution with educational responsibilities:
    – We hold a legal and ethical responsibility to act as critic and conscience of society, both individually as members of the University and collectively as a social institution;
    – We have a responsibility to follow international law and norms and to act in an ethical manner in our personal and professional endeavours;
    – We hold an ethical responsibility to act in solidarity with oppressed and disadvantaged people, including those who struggle against settler colonial regimes or discriminatory apartheid systems and the harmful long-term effects of colonisation;
    – We owe a responsibility to fellow educators who are victimised by apartheid and scholasticide;

    Therefore, we, the under-signed, do solemnly commit ourselves to:
    – Uphold the practices, standards and ethics of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign in terms of investment and procurement as called for by Palestinian civil society and international legal bodies; until such time as Palestinians enjoy freedom from genocide, apartheid and scholasticide, national self-determination and full and complete enjoyment of human rights, as codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    – Adopt as part of the BDS campaign an Academic Boycott, as called for by Palestinian civil society and international legal bodies; until such time as Palestinians enjoy freedom from genocide, apartheid and scholasticide, national self-determination and full and complete enjoyment of human rights, as codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    • The Otago Declaration congress meeting will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 12 noon at the Museum Lawn, Dunedin.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Barclays Big Tennis Weekend is coming to Alvaston Park

    Source: City of Derby

    Get ready for a day of free tennis fun as Barclays Big Tennis Weekend comes to Derby on Saturday 17 May.

    The event at Alvaston Park will feature coaching sessions, games and competitions for all ages. It’s the perfect chance to give tennis a go and have a great time with friends and family. Rackets and tennis balls are provided, so anyone can come along and play.

    The event is part of a national Barclays Big Tennis Weekend campaign promoted by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) taking place all over Britain, encouraging thousands of people to head to their local tennis courts for free.  

    Alvaston Park’s tennis courts were refurbished in 2023, benefiting from a full resurface with new paint and lines, new tennis nets and the introduction of an improved court booking procedure with gate-access systems. Derby City Council worked on the project in partnership with the LTA, as part of a national programme managed by the LTA and supported by the LTA Tennis Foundation. Courts at Markeaton Park and King George V Playing Fields were also improved.

    Through the Parks Tennis Project, the LTA is delivering the biggest ever investment in parks tennis facilities across Britain, providing a significant boost to sporting facilities. 

    The sessions at Alvaston Park on 17 May are:

    • 9am-10am LTA Youth Sessions – LTA Youth is for kids aged four to nine, who are new to tennis. Coaches will help teach kids new life skills, developing them as both players and people.
    • 10am-11am Family Sessions – Get on court with your family and have some fun. Modified balls and rackets will be provided for the younger ones and coaches will be on hand to offer some pointers.
    • 11am-12pm Teenager and Adult Coaching – Try a coaching taster session, ideal for people new to the sport or who haven’t picked up a racket in a long time. Rackets can be borrowed if you don’t have your own, just come prepared to hit a few balls and have some fun.

    Following the Big Tennis Weekend, the courts will host Barclays Free Park Tennis sessions, while Derby’s Barclays Local Tennis League gives people the opportunity to get involved in friendly and social local competitions.

    Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Community Safety and Leisure, said:

    Derby is thrilled to be hosting the Barclays Big Tennis Weekend at Alvaston Park on Saturday 17 May. This fantastic free event offers a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to experience the joy of tennis. 

    Whether you’re a complete beginner, a family looking for a fun activity, or a teenager or adult wanting to try coaching, there’s something for everyone.

    We’re proud to be working with the LTA to bring this national campaign to our city, encouraging healthy and active lifestyles within our community. Come along, have some fun, and maybe even discover a new passion for tennis!

    The Big Tennis Weekend will take place on Saturday 17 May at Alvaston Park, Meadow Lane, Alvaston, Derby DE24 8QQ. Book you free session online.

    The courts at Alvaston Park can be booked via the LTA website. A small fee applies to ensure the courts are maintained to a high standard. The LTA and the Council are working together to ensure Barclays Free Park tennis sessions are available on the courts, providing regular opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and play.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Building company and four men charged with causing death of woman

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met detectives have charged both Higgins Homes PLC and four men in connection with the death of a woman in Bethnal Green in 2018.

    Michaela Boor, 28, was struck by a pallet containing more than two tonnes of bricks that fell from a tower crane on a Higgins Homes building development in St Pauls Way in Bethnal Green at approximately 09:00hrs on Tuesday, 27 March 2018.

    She died in hospital the following day.

    The charges following an investigation by the Met and the Health and Safety Executive.

    Higgins Homes PLC, a construction company that develops and builds properties across London and the south east, was charged by postal requisition on Wednesday, 7 May with corporate manslaughter and offences under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

    Four men have also been charged by postal requisition with gross negligence manslaughter and offences under section 7 the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They are:

    • Alexander McInnes, 32 (26.07.1992) of Islington, a crane operator on the day of Michaela’s death, was charged on Thursday, 8 May.
    • Dawood Maan, 59 (30.07.1965) of Ashford Kent, a crane supervisor, was charged on Wednesday, 30 April.
    • Stephen Coulson, 68 (31.10.1956) of Hemel Hempstead, responsible for compiling the lifting plan for the site was charged on Wednesday, 30 April.
    • Thomas Anstis, 68, (13.04.1957) of Banstead, the Site Manager and Temporary Works Coordinator, was charged on Thursday, 8 May.

    All are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 16 June.

    Specialist officers continue to support Michaela’s family.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Starmer immigration speech: cynical, cruel and authoritarian

    Source: Scottish Greens

    12 May 2025 Justice

    Labour is trying to appease Reform.

    More in Justice

    Labour’s anti-migrant policy announcements are a cynical, cruel and authoritarian attempt to appease Reform, say the Scottish Greens.

    The Scottish Greens have accused the Prime Minister of using real people’s lives as political props and choosing to blame migrant workers for Labour’s refusal to improve wages and conditions.

    The party’s justice spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP, said:

    “It is staggering to think that Keir Starmer was once a human rights lawyer, because this whole speech has been ripped right out of Nigel Farage’s playbook.

    “The UK government has the power to improve wages and conditions in workplaces across our country any time that it wants to. But Labour is refusing to do this, instead choosing to scapegoat and blame migrant communities, outdoing the Tories.

    “It is a cynical, cruel and authoritarian response to Reform. It will only serve to damage public services while throwing migrant workers under the bus with racist, restrictive and totally self-defeating policies.

    “This approach will harm public services while fuelling the most toxic elements of our politics. You don’t beat the far right by pandering to them, but Labour seems determined to test this to destruction.

    “Real people’s lives should not be used as political props in a contest between Labour, the Tories and Reform to see who can be the most hostile.

    “It is time for Scotland to have powers over immigration so that we can build a system that welcomes and respects migrants and supports our services rather than undermining them.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New fund to prevent homelessness

    Source: Scottish Government

    Cash-first approach to keeping tenants in their homes.

    A partnership programme to help prevent people from becoming homeless has been launched by the Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville. This is in addition to the £4 million investment in homelessness prevention pilots in 2025-26 highlighted by the First Minister in the Programme for Government.

    The £1 million Upstream Homelessness Prevention Fund will bring together Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), third sector organisations, community groups and other local partners to expand on existing successful approaches to preventing homelessness and explore innovative ways to sustain tenancies.

    Partnerships funded by the programme will receive a cash fund for individual payments of up to £1,300 to help prevent people becoming homeless. The year long programme will also help to inform how RSLs will carry out the new Ask and Act prevention duties outlined in the Housing Bill currently progressing through Parliament.

    The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Homeless Network Scotland will administer the Scottish Government funded scheme which is open for applications.

    Ms Somerville said:

    “The aim of the fund is to break the cycle of repeat homelessness by providing targeted joined-up support for people struggling to pay their rent while also having to navigate housing, health and social care services.

    “This early intervention approach will help to minimise evictions by upstream prevention activity and identifying opportunities to build up support systems where they are needed. This will help people to keep their tenancies and prevent them from becoming homeless.

    “The scheme will also provide valuable feedback for the wider RSL network and provide examples of service design and delivery that can be replicated in other places and contexts.”

    Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Chief Executive Sally Thomas said:

    “We are delighted to administer this important funding, which will complement the significant efforts housing associations make to help people remain in their homes.  This could include providing direct cash interventions to those facing financial difficulties, or forming local partnerships to make use of shared spaces and staff to create joined-up approaches to homelessness prevention.

    “Beyond the funding, this programme will also provide vital insights on the support needed to help people at risk of homelessness and inform future approaches to partnership working to deliver the Ask and Act duty.”

    Homeless Network Scotland Chief Executive Maggie Brunjes said:

    “Housing associations and third sector organisations are ideally positioned to prevent homelessness by delivering early, community-focused interventions. This Scottish Government funding will support local partnerships, enabling tailored solutions that tackle material hardship and leverage community resources to help people remain in their homes.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Crocodile captured in Ross River in Townsville

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 9 May 2025

    Open larger image

    Estuarine crocodile in a floating trap.

    A 2.8-metre estuarine crocodile has been captured in a floating trap on the Ross River near Aplins Weir on 8 May 2025.

    The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation targeted the animal for removal after receiving multiple sighting reports recently from concerned members of the public.

    Wildlife rangers conducted a land-based spotlight assessment to locate the crocodile and due to its size and location – in a high recreational use area – it was targeted for removal.

    Principal Wildlife Ranger Dinouk Perera said that when wildlife rangers were removing the trapped animal, they observed a second crocodile about two metres in length, nearby.

    “We have re-installed the trap to target the second crocodile for removal,” Mr Perera said.

    “The department would like to thank those community members who reported the crocodile.

    “Crocodile sighting reports give us important information about a crocodile’s location and behaviour that allows us to assess whether it needs to be removed from the wild.

    “The captured crocodile is currently in a holding pond at our facility and will be rehomed to a farm or zoo.

    “People in Townsville are reminded that the area is crocodile habitat, and they need to make sensible choices when they are around the water.

    “Crocodiles could be present in any waterway in areas of crocodile habitat. They can swim long distances and may turn up in places they haven’t been seen before, particularly after flooding.

    “That’s why it is important to report all crocodile sightings to the department as soon as possible, for investigation by wildlife rangers.”

    Crocodile sightings can be reported by using the QWildlife app, completing a crocodile sighting report on the DETSI website, or by calling 1300 130 372. The department investigates every crocodile sighting report received.

    Further information is available at: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/animals/living-with/crocodiles/becrocwise

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Cassowary release highlights importance of reporting all sightings

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 12 May 2025

    Open larger image

    A male cassowary

    A young male cassowary has been rehabilitated and released into Wooroonooran National Park after being rescued from cane fields near Mourilyan in far north Queensland.

    The successful release of the cassowary demonstrates the importance of public reporting of cassowary sightings, particularly if the birds are sick, injured or in places well away from of their normal habitat.

    In March this year, the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) received multiple sighting reports a young cassowary wandering along roads among cane fields, several kilometres from the nearest forested area.

    DETSI wildlife rangers found the bird to be in poor condition and an analysis of its fresh scat showed it had been eating solely non-native fruit.

    Due to the location, condition and the risk of vehicle strike, the bird was captured and placed in DETSI’s Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre at Garners Beach.

    Senior Wildlife Ranger Alex Diczbalis said the juvenile male cassowary had received daily care and feeding at the centre by volunteers from the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4), and its condition had improved rapidly.

    “We’d like to thank the members of the public who took the time to report the cassowary to us and to the C4 volunteers for their dedication,” Mr Diczbalis said.

    “After several weeks of care, which included feeding the bird native fruit collected from the roadside, the cassowary was assessed by local vet Dr Graham Lauridsen as being suitable

    for release back into the wild.

    “We chose a release location in Wooroonooran National Park that has dense rainforest, abundant native food, and access to fresh water which will give the cassowary a great opportunity to establish a home range.

    “On 10 April 2025, the cassowary was released into the rainforest and calmly explored its new surroundings.

    “Recent site visits have confirmed that the cassowary is foraging well and fulfilling its vital role in seed dispersal and rainforest regeneration. We hope the cassowary will thrive and in time father its own chicks.”

    To report a cassowary sighting or incident, call 1300 130 372 in a timely manner.

    Be Cass-o-wary!!

    Southern cassowary behaviour is unpredictable. Cassowaries can inflict serious injuries to people and pets by lashing out with their large, clawed feet.

    • Don’t approach cassowaries, it’s best to appreciate them from a distance
    • Never approach chicks – male cassowaries will defend them.
    • Don’t feed cassowaries – it is illegal, dangerous and has caused cassowary deaths.
    • Discard food scraps in closed bins and ensure compost bins have secure lids.
    • Slow down and keep an eye out when driving on roads in cassowary habitat.
    • Don’t park your vehicle near cassowaries, they may think you’ve stopped to feed them.
    • Keep dogs behind fences or on a leash.

    MIL OSI News –