NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-Evening Report: 12 countries agree to confront Israel collectively over Gaza after Bogotá summit

    ANALYSIS: By Mick Hall

    Collective measures to confront Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people have been agreed by 12 nations after an emergency summit of the Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia.

    A joint statement today announced the six measures, which it said were geared to holding Israel to account for its crimes in Palestine and would operate within the states’ domestic legal and legislative frameworks.

    Nearly two dozen other nations in attendance at the summit are now pondering whether to sign up to the measures before a September deadline set by the Hague Group.

    New Zealand and Australia stayed away from the summit.

    The measures include preventing the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel and dual-use items to Israel and preventing the transit, docking or servicing of vessels if there is a risk of vessels carrying such items. No vessel under the flag of the countries would be allowed to carry this equipment.

    The countries would also “commence an urgent review of all public contracts, in order to prevent public institutions and public funds, where applicable, from supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory which may entrench its unlawful presence in the territory, to ensure that our nationals, and companies and entities under our jurisdiction, as well as our authorities, do not act in any way that would entail recognition or provide aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.

    The countries will prosecute “the most serious crimes under international law through robust, impartial and independent investigations and prosecutions at national or international levels, in compliance with our obligation to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes”.

    They agreed to support universal jurisdiction mandates, “as and where applicable in our legal constitutional frameworks and judiciaries, to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes in the Occupied Palestine Territory”.

    This will mean IDF soldiers and others accused of war crimes in Palestine would face arrest and could go through domestic judicial processes in these countries, or referrals to the ICC.

    The statement said the measures constituted a collective commitment to defend the foundational principles of international law.

    It also called on the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to commission an immediate investigation of the health and nutritional needs of the population of Gaza, devise a plan to meet those needs on a continuing and sustained basis, and report on these matters before the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

    Following repeated total blockades of Gaza since October 7, 2023, Gazans have been dying of starvation as they continue to be bombed and repeatedly displaced and their means of life destroyed.

    The official death toll stands at nearly 59,000, mostly women and children, although some estimates put that number at over 200,000.

    The joint statement recognised Israel as a threat to regional peace and the system of international law and called on all United Nations member states to enforce their obligations under the UN charter.

    It condemned “unilateral attacks and threats against United Nations mandate holders, as well as key institutions of the human rights architecture and international justice” and committed to build “on the legacy of global solidarity movements that have dismantled apartheid and other oppressive systems, setting a model for future co-ordinated responses to international law violations”.

    Countries face wrath of US
     Ministers, high-ranking officials and envoys from 30 nations attended the two-day event, from July 15-16, called to come up with the measures. It is now hoped some of those attendees will sign up to the statement by September.

    For countries like Ireland, which sent a delegation, signing up would have profound implications. The Irish government has been heavily criticised by its own citizens for continuing to allow Shannon Airport as a transit point for military equipment from the United States to be sent to Israel.

    It would also face the prospect of severe reprisals by the US, as would others thinking of adding their names to the collective statement. The US is now expected to consult with nations that attended and warn them of the consequences of signing up.

    The summit had been billed by the UN Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, as “the most significant political development of the last 20 months”.

    Albanese had told attendees that “for too long, international law has been treated as optional — applied selectively to those perceived as weak, ignored by those acting as the powerful”.

    “This double standard has eroded the very foundations of the legal order. That era must end,” she said.

    Co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa, the Hague group was established by nine nations in late January at The Hague in the Netherlands to hold Israel to account for its crimes and push for Palestinian self-determination.

    Colombia last year ended diplomatic relations with Israel, while South Africa in late December 2023 filed an application at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide, which was joined by nearly two dozen countries.

    The ICJ has determined a plausible genocide is taking place and issued orders for Israel to protect Palestinians and take measures to stop genocide taking place, a call ignored by the Zionist state.

    Representatives from the countries arrived in Bogota this week in defiance of the United States, which last week sanctioned Albanese for attempts to have US and Israeli political officials and business leaders prosecuted by the ICC over Gaza.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it an illegitimate “campaign of political and economic warfare”.

    It followed the sanctioning of four ICC judges after arrest warrants were issued in November last year for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

    Ahead of the Bogota meeting, the US State Department accused The Hague Group of multilateral attempts to “weaponise international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas” and warned the US would “aggressively defend” its interests.

    Signs of division in the West
     Most of those attending came from nations in the Global South, but not all.

    Founding Hague Group members Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa attended the Summit. Joining them were Algeria, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, China, Djibouti, Indonesia, Iraq, Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

    However, in a sign of increasing division in the West, NATO members Spain, Portugal, Norway, Slovenia and Turkey also attended.

    Inside the summit, former US State Department official Annelle Sheline, who resigned in March over Gaza, defended the right of those attending “to uphold their obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”.

    “This is not the weaponisation of international law. This is the application of international law,” she told delegates.

    The US and Israel deny accusations that genocide is taking place in Gaza, while Western media have collectively refused to adjudicate the claims or frame stories around Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the strip, despite ample evidence by the UN and genocide experts.

    Since 7 October 2023, US allies have offered diplomatic cover for Israel by repeating it had “a right to defend itself” and was engaged in a legitimate defensive “war against Hamas”.

    Israel now plans to corral starving Gazans into a concentration camp in the south of the strip, with many analysts expecting the IDF to exterminate anyone found outside its boundaries, while preparing to push those inside across the border into Egypt.

    Asia Pacific and EU allies shun Bogota summit
     Addressing attendees at the summit yesterday, Albanese criticised the EU for its neo-colonialism and support for Israel, criticisms that can be extended to US allies in the Asia Pacific region.

    Independent journalist Abby Martin reported Albanese as saying: “Europe and its institutions are guided more by colonial mindset than principle, acting as vessels to US Empire even as it drags us from war to war, misery to misery.

    “The Hague Group is a new moral centre in world politics. Millions are hoping for leadership that can birth a new global order, rooted in justice, humanity and collective liberation. It’s not just about Palestine. This is about all of us.”

    The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was asked why Foreign Minister Penny Wong did not take up an invite to attend the Hague Group meeting. In a statement to Mick Hall in Context, a spokesperson said she had been unable to attend, but did not explain why.

    She said Australia was a “resolute defender of international law” and added: “Australia has consistently been part of international calls that all parties must abide by international humanitarian law. Not enough has been done to protect civilians and aid workers.

    “We have called on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    “We have also called on Israel to comply with the binding orders of the ICJ, including to enable the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale.”

    When asked why New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters had failed to take up the invitation or send any of his officials, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson simply refused to comment.

    She said MFAT media advisors would only engage with “recognised news media outlets”.

    Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, as well as a number of his ministers, have been referred to the ICC by domestic legal teams, accused of complicity in the genocide.

    Evidence against Albanese was accepted into the ICC’s wider investigation of crimes in Gaza in October last year, while Luxon’s referral earlier this month is being assessed by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

    Delegates told humanity at stake
     Delegates heard several impassioned addresses from speakers on what was at stake during the two-day event in Bogota.

    Palestinian-American trauma surgeon, Dr Thaer Ahmad, told the gathering that Palestinians seeking food were being met with bullets, describing aid distribution facilities set up by the US contractor-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as “slaughterhouses”. More than 800 starving Gazans have been killed at the GHF aid points so far.

    “People know they could die but cannot sit idly by and watch their families starve,” he said.

    “The bullets fired by GHF mercenaries are just one part of the weaponisation of aid, where Palestinians are ghettoised into areas where somebody in military fatigues decides if you are worthy of food or not.”

    Palestinian diplomat Riyad Mansour had urged the summit attendees to take decisive action to not only save the Palestinian people, but redeem humanity.

    “Instead of outrage at the crimes we know are taking place, we find those who defend, normalise, and even celebrate them,” he said.

    “The core values we believed humanity agreed were universal are shattered, blown to pieces like the tens of thousands of starved, murdered and injured civilians in Palestine.

    “The mind and heart cannot fathom or process the immense pain and horror that has taken hold of the lives of an entire people. We must not fail — not just for Palestine’s sake — but for humanity’s sake.”

    At the beginning of the summit, Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir told summit delegates the Palestinian genocide threatened the entire international system.

    Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote in The Guardian last week: “We can either stand firm in defence of the legal principles that seek to prevent war and conflict, or watch helplessly as the international system collapses under the weight of unchecked power politics.”

    Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers, as well as Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, met in Brussels at the same time as the Bogota summit, to discuss Middle East co-operation, but also possible options for action against Israel.

    At the EU–Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas put forward potential actions after Israel was found to have breached the EU economic cooperation deal with the bloc on human rights grounds. As expected, no sanctions, restricted trade or suspension of the co-operation deal were agreed.

    The EU has been one of Israel’s most strident backers in its campaign against Gaza, with EU members Germany and France in particular supplying weapons, as well as political support.

    The UK government has continued to supply arms and operate spy planes over Gaza over the past 21 months, launched from bases in Cyprus, while its military has issued D-Notices to censor media reports that its special forces have been operating inside the occupied territories.

    Mick Hall is an independent Irish-New Zealand journalist, formerly of RNZ and AAP, based in New Zealand since 2009. He writes primarily on politics, corporate power and international affairs. This article is republished from his substack Mick Hall in Context with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 12 countries agree to confront Israel collectively over Gaza after Bogotá summit

    ANALYSIS: By Mick Hall

    Collective measures to confront Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people have been agreed by 12 nations after an emergency summit of the Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia.

    A joint statement today announced the six measures, which it said were geared to holding Israel to account for its crimes in Palestine and would operate within the states’ domestic legal and legislative frameworks.

    Nearly two dozen other nations in attendance at the summit are now pondering whether to sign up to the measures before a September deadline set by the Hague Group.

    New Zealand and Australia stayed away from the summit.

    The measures include preventing the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel and dual-use items to Israel and preventing the transit, docking or servicing of vessels if there is a risk of vessels carrying such items. No vessel under the flag of the countries would be allowed to carry this equipment.

    The countries would also “commence an urgent review of all public contracts, in order to prevent public institutions and public funds, where applicable, from supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory which may entrench its unlawful presence in the territory, to ensure that our nationals, and companies and entities under our jurisdiction, as well as our authorities, do not act in any way that would entail recognition or provide aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.

    The countries will prosecute “the most serious crimes under international law through robust, impartial and independent investigations and prosecutions at national or international levels, in compliance with our obligation to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes”.

    They agreed to support universal jurisdiction mandates, “as and where applicable in our legal constitutional frameworks and judiciaries, to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes in the Occupied Palestine Territory”.

    This will mean IDF soldiers and others accused of war crimes in Palestine would face arrest and could go through domestic judicial processes in these countries, or referrals to the ICC.

    The statement said the measures constituted a collective commitment to defend the foundational principles of international law.

    It also called on the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to commission an immediate investigation of the health and nutritional needs of the population of Gaza, devise a plan to meet those needs on a continuing and sustained basis, and report on these matters before the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

    Following repeated total blockades of Gaza since October 7, 2023, Gazans have been dying of starvation as they continue to be bombed and repeatedly displaced and their means of life destroyed.

    The official death toll stands at nearly 59,000, mostly women and children, although some estimates put that number at over 200,000.

    The joint statement recognised Israel as a threat to regional peace and the system of international law and called on all United Nations member states to enforce their obligations under the UN charter.

    It condemned “unilateral attacks and threats against United Nations mandate holders, as well as key institutions of the human rights architecture and international justice” and committed to build “on the legacy of global solidarity movements that have dismantled apartheid and other oppressive systems, setting a model for future co-ordinated responses to international law violations”.

    Countries face wrath of US
     Ministers, high-ranking officials and envoys from 30 nations attended the two-day event, from July 15-16, called to come up with the measures. It is now hoped some of those attendees will sign up to the statement by September.

    For countries like Ireland, which sent a delegation, signing up would have profound implications. The Irish government has been heavily criticised by its own citizens for continuing to allow Shannon Airport as a transit point for military equipment from the United States to be sent to Israel.

    It would also face the prospect of severe reprisals by the US, as would others thinking of adding their names to the collective statement. The US is now expected to consult with nations that attended and warn them of the consequences of signing up.

    The summit had been billed by the UN Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, as “the most significant political development of the last 20 months”.

    Albanese had told attendees that “for too long, international law has been treated as optional — applied selectively to those perceived as weak, ignored by those acting as the powerful”.

    “This double standard has eroded the very foundations of the legal order. That era must end,” she said.

    Co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa, the Hague group was established by nine nations in late January at The Hague in the Netherlands to hold Israel to account for its crimes and push for Palestinian self-determination.

    Colombia last year ended diplomatic relations with Israel, while South Africa in late December 2023 filed an application at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide, which was joined by nearly two dozen countries.

    The ICJ has determined a plausible genocide is taking place and issued orders for Israel to protect Palestinians and take measures to stop genocide taking place, a call ignored by the Zionist state.

    Representatives from the countries arrived in Bogota this week in defiance of the United States, which last week sanctioned Albanese for attempts to have US and Israeli political officials and business leaders prosecuted by the ICC over Gaza.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it an illegitimate “campaign of political and economic warfare”.

    It followed the sanctioning of four ICC judges after arrest warrants were issued in November last year for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

    Ahead of the Bogota meeting, the US State Department accused The Hague Group of multilateral attempts to “weaponise international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas” and warned the US would “aggressively defend” its interests.

    Signs of division in the West
     Most of those attending came from nations in the Global South, but not all.

    Founding Hague Group members Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa attended the Summit. Joining them were Algeria, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, China, Djibouti, Indonesia, Iraq, Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

    However, in a sign of increasing division in the West, NATO members Spain, Portugal, Norway, Slovenia and Turkey also attended.

    Inside the summit, former US State Department official Annelle Sheline, who resigned in March over Gaza, defended the right of those attending “to uphold their obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”.

    “This is not the weaponisation of international law. This is the application of international law,” she told delegates.

    The US and Israel deny accusations that genocide is taking place in Gaza, while Western media have collectively refused to adjudicate the claims or frame stories around Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the strip, despite ample evidence by the UN and genocide experts.

    Since 7 October 2023, US allies have offered diplomatic cover for Israel by repeating it had “a right to defend itself” and was engaged in a legitimate defensive “war against Hamas”.

    Israel now plans to corral starving Gazans into a concentration camp in the south of the strip, with many analysts expecting the IDF to exterminate anyone found outside its boundaries, while preparing to push those inside across the border into Egypt.

    Asia Pacific and EU allies shun Bogota summit
     Addressing attendees at the summit yesterday, Albanese criticised the EU for its neo-colonialism and support for Israel, criticisms that can be extended to US allies in the Asia Pacific region.

    Independent journalist Abby Martin reported Albanese as saying: “Europe and its institutions are guided more by colonial mindset than principle, acting as vessels to US Empire even as it drags us from war to war, misery to misery.

    “The Hague Group is a new moral centre in world politics. Millions are hoping for leadership that can birth a new global order, rooted in justice, humanity and collective liberation. It’s not just about Palestine. This is about all of us.”

    The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was asked why Foreign Minister Penny Wong did not take up an invite to attend the Hague Group meeting. In a statement to Mick Hall in Context, a spokesperson said she had been unable to attend, but did not explain why.

    She said Australia was a “resolute defender of international law” and added: “Australia has consistently been part of international calls that all parties must abide by international humanitarian law. Not enough has been done to protect civilians and aid workers.

    “We have called on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    “We have also called on Israel to comply with the binding orders of the ICJ, including to enable the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale.”

    When asked why New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters had failed to take up the invitation or send any of his officials, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson simply refused to comment.

    She said MFAT media advisors would only engage with “recognised news media outlets”.

    Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, as well as a number of his ministers, have been referred to the ICC by domestic legal teams, accused of complicity in the genocide.

    Evidence against Albanese was accepted into the ICC’s wider investigation of crimes in Gaza in October last year, while Luxon’s referral earlier this month is being assessed by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

    Delegates told humanity at stake
     Delegates heard several impassioned addresses from speakers on what was at stake during the two-day event in Bogota.

    Palestinian-American trauma surgeon, Dr Thaer Ahmad, told the gathering that Palestinians seeking food were being met with bullets, describing aid distribution facilities set up by the US contractor-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as “slaughterhouses”. More than 800 starving Gazans have been killed at the GHF aid points so far.

    “People know they could die but cannot sit idly by and watch their families starve,” he said.

    “The bullets fired by GHF mercenaries are just one part of the weaponisation of aid, where Palestinians are ghettoised into areas where somebody in military fatigues decides if you are worthy of food or not.”

    Palestinian diplomat Riyad Mansour had urged the summit attendees to take decisive action to not only save the Palestinian people, but redeem humanity.

    “Instead of outrage at the crimes we know are taking place, we find those who defend, normalise, and even celebrate them,” he said.

    “The core values we believed humanity agreed were universal are shattered, blown to pieces like the tens of thousands of starved, murdered and injured civilians in Palestine.

    “The mind and heart cannot fathom or process the immense pain and horror that has taken hold of the lives of an entire people. We must not fail — not just for Palestine’s sake — but for humanity’s sake.”

    At the beginning of the summit, Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir told summit delegates the Palestinian genocide threatened the entire international system.

    Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote in The Guardian last week: “We can either stand firm in defence of the legal principles that seek to prevent war and conflict, or watch helplessly as the international system collapses under the weight of unchecked power politics.”

    Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers, as well as Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, met in Brussels at the same time as the Bogota summit, to discuss Middle East co-operation, but also possible options for action against Israel.

    At the EU–Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas put forward potential actions after Israel was found to have breached the EU economic cooperation deal with the bloc on human rights grounds. As expected, no sanctions, restricted trade or suspension of the co-operation deal were agreed.

    The EU has been one of Israel’s most strident backers in its campaign against Gaza, with EU members Germany and France in particular supplying weapons, as well as political support.

    The UK government has continued to supply arms and operate spy planes over Gaza over the past 21 months, launched from bases in Cyprus, while its military has issued D-Notices to censor media reports that its special forces have been operating inside the occupied territories.

    Mick Hall is an independent Irish-New Zealand journalist, formerly of RNZ and AAP, based in New Zealand since 2009. He writes primarily on politics, corporate power and international affairs. This article is republished from his substack Mick Hall in Context with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appeal launched for information on graffiti tag

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Appeal launched for information on graffiti tag

    Canterbury City Council is appealing for information about the identity of this man who could hold vital information about the spraying of a graffiti tag in Canterbury that has also been seen in other locations across the district.

    The individual pictured below was seen on CCTV (above) in St Dunstan’s Street on 17 June this year.

    The tag has also been spotted in New Dover Road and St George’s Place in the city and at Whitstable Harbour (below), among many places.

    Such has been the prolific nature of this tagging on public facing walls, underpasses and street ‘furniture’ such as utility boxes, the council estimates it has spent around £2,000 of council taxpayers’ money cleaning off and covering up this one tag alone, through the work of its dedicated graffiti team.

    Investigations so far have not resulted in the council being able to identify the tagger, so a public appeal is now the only option to try and stop these activities from continuing.

    Cabinet member for enforcement, Cllr Connie Nolan, said: “There is no evidence the tagger has slowed their activities at all, which means our cleaning and removal costs will continue to rise and public areas will continue to be defaced unless we take proportionate action.

    “We know the vast majority of residents abhor graffiti tagging as it increases public anxiety, makes the place look unkempt and costs money to clean up, which could be spent on other vital frontline services.

    “Hopefully this appeal will result in information that allows us to stop this tag from appearing in the future.”

    Information can be provided, anonymously if necessary, by emailing streetsceneenforcement@canterbury.gov.uk or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

    The council also offers a £500 reward for information that leads to the formal sanction of an individual for committing these offences.

    Published: 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Civil Society Covenant: Barnsley Stronger Communities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Civil Society Covenant: Barnsley Stronger Communities

    Improving local areas through co-production with communities.

    In 2013, Barnsley Council’s Stronger Communities programme shifted from traditional service delivery to a community partnership model. It actively involves communities and civil society organisations in designing, delivering, and reviewing services through devolved decision making. 

    To target resources in the most cost-effective way to meet local needs, the council increased community involvement, moving from “doing things for” to “working with” residents and community groups.

    Ward Alliances

    Barnsley Council established ‘Ward Alliances’, each with elected members and community representatives, a devolved budget and decision making powers. The ward alliances involved local residents and groups to inform local shared priorities and budget allocation. Their co-designed strategies across Barnsley have increased local buy-in and involvement. A Litter and Environmental Crime Plan for 2024 to 2030 was co-produced with community members and volunteers whose experiences informed the strategy, fostering shared ownership.

    Outcomes

    This shift to working with the local community has resulted in more communities engaging in local decision making, an increase in volunteer hours and in the number of local groups active in the area. The budget allocation powers within Ward Alliances have supported a range of local projects, and have empowered communities to come together, and feel united in a sense of pride in their area.  

    This community impact has contributed towards Barnsley Council’s national recognition, winning both the Local Government Chronicle’s Council of the Year title and the Municipal Journal Local Authority of the Year award in 2023, the only council to win both awards in the same year.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Civil Society Covenant: Home Office Knife Crime Coalition

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Case study

    Civil Society Covenant: Home Office Knife Crime Coalition

    A partnership based approach to reducing knife crime.

    Launched by the Prime Minister in September 2024, the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime is a partnership of individuals with lived experience, civil society, and campaign groups, adopting a partnership approach with government to halve knife crime within a decade.

    The collaboration brings deep understanding of interventions that can help to prevent knife crime, bringing these perspectives into policy and programme creation to tackle the issue.

    The Home Office is also working with Coalition partners to provide a platform for youth voice and their perspectives on the core issues around knife crime, increasing public safety and supporting those who need it most, ensuring young people’s lived experiences contribute to shaping government policy.

    A key example of the Coalition working in partnership with government is the valuable contribution it made to inform the policy development and design of the extended surrender arrangements for knives, ninja swords and other weapons.   

    With Coalition member FazAmnesty and Words 4 Weapons, the government are delivering extended weapon surrender arrangements throughout July 2025. FazAmnesty is operating a mobile surrender van in Greater London, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester, while Words 4 Weapons are providing anonymous surrender bins in these areas for knives and other weapons, including ninja swords. 

    These initiatives provide safe options for young people to surrender dangerous weapons, making our streets safer and removing more weapons from communities.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Blue Springs Man Charged with Illegal Possession of Ammunition

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2025, for illegally possessing ammunition.

    William Anthony Chaney, 38, was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition after previously being convicted in federal court in the Western District of Missouri for conspiracy to distribute PCP and conspiracy to commit money laundering in 2016.  The indictment specifically alleges that, on or about May 24, 2025, Chaney illegally possessed ammunition that had previously travelled in interstate commerce, knowing that he was a prior felon.  Chaney was on federal supervised release for his prior conviction at the time he was discovered in possession of the ammunition.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Blue Springs Missouri Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

    Operation Take Back America

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Suspect sought over e-scooter robbery at Salisbury Downs

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Investigations are continuing into an assault and theft of an e-scooter at Salisbury Downs earlier this month.

    About 4.20am on Sunday 6 July, the victim rode his e-scooter to a service station on Salisbury Highway, Salisbury Downs.  He was confronted on the forecourt by an unknown man armed with a hammer who demanded his e-scooter.

    The victim was assaulted and had his scooter stolen.  The victim was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries.

    The suspect is described as a man with a medium build, dark hair shaved on the sides and appears to have tattoos on the front of his neck and right hand.

    Anyone who recognises the suspect caught on CCTV footage or has information that may lead to his identity is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Government scales up youth-focused initiatives 

    Source: Government of South Africa

    As government pursues faster and more inclusive economic growth, the fight against youth unemployment remains a priority, with large-scale programmes underway to create opportunities for young people to earn an income, develop skills and gain work experience.

    Delivering the Presidency Budget Vote for the 2025/2026 financial year, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the greatest challenge that faces South Africa today is youth unemployment. 

    “Approximately 3.8 million out of 10.3 million young people aged 15 to 24 years are not in employment, education or training. These are young people with energy, initiative and untapped potential,” President Ramaphosa said.

    In his address on Wednesday, the President said government has launched large-scale programmes to provide young people with income opportunities, skills development and work experience.

    “Through innovative and targeted interventions, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has continued to demonstrate that when a society invests in its people, the dividends are measured in hope restored and futures rewritten,” he said. 

    He cited the Basic Education Employment Initiative, which entered a new phase in June this year, placing over 200 000 young people as school assistants in more than 2 0000 schools. 

    To date, this initiative has created over one million posts for young people to serve as assistants in schools, supporting teachers in classrooms, school administration and school maintenance.

    “The programme has been designed to strengthen the learning environment and learning outcomes in schools. In the process, participants gain work experience and skills vital to finding employment and starting their own businesses,” the President said.

    He added that the SAYouth.mobi platform was launched in 2020 to tackle the barriers faced by young people such as experience and the lack of transport or lack of data money.

    “There are now over 4.7 million young people registered on the SAYouth network. Young people have been supported to access over 1.67 million earning opportunities.

    “A significant achievement of SA Youth is that the vast majority of earning opportunities have been accessed by the most excluded young people. Seventy percent of opportunities have been accessed by young black African women,” President Ramaphosa said.

    The President noted that around 65% of the platform’s users live in grant-receiving households, demonstrating that “we are reaching some of the people who have the greatest need.”

    Another impactful initiative mentioned was the Youth Employment Service (YES), which he said has become the largest corporate-funded youth jobs programme globally. 

    The programme has to date provided over 190 000 young people with year-long work experience opportunities.

    “Through all of these programmes coordinated by the Presidency, we are changing the way that government works and scaling innovative solutions to our unemployment challenge,” the President said. 

    Education 

    Turning to education, President Ramaphosa underscored its role in fighting poverty, with a focus on early childhood development, foundational learning, and access to well-run schools.

    “We continue our efforts to ensure that learners have a safe and conducive environment in which to learn. To date, we have completed 97 percent of the sanitation projects under the SAFE initiative aimed at getting rid of pit latrines in our schools.”

    He also confirmed the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, expansion of vocational training, and broader access to higher education through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

    Having come into effect in December last year, the Act amends sections of the South African Schools Act of 1996 (SASA) and the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 (EEA) to account for developments in the education landscape since the enactment of the original legislation.

    Through the NSFAS, government is expanding access for students from poor and working class families, and with the support of the National Skills Fund, assistance is being expanded to the ‘missing middle’.

    “This year, NSFAS is supporting over 800 000 university and TVET [technical and vocational education and training] college students. This provides opportunities to young people today that will, in time, transform our economy and society,” he said. 

    NHI

    On healthcare and the National Health Insurance (NHI), the President said government is addressing the poor state of health facilities and is hiring more professionals, while also permanently employing community health workers.

    “To address the severe challenges in the health system and in preparation for the implementation of the NHI, we are directing resources towards the hiring of more doctors, nurses and health professionals, the permanent employment of community health workers, and the purchase of new equipment and supplies.

    “We are determined to meet our HIV testing and treatment targets, despite the withdrawal of US funding,” he added, noting that Deputy President Paul Mashatile continues to lead the HIV/AIDS response through the South African National AIDS Council.

    Last week, Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said the National Treasury has allocated R753 million to the Department of Health — under Section 16 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) — to help bridge the shortfall caused by the United States’ decision to cut HIV and tuberculosis (TB) grants.

    READ | Treasury allocates emergency funding of R750m towards HIV and TB after US funding cuts

    The United States government’s withdrawal of funding to key health initiatives, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief P(EPFAR), which was established by former President George W Bush in 2003, led to a loss of R7.9 billion spent on HIV/Aids programmes annually.
     

    Governance 

    On governance, the President said building a capable and corruption-resistant state remains a priority. 

    “For us to effectively tackle any of these challenges, we need to build a capable state with institutions that are resistant to corruption or interference. 

    “The recent adoption of the Public Service Commission Bill by the National Assembly marks a crucial milestone, enhancing the independence and effectiveness of the Public Service Commission in promoting ethical governance,” the President said. 

    President Ramaphosa said the bill will allow the Commission to function as an impartial constitutional body and ensure that the executive is compelled to act on the Commission’s recommendations, thereby reinforcing accountability across the public sector. 

    Digital Transformation Roadmap

    He added that the Digital Transformation Roadmap launched in April 2025, is set to make government work more efficiently while also bringing it closer to the people.

    READ | Digital Transformation Roadmap to make it easier to access government services

    “The roadmap focuses on building digital public infrastructure including a digital identity for every South African citizen. 

    “It includes a digital payments system to enable instant, low-cost payments, and interoperable data systems to ensure that citizens only have to provide their information to government once,” said President Ramaphosa. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Aggravated burglary and robbery – Katherine

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested two males, aged 18 and 14-years-old, in relation to two incidents of an aggravated robbery and burglary that occurred at a Katherine café on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

    Around 8:40pm on 15 July 2025, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of several people unlawfully entering a café on Katherine Terrace, before leaving location with various stolen food and drink items.

    Early yesterday morning, two males entered the same cafe and assaulted staff inside, before fleeing from the location with stolen food and drink items. Two witnesses stopped to render assistance and confronted the two males before they were allegedly assaulted in the process.

    Katherine general duties responded and with the assistance of the two witnesses, arrested an 18-year-old male a short time later. Later in the day, members from the Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch and Strike Force Cerberus located and arrested a 14-year-old male youth.

    The 14-year-old male was charged with:

    • Aggravated Robbery

    • Aggravated Burglary

    • Assault Worker

    He was remanded to appear before court tomorrow, 18 July 2025.

    The 18-year-old male was charged with:

    • Aggravated Robbery

    • Aggravated Burglary

    • Recruitment of a Child

    • Assault Worker

    He was remanded to appear before Katherine Local Court on 21 July 2025.

    It is unknown at this stage of the investigation if these incidents are linked to a group of people who were involved in an alleged aggravated burglary that took place later in the night involving a stolen motor vehicle.

    The Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch and Strike Force Cerberus have carriage of the two incidents.

    Anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage, are urged to contact police on 131 444 and quote reference NTP2500071849. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man assaulted at South Plympton

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are investigating an assault at South Plympton this afternoon.

    Police and paramedics were called to Laurence Street, South Plympton at 4.45pm on Thursday 17 July by reports of an assault.

    The victim sustained serious injuries and is being taken to hospital by ambulance.  His condition is not believed to be life-threatening at this time.

    Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News

    Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship  Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.

    People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.

    The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.

    Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.

    Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.

    She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.

    “Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.

    Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News

    A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand
     “The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News

    In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.

    This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.

    Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.

    The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira

    The legacy of Operation Exodus
     Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.

    For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.

    Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.

    “The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.

    He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.

    Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace

    Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.

    What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues?
     “Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.

    A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.

    Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace

    Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.

    “They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.

    Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News

    Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship  Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui.

    People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira, who was killed in the attack, and to honour the legacy of those who stood up to nuclear testing in the Pacific.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before the bombing was Operation Exodus, a humanitarian mission to the Marshall Islands. There, Greenpeace helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing.

    The dawn ceremony was hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and attended by more than 150 people. Speeches were followed by the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence.

    Photographer Fernando Pereira and a woman from Rongelap on the day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Rongelap Atoll in May 1985. Image: David Robie/Eyes of Fire

    Tui Warmenhoven (Ngāti Porou), the chair of the Greenpeace Aotearoa board, said it was a day to remember for the harm caused by the French state against the people of Mā’ohi Nui.

    Warmenhoven worked for 20 years in iwi research and is a grassroots, Ruatoria-based community leader who works to integrate mātauranga Māori with science to address climate change in Te Tai Rāwhiti.

    She encouraged Māori to stand united with Greenpeace.

    “Ko te mea nui ki a mātou, a Greenpeace Aotearoa, ko te whawhai i ngā mahi tūkino a rātou, te kāwanatanga, ngā rangatōpū, me ngā tāngata whai rawa, e patu ana i a mātou, te iwi Māori, ngā iwi o te ao, me ō mātou mātua, a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku,” e ai ki a Warmenhoven.

    Tui Warmenhoven and Dr Russel Norman in front of Rainbow Warrior III on 10 July 2025. Image:Te Ao Māori News

    A defining moment in Aotearoa’s nuclear-free stand
     “The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior was a defining moment for Greenpeace in its willingness to fight for a nuclear-free world,” said Dr Russel Norman, the executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    He noted it was also a defining moment for Aotearoa in the country’s stand against the United States and France, who conducted nuclear tests in the region.

    Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Dr Russel Norman speaking at the ceremony on board Rainbow Warrior III today. Image: Te Ao Māpri News

    In 1987, the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act officially declared the country a nuclear-free zone.

    This move angered the United States, especially due to the ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships entering New Zealand ports.

    Because the US followed a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons, it saw the ban as breaching the ANZUS Treaty and suspended its security commitments to New Zealand.

    The Rainbow Warrior’s final voyage before it was bombed was Operation Exodus, during which the crew helped relocate more than 320 residents of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, who had been exposed to radiation from US nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958.

    The evacuation of Rongelap Islanders to Mejatto by the Rainbow Warrior crew in May 1985. Image: Greenpeace/Fernando Pereira

    The legacy of Operation Exodus
     Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.

    For decades, it denied the long-term health impacts, even as cancer rates rose and children were born with severe deformities.

    Despite repeated pleas from the people of Rongelap to be evacuated, the US government failed to act until Greenpeace stepped in to help.

    “The United States government effectively used them as guinea pigs for nuclear testing and radiation to see what would happen to people, which is obviously outrageous and disgusting,” Dr Norman said.

    He said it was important not to see Pacific peoples as victims, as they were powerful campaigners who played a leading role in ending nuclear testing in the region.

    Marshallese women greet the Rainbow Warrior as it arrived in the capital Majuro in March 2025. Image: Bianca Vitale/Greenpeace

    Between March and April this year, Rainbow Warrior III returned to the Marshall Islands to conduct independent research into the radiation levels across the islands to see whether it’s safe for the people of Rongelap to return.

    What advice do you give to this generation about nuclear issues?
     “Kia kotahi ai koutou ki te whai i ngā mahi uaua i mua i a mātou ki te whawhai i a rātou mā, e mahi tūkino ana ki tō mātou ao, ki tō mātou kōkā a Papatūānuku, ki tō mātou taiao,” hei tā Tui Warmenhoven.

    A reminder to stay united in the difficult world ahead in the fight against threats to the environment.

    Warmenhoven also encouraged Māori to support Greenpeace Aotearoa.

    Tui Warmenhoven and the captain of the Rainbow Warrior, Ali Schmidt, placed a wreath in the water at the stern of the ship in memory of Fernando Pereira. Image: Greenpeace

    Dr Norman believed the younger generations should be inspired to activism by the bravery of those from the Pacific and Greenpeace who campaigned for a nuclear-free world 40 years ago.

    “They were willing to take very significant risks, they sailed their boats into the nuclear test zone to stop those nuclear tests, they were arrested by the French, beaten up by French commandos,” he said.

    Republished from Te Ao Māori News with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ukrainian parliament accepts PM’s resignation

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

    The Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday voted to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

    Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that 261 out of 320 parliament members present in the assembly supported the motion.

    Shmyhal submitted his resignation to parliament on Tuesday, following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement a day earlier that he had nominated First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko for the post.

    Shmyhal had served as Ukrainian prime minister since March 2020.

    Under Ukrainian law, the prime minister’s resignation entails the resignation of the entire government. The cabinet will continue to exercise its duties until a new government is formed.

    Local media reported that Shmyhal might be appointed as the new defense minister in the upcoming government. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ethiopia Takes Bold Strides on Health Taxes to Drive Universal Health Coverage

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    In a landmark show of political will and multisectoral collaboration, the Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), the Ministry of Health, and partners are spearheading one of Africa’s most promising health financing reforms. By embracing health taxes as a strategic tool, Ethiopia has started strengthening its national health system, curbing the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and advancing its journey toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

    This momentous collaboration was showcased during a high-level training workshop held from 13 to 14 June 2025 in Adama, Ethiopia. The forum was jointly organized by WHO Ethiopia and the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and with generous financial support from the Government of Norway.

    The two-day event brought together 63 MPs and parliamentary staff as well as 13 senior officials of the Ministry of Health, reaffirming the critical role of legislative bodies in shaping public health through economic policy.

    The workshop focused on consolidating the capacity of lawmakers to further understand and champion health taxes—specifically excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages. These taxes are globally recognized for their dual impact: they discourage the use of harmful products while generating sustainable revenue to fund essential health services.

    In her opening remarks, H.E. Lomi Bedo, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, emphasized the transformative power of Ethiopia’s 2020 excise tax law. “By raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful products, Ethiopia has taken a critical step toward safeguarding public health and promoting healthier communities,” she stated. “Increasing prices on unhealthy commodities remains one of the most effective strategies to reduce their consumption and associated health risks, including addiction and premature death.”

    Her remarks echoed the growing recognition of Parliament’s proactive legislative stance—one that aligns with the nation’s development vision and its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Ethiopian State Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Dereje Duguma on his part warned that misleading narratives from the tobacco industry persist—particularly claims that more than 50% of the tobacco market has turned illicit post-legislation. He stressed the importance of evidence-based policymaking and pledged the Ministry’s continued collaboration with Parliament, WHO, and all development partners to strengthen tax administration and uphold Ethiopia’s progress toward UHC and NCD control.

    Delivering a keynote address, Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, praised Ethiopia’s leadership in adopting bold and effective non-traditional mechanisms to raise additional funds for the country. “Stronger health systems enable countries to allocate scarce resources to their most pressing priorities,” Dr. Kaluwa said. “The 2020 excise tax legislation remains one of the most impactful policy tools for reducing the consumption of harmful products while boosting domestic revenue.”

    Dr. Kaluwa highlighted that WHO’s support to Ethiopia is part of a multi-year project on health taxes implemented in collaboration with IPU and funded by the Norwegian Government. As a priority country in this initiative, Ethiopia is receiving targeted technical assistance for policy analysis, tax implementation, and improved access to NCD treatment and care.

    Throughout the workshop, MPs and parliamentary technical staff deliberated on the latest global and national evidence on the effectiveness of health taxes. Participants engaged in hands-on sessions using updated policy briefs, data, and technical tools designed to inform legislative decisions and sustain tax implementation in the long term.

    Key discussions focused on the importance of Parliament’s role in maintaining robust tax systems, supporting annual adjustments, and shielding policy development from industry interference. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing fiscal policies that prioritize public health and social equity.

    Health taxes have gained wider recognition globally as part of a broader push to combat NCDs—conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses that account for more than 70% of global deaths and disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries. Ethiopia’s approach—grounded in science, backed by policy, and supported by partners—demonstrates how strategic legislation can serve both public health and economic resilience.

    Looking ahead, WHO Ethiopia reaffirmed its dedication to working alongside Parliament, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and other stakeholders to reinforce Ethiopia’s health financing landscape. This includes ensuring that health taxes are not only implemented but effective, efficient, and accountable public financial management systems are necessary for the additional revenues to reach and be accountable for expenditure objectives.

    “Health taxes are not just a revenue tool—they are a health-saving, life-preserving measure,” Dr. Kaluwa concluded. “Ethiopia’s continued leadership in this space is not only commendable but also offers a blueprint for the region and beyond.”

    As the country continues its path toward UHC, Ethiopia’s experience highlights the power of political commitment, intersectoral collaboration, and strategic investment in health. The success of its health tax policy and administration illustrates how even modest fiscal interventions can yield transformative outcomes—saving lives, strengthening systems, and building a healthier future for all.

    – on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Israel’s disregard for ICJ rulings undermines global governance, says Dangor

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Israel’s disregard for ICJ rulings undermines global governance, says Dangor

    Israel’s ongoing disregard for the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) undermines the integrity of the court and weakens the ability of global governance institutions to address impunity, says Zane Dangor, the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

    Dangor was addressing the Emergency Conference of States, which is aimed at resolving what has been described as the genocide in Gaza. The Emergency Conference, jointly convened by Colombia and South Africa as co-chairs of The Hague Group, seeks to turn international condemnation into coordinated legal and diplomatic action.

    The meeting in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, took place one year after the General Assembly passed a resolution affirming the ICJ advisory opinion that deemed Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories “unlawful.“

    “As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, we are witnessing continued and urgent calls from United Nations (UN) Member States and the international community for a ceasefire in Gaza. For too long, Israel has blatantly ignored orders from the ICJ in violation of international law.

    “Despite this, the impunity continues unabated,” Dangor said on Tuesday. 

    Dangor stressed that Israel continues with its violence against Palestinians, with forced evacuations and targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities being the order of the day. 

    To stop the bloodshed, the DG called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations towards a just peace. 

    “A just peace requires justice, and this requires that international law must be respected.” 

    Dangor said the international community cannot claim that the importance of international law, including the UN Charter, applies in some circumstances but not in others.

    “We should not pick and choose which binding orders of the ICJ to abide by and which to set aside or simply ignore.”

    Dangor argued that allowing Israel to disregard court decisions and UN resolutions without repercussions undermines the integrity of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the organisations responsible for its enforcement.

    “This is unacceptable, and we should not be complicit in Israel’s endeavours to irreparably harm the institutions that were established to hold all of us accountable to the goals of a more peaceful and just world.” 

    Israel’s unlawful actions, Dangor said, are enabled when some seek to rationalise their actions. 

    “The crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of apartheid are not complex; they are unlawful.

    “It is time to end the institutional impunity that Israel has enjoyed for over five decades.” 

    Dangor said the carnage seen in Palestine today is a testament to the “folly” of Israel’s grand exceptionalism from accountability to international law and norms.

    “As responsible Member States of the United Nations, it is our duty to ensure that the bloodshed and genocide in Gaza are stopped… now as we do not have the luxury of time.

    “The government of Israel must immediately halt the forced displacement of civilians in Gaza, which is causing untold suffering and trauma.” 

    Dangor is of the view that the Israeli government, as the occupying power, must uphold its obligations under international law and guarantee unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance, including healthcare and other essential services in the West Bank and Gaza.

    According to the DG, humanitarian support provided by Member States is regularly obstructed and destroyed by Israeli authorities or is being allowed to be destroyed by right-wing and extreme elements. 

    “We hope that today, we begin a journey wherein states from all regions, including those that were part of the Madrid meeting, join hands to end the ongoing genocide in Palestine and fora more just world.” – SAnews.gov.za

    Gabisile

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Kurralta Park

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Kurralta Park.

    Just before 1pm today (Thursday 17 July), police and emergency services were called to Anzac Highway near Grassmere Street after reports of a two-car crash.

    Citybound traffic is down to one lane.

    Please avoid the area if possible.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Youths arrested after alleged assault in Hobart CBD

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    UPDATE: Youths arrested after alleged assault in Hobart CBD

    Thursday, 17 July 2025 – 1:25 pm.

    UPDATE @ 1.30pm July 17: Youths arrested after alleged assault in Hobart CBD
    Police have laid charges against two boys over the alleged assault of a teenage boy in Hobart’s CBD on Wednesday.
    A 14-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated robbery, stealing, destroy property, unlawfully tamper or interfere with a motor vehicle, and bail offences. He has been held for court.
    A 12-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated robbery, common assault, stealing and unlawfully tamper or interfere with a motor vehicle. He has been bailed to appear in the Hobart Youth Justice Division in August.
    The charges stem from an altercation at the grassed area of Mather’s Lane, in Hobart’s central business district, about 2.05pm in which police allege a 14-year-old boy was assaulted and had his iPhone stolen.
    Police have appealed to members of the public who may have witnessed the incident, or the events leading up to it, to come forward.
    A group of up to eight youths was seen leaving the area via Criterion Lane immediately following the alleged assault.
    Anyone with information is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au (quote Offence Report 780149).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Promised and delivered: CIT Woden Campus officially open!

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 17/07/2025

    The ACT Government is today celebrating the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Woden campus.

    CIT Woden is part of the ACT Government’s $14 billion Infrastructure Plan, ensuring Canberra remains one of the world’s most liveable cities as our community grows.

    Up to 6,500 students each year are expected to attend CIT Woden, which welcomes students from next Monday, 21 July for the start of Semester 2. Spanning 22,500 square metres across five levels, CIT Woden contains 66 learning spaces that will support 24 different industry areas.

    CIT Woden is designed to support the skills Canberra needs now and into the future, with a diverse range of courses in areas such as information technology, cyber security, photography, business, hospitality, hairdressing, creative industries and more. Students and the community can also enjoy amenities like a student-operated restaurant, hair and beauty salon, as well as the vibrant public spaces.

    Minister for Skills, Training and Industrial Relations, Michael Pettersson, said the new campus was a game-changer in delivering quality vocational education in the ACT, and has transformed the Woden Town Centre into a vibrant learning hub.

    “We promised to deliver a world-class education precinct in Woden, and we’ve delivered. The training facilities and learning spaces at the new CIT Woden are second to none,” Minister Pettersson said.

    “Students of all ages are going to love this modern and sustainable facility, and we’ve already had a lot of positive feedback from CIT staff who are starting to feel right at home in their new surroundings. This is another example of the ACT Government building Canberra’s future and providing the next generation with the opportunity to gain the skills needed for their chosen careers.”

    CIT Woden is a sustainable, environmentally friendly campus. All electric commercial kitchens and training restaurants, as well as an array of solar panels, will help contribute to the ACT Government’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. The main building’s structure, floors and architectural finish are crafted from cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber sustainably sourced and manufactured in Australia.

    Designing with Country has been a guiding principle for the CIT Woden Campus project, from the Brindabellas inspired ‘Walking the Ridgeline’ façade, to reflecting a silhouette of a ‘Mulleun’, or wedge-tailed eagle through the ‘Oculus’ sky light, at the top of level five.

    More than 520 local jobs and apprenticeships were created during construction of CIT Woden, while construction partner, Lendlease, provided nearly 8,000 hours of training during construction.

    – Statement ends –

    Michael Pettersson, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia got off on a technicality for its climate inaction. But there are plenty more judgement days to come

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney

    This week, the Federal Court found the Australian government has no legal duty to protect Torres Strait Islanders from climate change. The ruling was disappointing, but it’s not the end of the matter.

    The plaintiffs, Uncle Paul Kabai and Uncle Pabai Pabai, hail from the low-lying islands of Saibai and Boigu, near Papua New Guinea. They argued the Commonwealth was negligent for failing to take strong action on climate change.

    While the judge accepted the devastating effects climate change has wrought on the Torres Strait Islands, he found the Uncles did not prove their case of negligence.

    However, the judge found previous Australian governments had not taken the best available science into account when setting emissions reduction targets. The finding tightens the screws on the Albanese government, which is due to announce Australia’s long-awaited targets to cut emissions out to 2035.

    To protect communities in the Torres Strait, and across Australia, the government must set a 2035 target that is in line with the science.

    And the court finding is unlikely to stem the tide of litigation seeking greater government accountability for climate change – especially for those most vulnerable to its harms.

    Limitations of Australian law

    The Uncles’ case did not fail because there was no merit in their allegations. It failed because Justice Michael Wigney ruled negligence law was not the appropriate vehicle to deal with climate change policy.

    Justice Wigney found the Torres Strait Islanders proved much of their case, including that Australia’s emissions targets set in 2015, 2020 and 2021 were not consistent with the best available science. That science dictates national governments should set emissions reduction targets in line with international efforts to hold global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

    The Coalition was in power during the period in question. Justice Wigney found the government of the day “did not engage with or give real or genuine consideration to the best available science” when setting its targets.

    Looking ahead to our 2035 targets

    The Labor government is currently weighing its 2035 emissions reduction target. The Climate Change Authority, which provides independent advice to government on climate policy, is expected to recommend a target between 65% and 75%.

    But evidence suggests this may not be in line with the best available science.

    For example, according to some scientists, emissions reduction of 90% by 2035, based on 2005 levels, would be required to stay in line with the 1.5°C goal.

    Australia’s 2035 targets are not just crucial to the global effort to tackle climate change. They will also affect our standing in the Pacific at a time of deepening geostrategic competition.

    Australia is bidding to host the UN climate talks next year in partnership with Pacific island countries. Our climate policy for the decade ahead will be a powerful signal to our Pacific neighbours about our commitment to the region, and to climate justice.

    A shifting legal landscape

    Tuesday’s court finding left open the possibility an appeal court may revisit the state of the law, and recognise the duty of care claimed by the Uncles.

    This would require an appeal to the full court of the Federal Court. Wigney was a single judge and considered himself bound by past precedent set by the full court.

    Around the world, courts and human rights bodies are holding governments accountable for climate inaction. It is possible for Australian law to do the same.

    International courts and human rights bodies are holding governments accountable for climate inaction.
    Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

    Courts in the Netherlands and Belgium, for example, have recognised government duties to heed the science to address foreseeable harms of climate change.

    Next week, the International Court of Justice – the world’s highest court – will issue an historic legal opinion on the obligations of nations to tackle climate change.

    This opinion will clarify the obligations of countries to prevent human rights harms caused by climate change, and to limit pollution of the Earth’s oceans and climate system. The opinion will be non-binding, but could influence future climate litigation.

    What’s more, attribution science is improving all the time. This field of science examines how greenhouse gas emissions affect a particular weather event or climate pattern.

    Clearer attribution science will provide courts an ever-stronger basis to consider how government policy decisions on emissions cause climate impacts – and resulting harms to people.

    As the legal responsibilities of governments are clarified, further strategic litigation in Australia is likely.

    Change is coming

    In his judgement, Justice Michael Wigney said the law currently “provides no real or effective legal avenue” for people or communities to seek legal recourse for government inaction on climate change. That will remain the case until the law changes, he said.

    To remain legitimate, legal norms must reflect changing social expectations. History shows laws can adapt when they are challenged repeatedly by those who are harmed by the status quo. Eventually, the dam wall breaks, and law is reinterpreted.

    A clear example is the Mabo case of 1992. The High Court of Australia acknowledged the obvious fact that Indigenous peoples have lived on this continent for tens of thousands of years, and that the “terra nullius” (land belonging to no-one) concept was a legal myth.

    The Mabo decision allowed common law to recognise native title. It was a departure from previous rulings which relied on the terra nullius concept to reject native title claims.

    Australia’s legal norms largely pre-date the scientific consensus on climate change. They must evolve to better recognise climate impacts that are harming Australians. While this week might not have been the time, change is inevitable.

    As Justice Wigney said, until the law adapts, the key avenue for change is public advocacy, protest and voter action at the ballot box.

    Wesley Morgan is a fellow with the Climate Council.

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

    – ref. Australia got off on a technicality for its climate inaction. But there are plenty more judgement days to come – https://theconversation.com/australia-got-off-on-a-technicality-for-its-climate-inaction-but-there-are-plenty-more-judgement-days-to-come-261305

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Join Colleagues to Introduce Bill to Safeguard Consumers from Online Subscription Traps

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 16, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would protect consumers in Oregon and nationwide from online free trial scams and hard-to-cancel recurring-payment programs.

    The Consumer Online Payment Transparency and Integrity (OPT-IN) Act puts the responsibility on companies rather than consumers when it comes to subscriptions and memberships, including a shift from “opt-out” default conditions  to “opt-in.” This reintroduction comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit last week vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s 2023 “click to cancel” rule, which would have made it easier to get out of unwanted subscriptions. 

    “Unexpected charges and confusing websites can make unsubscribing from a service a headache,” Wyden said. “Relief was in sight, but Donald Trump’s administration killed new protections for consumers and handed a huge gift to his corporate pals. I’m proud to work with Sen. Van Hollen and my colleagues on the OPT-IN Act to ensure it’s just as easy for Americans to unsubscribe from services as it is to sign up.”

    “Consumers shouldn’t have to jump over roadblocks from greedy corporations to cancel a subscription,” Merkley said. “Our bill will make it as simple to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up – no tricks, no gimmicks, no waiting on hold. Let’s pass this common-sense solution that makes sure Americans know what they’re signing up for.”

    Companies increasingly use free trial offers and unclear terms and conditions to trap consumers into subscriptions. Additionally, companies often use software and interfaces that subtly trick users, making it harder for consumers to end these subscriptions and stop unwanted charges. While the FTC has dedicated significant resources to combating the worst of these business practices, more action is needed to effectively deter companies from employing these practices and better protect consumers.

    Specifically, the Consumer OPT-IN Act would: 

    • Require companies to get express informed consent from consumers before converting free trials into automatically renewing contracts and charging consumers.
    • Require companies to notify consumers of the first automatic renewal and obtain express informed consent from consumers before automatically renewing long-term contracts. 
    • Require that companies offering contracts that automatically renew on a short-term basis get express informed consent from consumers annually. 
    • Require companies that have knowledge that a consumer isn’t using their product or service for 6 months to get the consumer’s express informed consent to continue billing, and allow consumers to request a refund for the remaining portion of the contract. 
    • Provide consumers with refunds when violations occur.
    • Give the FTC rulemaking authority over negative option contracts, automatic renewals, and dark patterns.

    The legislation is led by Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Representative Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y. Along with Wyden and Merkley, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Peter Welch, D-Vt.,  and Representatives Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Doris Matsui, D-Calif.

    This legislation is endorsed by Public Citizen, National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Action, Americans for Financial Reform, and American Economic Liberties Project.

    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Heritage – KAKANUI CHURCH LISTED AS CATEGORY 1 HISTORIC PLACE

    Source: Heritage New Zealand

    The owners of the former Kakanui Church, Michael Simpson and Anna Miles, are thrilled to see their restoration project entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero as a Category 1 place.

    The Presbyterian church at Kakanui was designed by Robert Arthur Lawson, an important Scottish Dunedin-based architect, who designed many ecclesiastical buildings over his career. The wooden, gothic-style church at Kakanui was built in three months to accommodate 100 people. It was built at a time when Kakanui had just built a port in the hopes of becoming a major export port. This growth never eventuated but the Presbyterian church remained a key community hub.
    The church’s architecture was part of what attracted Michael and Anna to the property when they first saw it was for sale. “We like that it’s Robert Lawson’s smallest, most modest surviving building” says Michael. “It was pretty exciting when we looked at it and saw that it was one of his before we bought it.”
    For Michael and Anna, the purchase and restoration of the church has been a pleasure – they describe the restoration as their “hobby”. When they bought the church, it needed significant work but that didn’t scare the couple. Michael is an experienced carpenter with heritage expertise, and Anna is also hands-on. Gradually they have put new subfloor bearing joists in, replaced corner studs and weatherboards, restored windows, painted, and improved the drainage. “We never had a particular plan except to restore it,” says Michael. “There was no timeframe, no budget and that’s why it’s been such a pleasure. It is going really well at this stage.”
    Part of the journey of restoration has been discovering the emotional ties so many people have to the church. In addition to regular services, the church ran Sunday School classes, which were so popular that in 1933 a dedicated Bible Class Hall was added to the main church. In 1955, two further small buildings were purchased to accommodate the growing Sunday school numbers. The local branch of Brownies used one of these huts as their den.
    When Michael and Anna work on their church they have an open-door policy, they’ve found that people come to visit and chat. “The more we’ve got to know the building, the more we’ve realised it’s a special space that means a lot to a lot of other people”, says Anna. “For us, we’re looking after it at the moment and fixing it up. We see ourselves as stewards of the building.” Now that the church is weathertight and stable, Anna and Michael have opened it up to community use.
    Michael says, “we’ve had weddings in it, gigs, art exhibitions, and carol services. It doesn’t need to be a commercial space, but we’ve realised it should have a life of its own and a reason to exist. We get quite emotional seeing all the life in the building. We never expected that side of what is our hobby. It’s not what we went looking for but it’s rewarding to see.”
    The listing process has highlighted the social and historical value to the Kakanui community. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Heritage Assessment Advisor, Alison Breese, has loved working on the project. “This place is highly significant to the Kakanui community and has outstanding aesthetic, architectural and historic significance. As one of only two surviving Presbyterian timber churches in New Zealand designed by Lawson it’s been a pleasure seeing the love and hard mahi the owners have put into it.”
    For Michael and Anna, the church entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/ Rārangi Kōrero is an important recognition of the significance of the church and will support its ongoing protection and recognition.
    ABOUT HERITAGE NEW ZEALAND POUHERE TAONGA
    Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is the leading national historic heritage agency for Aotearoa New Zealand, operating as an autonomous Crown Entity. Our mission is to identify, protect, and promote heritage – Kia mōhiotia atu, kia tiakina, kia hāpaingia ā tātau taonga tuku iho.
    We actively engage with communities, foster partnerships, and provide valuable resources to support those who are passionate about exploring, learning, and connecting with our rich cultural heritage. For more information, please visit our website at www.heritage.org.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SIGNED INTO LAW: Bipartisan Legislation That Secures Permanent Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    Washington, D.C. – Today the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation that U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen helped introduce and was supported by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), was signed into law. This law permanently schedules all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act to ensure law enforcement can keep them off the streets and hold drug traffickers accountable.

    “The vast majority of drug-related deaths in New Hampshire have been caused by the trafficking of illicit fentanyl. That’s why I have consistently engaged with law enforcement, public health experts, and colleagues across the aisle to ensure that the scheduling of fentanyl analogues did not lapse and is finally made permanent,” said Congressman Pappas. “The enactment of this legislation represents an important step forward and will ensure law enforcement retains the full suite of tools they need to take on the opioid crisis and crack down on drug traffickers, but we cannot rest here. I remain committed to delivering the resources our communities need to stop traffickers, bring down drug-related deaths, and support people in recovery.”

    “In the Granite State we’ve lost far too many lives due to fentanyl overdoses, and we must do everything we can to prevent more deaths,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation in the Senate and I’m glad the President has signed it into law so that we can stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities, hold traffickers accountable and save lives.”

    “Too many families across New Hampshire have experienced the devastating effects of the fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Hassan. “The HALT Fentanyl Act will permanently classify fentanyl analogues at the strongest level allowed under the law, boosting penalties and giving law enforcement more tools to get these deadly illicit drugs off our streets. This bill marks a step forward in combatting fentanyl and I am glad the President has signed it into law.”

    “Illicit fentanyl is the leading driver of overdose deaths in New Hampshire, taking the lives of hundreds of loved ones every year. We can and must do more to combat this epidemic and help save lives,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “The HALT Fentanyl Act will help stop the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities and hold illicit distributors accountable. I will continue working to ensure our law enforcement partners have the tools they need to keep New Hampshire communities safe.” 

    Pappas has led efforts to permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances in the House, securing several extensions of the temporary scheduling order while working to ensure the passage of permanent legislation. The HALT Fentanyl Act contains identical key provisions from Pappas’s bipartisan SAFE Act, which he first introduced in the 117th Congress.

    Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to fight the substance use disorder epidemic, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the U.S. Department of Justice. Shaheen recently introduced her bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to help prevent youth opioid use and overdoses by establishing a new grant program that allows current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. Shaheen has also led the bipartisan Cooper Davis Act which would crack down on online drug sales through social media and helped enact the FENTANYL Results Act to increase global cooperation in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking.

    Senator Hassan has worked to stop drug trafficking and support communities devastated by the fentanyl crisis. She helped advance the DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act, which was signed into law last year and is supporting law enforcement with enhanced tools to find and eliminate illegal substances such as fentanyl and xylazine. Senators Hassan, Shaheen, and their colleagues also passed into law the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the illicit fentanyl supply chain and imposes sanctions on traffickers. Senator Hassan also developed the END FENTANYL Act, signed into law last year, which helps Customs and Border Protection crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with stolen property and firearms offences

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged with stolen property and firearms offences

    Thursday, 17 July 2025 – 12:46 pm.

    A man has been charged as investigations continue into the stealing of five vehicles from a North Hobart car yard in May.
    Last month, police from the South East, Glenorchy and Bridgewater Criminal Investigation Branches executed several searches in the Montrose and Derwent Valley areas, alongside the Southern Drugs and Firearms Unit.
    A Toyota Rav 4 stolen from a North Hobart car yard was located at an address in Magra, as well as close to $150,000 of other property also believed to be stolen.
    The property included a firearm, several motor vehicles, a trailer, a generator, and about one tonne of fuel. A quantity of illicit drugs was also located.
    A 36-year-old Magra man has since been charged with various stolen property and firearms offences and will reappear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on 12 September 2025.
    Four of the five vehicles stolen from the North Hobart car yard have been recovered.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Fatal Crash – Delamere

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force are continuing to investigate the fatal crash in Delamere yesterday.

    One vehicle, a silver Mitsubishi Pajero, was carrying four occupants, aged 63, 63, 70 and 76, while the second vehicle, a Toyota 76 series troop carrier, was carrying a 25-year-old man.

    The 76-year-old man was declared deceased at the scene.

    Investigations have now confirmed that the Toyota was stolen from a residence on Heron Crescent, Katherine.

    Police urge anyone with information to make contact on 131 444.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 17, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 17, 2025.

    Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Scott, Honorary Affiliate and Clinical Psychologist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and Macquarie University Research Fellow, Macquarie University klebercordeiro/Getty If you spend any time in the wellness corners of TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see claims women need one to two hours more sleep than

    I created a Vivaldi-inspired sound artwork for the Venice Biennale. The star of the show is an endangered bush-cricket
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miriama Young, Associate Professor Music Composition, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne Marco Zorzanello It was late January when I got the call. I’m asked to bring my sound art to a collaborative ecology and design project, Song of the Cricket, for the Venice Biennale

    Is it okay to boil water more than once, or should you empty the kettle every time?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Faisal Hai, Professor and Head of School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Wollongong Avocado_studio/Shutterstock The kettle is a household staple practically everywhere – how else would we make our hot drinks? But is it okay to re-boil water that’s already in the kettle

    What does Australian law have to say about sovereign citizens and ‘pseudolaw’?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeleine Perrett, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Adelaide Armed with obscure legal jargon and fringe interpretations of the law, “sovereign citizens” are continuing to test the limits of the Australian justice system’s patience and power. A few weeks ago, two Western Australians were jailed for 30

    Is childbirth really safer for women and babies in private hospitals?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University A study published this week in the international obstetrics and gynaecology journal BJOG has raised concerns among women due to give birth in Australia’s public hospitals. The study compared the outcomes

    We were part of the world heritage listing of Murujuga. Here’s why all Australians should be proud
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jo McDonald, Professor, Director of Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, The University of Western Australia Senior Ranger, Mardudunhera man Peter Cooper, oversees the Murujuga landscape Jo McDonald, CC BY-SA On Friday, the Murujuga Cultural Landscape in northwest Western Australia was inscribed on the UNESCO World

    Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Hobbs, Associate Professor and Transforming Lives Fellow, Spatial Data Science and Planetary Health, Sheffield Hallam University Photon-Photos/Getty Images Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis of eight years of data

    The secret stories of trees are written in the knots and swirls of your floorboards. An expert explains how to read them
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne Magda Ehlers/Pexels, CC BY Have you ever examined timber floorboards and pondered why they look the way they do? Perhaps you admired the super-fine grain, a stunning red hue or a

    Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania In the darkest and coldest months of the year, Tasmanians have been slogging through an election campaign no one wanted. It’s been a curious mix of humdrum plodding laced with cyanide levels of bitterness, with the most

    What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Ground Picture/Shutterstock Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football? Or perhaps you’ve noticed

    From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janelle K Johnstone, Associate Lecturer Crime, Justice and Legal Studies, PhD Candidate School of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University American gospel singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar on stage in 1957. Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images I’ve been playing a

    Ken Henry urges nature law reform after decades of ‘intergenerational bastardry’
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide Former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry has warned Australia’s global environmental reputation is at risk if the Albanese government fails to reform nature laws this term. In his speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, Henry

    David Robie: New Zealand must do more for Pacific and confront nuclear powers
    Rongelap Islanders on board the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior travelling to their new home on Mejatto Island in 1985 — less than two months before the bombing. Image: ©1985 David Robie/Eyes of Fire He accused the coalition government of being “too timid” and “afraid of offending President Donald Trump” to make a stand on the

    First-hand view of peacemaking challenge in the ‘Holy Land’
    Occupied West Bank-based New Zealand journalist Cole Martin asks who are the peacemakers? BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin As a Kiwi journalist living in the occupied West Bank, I can list endless reasons why there is no peace in the “Holy Land”. I live in a refugee camp, alongside families who were expelled from their

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: Malcolm Turnbull on Australia’s ‘dumb’ defence debate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government remains in complicated territory on the international stage. It has to tread carefully with China, despite the marked warming of the bilateral relationship. It is yet to find its line and length with the unpredictable Trump administration.

    Why is Israel bombing Syria?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour. It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new government in Damascus. Clashes erupted

    Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament
    By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist More than 400 candidates have put their hands up to contest the Bougainville general election in September, hoping to enter Parliament. Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is among the 404 people lining up to win a seat. Bougainville is involved in the process of achieving independence from Papua New

    Scientists could be accidentally damaging fossils with a method we thought was safe
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathieu Duval, Adjunct Senior Researcher at Griffith University and La Trobe University, and Ramón y Cajal (Senior) Research Fellow, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) 185,000-year-old human fossil jawbone from Misliya Cave, Israel. Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna, CC BY-ND Fossils are invaluable archives

    Right-wing political group Advance is in the headlines. What is it and what does it stand for?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Riboldi, Lecturer in Social Impact and Social Change, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney Advance/Facebook Political lobby group Advance has been back in the headlines this week. It was revealed an organisation headed by the husband of the Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism, Jillian Segal,

    We travelled to Antarctica to see if a Māori lunar calendar might help track environmental change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Winton, Senior Research Fellow in Climatology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Holly Winton, CC BY-SA Antarctica’s patterns of stark seasonal changes, with months of darkness followed by a summer of 24-hour daylight, prompted us to explore how a Māori lunar and environmental calendar

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins, Colleagues Write to OMB Urging Release of Critical Education Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and eight of her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the release of paused education formula funding, which states had anticipated receiving on July 1. The pause could result in a loss of nearly $28,000,000 for Maine’s public schools.

    Specifically, the letter requests that the Administration faithfully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This legislation contains critical funding that states and local school districts rely on to help students, families, and local economies.

    “The Continuing Resolution contained funding for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants; 21st Century Community Learning Centers; Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; English Language Acquisition; Migrant Education; Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants). Withholding these funds will harm students, families, and local economies,” the Senators wrote.

    “The decision to withhold this funding is contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states. This funding goes directly to states and local school districts, where local leaders decide how this funding is spent, because as we know, local communities know how to best serve students and families. Withholding this funding denies states and communities the opportunity to pursue localized initiatives to support students and their families,” they continued.

    “We welcome the opportunity to work with you and Secretary McMahon to ensure that all federal education funding goes towards programs that help states and school districts provide students an excellent education. We want to see students in our states and across the country thrive, whether they are adult learners, students who speak English as a second language, or students who need after-school care so that their parents can work. We believe you share the same goal. We encourage you to reverse your decision and release this Congressionally-approved funding to states,” the Senators concluded.

    In addition to Senators Collins and Capito, the letter was signed by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    The complete text of the letter can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals in New York Apprehend Puerto Rico Most Wanted

    Source: US Marshals Service

    San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, working a collateral lead from the USMS Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force, today arrested in Jamestown, New York, one of Puerto Rico’s 10 most wanted fugitives.

    Bryan José Rivera-Montañez, 26, of Guayama, is wanted by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau on a state arrest warrant issued by the Ponce Court for first-degree murder and multiple violations of weapons law after he allegedly killed with a firearm an individual in Santa Isabel March 7, 2024. His bail had been set at $2,500,000.

    In late June the USMS Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force sent a collateral lead to the USMS New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force requesting assistance in locating and apprehending Rivera-Montañez, who was arrested without incident at an apartment in the 60 block of Water Street in Jamestown.

    “This arrest exemplifies our agency’s fight against violent crime and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the safety of our communities,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. “I want to express my sincere appreciation for and recognize the great contribution of the members of the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and their coordination with the Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force in capturing this violent fugitive.” 

    The New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in April 2002 and was the first regional fugitive task force to become fully operational following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. The NY/NJRFTF was the flagship that allowed seven other regional fugitive task forces to be created across the country. With partnership agreements with over 90 federal, state, or local agencies and 13 fully operational offices, the NY/NJRFTF has successfully apprehended more than 100,000 fugitives since inception. 

    The USMS District of Puerto Rico encourages the community to continue to collaborate with our deputies on tips that help find the whereabouts of a fugitive by contacting our local office at (787) 766-6297, calling the U.S. Marshals Service Communication Center at 1 (800) 336-0102, or submitting tips using the USMS Tips App.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Judiciary Witnesses Call for Congressional Action on Organized Retail Crime, Endorse Grassley-Led Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – In response to questioning from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) at a hearing today, witnesses urged congressional action to address the nationwide scourge of organized retail crime and endorsed the Grassley-led, bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. 

    The witnesses discussed the dangers of organized retail crime, including its ties to international criminal and terrorist syndicates. Grassley’s Combating Organized Retail Crime Act was cited as a “game changer,” given the legislation’s proposal to zero-in on criminal enterprises through commonsense penalties and multi-agency coordination.

    The witnesses included:

    • The Honorable Summer Stephan, President of the National District Attorneys Association and District Attorney for San Diego County;
    • The Honorable David J. Glawe, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau;
    • Scott McBride, Chief Global Asset Protection Officer for American Eagle Outfitters Inc.; and
    • Donna Lemm, Chief Strategy Officer for IMC Logistics, testifying on behalf of the American Trucking Associations.

    Grassley’s opening statement is available HERE.

    Video and excerpts of Grassley’s exchanges with the witnesses follow.

    [embedded content]

    VIDEO

    On the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act:

    Grassley: “Ms. Stephan, you’re a strong supporter of my bill, [the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act] … How would this legislation improve the ability of both law enforcement and prosecutors like you to tackle organized retail crime?”

    Stephan: “I believe that the [Combating Organized Retail Crime Act] would be a game-changer. [Despite] the 218 organized crime cases that our office has [prosecuted] in San Diego, we have not been able to break through to what is going on nationally. We know these groups are operating nationally and internationally … but the investigations stop at the local level. 

    “[Organized retail crime] is a national problem that’s draining economic resources from hardworking Americans. But, it’s also draining the heart and soul, and security of human beings. We have to be able to bring national solutions.”

    On Transnational Criminal Organizations and Organized Retail Crime:

    Grassley: “We know from Department of Homeland Security reports that cartels, terrorists and human traffickers either facilitate organized retail and supply chain crime or use its proceeds to finance other crimes. How are transnational criminal organizations using organized retail and supply chain crime to further their criminal activities?”

    Glawe: “We have seen goods moving overseas. In Mexico, we [found] over 2,000 vehicles that ended up south of the border. We know that these stolen goods are going to West Africa and the Middle East … We know that the supply chains are interdicted with Lebanese Hezbollah. We’ve seen that with Hamas, and we know the Mexican drug cartels are involved with the goods going south of the border. 

    “A coordination center … to coordinate intelligence … and coordinate operations is critical. This committee is well aware of … the Counter Terrorism Center and Counter Proliferation Center. These centers provide a hub for informational and operational sharing and sharing and coordinating resources, as well as tactical level response. We know the successful model, and this bill would get us there.”

    On Combating Organized Retail Crime through Aggregation:

    Grassley: “Ms. Stephan, title 18 makes it a federal crime to transport stolen property with a value of $5,000 or more in interstate or foreign commerce. Supreme Court case law allows prosecutors to aggregate the value of stolen goods in a common scheme to reach that threshold. Why is aggregation of theft amounts important?”

    Stephan: “Aggregation is critical because it distinguishes between somebody who is drug addicted who goes in to steal something like food … [and] separates them from the habitual organized criminals. It allows [prosecutors] to see the activity in totality and to be able to see the repeat offenses that form the structure of organized, habitual criminals. In California, we recently … made a change in Proposition 36 that allowed us to aggregate, and it’s already making a difference. [California] used to have criminals come in with a calculator to [steal] right under $950, thus leaving them at a citation misdemeanor level. That’s what caused all our products to become locked up, except the criminals that were committing the crimes.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley: Senate Judiciary Committee Will Abide by Precedent, Vote on Bove’s Nomination Thursday

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Citing Senate Judiciary Committee precedent, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today announced the Committee will not hold a second hearing on Emil Bove’s nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Committee will vote on Bove’s nomination on Thursday, July 17.

    During the last administration, then-Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) denied Republicans’ requests for additional hearings on at least four nominees.

    “Many times during the last Administration, then-Chairman Durbin said ‘there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans on this Committee and another set of rules for Democrats.’ I agree with this statement and intend to adhere to the precedent of then-Chairman Durbin. The Committee will vote on the nomination of Mr. Bove on Thursday,” Grassley concluded in a letter to Senate Judiciary Democrats.

    Bove participated in a lengthy nominations hearing on June 25 and provided members of the Committee with 165 pages of written responses to their questions.

    Minority members of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday requested the Committee call whistleblower Erez Reuveni, a former Department of Justice (DOJ) official, to testify in a second hearing regarding Bove’s nomination. Reuveni has alleged Bove advised DOJ officials to defy court orders regarding the Trump administration’s enforcement of immigration laws. In response to these whistleblower allegations, Bove told the Committee under oath, “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order.” The Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General have affirmed Bove’s sworn testimony.

    Grassley has completed an analysis of the Minority’s summary of the whistleblower’s document disclosures, which is available HERE. 

    “Following a comprehensive review of the additional documents that you published following the hearing and discussed in the media, I do not believe that they substantiate any misconduct by Mr. Bove,” Grassley wrote to the Minority. “Almost none of the additional documents you published include, reference, or even cite Mr. Bove. Most of the communications merely reflect Administration attorneys internally debating or discussing litigation strategy and the scope of court orders. Debate about the scope of court orders is fundamentally inconsistent with an intention to ignore them. Moreover, many of the legal positions discussed in the documents were ultimately advanced in federal court as the formal position of the United States, and the Administration has received at least some appellate relief in each of the cases described.”

    “I respect whistleblowers and the whistleblowing process and have taken this matter seriously. I note that the available documents and the public record are inconsistent with some of the whistleblower’s assertions, which have been reviewed in good faith. The gravamen of the allegations is that Mr. Bove directed Justice Department attorneys to ignore court orders, but (1) the meeting with Mr. Bove occurred before there was any litigation or court order to follow; and (2) Mr. Reuveni himself clarified that he departed the meeting with Mr. Bove with the express understanding that ‘DOJ would tell DHS to follow all court orders,’” Grassley continued.

    Read Grassley’s full letter HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento County Man Convicted of Receiving Child Sex Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    After a one‑day trial, a jury found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights, guilty Tuesday of one count of receiving child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

    According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, during a search of Colton’s home law enforcement recovered his laptop, which contained copious images and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of young children. The jury heard evidence that between July 2022 and December 2023, Colton downloaded these depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material was saved on Colton’s computer desktop and in his downloads folder, and he had user-created bookmarks linking to known child pornography websites.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.

    Colton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Oct. 27, 2025. Colton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

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