NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Mexico man indicted in Texas for drug, firearm, murder charges following ICE El Paso investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    EL PASO, Texas — A New Mexico man is in federal custody after being indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso in 2021 and expelled to the United States by Mexican authorities on May 27. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

    Jaime Renteria-Fernandez, 31, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged in a superseding indictment with nine counts related to alleged offenses committed in support of the Barraza drug trafficking organization. Co-conspirator Alex Barraza was the leader of the DTO and was sentenced to life in federal prison Oct. 24, 2024.

    “Jaime Renteria-Fernandez tried to evade justice by fleeing the country, but the law has a long reach,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso. “HSI is relentless in its mission to seek out members of drug trafficking organizations who wreak havoc on the security and well-being of our border community.”

    Renteria-Fernandez made his initial appearance in federal court May 29. The indictment includes multiple counts related to drug possession and trafficking, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, as well as discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and murder resulting from the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, with a maximum of life in federal prison, and possibly the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston, Andres Ortega and Susanna Martinez are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: G7 Foreign Ministers Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Office of the Spokesperson

    G7 Foreign Ministers Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity

    Media Note

    March 14, 2025

    The text of the following statement was released by the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union.

    Begin Text:

    1. We, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, reaffirm the G7’s steadfast commitment to contribute towards a free, open, and secure maritime domain based on the rule of law that strengthens international security, fosters economic prosperity, and ensures the sustainable use of marine resources.
    2. Maritime security and prosperity are fundamental to global stability, economic resilience, and the well-being of all nations, and the conservation and sustainable use of ocean ecosystems is essential to all life on Earth. Over 80% of global trade is transported by sea, and 97% of global data flows through submarine cables. Disruptions to maritime routes pose a direct threat to international food security, critical minerals, energy security, global supply chains, and economic stability. We express deep concern over the growing risks to maritime security, including strategic contestation, threats to freedom of navigation and overflight, and illicit shipping activities. State behaviour in these areas has increased the risk of conflict and environmental damage, and imperils all nations’ prosperity and living standards, especially for the world’s poorest.
    3. We recognize the role of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the legal framework for governing all activities in the oceans and the seas.
    4. We recall the G7 Statements on Maritime Security adopted in Lübeck (2015) and Hiroshima (2016). We welcome related work presently underway through other G7 ministerial tracks and working groups, on a range of issues including securing undersea cable networks and combating abandoned fishing gear. We welcome, as well, G7 work relating to transnational organized crime and terrorism that touches on the maritime domain, including in relation to piracy and armed robbery at sea, trafficking in persons, and strengthening the maritime law enforcement capabilities of coastal states. We acknowledge the importance of regional maritime security frameworks, to support coastal states to address collectively threats to their maritime security. We welcome existing initiatives, such as the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++ FoGG, that Canada chairs this year), which has been, the primary forum for dialogue among G7 members and partners on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

    Emerging Threat on Safe Seas and Freedom of Navigation and Overflight

    1. Enhancing Stability: We underscore the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the high seas and the exclusive economic zones as well as to the related rights and freedoms in other maritime zones, including the rights of innocent passage, transit passage and archipelagic sea lanes passage, as provided for under international law. We share a growing concern at recent, unjustifiable efforts to restrict such freedom and to expand jurisdiction through use of force and other forms of coercion, including across the Taiwan Strait, and in the South China Sea, the Red Sea, and the Black Sea. We condemn China’s illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo in such a way as to risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purpose. In areas pending final delimitation, we underline the importance of coastal states refraining from unilateral actions that cause permanent physical change to the marine environment insofar as such actions jeopardize or hamper the reaching of the final agreement, as well as the importance of making every effort to enter into provisional arrangements of a practical nature, in those areas. We condemn, as well, dangerous vessel maneuvers, the indiscriminate attacks against commercial vessels and other maritime actions that undermine maritime order based on the rule of law and international law. We reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on 12 July 2016 is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties. We reaffirm that our basic policies on Taiwan remain unchanged and emphasize the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to international security and prosperity. We welcome the resumption of exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in the Black Sea must be upheld.
    2. Attempts to Change the Status Quo by Force: We oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion including in the East and South China Seas. We undertake to implement means through which to track systematically and report on attempts to change the status quo by force and by the establishment of new geographical facts, including through coercive and dangerous actions on the oceans and seas that might threaten regional and international peace and security.
    3. Protecting Critical Maritime and Undersea Infrastructure: We are seized of the fact that vital energy and telecommunications infrastructure under the oceans and seas connects our economies and is vital to our prosperity. We recall the G7 Joint Statement on Cable Connectivity for Secure and Resilient Digital Communications Networks (2024) and the New York Joint Statement on the Security and Resilience of Undersea Cables in a Globally Digitalized World (2024). We share a growing concern that undersea communications cables, subsea interconnectors and other critical undersea infrastructure have been subject to critical damage through sabotage, poor seamanship or irresponsible behaviour which have resulted in potential internet or energy disruption in affected regions, delays in global data transmission, or compromised sensitive communications. We will enhance our cooperation with industry mitigate risks, reduce bottlenecks to operational tasks while strengthening repair capacities in order to improve the overall resilience of critical undersea and maritime infrastructure. In this respect, we welcome the EU Action Plan on Cable Security adopted in February 2025 by the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
    4. Maritime Crime: Maritime crime, including piracy, armed robbery at sea, maritime arms trafficking and sanctions evasion, human trafficking, illegal drug trafficking and Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, continues to impede maritime security, freedom of navigation, and our economy and prosperity. We have been working together to tackle these maritime crimes, but maritime illegal activities have extended into new areas, to become an urgent issue to be addressed. We welcome the G7 Action Plan to combat migrant smuggling adopted under Italy’s 2024 G7 Presidency.
    5. Protecting Freedom of Trade: In the past year, indiscriminate Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have endangered maritime security of vessels and their crews, disturbed international trade, and exposed neighboring countries to environmental hazards. Enabled by Iran’s military, financial, and intelligence support, these illegal attacks have also contributed to increased tension in the Middle East and Yemen, with severe repercussions on the intra-Yemeni peace process. The vessel “Galaxy Leader” seized by the Houthis must be released immediately. We appreciate the efforts of all those countries that have engaged to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, protecting crucial shipping lanes and helping to restore regular flows of trade through the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In this regard, we commend the efforts of EU’s maritime operation “Aspides” and U.S.-led operation “Prosperity Guardian”.

    Safe Shipping and Supply Chain Security

    1. Curtailing Unsafe and Illicit Shipping Practices: The rise of unsafe and illicit shipping practices, including fraudulent registration and registries, poses a significant threat to global trade and environmental sustainability. We are concerned that unsafe and illicit shipping imposes heavy costs on industry, governments and citizens. Russia’s ability to earn revenue has been sustained through its extensive effort to circumvent the G7+ oil price cap policy through its shadow fleet of often older, underinsured, and poorly maintained ships that routinely disable their automatic identification systems or engage in “spoofing” to avoid detection and circumvent international safety, environmental, and liability rules and standards. North Korea continues to pursue its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and evade sanctions, particularly through its illicit maritime activities, including prohibited ship to-ship transfers of petroleum and other UN-banned commodities. Through G7 coordination, we have exposed North Korea uses of “dark” vessels – those that engage in illicit activity – to circumvent United Nations Security Council mandated sanctions. Russia and North Korea are strengthening their economic relations including through maritime routes, such as the reported transfer of petroleum products from Russia to North Korea Unregulated, “dark” vessels undertake IUU fishing, destroying marine habitats and depleting fish stocks, with negative impacts for biodiversity and food security. Unregulated, inadequately insured “dark” vessels also pose a high risk of maritime accidents, including in fragile ecosystems such as the Arctic and Antarctic. We commit to strengthen our coordination, amongst the G7 and with other partners, to prevent the use of unregistered or fraudulently registered, uninsured and substandard vessels engaged in sanctions evasion, arms transfers, illegal fishing and illicit trade. We encourage relevant International Organizations to improve maritime domain awareness by expanding satellite-based vessel tracking and establishing comprehensive data records of the movement of individual ships and of ship-to-ship transfers, as a means of identifying and tracking illicit maritime activities. We are also committed to capacity building of the countries in the region in law enforcement and Maritime Domain Awareness.
    2. Shadow Fleet Task Force: We invite members of the Nordic-Baltic 8 (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden), and possibly others, to join participating G7 members in a Shadow Fleet Task Force to enhance monitoring and detection and to otherwise constrain the use of shadow fleets engaged in illegal, unsafe or environmentally perilous activities, building on the work of others active in this area. The Task Force will constitute a response by the participating States to the call by the International Maritime Organization in its Resolution A.1192(33) of 6 December 2023 for Members States and all relevant stakeholders to promote actions to prevent illegal operations in the maritime sector by shadow fleets and their flag states, including illegal operations for the purposes of circumventing sanctions, evading compliance with safety or environmental regulations, avoiding insurance costs, or engaging in other illegal activities.
    3. Enhancing Maritime Supply Chain Resilience and Energy and Food Security: Maritime supply chains will continue to underpin the global economy, but these face a variety of threats, both present and future, stemming from both geopolitical tensions and environmental factors. Maritime disruptions raise consumer costs, increase transit times, and can reduce demand in importing countries, which in turn means lower revenues and diminished competitiveness for producers in exporting countries. Such vulnerabilities in maritime transport can undermine energy and food security, particularly for developing nations reliant on stable shipping routes, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). We welcome maritime initiatives involving and supported by G7 partners intended to promote energy and food security, such as the Grain from Ukraine scheme, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We invite cooperation with the African Union (pursuant to Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050) and other relevant International Organizations to identify best practices for enhancing maritime supply chain resilience and for safeguarding energy and food security, including in times of geopolitical crisis.
    4. Promoting Safe and Resilient Ports and Strategic Waterways: Port ownership and operational control matter to national security, as foreign control or influence over critical port infrastructure can create vulnerabilities in trade, in defense and security, and in economic stability. Port resilience is also crucial to economic stability and global trade and yet ports face growing risks from environmental degradation, extreme weather events and geopolitical conflicts. Strengthening port security and modernizing infrastructure are essential to maintaining safe and efficient maritime trade. Ensuring that the ownership and management of strategic waterways and key maritime choke points are not vulnerable to undue influence by potential adversaries is also essential to national security. We underscore the importance of scrutiny of ownership structures and port management and resilience within our own national jurisdictions, including with regard to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems, to ensure that adversaries do not gain leverage over supply chains, military operations, or the flow of strategic resources. We will work with partners and with relevant International Organizations to encourage robust cybersecurity standards for port ICT infrastructure, to increase resilience against malicious cyber incidents on maritime logistical networks, to reduce monopolistic power over key supply chain nodes, to promote secure and transparent port ownership, to limit unsolicited or undue foreign influence over critical infrastructures and strategic waterways, and to otherwise encourage greater focus on such potential vulnerabilities.
    5. Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) at sea poses a significant hazard to the marine environment, to the safety of fishermen and other users of the maritime space, and to various marine economic activities. We commit to enhancing diplomatic efforts and to exchanging best practices among national authorities, relevant international and regional organizations, and relevant industry sectors to accelerate the clean-up of UXO from the seas and ocean.

    Sustainable Stewardship of Maritime Resources

    1. Strengthen Enforcement Against IUU Fishing: IUU fishing is a major contributor to declining fish stocks and to marine habitat destruction. It may account for a third of all fishing activity worldwide, at a cost to the global economy of more than US$23 billion per year and with negative consequences for fisheries as an enduring economic asset, including for developing countries. We welcome the Canadian-led Dark Vessel Detection System in Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, the Philippines, and members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and would see value in replicating the model to support other partners whose fisheries are under threat from IUU fishing. We recognize that data sharing and transparency play a key role in this fight by exposing bad actors and that technological advances can support a robust Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and enforcement landscape. We encourage further progress in addressing IUU fishing, working with and through relevant International Organizations to establish and strengthen rules to sustainably manage fish stocks on the high seas and to improve the enforcement of these measures, including through the further development of detection technologies, aircraft patrols and high seas boarding and inspection of vessels, building upon the 2022 G7 Ocean Deal.
    2. We welcome the Third UN Ocean Conference, in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025.

    PARTNERSHIPS

    1. This G7 Maritime Security and Prosperity Declaration provides a framework for cooperation with non-G7 Partners, including countries hosting major ports, large merchant fleets, or extensive flag registries as well as relevant regional and International Organizations, such as the International Maritime Organization and ASEAN. We would welcome robust cooperation with Partners to take forward the goals set out in this Declaration, consistent with the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, under the efforts of the G7 countries, including a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region, to build a free and open maritime order based on the rule of law, and of commitment to the sustainable development of the world’s maritime spaces.
    2. We welcome the cooperation on Coast Guard Functions, including the Global Coast Guard Forum hosted by Italy in 2025, as well as the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, which could also support the objectives of this Declaration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Designation of Former President of Argentina and Former Minister of Planning of Argentina for Involvement in Significant Corruption

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

    Designation of Former President of Argentina and Former Minister of Planning of Argentina for Involvement in Significant Corruption

    Press Statement

    March 21, 2025

    Today, I am announcing the designation of Cristina Elisabet Fernandez de Kirchner (“CFK”), former president of Argentina, and Julio Miguel De Vido (“De Vido”), former Minister of Planning of Argentina, for their involvement in significant corruption during their time in public office.  This action renders CFK, De Vido, and their immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the United States.

    CFK and De Vido abused their positions by orchestrating and financially benefitting from multiple bribery schemes involving public works contracts, resulting in millions of dollars stolen from the Argentine government.  Multiple courts have convicted CFK and De Vido for corruption, undermining the Argentine people’s and investors’ confidence in Argentina’s future.

    The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain.  These designations reaffirm our commitment to counter global corruption, including at the highest levels of government.

    These public designations are made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. F, P.L. 118-47), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations, 2025 (Div. A, H.R. 1968) (“Section 7031(c)”). Section 7031(c) requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate foreign officials and their immediate family members about whom the Secretary has credible information of involvement in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Up to $5 Million Reward Offer for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of Guatemalan Narcotics Trafficker Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson

    Up to $5 Million Reward Offer for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of Guatemalan Narcotics Trafficker Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza

    Press Statement

    March 25, 2025

    Today, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing a reward offer under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Guatemalan narcotics trafficker Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza, a/k/a “Haroldito.”  This reward is offered in coordination with the Government of Guatemala in a unified effort to bring Lorenzana Terraza to justice and augments the existing Guatemalan reward offer of 50,000 Quetzals for Lorenzana Terraza’s capture.

    Lorenzana Terraza is a member of the Lorenzana drug trafficking family operating out of La Reforma, Guatemala, with established trafficking ties to a number of Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel (recently designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist).  Since 1996, the Lorenzana Drug Trafficking Organization has allegedly coordinated the transportation, storage, and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Central America and Mexico for eventual distribution in the United States.

    The DEA’s investigation of Lorenzana Terraza has led to two indictments in the District of Columbia with international narcotics violations.  In the superseding indictment, Lorenzana Terraza was charged with operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) and four additional co-defendants were also charged.

    Today’s reward offer is authorized by the Secretary under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice as a key pillar of President Trump’s “America First” priorities.  If you have information, please contact the DEA by email at HarolditotipsGuat@dea.gov or text at +1 571-519-1025 (text/WhatsApp/Signal).  If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office.

    ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Scott Jennings on SiriusXM Patriot

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

    Washington, D.C.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Scott Jennings on SiriusXM Patriot

    Interview

    February 10, 2025

    QUESTION:  Scott Jennings sitting here on SiriusXM Patriot 125, normally the David Webb Show.  I am guest hosting for Mr. Webb today, and it is our honor to welcome to the airwaves this morning the Secretary of State of the United States Marco Rubio, former senator from Florida, and now, thanks to President Trump, the United States Secretary of State. 

    Mr. Secretary, welcome to the show. 

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Hey, thanks for having me. 

    QUESTION:  I appreciate you being on this morning.  You’re on the move.  You have just returned from your first foreign trip.  You went to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.  I want to jump right in this morning and just ask how was the trip, what did we accomplish, and what’s the disposition in those countries towards the United States now that we have a new administration?

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  I think the disposition is very positive.  I think these are countries that want to be aligned with the United States.  That’s why we picked them.  They also happen to be countries that are on the migratory route, on the drug routes, and face tremendous challenges because of that.  These are the places people cross in order to come to the U.S., so each of them are very different. 

    Like in the case of Panama, obviously we have an issue with the canal and foreign influence over it, and so we raised that.  And I think we’re going to make a couple of announcements.  We saw the – Panama pulled out of the Belt and Road Initiative with China, which is the first country in the Western Hemisphere to actually pull out of that.  And I think we’ll hear more things.  They’ve got to work through their own processes there, but I think we’ll see even more in the days to come.  So, it’s very positive. 

    Costa Rica is an advanced economy.  They’re doing very well, of course, but they do have some challenges where drug rings are running through there, and so we partner with them to stop that.  But that’s a very pro-American government, and we wanted to interact with them.  They’re very good partners and, also, have been very strong at standing up to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in the region, and so that’s been great. 

    And then moved on to El Salvador.  We have a great partner there in Nayib Bukele.  I’ve known him for a long time, and he made a very generous offer.  I don’t know if it can happen because of our own laws, but he offered to not only take in gang members that are illegally in the country but also any Americans who are in our jails – almost like outsourcing.  So, it was an interesting offer from him.  But he’s a great pro-American leader and, again, someone that has been very popular in his country by the way.  He’s like 90 percent approval rating. 

    Guatemala is a country that obviously is right on the border with Mexico.  They struggle with the migration.  They’re a source country, but they’re also a transit country for drugs and people.  And so, they’re trying to – they’re doing the best they can with their limited resources, and we’re helping them to stop the drugs and the migration.  But they’ve also – they’re going to almost double the number of deportation flights they’re going to take, and they’re also going to accept third-country people, people from other countries that are not from Guatemala, as part of this process, and then from there move them on to the – their nation of origin. 

    And then we finished in the Dominican Republic, which really the biggest challenge they face there are two-fold.  The one is what’s happening right across their border with Haiti, which they’re deporting people back to Haiti every day.  That – we can’t really visit Haiti right now, but that’s as close as we could get.  And so, we wanted to talk about that from there, and that’s important because that also poses a threat to the United States that there’s a mass migration event.  And it’s just a horrifying situation with these gangs taking over Port-au-Prince or large parts of it. 

    And then they’re also a great partner stopping drugs.  A lot of drug rings are – bring – try to bring drugs into the Dominican Republic because from there, over the Mona Passage, they get to Puerto Rico.  And once you get into Puerto Rico, you’re in the U.S.  There’s no more customs after that.  There’s no more border protection after that.  So, it’s something we’re going to work with them on. 

    So, it’s a good start to the trip, and then we finished off on Friday going to Southern Command, which is the Pentagon’s command for the whole region, and talked through some of these issues with them and the partnerships they have in the region.  So, it’s a good way to start my – I guess my second – end my second week as Secretary of State.

    QUESTION:  Yeah, most folks when they start a new job in the second week are still looking for the bathroom, and here you are in all these other countries.  It’s a really good way to get going.

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, well, we’re still looking for the bathrooms but – finding out where everything is at in the building, but it was important to get out there and visit these countries early. 

    QUESTION:  So, you raised an issue that I think Donald Trump, President Trump, deserves a lot of credit for tackling immediately, and that is the concept of the United States combatting Chinese influence in this region, in this hemisphere.  And obviously, this has been an issue with Panama and the Panama Canal, but it’s really an issue everywhere.  Can you talk a little bit about this?  Is this one of your principal missions to make sure that the United States, and not China, is the dominant superpower at a minimum in this region and in the world?

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, look, China is a rich, powerful country and that’s what they’re going to be.  Like that’s not going to change, right?  They’ve got over a billion people.  They’ve got a big economy, second-largest economy in the world.  I mean, and we’re going to be competing with them for the rest of the century and beyond.  And I think the story of the 21st century is going to be about what happened between the U.S. and China. 

    What we can’t allow is for that to come at our expense.  What we can’t allow is an imbalance, a dangerous imbalance, to build up where they’re more powerful than we are, and then – or we become dependent on them.  And that danger is already there that we’ve become dependent on them for supply chains, for manufacturing, economically, all these sorts of things.

    So, what’s happened in part of the region is that they swoop in.  And look, they’re doing what I would do.  If I was in charge of China, I would do exactly what they’re doing.  But I have to – I I’m not in charge of China.  I run the State Department for the United States and I’m an American citizen, so I’ve got to do what’s good for America.  That’s what President Trump is for.  And that includes not getting run out of the Western Hemisphere, not waking up one day and finding out that China has more influence over our neighboring countries than we do, that China has more presence in our neighboring countries than we do.  That’s – it’s – geography is real and it’s right on top of us, and these are countries that are our neighbors, and we just – we can’t live in a world in which they have more influence and more presence than we do in the countries closest to us.

    QUESTION:  So, on the prospect of American influence in the world – and I wholeheartedly agree with you about our need to stand up to China – a lot of people are wondering about the reorientation of American soft power in the world.  Obviously, President Trump and his administration and working with you have made some dramatic shifts in the way we distribute foreign aid and the bureaucracy, the USAID bureaucracy, which you are now also simultaneously in charge of. 

    I think there’s a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of political attacks out there of people trying to score points.  I just kind of want to set the record straight here about what we’re doing.  And we’ve eliminated some bureaucracy, but you’re in charge of American soft power and you’re in charge of our influence around the world.  Can you kind of give us an idea of how this is going to work, and why the American people should be reassured that American influence is going to be top of mind for your State Department?

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, first of all, we’re not walking away from foreign aid.  We will be involved in foreign aid.  I believe that foreign aid done right is good for the country, but it has to be done right.  Now, the idea that somehow we spend between $40 and $60 billion on foreign aid and all that money is well spent or on things that make sense is absurd.  There’s a lot of it that isn’t.  And so the goal is very simple:  Go through all of our foreign aid – a lot of it is through USAID, some of it is through State Department; identify the foreign aid that makes sense, the foreign aid that actually supports our country and that supports our national interests, and continue to do that; and then get rid of the ones that are a waste of money, or in some cases or run counter to our foreign – to our national interest and to our interests around the world.  And that’s what we’re going through right now. 

    The problem is that this foreign aid industrial complex has built up of NGOs and all kinds of groups that benefit from these programs, and argue that you can’t get rid of a single one of them; if you cut any of them, if you even ask questions about them, you’re undermining American soft power.  So, this is not – despite some of these reports, this is not about walking away from foreign aid.  This is about doing the aid that makes sense and getting rid of the aid that does not make sense.  That’s it.  That’s what this is about.

    So we were in Guatemala, right?  And they have a program where we help them to improve their police department so they can stop and identify fentanyl before it gets into America.  That’s foreign aid we’re going to support.  In fact, I issued a waiver so we can continue that program.  There are other things that we’re not going to do.  We shouldn’t be sponsoring LGBTQ operas.  I don’t know how that foreign – furthers the national interest. 

    And this is taxpayer money.  Look, if someone wants to pay for that stuff, you’re more than happy to go out, go ahead.  It’s legal.  Go out and raise all the money, private-sector money, and spend it on that.  But we shouldn’t be spending taxpayer money or using American Government agencies to sponsor things that make absolutely no sense.  So, we put a pause on all foreign aid, and now we’re going through it project by project.  We’re going to get rid of the ones that don’t make sense, and we’re going to keep or even build on the ones that do make sense. 

    QUESTION:  So, the things that make sense in your mind – fighting drugs, fighting illegal immigration.  What about lifesaving issues?  There’s been a lot of back and forth in the media about things that we do from a humanitarian perspective that are lifesaving medical-type programming, particularly in Africa with PEPFAR and malaria and such.  How do you view those things?

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  I’m a supporter of PEPFAR.  I have been in Congress.  I am now as Secretary of State.  It’s a program we want to continue.  Obviously, we’re going to have questions about it.  Look, if PEPFAR is working well, it’s a program that should be getting smaller over time, not bigger, right?  Because you’re preventing HIV, you’re preventing the spread of HIV, and so people aren’t testing positive because their viral load gets down, they’re not passing it on to their children. 

    So ideally, it’s a program that over time shrinks, not expands, because less and less people are getting HIV or are transmitting it to their children.  That was always the goal was an AIDS-free generation, so no child was born with HIV.  And – but it’s a program I’ve supported, and we want to continue to do it.  And things like are people going to starve to death, are we going to have a famine?  Is it going to destabilize a country in a way that would be negative to our national interest and open the door for radical jihadists or others to take advantage?  We’re going to continue to do those.  But the problem is that the definition of humanitarian has expanded beyond that – to all kinds of other things that do not make sense.  That doesn’t mean they’re bad ideas.  Someone should do it.  It just shouldn’t be the American taxpayer. 

    So that’s the kind of things that we’re going through right now and identifying.  And by the way, we issued a waiver which allowed all these lifesaving programs to continue.  And obviously, there’s – any time you have a pause or some hiccups about how to restart the payment programs, but all that’s going to get taken care of here very quickly, and those programs will continue.  We’re not walking away from foreign aid.  We are walking away from foreign aid that’s dumb, that’s stupid, that wastes American taxpayer money.  We’re just not going to continue to do those.

    QUESTION:  I think that what you’re doing is long overdue.  This whole bureaucracy existed, and it really existed with very little political oversight.  And really all that the Trump Administration, at your direction, is doing is making sure that whatever money we spend somehow helps the national interest.  And I think every American taxpayer wants the money we spend to help the national interest.  And Trump and you, Mr. Secretary, on the right side of what I think is an 80-20 issue here.  And so, you see this amazing disconnect in the media, people fussing about this. 

    But some of these projects that you’ve identified are patently ridiculous.  And so, by moving this into your office and by taking personal political oversight over it, not only are you saving us money, but you’re just aligning our spending with what’s in direct interest of the United States foreign policy under the direction of the President of the United States.  I mean, that’s the point of elections.  That’s the point of having a government, not to let unelected bureaucrats determine our national direction but to let our political leadership do it.

    Mr. Secretary, in the time that we have, I want to move ahead.  You’re about to embark on your second foreign trip.  You’re going to the Munich Security Conference, and then you’re going to the Middle East.  I think you’re going to Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia – obviously a hot spot or region.  What is your mission here?  What are we trying to accomplish in the Middle East?  What’s your message at the Munich Security Conference later this week?

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, in Munich, I think it’s just to reaffirm to everybody – even though it’s located in Europe – obviously, that’s where the forum is – it’s not just about Europe.  People from all – leaders from all over the world go that conference.  But the top of mind for everyone is going to be war in Ukraine, and the President has been very clear.  President Trump has been clear that the war in Ukraine needs to end.  There’s a – he’s going to sort of begin to lay out a broad path forward, and he wants that war to end.  It’d be in the interest of everybody for that war to end, and so obviously we’ll be discussing that with foreign ministers and other leaders there. 

    And then in the Middle East, beyond just the – what we know has happened with – after October 7th, there’s some potentially exciting opportunities to really change the dynamic in that region, and that’s the things we want to talk about.  We’ve seen in Lebanon where a new government is now in place and Hizballah has been – I mean, imagine a region where you have a stable Lebanese government and Hizballah is no longer controlling the southern part of Lebanon and threatening Israel every day.  Imagine potentially – we’ve got to wait and see, right? – but a Syria no longer under Assad, no longer with Iranian or Russian influence, no longer with ISIS, sort of no longer a security threat to Isreal.  Imagine a region where Israel now feels secure because of what’s happened in Lebanon and in Syria that they can enter into a peace deal with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf kingdoms; a Sunni-Israeli peace deal akin to the Camp David Accords with Egypt and the peace with Jordan.  Suddenly you have a very different region where all kinds of things that were not possible before are now possible. 

    And that’s the opportunity that we hope to explore and see if it’s possible.  We have an obligation to explore, at the end.  I mean, President Trump has made very clear that part of his agenda is promoting peace in the world; and if there’s a chance to create conditions for peace, that’s certainly something we’re going to do our best to try to foster and be a part of. 

    QUESTION:  I want to ask you briefly about the hostage deal that was in place as Biden was exiting and President Trump was coming in.  Obviously, a few hostages have been released.  Some of the video of the hostages is, frankly, horrific.  What they had done to them in captivity at the hands of Hamas is nothing short of barbaric.  I saw that President Trump last night on the way to the Super Bowl made a comment about this and said he’s seen some of these abductees coming out.  He said, “They look like Holocaust survivors.  I know there’s an agreement that Hamas releases a little every week, but I don’t know how long I’ll continue to endure this.  My patience is running out.”

    Is this something you’re going to discuss when you’re in the Middle East?  Are we – is our patience running thin here, and are these hostages being more mistreated than we could have even imagined before?

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I don’t think there’s any coincidence in the schedule that they’re being released where they obviously released the ones, they thought were in the best condition first, then over time you’re starting to see the impact of this.  But I also think it’s very revealing of who Hamas is and what Hamas is. 

    You look at these images of what they – first of all, the humiliation that they have to go through.  Just put aside for a moment the horrifying conditions they were kept and the horrifying things that happened to some of those hostages, on top of the fact that these were innocent civilians.  I mean, none of these were soldiers.  These are not combatants.  These are just people that were abducted for purposes of being used as leverage.  And they’re getting, what, 200 certified killers in exchange for one innocent hostage.  But it reveals who Hamas is.

    Look at these humiliation, they put them through before they’re released, where they do these big public displays of force.  Do any of those Hamas fighters look like they’ve been skipping meals?  Do any of those Hamas fighters that you see look like they’ve been suffering over the last year and a half?  Clearly, these people are – the ones suffering are the people from Gaza, but not them.  And then the conditions they’re held in.  So, it’s incredibly revealing about what we’re dealing with.  This is an evil organization.  Hamas is evil.  It’s pure evil.  These are monsters.  These are savages.  That’s a group that needs to be eradicated. 

    And let me tell you, if they still are the dominant power in Gaza when all this is done, there is not going to peace in the Middle East, as long as a group like Hamas physically controls territory and is the most dominant power in Gaza or anywhere in the Middle East.  And I hope people can see who these people actually are, in the condition of these hostages – not just the conditions that they’re in when they’re released, but what they have to endure on the way out.

    QUESTION:  You raise the issue of Gaza, and before you go, obviously President Trump made some news on this last week.  And it strikes me that what you’re executing is a realistic foreign policy.  I mean, we’re in the common-sense doctrine era of the United States, which people are saying thank goodness, finally.

    On Gaza, on the idea of a two-state solution, is this no longer the policy of the United States?  It seems to me that you all are injecting realism into this situation and that most of the people the Israelis have had to deal with over time simply don’t want peace, and we’ve been trying to put a square peg in a round hole here.

    What is our policy?  That people that run Gaza eventually are going to have to accept peace? And that’s not what – that’s just not been the disposition of the folks we’ve been dealing with heretofore.

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, the big challenge for this whole two-state solution has not been Isreal. It’s been:  Who’s going to govern that second state?  Who’s going to be in charge of it?  If the people in charge of it are Hamas or Hizballah or anybody like that, these are groups that – whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state.

    So, I don’t know how you’re going to have peace if you’re turning over territory to a group whose stated purpose is the destruction of the Jewish state.  Why would any country in the world agree to create a second state on their border that is governed by armed elements who kidnap babies and murder babies and rape teenage girls and abduct innocents and whose stated goal and purpose for existing is the – is your destruction?  Who would agree to that?  So that’s the fundamental challenge.

    On the broader challenge of Gaza, the President’s just pointed to the obvious.  I mean, Gaza is a place that, in addition to all the damage it suffered in the war – Hamas hides in the tunnels.  It’s the civilians who they hide behind and underneath that have suffered the consequences of this.  But that’s a place where there’s all kinds of unexploded munitions and bombs that Hamas has, that’s been used in the conflict.  Someone’s got to go in – for anybody to be able to live there, someone’s got to – you’ve got to clean it up.  You’ve got to clean all that out of there even before you begin the process of removing rubble and debris and rebuilding housing, like permanent structures.  Who’s going to do that? 

    And right now, the only one who’s stood up and said I’m willing to help do it is Donald Trump.  All these other leaders, they’re going to have to step up.  If they’ve got a better idea, then now is the time.  Now is the time for the other governments and other powers in the region, some of these very rich countries, to basically say, okay, we’ll do it.  We’re going to pay for this; we’re going to step forward; we’re going to be the ones that take charge.  None of them is offering to do it.  And I think that you can’t go around claiming that you’re a fighter for, an advocate for the Palestinian people, but you’re not willing to do anything to help rebuild Gaza.  And so far, we haven’t seen a lot of – they’ve all – they’ll all tell you what they’re not for.  But we’re still waiting for more countries to step forward and say here’s what we’re willing to do.  And right now, they’ve not been willing to do anything and – or at least anything concrete.

    So that’s a challenge that President Trump’s put out there.  And it’s outside the box, but that’s what he always is.  I mean, he is going to state the obvious.  It’s the one thing about Donald Trump – he doesn’t hide behind silly, traditional lies and things of that nature.  He’s going to put out blunt truth.  And the blunt truth is that the Middle East has, for too long, been a region of places all of whom love to talk but don’t want to do.  So, it’s time – if they don’t like Donald Trump’s plan, then it’s time for these countries in the region to step forward and offer their solution. 

    QUESTION:  Well, I think under President Trump’s leadership, under your leadership, we’re living in a common-sense era, we’re in an aspirational era, and we’re in a realistic era.  And I think the American people are grateful for it.  You have had an amazing run already, just in the first few weeks of being in office.  You had an amazing first foreign trip.  You’ve got one coming up this week.

    The foreign affairs wins of the Trump Administration are already piling up, with Mexico agreeing to send troops to their border; Canada playing ball on their border issues; Colombia accepting the repatriation flights; Panama ending its Belt and Road Initiative deal with China; the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.  We’ve taken out an ISIS leader in Somalia.  You guys are off to an amazing start.  And I think that’s why Donald Trump has a high approval rating right now, and why people are so grateful that you accepted this job as U.S. Secretary of State.

    Secretary Rubio, thanks for being with us on SiriusXM Patriot today. 

    SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thanks for having me on.

    QUESTION:  All right.  Safe travels.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Up to $8 Million in Reward Offers for Information Leading to Arrests and/or Convictions of Leaders of Foreign Terrorist Organization LNFM Cartel  

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson

    Up to $8 Million in Reward Offers for Information Leading to Arrests and/or Convictions of Leaders of Foreign Terrorist Organization LNFM Cartel  

    Press Statement

    April 15, 2025

    Today, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing reward offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Mexican narcotics trafficker Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, a/k/a “Pez,” and up to $3 million for information leading the arrest and /or conviction of his brother, Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, a/k/a “Fresa.”  The Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel in Mexico, which was designated by the Secretary of State on February 20 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).  This is the first rewards announcement related to an FTO-designated cartel. 

    The LNFM is a drug cartel based in the State of Mexico, and parts of Michoacán and Guerrero.  The DEA estimates the LNFM is responsible for the transportation, importation, and distribution of over 36 metric tons of methamphetamine, 12 metric tons of Mexican heroin, and 12 metric tons of cocaine per year from Mexico into the United States.

    Today’s reward offers complement the Department of Justice’s indictment of the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers in the Northern District of Georgia.  The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances (specifically, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) knowing they would be imported into the United States; importation conspiracy; and drug distribution conspiracy.  The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also announced new sanctions today against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers and two related LNFM members. 

    Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the NRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice as a key pillar of President Trump’s “America First” priorities.  If you have information, please contact the DEA at +1 404-281-3220 (text/WhatsApp/Signal).  If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office. 

    ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $5 Million Reward Offer for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of Leader of Foreign Terrorist Organization MS-13

    Source: United States Department of State (3)

    Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson

    $5 Million Reward Offer for Information Leading to Arrest and/or Conviction of Leader of Foreign Terrorist Organization MS-13

    Press Statement

    April 21, 2025

    With the designation of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) on February 20, 2025, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), the U.S. government is working towards building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous hemisphere in the Americas by providing all available means to eliminate the threats of violent crime by MS-13 throughout the Western Hemisphere.  The U.S. government is offering a reward under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $5 million, which was announced in 2023, for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, aka “Porky” and “Alexander Mendoza”, the leader of MS-13 in Honduras.  

    Archaga Carías is the highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras and is responsible for directing the gang’s criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, kidnappings, and other violent crimes involving machine guns.  He is also responsible for the gang’s importation of large amounts of cocaine into the United States.  Archaga Carías remains at large.

    Archaga Carías is one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, as well as one of the DEA’s and Homeland Security Investigations’ most wanted fugitives. 

    If you have information, please contact the FBI by email at archaga-carias_tips@fbi.gov or via text at +1 832-267-1688 (text/WhatsApp) for this reward.  If you are located outside of the United States, you may also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  If you are in the United States, you may also contact the local FBI, DEA, or HSI offices in your city.

    Today’s announcement reinforces the importance of public awareness for rewards targets who are members of, or associated with, the eight cartels and transnational criminal organizations designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations on February 20, 2025.  Bringing these individuals to justice is a priority for the Trump Administration.

    ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Visa Restrictions for Central American Government Officials Exploiting Cuban Medical Professionals

    Source: United States Department of State (4)

    Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

    HomeVisa Restrictions for Central American Government Officials Exploiting Cuban Medical Professionals

    Visa Restrictions for Central American Government Officials Exploiting Cuban Medical Professionals

    Press Statement

    June 3, 2025

    Today, the Department of State took steps to impose visa restrictions on several Central American government officials and their family members for their nexus to the Cuban regime’s forced labor scheme.  The officials are responsible for Cuban medical mission programs that include elements of forced labor and the exploitation of Cuban workers.  These steps promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices.  The Cuban labor export program abuses the participants, enriches the corrupt Cuban regime, and deprives everyday Cubans of essential medical care that they desperately need in their homeland.

    Our goal is to support the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom and dignity, all while promoting accountability for those who contribute to a forced labor scheme.  By pursuing these visa restrictions, the U.S. is sending a clear message about our commitment to promoting human rights and respect for labor rights worldwide.  We encourage other nations to join us in this effort.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas woman sentenced for hostage-taking, extortion in smuggling stash house case investigated by ICE El Paso

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An El Paso, Texas, woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a hostage-taking conspiracy involving the forcible detention and extortion of the victims. The defendant was involved in the hostage-taking conspiracy while serving a term of federal supervised release for a prior alien smuggling conviction.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with the assistance from the Otero (New Mexico) County Sheriff’s Department.

    “This case reveals a disturbing pattern of criminal organizations taking illegal aliens hostage, holding them for ransom, and terrorizing their families until payment is made, and HSI will continue to pursue those responsible,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on April 4, 2024, agents from HSI and Border Patrol responded to a tip from the Otero County Sheriff’s Department regarding individuals being held against their will at an alien smuggling stash house in Chaparral, New Mexico. The joint investigation led law enforcement to the residence where 10 illegal aliens, including three juveniles, were discovered being detained under inhumane conditions, without sufficient food and water.

    During the subsequent investigation, agents determined that Valerie Perez, 22, and her coconspirator, Diana Perez, were responsible for detaining the victims. The victims were threatened with physical harm and told they were not allowed to leave. Family members of the victims were contacted and coerced into sending money for the victims’ release.

    Valerie Perez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit hostage taking, admitting that she participated in detaining illegal aliens, threatening them with harm, and extorting money from their families and friends in exchange for their release. At the time of this offense, Perez was on supervised release following a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, for which she had been sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

    Upon her release from prison, Valerie Perez will be subject to three years of supervised release. Diana Perez remains in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting this case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas woman sentenced for hostage-taking, extortion in smuggling stash house case investigated by HSI El Paso

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An El Paso, Texas, woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a hostage-taking conspiracy involving the forcible detention and extortion of the victims. The defendant was involved in the hostage-taking conspiracy while serving a term of federal supervised release for a prior alien smuggling conviction.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with the assistance from the Otero (New Mexico) County Sheriff’s Department.

    “This case reveals a disturbing pattern of criminal organizations taking illegal aliens hostage, holding them for ransom, and terrorizing their families until payment is made, and HSI will continue to pursue those responsible,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on April 4, 2024, agents from HSI and Border Patrol responded to a tip from the Otero County Sheriff’s Department regarding individuals being held against their will at an alien smuggling stash house in Chaparral, New Mexico. The joint investigation led law enforcement to the residence where 10 illegal aliens, including three juveniles, were discovered being detained under inhumane conditions, without sufficient food and water.

    During the subsequent investigation, agents determined that Valerie Perez, 22, and her coconspirator, Diana Perez, were responsible for detaining the victims. The victims were threatened with physical harm and told they were not allowed to leave. Family members of the victims were contacted and coerced into sending money for the victims’ release.

    Valerie Perez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit hostage taking, admitting that she participated in detaining illegal aliens, threatening them with harm, and extorting money from their families and friends in exchange for their release. At the time of this offense, Perez was on supervised release following a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, for which she had been sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

    Upon her release from prison, Valerie Perez will be subject to three years of supervised release. Diana Perez remains in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting this case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Urges Court to Protect LGBTQ+ Youth from Conversion Therapy

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to uphold Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. In an amicus brief filed in Catholic Charities v. Whitmer, Attorney General James and the coalition support Michigan as it faces a challenge to its ban on conversion therapy for minors, a practice that is proven to be both dangerous and ineffective. Conversion therapy is shown to increase risks of suicide and depression, especially among transgender youth. The coalition emphasizes that states across the country have banned conversion therapy because it fails to meet acceptable standards of professional medical practice and puts the LGBTQ+ community at risk of harm.

    “No one should ever be subject to the harmful practice of conversion therapy,” said Attorney General James. “At a time when the LGBTQ+ community is under attack by the federal administration, states must stand firm in defending their rights and dignity. Michigan is on the right side of history by protecting youth from the disavowed practice of conversion therapy and we are fighting alongside them to keep this ban in place.”

    Conversion therapy is a widely disavowed practice intended to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity based on the false premise that LGBTQ+ identities are a mental illness. In their brief, the attorneys general explain that Michigan and other states have properly protected youth from conversion therapy, a practice that has proven to be harmful, has been widely discredited, and does not meet acceptable standards of professional medical practice. The attorneys general also assert that the practice is overwhelmingly disavowed by major professional health associations, including the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association.

    Over 25 states have restrictions on conversion therapy, including New York. These bans on conversion therapy rely on the large body of evidence that conversion therapy for youth is not only ineffective, but also causes mental and physical harm. The coalition argues that prohibiting conversion therapy does not violate the First Amendment because states can regulate professional conduct, even if that conduct involves speech. The attorneys general say striking down a ban on conversion therapy would likely create profound unintended consequences for states’ authority to regulate professional practices within their borders as they have throughout most of the nation’s history.

    Michigan began prohibiting licensed mental health practitioners from practicing conversion therapy on minors in 2023 in light of mounting evidence that it causes young people serious harm. A 2020 peer-reviewed study found that LGBTQ+ youth who had been subjected to conversion therapy attempted suicide at a rate nearly three times higher than other minors. Over 60 percent of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth who go through conversion therapy before age ten attempt suicide. The practice of conversion therapy is also based on scientifically questionable theories, and can include the use of “aversion therapy” treatments, including electric shock treatment, nausea-inducing drugs, or psychoanalytic treatments that undermine the health and dignity of LGBTQ+ youth.

    In 2019, the New York State Legislature passed a bill that prohibited mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors. Many cities and counties throughout New York have also passed bans on the largely condemned practice prior to the passage of the statewide bill.

    Joining Attorney General James in submitting this brief are the attorneys general of the California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: How Nuclear Tech Could Revolutionise Plastic Recycling

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    How can nuclear science help keep plastic waste out of the ocean and our daily lives?

    Nuclear science offers innovative solutions to address plastic pollution across its entire lifecycle. To combat this challenge, we need to understand its root causes. Research indicates that approximately 80 per cent of marine plastic pollution originates on land (with the rest coming from ocean sources such as fishing nets etc.) making land-based interventions critical.

    The IAEA is working on two fronts using cutting-edge technologies: firstly, we are using radiation to create bio-based plastics, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Simply put, we are working on new materials that are both biodegradable and easily recyclable. This approach not only reduces reliance on fossil fuels but also supports circular economies by turning organic waste into valuable resources.

    Secondly, we are using radiation technology to transform plastic waste into more durable, stronger and higher value products. For example, radiation can enhance the performance of concrete by partially replacing cement with recycled plastics. Nuclear techniques are improving the sorting and separation of polymers in mixed plastic waste streams. We’re also exploring how radiation-assisted pyrolysis can convert plastics into waxes, fuels and other valuable chemical additives.

    If we treat plastics using radiation, won’t the new products be dangerous?

    Not at all — in fact, quite the opposite. Radiation is considered a form of ‘green chemistry’ because it allows us to process materials without using toxic chemicals or extreme conditions like high temperature or pressure. When we use radiation to create new bio-based plastics or upcycle plastic waste, the process is clean, efficient and environmentally friendly.

    And the radiation itself does not remain in the material. Just like when you get a dental X ray, the radiation passes through but doesn’t stay with you. The same principle applies here: the materials are not radioactive after treatment and are completely safe to use.

    You mentioned using nuclear technology to improve plastic recycling. Is this already happening?

    We have 52 countries collaborating with the IAEA on novel upcycling efforts under the NUTEC Plastics initiative. Nine of them are pilot countries, marking a major step forward in turning innovation into reality. These countries are advancing rapidly along the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale — a globally recognized nine-stage framework that tracks the maturity of technologies from concept to commercial deployment.

    We’re already seeing exciting, tangible results.

    In Indonesia and the Philippines, wood-plastic composites are being developed for sustainable construction.  In Malaysia, plastic waste is being converted into fuel. In Argentina, durable railroad sleepers made from recycled plastics are showing strong performance in early trials.

    These pilot projects are not just proof of concept — they are proof of progress. We anticipate several of these technologies reaching the final TRL stages and moving toward full-scale implementation as early as next year.

    Why, as a scientist, did you choose to go into this field?

    I’ve always believed that science should serve as a catalyst for meaningful, lasting change. That belief led me to focus on plastic upcycling and the search for alternatives to petroleum-based materials — areas where innovation can directly address the environmental crises we face today.

    With over 30 years of experience working with ionizing radiation, I’ve seen firsthand its untapped potential to transform waste into valuable resources. This work is more than research — it’s a commitment to building a circular economy that safeguards our ecosystems, reduces human carbon footprint, and leaves a healthier, more resilient planet for future generations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Travelling Gallery’s 2025 tour continues with SEEDLINGS: Diasporic Imaginaries

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Continuing Travelling Gallery’s 2025 programme is a group exhibition exploring ways to connect with our worlds through other-than-human perspectives. Challenging the boundaries between culture and nature, the exhibition looks to destabilise colonial systems, categories, and hierarchies, that tend to favour scientific theory and marginalise ancestral knowledges and indigenous cosmologies.

    Curated with Jelena Sofronijevic, and featuring work by artists Emii Alrai, Iman Datoo, Remi Jabłecki, Radovan Kraguly, Zeljko Kujundzic, Leo Robinson, and Amba Sayal-Bennett, the exhibition brings together a variety of contemporary artistic practices, including drawing, printmaking, sculpture and film, that reimagine our collective understandings and visions of places and times.

    Common across the works in the exhibition is the use of the seed as a means to think about and connect themes concerning ecologies, environments, and migration. For some, the seed represents a world of its own, a self-contained body or cell, capable of crossing borders. For others, it serves as a starting point for alternative possibilities and ways of being. Many of the artists have researched specific seeds, in their ‘native’ soils, and displaced in banks and libraries. The potato is offered as an incidental ‘root’ to many of their works. In the film, Kinnomic Botany (2022), Iman Datoo draws upon research in the Commonwealth Potato Collection at the James Hutton Institute near Dundee, the UK’s largest collection of potato seeds, to challenge dominant taxonomies or ways of classifying lives.

    More speculative connections can be made between Remi Jabłecki and Radovan Kraguly’s practices. The former’s futuristic sculptures remind us of the otherworldly, even alien qualities of these most earthly and everyday British crops, with the artist using them as a means to think about transformation and personal growth. Kraguly’s prints,though as detailed as scientific and botanical illustrations, are similarly cosmic, avoiding categorisation in their ambiguous representations and titles. Reflecting on relations of control between humans and nature, his works also illustrate the role of different pastoral and agricultural environments in the formation of the artist’s own identity and early adoption of ‘climate politics’, connecting his formative experiences growing up on a farm in the former Yugoslavia, to his later practice in rural Wales.

    Amba Sayal-Bennett’s architectural sculptures Kern (2024) and Phlo (2024) are part of the artist’s investigations into rubber, a commodity once so highly demanded its value surpassed that of silver. In a mission facilitated by the British government, Henry Wickham stole and trafficked 70,000 rubber seeds from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil in 1876. Transported to Kew Gardens in London, they were then dispersed to British colonies for cultivation. Its plural uses and potential for profit led to its proliferation across the globe – yet the soil in India refused to take the seeds, which the artist puts forward as a form of environmental resistance to the colonial project. Artist Emii Alrai, by contrast, focusses on excavation, exploring archaeology, Western museological structures, and the complex process of ruination.

    Scotland has proved fertile land for many of the artists’ practices, yet, for some, SEEDLINGS presents the first opportunity to experience their works in these contexts. Born in Subotica, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Zeljko Kujundzic lived and worked in Edinburgh between 1948 and 1958, before moving with his partner and frequent collaborator, Ann, and their children, to British Columbia (BC). His developed, complex work in ceramic sculpture, often featuring the thunderbird, a mythological bird-like spirit widespread in North American indigenous and First Nation cultures and storytelling, is deeply rooted in these early experiences. Yet his part in Edinburgh’s growing artistic community, and work with artists and writers like Ian Hamilton Finlay, Nannie Katharin Wells, Bernard Leach, and Joan Faithfull, has, thus far, been walked over, in more conventional art histories. A selection of archive materials concerning his invention of the solar kiln, unearthed from public and private collections across the UK and Canada, are presented here for the first time – the exhibition itself seeking to germinate future research.

    The exhibition will also include a newly commissioned essay, How does a tree fit inside a seed?, exploring the artists’ works, both individually, and as constellated in the exhibition, by the curator Jelena Sofronijevic. The text journeys through the construction and overlapping uses of terms like ‘native’ and, ‘invasive’, ‘indigenous’, ‘naturalisation’, and ‘dispersal’, to challenge binaries between beings, and consider ideas of home, identity, and belonging in the context of diasporas.
    Launching in Edinburgh on Calton Hill (outside the Collective Gallery) on Friday 6 June from 11am to 5pm, the exhibition will tour to arts venues, community centres, high streets and schools across Scotland including in the Western Isles, Glasgow, Falkirk,Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders before culminating at Edinburgh Art Festival in August.

    It is accompanied by a series of interventions on social media, highlighting the artists’ connections to the places of our tour, and a number of talks, tours, and workshops, including with artist Leo Robinson.

    Details of confirmed tour dates and venues can be found on the Travelling Gallery website. 

    Louise Briggs, Curator, Travelling Gallery said:

    It has been a real pleasure to work with Jelena Sofronijevic on this exhibition and to be introduced to the work of a number of artists, many of whom have interesting connections to Edinburgh and Scotland through their work & research as well as their personal & professional lives. This exhibition continues to explore our annual theme looking at The Environment and Climate Emergency. We hope SEEDLINGS will offer visitors a new way of thinking about our relationship with, and connection to nature and may encourage them to perhaps think about our worlds and our interconnectedness in different ways.

    Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham, said: 

    The Travelling Gallery is a unique and fantastic example of how art can and should be accessible for all. I’m delighted that, with our support, the Gallery has been able to remove barriers to art by taking powerful and thought-provoking exhibitions into communities across Scotland.

    This year’s exhibition not only invites us to engage with outstanding contemporary works but also encourages us to reflect on the world through different lenses. With such a talented group of artists involved, I encourage everyone to visit when the gallery sets off this week.

    Additional thanks go to: All of the exhibiting artists; Nena Kraguly; Family and Friends of Kujundzic; The City of Edinburgh Council; Creative Scotland; City Art Centre, Edinburgh; Government Art Collection; Ingleby Gallery; Carbon 12 Gallery; Palmer Gallery; and the University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
     
     
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: For Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘reproduction is like a death sentence’

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Masaya Llavaneras Blanco, Assistant Professor of Development Studies, Huron University College, Western University

    On May 9, Lourdia Jean-Pierre, a 32-year-old Haitian migrant woman, died after giving birth in her rural home in El Ceibo, Dominican Republic. The cause of death was a postpartum hemorrhage, according to a news report in The Haitian Times.

    Despite needing medical attention, Jean-Pierre was reportedly afraid to go to the hospital. Why? She feared being deported.

    Jean-Pierre was not wrong to be afraid. Soon after her death, paramedics arrived with police officers to check on the newborn and detain her husband, Ronald Jean. Jean left the newborn with a relative as he waited to be deported.

    Between April 21 and the end of May this year, 900 lactating or pregnant women were deported from the Dominican to Haiti. They are part of the new, extreme tough-on-immigration policies in the Dominican Republic. In May alone, 22,778 Haitians were deported to Haiti.

    A new wave of mass deportations

    Last October, the Dominican government initiated a new wave of mass deportations as President Luis Abinader ordered a quota of 10,000 Haitians deported per week. On April 6, he announced new extraordinary measures to control immigration.

    The rollout of this policy began on April 21. Migration officials were assigned to work in hospitals and required migrants to show their documents before receiving medical care or face deportation.

    The new protocol does not specify pregnant and breastfeeding women. However, it effectively targets them in hospitals. Evidence of this is the fact that the policy was immediately implemented in the 33 hospitals “that report the largest number of pregnant migrant women — mainly those of Haitian origin.”

    The targeting of pregnant women is not new

    The targeting of pregnant migrants in the DR isn’t new. In September 2021, the Ministry of the Interior and Police announced a protocol to limit pregnant migrant women’s access to health care in the DR.

    Dozens of deportation raids were carried out in maternity wards in the capital and other large urban centres. According to immigration officials, attendance at pre-natal appointments fell by 80 per cent by the end of 2021.

    Deportation raids in maternity wards slowed down between 2022 and 2024, but women were still afraid to go for their check-up appointments. Pre-natal care is essential in preventing maternal deaths.

    According to a media report, the Dominican’s National Health System estimates that Haitian women accounted for 56 per cent of maternal deaths in the first half of 2022.

    No documents, no health care

    There are almost no ways for Haitians in the Dominican Republic to apply for or renew visas. And Dominican consulates in Haiti have been closed since September 2022.

    There is a long history of a lack of documentation among Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, exacerbated by the denationalization of up to 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian ancestry in 2013. That means Dominican-Haitians are also at risk of being deported when accessing health care.

    This happened to Mirryam Ferdinad who, according to community reports, went to a hospital for a programmed Caesarean section and was instead detained in Haina, the country’s largest migrant detention centre. Ferdinad was released one week on Saturday May 31st. Is it possible to add that update with this link? https://www.instagram.com/p/DKWAD44N_N7/?igsh=cXY5a21xY2pud2tp

    Deportations are expected to occur after people recover from their ailments. But human rights organizations report that deportations regularly take place in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, in trucks filled beyond capacity.

    Structural racism

    Elena Lorac, co-founder of Reconocido, an advocacy group of denationalized Dominicans of Haitian descent, said the situation is exacerbated by structural racism.

    Anti-Black racism and anti-Haitianism runs through the politics of the Dominican Republic, whereby Blackness is associated with undesirable cultural and physical traits, and linked to neighbouring Haiti.

    In contrast, DR’s nationalist groups, such as the Antigua Orden Dominicana, emphasize their colonial Spanish roots.

    Reproductive health rights under attack

    Haitian pregnant women are between a rock and a hard place. Hemorrhages and unsafe abortions are among the main causes of maternal mortality. Most of these cases are preventable if pregnant people have access to health services.

    Haiti has the highest maternal mortality in the Western hemisphere.

    Maternal mortality in the DR is lower. But its mistreatment of pregnant migrants, and its criminalization of abortion in all circumstances, pose significant risks for women.

    Haiti: A country in humanitarian crisis

    Deported migrants usually have no family or social networks in the locations they are deported at. And they have limited to no access to health services and social services.

    Dominican-Haitians also get deported because they have no legal documents despite having lived there their whole lives. They often have never been to Haiti, and barely speak Haitian Creole.

    In Haiti, about 40 per cent of primary health care was funded by the now almost completely defunded United States Agency for International development (USAID).

    Though there are some groups supporting deportees, global cuts to humanitarian agencies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration are affecting personnel on the ground. The humanitarian conditions in Haiti are increasingly challenging.

    Financial cuts worsen the extremely precarious living conditions. Nine per cent of the population is internally displaced. More than half the population is expected to experience acute food insecurity by June.

    Protesting violence

    On May 28, 13 organizations led a demonstration in front of the Dominican Republic Health Ministry. Peasant women, domestic workers, artists and feminists demanded an end to deportation raids in maternity wards and the removal of immigration officials from hospitals.

    Sirana Dolis, co-founder of Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women MUDHA, said of the situation:

    “Haitian women and women of Haitian descent are a people who love life, but under these circumstances, reproduction is like a death sentence.”

    Masaya Llavaneras Blanco receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    – ref. For Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘reproduction is like a death sentence’ – https://theconversation.com/for-haitian-migrants-in-the-dominican-republic-reproduction-is-like-a-death-sentence-257427

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China hopes Japan will reconsider its historical crimes and firmly adhere to the path of peaceful development – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 4 (Xinhua) — China hopes Japan will deeply reflect on its historical crimes, earnestly learn from the past, and firmly adhere to the path of peaceful development, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wednesday.

    The diplomat made the statement at a regular briefing for journalists, responding to a question about Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s recent statement that Japan must remember the painful experiences and lessons of history and not repeat the mistakes of the war period.

    “China attaches great importance to this position,” Lin Jian noted.

    The official spokesperson recalled that during the meeting of the leaders of China and Japan in November 2024 in Lima, Peru, Shigeru Ishiba assured that the Japanese side would adhere to the spirit of looking honestly at history and focusing on the future, firmly following the path of peaceful development.

    “In his speech, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba particularly emphasized the need to understand the historical past, learn lessons from history, and prevent the mistakes of the war period from being repeated. We attach great importance to this position,” Lin Jian added.

    Correctly understanding and treating history, expressing remorse and apology for the war of aggression through concrete actions are key prerequisites for Japan’s post-war reintegration into the international community, Lin Jian stressed, noting that these issues concern not only the political basis of Sino-Japanese relations, but also Japan’s ties with neighboring countries, as well as its international image.

    “We call on Japan to completely abandon any attempt to whitewash or conceal the history of its aggression, take a responsible stance toward history, its people and the future, firmly adhere to the path of peaceful development, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through real actions,” Lin Jian concluded. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Raskin, Keating, Foushee, Balint Introduce Resolution Urging the Immediate Delivery of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Becca Balint (VT-AL) are today introducing a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to bring about the release of the hostages.

    “Innocent civilian lives — children and babies — can be saved by ensuring that much-needed aid gets to Gazans,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “This humanitarian crisis is man-made and can be solved by allowing aid trucks to enter Gaza. Every diplomatic tool in our toolbox must be used to ensure that this happens.”

    “Each passing day brings new suffering to people in Gaza, who are experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Congressman Raskin. “Our Resolution recognizes that America must act now to save countless lives in the region. Just as the time is long overdue to bring all the remaining Israeli hostages home from their captivity at the hands of Hamas, it is time to assure the delivery of desperately needed food and humanitarian aid into Gaza to end the prolonged humanitarian crisis of Palestinians living there.”

    “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and devastating. The entire U.S. government must urgently use all diplomatic tools available to bring about the release of the hostages in Gaza, facilitate the delivery of food and humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and work towards an end to the conflict in Gaza which moves us closer to a two-state solution,” said Congressman Keating. “This important bicameral resolution sends a strong message that we believe the U.S. must immediately do more to end the suffering in Gaza.”

    “The entire Gaza Strip is facing acute levels of hunger after a nearly two-and-a-half-month blockage on humanitarian aid. Although this blockade was recently lifted, aid groups do not have the resources or food available to properly provide immediate support to the millions of people facing starvation,” said Congresswoman Foushee. “I’m proud to join my fellow colleagues in introducing this resolution that will help address the dire situation in Gaza, and I implore my colleagues to support this critical step towards ensuring an enduring ceasefire that will alleviate suffering, save lives, and return the hostages safely to their families.”

    “It is indisputable that death is imminent for hundreds of thousands in Gaza and the level of starvation for children is catastrophic. We cannot waste another minute, aid must get to Gaza now,” said Rep. Becca Balint. “We must use every tool at our disposal to pressure to alleviate this crisis. The United States may not remain complicit in the face of the unimaginable suffering and dire need for aid and supplies.”

    The entire population of Gaza, an estimated 2,200,000 people, is facing acute levels of hunger. Over two months ago, Israel began a blockade on aid into the Gaza Strip. While some food is now being allowed into Gaza, it is not being allowed to do so fast enough to save lives. Since the start of the conflict, at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and 120,000 have been injured.

    The resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Donald Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), André Carson (IN-08), Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway Jr. (NJ-03), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Jim Himes (CT-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John B. Larson (CT-01), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Doris Matsui  (CA-07), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), James P. McGovern (MA-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen S. Moore (WI-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Bennie G. Thompson  (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek T. Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Nydia M. Velazquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

    This resolution is endorsed by 18 Million Rising, 99 Coalition , A New Policy , Action Corps, ActionAid USA, American Friends of Combatants for Peace, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International USA, Arab American Institute (AAI), Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Center for Victims of Torture, Charity & Security Network, Church World Service, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), DAWN, Demand Progress, Doctors Against Genocide , Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Hindus for Human Rights, Historians for Peace and Democracy, Human Rights Watch, IfNotNow Movement, International Refugee Assistance Project, J Street, KinderUSA, MADRE, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), Migrant Roots Media, MoveOn, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Advocates, Muslims for Just Futures, Muslims United PAC, National Council of Churches, New Israel Fund, New Jewish Narrative, No Dem Left Behind, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Oxfam America, Partners for Progressive Israel, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, ReThinking Foreign Policy, RootsAction, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, Sisters of Mercy of the America – Justice Team, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, The Borgen Project, United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), UNRWA USA National Committee, Win Without War, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section (WILPF US), CAIR Washington, Christian-Jewish Allies for a Just Peace for Israel/Palestine, Church Women United in New York State, Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights , FOSNA Pittsburgh, Harrisburg Palestine Coalition, Historians for Peace and Democracy, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, MARUF CT, Minnesota Peace Project, Nepa for Palestine, Northern California Friends of Sabeel (NorCal Sabeel)Sabeel), Oasis Legal Services, Peace Action WI, Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!, Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom DC-Metro Action Group, UPTE Members for Palestine, Valley View Church.

    Senator Peter Welch (VT) is leading the resolution in the Senate with the support of nearly all Democrats.

    The full text of the resolution can be read here.

    Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Integrates Solana Pay to Enable Instant Crypto Payments

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, has integrated Solana Pay, enabling users globally to make instant, low-fee crypto payments. The move expands Bitget Wallet’s real-world utility and supports its goal of making crypto seamless and accessible for everyday use.

    With this integration, Bitget Wallet users can scan Solana Pay QR codes to complete transactions using stablecoins like USDC and other Solana tokens. The feature supports both in-store and online payments, with upcoming compatibility for national QR code systems in regions such as Southeast Asia and Latin America. Transactions are settled directly from the user’s wallet, fee-efficiently and without intermediaries. This is part of Bitget Wallet’s growing PayFi suite, which aims to make crypto practical for commerce.

    “Our mission is to make crypto useful in everyday life — not just to hold or trade, but also to spend,” said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “By integrating Solana Pay, we give users a fast and affordable way to use crypto globally. Combined with features for trading, staking, and DApp exploration, Bitget Wallet is becoming a true all-in-one platform for Solana and beyond.” The wallet supports 130+ blockchains, offers swaps across hundreds of DEXs, and connects users to thousands of Web3 apps in a secure, self-custodial environment.

    Solana Pay is an open-source payments framework built on Solana that enables decentralized, instant, and low-cost payments. The integration was made possible through collaboration with Venta, a Solana-powered payments provider offering scalable infrastructure for real-world blockchain payments. Venta connects wallets, merchants, and ecosystems to accelerate crypto adoption. “People everywhere deserve modern payments that don’t drain their pockets. Helping Bitget Wallet integrate Solana Pay for their millions of users shows that open, composable rails are the answer, letting any wallet, merchant, or developer tap into instant, low-cost transactions with just one integration. Together, Venta and Bitget Wallet are making that a reality,” said K, Co-Founder & CEO of Venta.

    Bitget Wallet offers a full Solana feature set across Trade, Earn, Pay, and Discover. Users can access Solana-native limit order trading through integration with Jupiter DEX, perform cross-chain swaps, and stake SOL via the wallet’s Earn suite. The wallet also supports reclaiming idle SOL through Solana account rent refunds, provides built-in MEV protection, and enables gas fee coverage using GetGas with Solana Paymaster support. Additionally, users can explore a wide array of Solana-based DApps directly within the app. These capabilities reflect Bitget Wallet’s broader commitment to making onchain finance more accessible, efficient, and secure for users engaging with the Solana network.

    To showcase the integration, Bitget Wallet will join the Solana Summit 2025 as a major partner. Taking place from June 5 to 7 in Da Nang, Vietnam, the summit will gather nearly 2,000 developers, founders, and ecosystem leaders. Bitget Wallet will host a branded booth with free coffee, exclusive merchandise, and live demos. The team will also lead a developer workshop and join a panel discussion, highlighting the wallet’s growing role in real-world crypto adoption. An evening side event will also offer a more informal setting for connecting with builders and partners.

    Find out more on Bitget Wallet’s official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook
    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    About Venta
    Venta is a Solana-powered payments provider revolutionizing the payment landscape with scalable solutions, empowering merchants, consumers, and tech teams alike with an express lane to distribution and innovation. For more information, please visit https://www.venta.xyz/

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ecaf0437-beae-428f-bd47-f006f696735a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From sovereignty to sustainability: a brief history of ocean governance

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Kevin Parthenay, Professeur des Universités en science politique, membre de l’Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Université de Tours

    The United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) will open in Nice, France, on June 9, 2025. It is the third conference of its kind, following events in New York in 2017 and Lisbon in 2022. Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the conference will bring together 150 countries and nearly 30,000 individuals to discuss the sustainable management of our planet’s oceans.

    This event is presented as a pivotal moment, but it is actually part of a significant shift in marine governance that has been going on for decades. While ocean governance was once designed to protect the marine interests of states, nowadays it must also address the numerous climate and environmental challenges facing the oceans.

    Media coverage of this “political moment” however should not overshadow the urgent need to reform the international law applicable to the oceans. Failing that, this summit will risk being nothing more than another platform for vacuous rhetoric.

    To understand what is at stake, it is helpful to begin with a brief historical overview of marine governance.

    The meaning of ocean governance

    Ocean governance changed radically over the past few decades. The focus shifted from the interests of states and the corresponding body of international law, solidified in the 1980s, to a multilateral approach initiated at the end of the Cold War, involving a wide range of actors (international organizations, NGOs, businesses, etc.).

    This governance has gradually moved from a system of obligations pertaining to different marine areas and regimes of sovereignty associated to them (territorial seas, exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and the high seas) to a system that takes into consideration the “health of the oceans.” The aim of this new system is to manage the oceans in line with the sustainable development goals.

    Understanding how this shift occurred can help us grasp what is at stake in Nice. The 1990s were marked by declarations, summits and other global initiatives. However, as evidenced below, the success of these numerous initiatives has so far been limited. This explains why we are now seeing a return to an approach more firmly rooted in international law, as evidenced by the negotiations on the international treaty on plastic pollution, for example.

    The “Constitution of the Seas”

    The law of the sea emerged from the Hague Conference in 1930. However, the structure of marine governance gradually came to be defined in the 1980s, with the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982.

    UNOC 3 is a direct offshoot of this convention: discussions on sustainable ocean management stem from the limitations of this founding text, often referred to as the “Constitution of the Seas”.

    UNCLOS was adopted in December 1982 at the Montego Bay Convention in Jamaica and came into force in November 1994, following a lengthy process of international negotiations that resulted in 60 states ratifying the text. At the outset, the discussions focused on the interests of developing countries, especially those located along the coast, in the midst of a crisis in multilateralism. The United States managed to exert its influence in this arena without ever officially adopting the Convention. Since then, the convention has been a pillar of marine governance.

    It established new institutions, including the International Seabed Authority, entrusted with the responsibility of regulating the exploitation of mineral resources on the seabed in areas that fall outside the scope of national jurisdiction. UNCLOS is the source of nearly all international case law on the subject.

    Although the convention did define maritime areas and regulate their exploitation, new challenges quickly emerged: on the one hand, the Convention was essentially rendered meaningless by the eleven-year delay between its adoption and implementation. On the other hand, the text also became obsolete due to new developments in the use of the seas, particularly technological advances in fishing and seabed exploitation.

    The early 1990s marked a turning point in the traditional maritime legal order. The management of the seas and oceans came to be viewed within an environmental perspective, a process that was driven by major international conferences and declarations such as the Rio Declaration (1992), the Millennium Declaration (2005), and the Rio+20 Summit (2012). These resulted in the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN’s 17 goals aimed at protecting the planet (with SDG 14, “Life Below Water”, directly addressing issues related to the oceans) and the world’s population by 2030.


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    The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, or Earth Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, ushered in the era of “sustainable development” and, thanks to scientific discoveries made in the previous decade, helped link environmental and maritime issues.

    From 2008 to 2015, environmental issues became more important as evidenced by the regular adoption of environmental and climate resolutions.

    A shift in UN language

    Biodiversity and the sustainable use of the oceans (SDG 14) are the two core themes that became recurring topics in the international agenda since 2015, with ocean-related issues now including items like acidification, plastic pollution and the decline of marine biodiversity.

    The United Nations General Assembly resolution on oceans and the law of the seas (LOS is a particularly useful tool to acknowledge this evolution: drafted annually since 1984, the resolution has covered all aspects of the United Nations maritime regime while reflecting new issues and concerns.

    Some environmental terms were initially absent from the text but have become more prevalent since the 2000s.

    This evolution is also reflected in the choice of words.

    While LOS resolutions from 1984 to 1995 focused mainly on the implementation of the treaty and the economic exploitation of marine resources, more recent resolutions have used terms related to sustainability, ecosystems, and maritime issues.

    Toward a new law of the oceans?

    As awareness of the issues surrounding the oceans and their link to climate change has grown, the oceans gradually became a global “final frontier” in terms of knowledge.

    The types of stakeholders involved in ocean issues have also changed. The expansion of the ocean agenda has been driven by a more “environmentalist” orientation, with scientific communities and environmental NGOs standing at the forefront of this battle. This approach, which represents a shift away from a monopoly held by international law and legal practitioners, clearly is a positive development.

    However, marine governance has so far relied mainly on non-binding declaratory measures (such as the SDGs) and remains ineffective. A cycle of legal consolidation toward a “new law of the oceans” therefore appears to be underway and the challenge is now to supplement international maritime law with a new set of measures. These include:

    Of these agreements, the BBNJ is arguably the most ambitious: since 2004, negotiators have been working toward filling the gaps of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by creating an instrument on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

    The agreement addresses two major concerns for states: sovereignty and the equitable distribution of resources.

    Adopted in 2023, this historic agreement has yet to enter into force. For this to happen, sixty ratifications are required and to date, only 29 states have ratified the treaty (including France in February 2025, editor’s note).

    The BBNJ process is therefore at a crossroads and the priority today is not to make new commitments or waste time on complicated high-level declarations, but to address concrete and urgent issues of ocean management, such as the frantic quest for critical minerals launched in the context of the Sino-American rivalry, and exemplified by Donald Trump’s signing of a presidential decree in April 2025 allowing seabed mining – a decision that violates the International Seabed Authority’s well established rules on the exploitation of these deep-sea resources.

    At a time when U.S. unilateralism is leading to a policy of fait accompli, the UNOC 3 should, more than anything and within the framework of multilateralism, consolidate the existing obligations regarding the protection and sustainability of the oceans.

    Kevin Parthenay is a member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF).

    Rafael Mesquita ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. From sovereignty to sustainability: a brief history of ocean governance – https://theconversation.com/from-sovereignty-to-sustainability-a-brief-history-of-ocean-governance-258200

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Rosanna Costa: The power of data for a smart world

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

    It is an honor and a privilege to welcome you to the Sixth Statistics Conference of the Central Bank of Chile, which we are hosting in a particularly meaningful year for our institution as we celebrate its centennial. Over the past 100 years, the evolution of the economy-and of statistics in particular-has been closely interlocked with dynamic and ever-changing environments and faced with a future that is advancing rapidly and full of promising and challenging changes.

    This sixth edition of the Statistics Conference, whose title – “The Power of Data for a Smart World”- resonates strongly in this moment of our history. If there is one lesson the past century has taught us, it is that knowledge, grounded in solid information and rigorous analysis, guides the path to progress and stability. We are also opening the window to new developments that offer us opportunities and challenges, because they provide tools, but at the same time demand more information, of better quality and greater timeliness.

    In recognition of these one hundred years, I would like to revisit them through the lens of statistics-and from there, open the door to the next century.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: UN – Election of new non-permanent Security Council members (4 Jun. 2025)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    France congratulates Bahrain, Colombia, Latvia, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on their June 3rd election as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

    The Security Council’s main responsibility under the UN Charter is maintaining international peace and security. France will work closely with each of these partners, whose two-year terms will begin on January 1, 2026, so that the Council can fulfill its mandate of conflict resolution and peacekeeping.

    As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter this month, France reaffirms its commitment to a rules-based international system and to a Security Council that guarantees our collective security. As a Permanent Member of the Security Council, we advocate open, more effective multilateralism.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Lodges Detainer for Illegal Alien Charged with Child Rape in Massachusetts

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Despite his past criminal history in the U.S., this illegal alien and child pedophile was released into the country by the Biden Administration

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for Lorenzo Lopez Alcario, a criminal illegal alien, who has been charged with rape of a child with force. According to local reports, the brutal sexual assault was captured on video and the child’s mother testified in court.

    This criminal illegal alien from Guatemala first entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location. On July 30, 2017, Lopez was arrested by the Arlington Police Department, Arlington, VA for the Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance. 

    On July 31, 2017, ICE arrested Lopez after he was released from the Arlington County Jail in Virginia. On September 13, 2017, an immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States. On September 28, 2017, ICE removed Lopez from the United States. 

    Under President Biden, this criminal illegal alien re-entered the country illegally on June 17, 2022. Despite his previous criminal arrests in the U.S. and first deportation, he was still RELEASED into the country.  

    “Lorenzo Lopez Alcario is a pedophile illegal alien from Guatemala who should’ve never been in the U.S. in the first place. He is being charged with committing a heinous crime—the rape of a child,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Despite his previous criminal charges and deportation, President Biden released this barbaric criminal into American communities in 2022. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE lodged a detainer to ensure this criminal illegal alien will not be allowed to terrorize American citizens and will deport this child predator to prevent further victims.” 

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: DIMO Partners with Grupo Kaufmann to Power the Future of Connected Cars in Latin America

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and SANTIAGO, Chile, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DIMO, a leading connected vehicle platform, today announced a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership with Grupo Kaufmann, one of Latin America’s largest automotive dealership networks. With headquarters in Chile and operations spanning six countries, the company is renowned for its commitment to innovation in the automotive industry. Through this partnership, DIMO and Kaufmann are working to redefine the connected car experience for auto dealerships throughout Latin America.

    In 2024, an estimated 1.7 million connected cars were projected to be sold across Latin America—a relatively small share of the region’s total annual vehicle sales. This gap reflects limited connectivity adoption, driven by the historically high cost of building top-down infrastructure, which has caused many automakers to deprioritize the region. Kaufmann aims to close this gap by leveraging DIMO’s standardized connectivity infrastructure to develop interoperable apps and services across automakers. This will bring scalable, affordable innovation to the Latin American market.

    Initially, Kaufmann will deploy DIMO LTE devices for data collection and product development. After integration, it will offer customers a unique set of connected services, such as real-time diagnostics, customized maintenance alerts and rewards-based loyalty programs, further raising the standard of expertise and service excellence.

    At the core of this partnership is DIMO’s transformative data model. Built with a privacy-first approach, the DIMO protocol streamlines vehicle data connectivity with user consent, enabling Kaufmann to deliver data-driven services far more cost-effectively than developing these systems in-house. With the driver’s consent, Kaufmann will gain access to real-time vehicle data. This data unlocks performance insights, personalized service recommendations, and timely outreach – laying the foundation for a proactive customer-first dealership experience. The DIMO protocol ensures drivers maintain full control over their data – fostering trust while delivering mutual value to both consumers and dealerships.

    “Grupo Kaufmann recognizes that the future of connected vehicle services will be shaped by a new generation of apps and services designed for a digitally native audience,” said Alex Rawitz, Co-founder of DIMO. “The world’s new car owners want more than utilities — they want games, social experiences, rewards, and more we’ve yet to imagine. With DIMO’s infrastructure, Kaufmann can serve as the conduit for this creative energy, delivering next-generation experiences to drivers across Latin America.”

    As the global automotive industry accelerates toward connected, digital-first experiences, Kaufmann is taking the lead in Latin America. Its partnership with DIMO reflects a long-term strategy to lead through innovation and sustainability, while transforming the dealership into a hub for lifelong mobility services.

    “At Grupo Kaufmann, we believe the future of the automotive industry in Latin America will be defined by the ability to turn data into meaningful experiences for our customers. Our partnership with DIMO accelerates this vision by enabling efficient, secure, and scalable vehicle connectivity. It’s a key step in our digitalization strategy to position Kaufmann as a regional leader in smart mobility solutions,” said Carlos De Martini, Corporate Digital Business Manager, Grupo Kaufmann.

    About DIMO

    DIMO is the next-generation connected vehicle platform. Its privacy-first and AI integrated infrastructure connects drivers, automakers and developers to expedite connected vehicle application development while retaining full data ownership by drivers. Through the DIMO Mobile app, drivers gain real-time insights to improve vehicle performance, maximize savings on maintenance, and access a growing suite of marketplace applications while earning rewards in DIMO tokens. It was founded in 2021 by a team with decades of experience across automotive and fintech— including roles at ConsenSys, Vroom, GM, Volkswagen, and Chainalysis.

    About Kaufmann

    With more than 70 years of history, Kaufmann has established itself as one of the most influential companies in the automotive sector in Latin America. Present in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua, it represents leading brands such as Mercedes-Benz, FUSO and Freightliner, and from 2025, it will promote electromobility with the arrival of smart and its 100% electric vehicles. Its commercial network, which in Chile spans from Arica to Punta Arenas, combines a comprehensive offer of cars, buses, trucks and vans with a robust ecosystem of after-sales services, advanced technology and personalized attention.

    Kaufmann’s vision is focused on leading sustainable mobility in the region, maintaining a firm commitment to innovation, operational excellence and customer experience. Its team of more than 2,500 professionals drives a culture focused on the responsible transformation of transportation.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 4 June 2025 Departmental update Neglected tropical diseases further neglected due to ODA cuts

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of conditions1 that still affect 1 billion people, mainly vulnerable populations in underserved regions of the world. Nevertheless, they are preventable, treatable and can be eliminated. As of May 2025, 56 countries have successfully eliminated at least one NTD – demonstrating significant progress towards WHO’s global target of 100 countries reaching elimination by 2030.

    This hard-won progress is now at risk. The dismantling of official development assistance (ODA) for global health, and particularly for NTD programmes, threatens to stall or reverse gains and negatively impact lives of vulnerable communities.

    Threat to NTD gains

    The recent withdrawal of funding by the United States from NTD projects jeopardizes the success of 19 years of investment in the global effort to eliminate NTDs.

    Early reports shared with the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that the immediate impact of the funding withdrawal has delayed 47 campaigns in which mass treatment was warranted to free 143 million people from the burden of NTDs. In 2020, WHO Member States set targets for 2030 by endorsing the Road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030 through World Health Assembly decision WHA73(33). Missing the planned campaigns and impact surveys in 2025 will postpone the achievement of targets in at least 10 additional countries. The abrupt cuts also halted critical research to validate new treatments, diagnostics and surveillance platforms to ensure these diseases no longer pose a threat globally.

    On 10 April 2025, WHO issued a warning on the impact caused by sudden suspensions and reductions in ODA for health, indicating that health service disruptions had been reported by over 70% of its surveyed country offices and that NTD programmes were among the most severely affected. In some settings, the nature and scale of service disruptions are comparable to those observed during the peak periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Critical shortages in medicines and health products are leaving one third of responding countries without essential commodities for major health services. At the same time, the suspension of funding has triggered job losses among health and care workers in over half of those countries.

    Furthermore, if alternative mechanisms for service delivery are not urgently secured, suspensions and reductions in ODA for health could lead to expiration of over 55 million NTD tablets by the end of 2025, in Africa alone. In response, countries are working to identify local opportunities to sustain treatment activities, including integrated campaigns within broader health initiatives and mobilization of national resources to protect people’s health, prevent medicine wastage and sustain progress.

    Incredible past achievements at risk

    Over the past two decades, the Government of the United States of America, through USAID, supported the delivery of 3.3 billion treatments to more than 1.7 billion people in 26 countries, clearing infections, stopping transmission and reducing the burden of lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases (intestinal worm infections) and trachoma in several areas. This cumulative support of US$ 1.4 billion significantly advanced public health outcomes and enabled 14 countries (Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, Togo and Viet Nam) to achieve elimination of at least one NTD.

    NTD programmes have continued delivering impressive results despite fierce challenges: in 2023 alone, more than 860 million people received treatment for NTDs through mass drug administration or individual case management; and between January 2023 and May 2025, 17 countries were officially acknowledged by WHO for eliminating one NTD. Today, the halt in drug distribution and the layoff of frontline health workers threaten to reverse this progress – raising serious concerns about the resurgence of NTDs in the most affected regions.

    Funding challenges and implications for NTDs

    The withdrawal of United States funding to NTD programmes is not an isolated event. The last few years have witnessed a deprioritization of financial investments in support of NTDs, which accelerated during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in 2021, another key stakeholder, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, ended its flagship NTD initiative, the Ascend programme. Nevertheless, recent pledges such as those made in December 2023 during the Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) Forum had raised hopes of reversing this trend.

    Decreased funding places a heavy strain on NTD programmes at a time when they are called to face unprecedented challenges, including the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases. Notably, WHO declared dengue a grade 3 emergency in 2024, when over 14 million cases and 10 000 deaths were reported in 107 countries. The current global risk of dengue is assessed as high, and the disease remains a global health threat, while lack of resources continues to hamper prevention and control efforts, and the disease has spread to newer areas and countries in recent years.

    NTD programmes are recognized among the most cost-effective initiatives in global health, also thanks to effective public-private partnerships. Generous donations from pharmaceutical companies including Bayer AG, Chemo Group, Eisai Co. Ltd, EMS SA Pharma, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck KGaA, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), Novartis, Pfizer and Sanofi – cumulatively valued at over US$ 12 billion between 2011 and today –make life-changing treatments available to those in need at minimal cost.

    Defunding NTD programmes threatens a proven public health success, potentially reversing hard-earned progress, exacerbating the cycle of disease and poverty, leaving vulnerable populations further marginalized and deepening inequality.

    Moving forward

    During the most recent Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, NTDs were centre-stage, with a number of events held on the margins of the Assembly. Notably, two NTD-related resolutions, on eradication of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) and on skin diseases, were unanimously adopted by Member States.

    At this critical juncture, it is imperative to build on such renewed consensus and strengthen the global commitment to eliminating NTDs. This requires fostering nationally owned, sustainable programmes complemented by catalytic external support. Together, we must work towards the complete elimination of NTDs and release communities from the heavy burden of suffering these diseases cause.

    Notes

    1. Buruli ulcer; Chagas disease; dengue and chikungunya; dracunculiasis; echinococcosis; foodborne trematodiases; human African trypanosomiasis; leishmaniasis; leprosy; lymphatic filariasis; mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses; noma; onchocerciasis; rabies; scabies and other ectoparasitoses; schistosomiasis; snakebite envenoming; soil-transmitted helminthiases; taeniasis and cysticercosis; trachoma; yaws.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Google searches for information about cancer lead to targeted ads from alternative clinics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Alessandro Marcon, Senior Research Associate at the Health Law Institute, University of Alberta

    Online searches for health information can pull up misleading ads. (S. Ghassimi), CC BY

    More than 80 per cent of online searches are now performed with Google. But there’s an insidious element to the world’s most popular search engine. As companies compete for the advertising spaces that accompany search query results, users seeking critical health information can be exposed to dangerous and exploitative misinformation.



    Read more:
    Why we fall for fake health information – and how it spreads faster than facts

    In 2024, North Americans overwhelmingly used Google for news and information on politics, celebrities, entertainment and topical events like natural disasters. Health-related queries are also popular: nearly 70 per cent of the Canadian public use online searches for health information.

    Google is the world’s most popular search engine.
    (Shutterstock)

    Online searches

    The phrases or questions contained in online searches serve as valuable data. They can inform epidemiological surveillance and provide insight into popular global and regional trends.

    These data also hold immense value for online marketing teams, tracking who is searching for what, where and when. In addition to search tracking, however, queries now are used for online advertising. It’s a reality that raises serious ethical, regulatory and public health issues.

    Before the internet, key advertising spaces existed in magazines and newspapers, on highway billboards and time slots between radio and television programming. Advertising is so lucrative that a 30-second time slot during the Super Bowl now costs upwards of US$8 million.

    Online, fixed slots have now been replaced by targeted advertisements to accompany search results, determined by search queries entered by users.

    Highly coveted spots

    Like a Super Bowl ad, advertising on Google’s first page results is highly coveted.

    Obtaining the rights to these space requires companies to outbid one another to win the ads spaces determined by search terms — an advertiser can purchase ad space from Google associated with a specific phrase or keyword.

    Companies with snack products, for example, may compete for their sponsored content to appear when individuals search for “Super Bowl party snacks,” “new chip flavours” or “chip and dip ideas.”

    As harmless and obvious — and perhaps even inevitable — as this marketing approach may seem, the practice is problematic when industry targets personal, sensitive and critical health terms — which is exactly what our research uncovered.

    Searches for cancer, exploitative ads

    Using the AI-driven marketing platform SemRush, we analyzed the search terms purchased for advertising by notorious alternative cancer clinics in Tijuana, Mexico and Arizona. We determined what queries were targeted and how much was spent on acquiring the advertising space matching these queries.

    We also assessed whether this spending increased traffic to their clinic websites. Our results showed that over roughly one decade, these clinics paid over an estimated US$15 million to purchase the ad spaces for thousands of search words and phrases.

    These search queries related to cancer prognosis and diagnosis, treatment options including alternative treatments and cancer types including late-stage cancer. In sum, the advertising strategy generated more than 6.5 million website visits for alternative cancer clinics.

    Alternative cancer treatments can interfere with the success of medical treatments.
    (Shutterstock)

    Negative health impacts

    Unfortunately, the success of these alternative clinics’ marketing strategies is nothing short of a disaster for the public’s health and well-being. Alternative cancer treatments are associated with an increased risk of death and offer false hope for those suffering from end-stage cancer.

    These ineffective and oftentimes dangerous treatments can financially exploit patients, disrupt end-of-life planning and interfere with evidence-based cancer or palliative treatments.

    Google is therefore enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation that can directly lead to detrimental health-related actions.

    Protection from deception

    Our research focused entirely on the cancer context and analyzed the targeted search query approach of problematic clinics in two specific locations. It is imaginable — indeed very probable — that this approach is deployed in other health contexts and beyond.

    Google does have and enforce policies to protect users from deceptive advertising content. But there is little oversight regarding how advertisers may exploit its keyword ad matching features.

    It’s imperative that Google take action to restrict its ads mechanism from being used in this exploitative manner. Search results could give prominence only to websites supported by accurate scientific evidence. Google could prohibit the advertising purchase of ostensibly controversial search terms. This would include personal, sensitive queries from vulnerable groups, including patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening ailments.

    Google and other social media platforms benefit financially from misinformation. It is up to these companies to decide if human health and well-being is more valuable than these financial gains. It is up to all of us to advocate for those harmed by dangerous misinformation.

    Alessandro Marcon works at the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute, which has received funding related to this project from CIHR.

    Marco Zenone is the recipient of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    – ref. Google searches for information about cancer lead to targeted ads from alternative clinics – https://theconversation.com/google-searches-for-information-about-cancer-lead-to-targeted-ads-from-alternative-clinics-255372

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Veea and StarGroup Join Forces to Transform Mexico’s Digital Divide with Smart Connectivity and Entertainment Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and MEXICO CITY, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veea Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEA), a global innovator in edge computing and AI-driven platforms, and StarGroup, one of Mexico’s most dynamic and visionary telecommunications and entertainment providers, are proud to announce a strategic alliance to accelerate digital inclusion, connectivity and entertainment services across underserved rural communities in Mexico.

    Empowering Communities Through Technology and Vision

    As Mexico advances its national mission for universal internet access, Veea and StarGroup are combining their technological strengths and market leadership to deliver high-performance, cybersecure, and affordable digital services to remote areas that have historically been left behind. This transformative partnership reflects a bold step and an unwavering commitment to bridging the digital divide and true digital equity for millions of Mexicans. Moreover, from cloud-managed entertainment to intelligent edge networking, this partnership aims to fuel education, commerce, and innovation for communities that have long been digitally excluded.

    With deep local expertise and a growing presence across the country, StarGroup is uniquely positioned to drive innovation at the edge of connectivity, leveraging Veea’s cutting-edge technology. StarGroup’s deployment of Veea’s virtual Trusted Broadband Access (vTBA) platform marks the beginning of a nationwide rollout that will provide intelligent internet access, IoT integration, and cloud-based applications directly to users’ Wi-Fi-enabled devices—including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. “At StarGroup, we believe technology should be a tool for empowerment, not exclusion,” said Monica Aguirre, CEO of StarGroup. “This partnership with Veea allows us to bring real solutions to real communities—solutions that go far beyond entertainment and connectivity. We are investing in a future where every Mexican family, regardless of geography, can participate in the digital economy.”

    Deployed with satellite backhaul and powered by compact VeeaHub devices and VeeaWare software, the service supports not only seamless connectivity but also a wide range of local IoT applications—from precision agriculture and energy monitoring to public safety and asset tracking. StarGroup is not just deploying infrastructure; it is building the foundation for a smarter, more inclusive Mexico.

    “StarGroup’s adoption of vTBA platform reinforces the growing demand for cost-effective, intelligent connectivity at the edge,” added Allen Salmasi, CEO of Veea. “This collaboration extends far beyond internet access—it empowers communities with real-time AI-driven applications, with the ability to cache content at the edge including for tele-education, tele-medicine, entertainment and precision agriculture, along with the tools that enable the end-users to easily develop applications serving their specific use cases and participate in the digital economy.”

    About StarGroup

    StarGroup is a forward-thinking Mexican telecommunications and entertainment company committed to redefining connectivity for families across the country. Through its STAR brands—including StarTV (pay television), StarGo (internet), StarLine (mobile services), and StarLink (telecommunications), etc.—the company delivers high-quality, reliable services powered by advanced satellite technology, reaching regions beyond the scope of traditional networks.

    With a strong foundation in innovation, customer focus, and social responsibility, StarGroup leverages global partnerships and cutting-edge infrastructure to provide inclusive digital access, foster community development, and promote cultural enrichment. Its integrated approach to entertainment, media, tourism, and connectivity, positions StarGroup as a catalyst for digital transformation in Mexico’s most underserved regions.

    Learn more at www.stargroup.com.mx.

    About Veea

    Veea Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEA) was formed in 2014 and is headquartered in New York City with a rich history of major innovations in the development of advanced networking, wireless and computing technologies. Veea has unified multi-tenant computing, multiaccess multiprotocol communications, edge storage, edge AI with AI-driven cybersecurity in fully integrated all-in-one VeeaHub® products. Similar to cloud-management of smartphones and other user devices, VeeaHub products are cloud- and locally-managed with equivalent capabilities on VeeaCloud™. Applications and services running on VeeaHub devices benefit from cybersecure connections with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), optionally, with a highly simplified, plug and play, 5G-based Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offering.

    Veea Edge Platform™ enables network slicing with direct connections from anywhere, through the wide area optical fiber, cellular and satellite networks, to network-managed Wi-Fi and IoT devices on the local area networks, which may be on a mesh cluster created by VeeaHub products. This unique capability enables service providers to offer subscription-based services for one or a group of devices, sensors, machines or other endpoints on the local area networks.

    VeeaWare software stack provides for a virtualized software environment to run applications in Secured Docker™ containers on VeeaHub products and third-party APs and servers with orchestration. Veea Developer Portal and development tools provide for rapid development of edge applications with inferencing or federated learning to cost-effectively enable Edge AI for most enterprise use cases. Veea has received numerous recognitions by Gartner Group, Market Reports World’s and IoT Evolution for Edge Computing and Edge AI since 2021. For more information about Veea and its product offerings, visit veea.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) as well as Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely” or other comparable terms, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding the Company’s strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties including those regarding: the Company’s business strategies, and the risk and uncertainties described in “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements” and the additional risk described in Veea’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and any subsequent filings which Veea makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements made in the press release relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in the press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by law. You should read this press release with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

    The Equity Group

    Devin Sullivan
    Managing Director
    dsullivan@equityny.com

    Conor Rodriguez
    Associate
    crodriguez@equityny.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: DelNorte Launches DTVc Token, Advancing Blockchain and AI-Driven Government Data Management with Decentralized Property Systems

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DelNorte, a groundbreaking platform at the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain, has taken a major leap forward in transforming government data management. At the core of this innovation is DelNorte’s decentralized Municipal Property Management Standard, combined with a patent-pending CRM tailored to the public sector, setting a new standard in how governments manage, share, and monetize public data..

    PANAMA CITY, Panama, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DelNorte has officially launched its native token, marking a significant milestone in its mission to transform government data management using AI and blockchain. The token is now available on MEXC, a top leading exchange in web3 world, allowing investors and users to participate in the ecosystem that powers DelNorte’s groundbreaking solutions. By integrating AI with blockchain, DelNorte ensures a level of transparency, efficiency, and accountability never before seen in the public sector. Their cutting-edge solutions offer a robust, immutable infrastructure for government data management, providing citizens with better access to public information and streamlining processes for government officials.

    DelNorte’s flagship product revolutionizes municipal property systems by tokenizing property deeds as ERC-721 NFTs, integrating real-world legal metadata and IPFS storage to ensure data integrity. This approach not only provides secure, decentralized property registries but also guarantees transparency and security in property transactions, with each update tracked and stored on-chain. Already trusted by governments across El Salvador, Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras, DelNorte has proven its value by delivering real-world solutions that are in use today. Unlike competitors still vying for government contracts, DelNorte has direct access to government clients, establishing a unique position within the blockchain and AI space.

    DelNorte’s ecosystem is built on cutting-edge technologies like AI-driven analytics, blockchain integration, and decentralized storage, enabling governments to modernize their operations while safeguarding public data. Their patent-pending CRM, designed specifically for the public sector, allows for seamless workflows and data sharing, setting DelNorte apart as a key player in the evolving landscape of government technology.

    Holding the DTVc token provides users and developers with a wide array of benefits, enabling deeper engagement within the DelNorte ecosystem. Token holders enjoy discounts on transaction fees for accessing government documents, participating in governance votes, and interacting with other applications within the platform. Additionally, DTVc token holders can stake their tokens either individually or in pools, earning automatic staking rewards that incentivize long-term participation. Special events with randomized rewards further encourage active engagement, fostering a dynamic and engaged community.

    Beyond financial incentives, DTVc holders gain crucial governance participation rights, allowing them to vote on proposals that shape the future of the DelNorte ecosystem. This includes influencing platform features, rules, and community-driven initiatives. DTVc tokens also offer access to exclusive services, such as priority access to government documents and premium offerings for both public and private sector interactions. Furthermore, token holders can use DTVc as collateral for loans, participate in crowdfunding campaigns, and invest in projects within the platform, providing a comprehensive suite of financial services and investment opportunities.

    As governments continue to embrace blockchain for data security and transparency, DelNorte is poised to lead the way in revolutionizing public sector operations. With an emphasis on decentralization, data ownership, and trust, DelNorte is reshaping the future of government data management. DelNorte’s mission goes beyond profitability; the company is committed to fostering financial inclusion, empowering public institutions, and developing tools that address global governance challenges. With a focus on transparency, innovation, and sustainability, DelNorte aims to create a long-lasting, positive impact across both emerging and developed markets, ensuring that its solutions benefit communities worldwide and drive meaningful change in government data management and public sector operations.

    About DelNorte
    DelNorte is an AI and blockchain-driven platform revolutionizing government data management, focusing on transparency, efficiency, and decentralized systems. Their innovative solutions, including the Municipal Property Management Standard and patent-pending CRM, are already empowering governments and citizens alike with secure, transparent, and accessible public data.

    Website
    www.delnorte.io

    X
    www.x.com/delnorte_io

    Core Team Members
    Anton Glotser – Founder, CEO
    linkedin.com/in/aglotser

    Deni Dudaev – Partner, CMO
    linkedin.com/in/0xdeni

    Ken Silverman – CTO
    crunchbase.com/person/ken-silverman

    Contact:
    Deni Dudaev
    deni@delnorte.io

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by DelNorte. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Researchers and Industry Flock to UConn to Talk Poultry Innovations and Impacts

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) welcomed fellow researchers and poultry industry representatives from across the US and the world to the Storrs campus to continue their interdependent work on the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project. 

    In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awarded Kumar Venkitanarayanan, CAHNR senior associate dean of research and graduate education and professor of animal science, a $10 million grant in 2020 to lead the initiative. 

    The group of attendees came from around the world to join the meeting of the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

    “This group has made considerable progress on each component of our project – bird health, human health, and the environmental impact of the poultry industry,” says Venkitanarayanan. “This has been a collective effort, and being able to meet to continue discussing and sharing ideas keeps our work moving forward.” 

    At the two-day meeting, held at the Innovation Partnership Building, the multi-institutional group and its project teams discussed their on-going efforts to enhance broiler sustainability without antibiotics and ensure safe approaches to improve chicken, human, and environmental health. The meeting comes as the grant enters its final year and the group begins assessing the scope and breadth of the innovations and impacts made over the last five years. 

    Indu Upadhyaya, associate extension food safety education speaks at a meeting of the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)
    Lively discussion at a meeting of the Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Poultry Project (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

    The group has made a number of technological advancements to lower heat stress, improve bird welfare, generate energy from poultry litter, and reduce disease, including a UConn-patented probiotic spray method that improves the hatchability and the health of chicks. 

    Additionally, the project has also developed classes and outreach programs to train producers and the next generation of poultry farmers, including a class right here at UConn. 

    Their efforts to ensure the long-term viability, safety, and public trust in antibiotic-restricted poultry farming took a global perspective at the meeting. International speakers discussed poultry production practices around the world, including Mexico, Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa. 

    The meeting also featured an industry panel Q&A and a poster session. 

    “We approach our work from a One Health perspective, acknowledging the connection between the health of people, animals, and our environment,” says Venkitanarayanan. “This work is critically important for our society and CAHNR is a unique leader in this type of interdisciplinary research.” 

    Other institutions involved in this project are Appalachian State University, University of Arkansas, University of Georgia, Auburn University, Kansas State University, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina State University, Pennsylvania State University, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of Arkansas, Maryland, and Mississippi. 

    This research is supported by USDA NIFA award number 2020-69012-31823. 

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What if Alberta really did vote to separate?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stewart Prest, Lecturer, Political Science, University of British Columbia

    Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is using sovereignty sentiments in Alberta as a kind of implied threat to get a better deal for the province.

    In a letter to Mark Carney in the run-up to the recent first ministers conference in Saskatoon, Smith told the prime minister that failure to build additional pipelines for Alberta oil would “send an unwelcome signal to Albertans concerned about Ottawa’s commitment to national unity.”

    Accordingly, it’s worth asking: what would happen if Alberta did vote to leave?

    Two historical touch points are the 1995 sovereignty referendum in Québec and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom in 2016. In different ways, both examples drive home one inevitable point: in the event of a vote to pursue sovereignty, the future of Alberta would have to be negotiated one painful and uncertain step at a time.

    International lawlessness

    Sovereignty is an assertion of independent governmental authority, notably including a monopoly over the legitimate use of force over a defined people and territory. Unlike provinces in a country like Canada, sovereign countries co-operate with each other if — and only if — it’s in their interests to do so.

    Some proponents of separatism have argued that an independent Alberta could rely on international law to secure continued access to tidewater through Canada. The idea seems to form the basis of Smith’s assertions that one nation cannot “landlock” another under international law. But that’s not the case.

    What’s more, international law — even if it does apply in theory — doesn’t always hold in practice. That’s because between countries, formal anarchy prevails: no one has the responsibility to enforce international law on their own. If one country breaks international law, it’s up to other countries to respond. If that doesn’t happen, then it just doesn’t happen.

    Simply put, if Alberta were to leave Canada, it would lose all enforceable rights and protections offered by the Canadian Constitution and enforced by the institutions and courts. In their place, Alberta would get exactly — and only — what it can bargain for.

    The Québec example

    The Québec independence saga has in many ways clarified and refined the path to potential secession for provinces in Canada, and hints at what can happen in the aftermath of a sovereignty referendum.

    In the wake of the near miss that was the 1995 referendum — when those wanting to remain in Canada defeated those who voted to separate with the narrowest of margins — Jean Chretien’s Liberal government took rapid steps to respond.

    Plan A focused on actions aimed at addressing Québec’s grievances, not unlike Carney’s quest for a national consensus to build an additional pipeline.

    Another course of action, known as Plan B, defined the path to secession.

    The federal government asked the Supreme Court of Canada for a clarification on the legality of sovereignty. It then passed the Clarity Act, which enshrined into law Ottawa’s understanding of the court’s answer. The reference and act both made clear that any secession attempt could be triggered only by a “clear majority” on a “clear question.”

    The act also illuminated the stakes of secession. The preamble of the legislation, for instance, spells out that provincial sovereignty would mean the end of guaranteed Canadian citizenship for departing provincial residents.

    The act also lays out some of the points to be negotiated in the event of secession, “including the division of assets and liabilities, any changes to the borders of the province, the rights, interests and territorial claims of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, and the protection of minority rights.”

    Simply put, everything would be on the table if Albertans opted to separate.

    You Brexit, you bought it

    Brexit provides an example of just how painful that process can be. After voting to leave the European Union, the U.K. found itself bogged down in a difficult negotiation process that continues to this day.

    Political, economic and trade rights — even including the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland — have all been painfully reconstituted through complex negotiations. Despite the promises made by those who advocated in favour of Brexit, the U.K. will continue to pay in perpetuity for access to the limited EU services it still retains.

    The U.K. is dealing with these challenges even though it was already a sovereign state. Alberta is not. Everything between a sovereign Alberta and its neighbours would be subject to difficult negotiations, both in the initial days of an independent Albertan state and any subsequent discussions.

    Alberta would have little leverage

    Once independent, Alberta would be a landlocked, oil-exporting nation.
    It would be negotiating with Canada — and the United States, its neighbour to the south — over every aspect of its new relationship.

    Its borders with other provinces and territories would need be negotiated, as would the status of marginalized populations and Indigenous Peoples within Alberta. The status of lands subject to treaty — in other words, most of the province — would have to be negotiated.

    Indigenous Peoples themselves have already made clear they have no interest in secession and would mount a vigorous defence of Indigenous rights as they exist within Canada.

    After all, if Canada is divisible, so is Alberta. A new republic has no automatic claims to territory with respect to Indigenous Peoples and treaty lands.

    Once borders were settled, Alberta would have little leverage and would need a lot of help as a country of about 4.5 million negotiating with neighbours of 35 million in Canada and 350 million in the U.S. Who would be its allies?

    Nothing would be guaranteed, not Alberta’s admission to the United Nations, the establishment of an Albertan currency and exchange rates, national and continental defence, the management of shared borders and citizenship rules or the terms of cross-border trade and investment.

    Access to Canadian ports would be at Canada’s discretion, negotiated on terms Canada considered in its interests. Alberta could no more force a pipeline through Canada than through the United States.

    Puerto Rico North?

    Of course, a republic of Alberta would be free to pursue deeper relations with the American republic to its south. The U.S president, however, has already made clear what would be the likely terms for free trade: accession.

    Here, too, there would be no guarantees. Alberta could just as easily become an American territory, with limited representation, as it could a 51st state. “Puerto Rico North” is as possible as “Alaska South.”

    Gone too would be any claims to share collective goods. Alberta’s neighbours would have no incentive, for instance, to help with the inevitable post-oil clean-up, estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

    Simply put, if Alberta were to vote to leave Canada, it would truly be on its own.

    Stewart Prest 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. What if Alberta really did vote to separate? – https://theconversation.com/what-if-alberta-really-did-vote-to-separate-257214

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Art Gallery displays new works by contemporary artists

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Five new works by six local and international contemporary artists have gone on display at Aberdeen Art Gallery. The works have been commissioned with support from the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums.  

     
    All of the new commissions respond to existing works in the collection and are on display in Gallery 1 – Collecting art. This space tells the story of how the collection has developed since its Victorian origins, and explores the Art Gallery’s commitment to collecting contemporary art through a combination of gifts, bequests, donations, purchases and commissions.  
     
    The new works are a result of two commissioning strands and the artists are: 
     
    1. Self Portrayed 
    Annalee Davis (born 1963, St Michael, Barbados) 
    Richard Macguire (born 1991, Aberdeen) 
     
    2. Micro-Commissions 
    Daisy Williamson (born 1972, North Vancouver, Canada) 
    C(U)SP: Collection of (Unfinished) Shared Projects established Aberdeen, 2019 
    Flying Lion (born Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1982) 
     
    1. Self Portrayed 
    Granite merchant and art collection Alexander Macdonald (1837-1884) was instrumental in the creation of the Art Gallery, bequeathing his impressive collection to the city. Macdonald only bought works by living artists. A selection of his collection of 93 artists’ portraits is on display in Gallery 1. It is a real-time record of some of the most successful artists of the Victorian period.  
    The Self Portrayed commission seeks to redress the historical imbalance and lack of diversity in the original Macdonald portraits. The two commissioned artists were asked to make a self-portrait that expresses the self and speaks to their overall practice.  

    Richard Maguire (born 1991, Aberdeen) is based in Aberdeen. Made in England: A View from this Side is inspired by Maguire’s ancestral heritage, with portraits of his grandfather who travelled to the UK from India, overlaid with images of Maguire as a baby. There are also images of his grandfather’s colleagues who worked on a Tuberculosis ward – doctors who migrated from India were usually given the more dangerous ward rounds. 

    Annalee Davis (born 1963, St Michael, Barbados) works primarily in textiles. Her embroidered Self-portrait contains elements that speak to the location of her studio in Barbados. Working on a dairy farm that used to be a sugar plantation in the colonial era, Davis regularly finds shards of 18th-century ceramics in the ground. These have been woven on to the surface of the work.  
     
    2. Micro-commissions 
    Works commissioned as part of the Gallery’s fifth round of annual Micro-commissions are also on display.  The programme funds artists living and working in AB postcode areas to produce new work that relates to the Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums collection and explores themes of energy, environment, local economy or identity and representation. The next round of Micro-Commissions will open for submissions in July.  
     
    Penelope’s Web(b) by Daisy Williamson  
    This work is inspired by Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse, which is also on display in Gallery 1. Discovering that ‘Penelope’ was also Ancient Greek for ‘duck’, Williamson chose a print of two eider ducks as a reference for her weaving. The tapestry is partially unwoven, highlighting the impact of climate change and the connection to Penelope’s story in Homer’s The Odyssey. 
     
    Studio Spaces, Aberdeen 2024 by C(U)SP 
    This print shows examples of empty office spaces used by artists in Aberdeen. The temporary nature of these spaces contrasts with the luxurious studio accommodation of artists or earlier eras such as John Phillip, who is captured at work in a painting by John Ballantyne from the 1860s, on display in Gallery 7.  
     
    Unisus – Totem of a Change by Flying Lion 
    Unisus, a Unicorn / Pegasus hybrid creature made from solar panels, wind turbines and composting bins, sits astride the Mercat Cross, highlighting Aberdeen’s transition towards a more sustainable future.  

     
    Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said, “It’s great to see these recently-commissioned works on display. They demonstrate the Gallery’s continuing commitment to supporting contemporary artists, particularly artists living and working in the North East. I’m sure visitors will enjoy exploring the new layers of meaning and insight the commissions bring to existing works in the collection.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Sudan, Guatemala  & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (3 June 2025)

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    Sudan
    Commissioner of the International Commission Against Impunity/Guatemala 
    Ninth Austrian World Summit
    Human Rights/Climate Emergency
    Deputy Secretary-General/Travels
    Gaza
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Syria
    Ukraine
    South Sudan
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Photo Exhibition
    World Bicycle Day
    Financial Contribution
    Briefings – Today

    SUDAN
    You will have seen the horrific developments in Sudan in which five members of a UN humanitarian convoy were killed last night and several more were injured during an attack near Al Koma in North Darfur.
    I can tell you that we condemn in the strongest terms this horrendous act of violence against humanitarian personnel who literally put their lives at risk attempting to reach vulnerable children and families in the famine-impacted areas.
    This joint WFP-UNICEF 15-truck convoy had travelled over 1,800 km (just about 1,118 miles) from Port Sudan, and they were carrying food and nutrition supplies. The Agencies were negotiating access to complete the journey to El Fasher when it was attacked. The route was shared in advance, and parties on the ground were notified and aware of the location of the trucks.
    Multiple trucks were burned in the attack, and critical humanitarian supplies were damaged. It is devastating the supplies have not reached the civilians in need. This is the first UN humanitarian convoy that was going to make it to El Fasher in over a year.
    All attacks on humanitarian personnel, their facilities and vehicles must stop. They are a violation under international humanitarian law. And we call for an urgent investigation and for the perpetrators to be held to account.
    We call for safe, secure operating conditions and for international humanitarian law to be respected by all parties, not just in Sudan, but in all conflict-impacted countries. Under international humanitarian law, aid convoys must be protected, and parties have the obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
    And for those who were killed in line of duty in Sudan, we extend our condolences to their families and loved ones, and we wish a speedy recovery for the wounded. Shirin

    COMMISSIONER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION AGAINST IMPUNITY/GUATEMALA 
    The Secretary-General is concerned about the announcement by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Guatemala regarding the issuance of arrest warrants against former Commissioner of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), Iván Velásquez, former CICIG Head of Investigations Luz Adriana Camargo — now Colombia’s Attorney General — along with 24 other former CICIG national staff and independent justice officials who collaborated with CICIG.
    The Secretary-General reiterates that the Commission’s international personnel, under the terms of the agreement between the UN and the Government of Guatemala regarding the establishment of the Commission, enjoys immunity from legal process with respect to acts done in the performance of their mission which continues even after the completion of their employment with CICIG. He recalls that under this agreement, the Government of Guatemala agreed to protect the personnel of CICIG – whether international or national – from abuse, threats, reprisals or acts of intimidation in virtue of their work for CICIG. 
    The Secretary-General reiterates his concern at the numerous reports that criminal prosecution is being carried out against those who sought to shed light on cases of corruption and worked to strengthen rule of law and the justice system in Guatemala.

    NINTH AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT
    Today, the Secretary-General addressed the Ninth Austrian World Summit via a video message. He pointed out that we face a triple-whammy of woe, with pollution clogging rivers, contaminating land, and poisoning our ocean, the biodiversity being destroyed at record pace and record levels of greenhouse gases catastrophically disrupting our climate.
    The Secretary-General warned that no country, whether rich or poor, can escape these crises, and no country can solve them alone. But together, he said, we can reap the rewards of action, from cheap, secure power, to better health.

    Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=03+June+2025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfQFjOD3ATM

    MIL OSI Video –