NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI: Descartes Study: 39% of High-growth Companies Leverage Trade Compliance as Competitive Advantage

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA and LONDON, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released findings from its study Top Three Traits of Companies with a Successful Approach to Trade Compliance. The study showed that 39% of fast-growing companies (those expecting greater than 15% growth over the next two years) consider trade compliance to be a competitive advantage and not only a regulatory requirement, compared to 22% of slower-growing companies (those with less than 5% growth expectations).

    Furthermore, 57% of companies surveyed believe technology is also very or extremely important for competitive advantage in trade compliance strategies (see Figure 1). This view is even more pronounced in growth businesses versus non-growth companies: 72%, or almost three quarters, of fast-growing companies believe technology is a valuable competitive differentiator, compared to just 41% of businesses predicting shrinking, limited, or no growth.

    Figure 1: Importance of technology for competitive advantage in trade compliance strategies

    Source: Descartes/SAPIO

    The study also revealed that 86% of fast-growing companies indicated technology is fundamental or highly important to growth strategies. Underscoring a strong link between technology, business expansion and trade compliance, 47% of fast-growing companies confirm investing in technology is the top approach to tackling international trade challenges—compared to just 18% of those expecting shrinking, limited, or no growth.

    In addition to gaining competitive advantage by leveraging trade compliance and investing in technology, higher-growth companies are focused on building a well-resourced compliance team. The study found that companies with greater than 15% expected growth in the next two years allocate an average of eight people to trade compliance activities, compared to six people in companies anticipating shrinking, limited, or no growth.

    “Given the volatility of the current trade landscape, rife with evolving tariffs, trade barriers, sanctions and regulations, effective and efficient global trade compliance is a distinct competitive differentiator,” said Jackson Wood, Director, Industry Strategy at Descartes. “Companies that invest in building their compliance teams view compliance as a strategic advantage. They leverage leading technologies to turn compliance into an engine for growth while creating more resilient supply chain operations.”

    Descartes and SAPIO Research surveyed 887 corporate decision makers in international trade compliance and/or supply chain intelligence across Argentina, Benelux, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA. The goal was to understand the strategies, tactics and technologies used by companies involved in international trade to help gain a competitive advantage and ensure continued business growth, and to identify if these varied by factors such as country, industry, company size and business growth. Respondents are members of company leadership teams, from management level to Chief Executive Officer or Owner. To learn more, read the study Top Three Traits of Companies with a Successful Approach to Trade Compliance.

    Learn more about Descartes’ global trade intelligence solutions.

    About Descartes

    Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

    Global Media Contact
    Cara Strohack                                                                     
    cstrohack@descartes.com  

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ global trade intelligence solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2458abe4-87e5-4a31-8a58-b127eacde619

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Many of history’s deadliest building fires have been in nightclubs. Here’s why they’re so dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne

    A fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia has killed at least 59 people and injured more than 150. The blaze broke out at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, where around 500 people were attending a concert.

    Witnesses reported that pyrotechnics used during the performance ignited the ceiling, causing flames to spread rapidly.

    Authorities have arrested 20 people so far, including the club’s manager. Investigations continue. The North Macedonian government has declared a seven-day mourning period.

    While building fires are not limited to nightclubs, many of the most devastating building fires in history have happened in nightclubs around the world. So why are nightclubs such a risky place for deadly fires?

    A long history of nightclub fires

    A look at past nightclub fires shows just how common and deadly they’ve been in the past 100 years. We identified at least 24 nightclub fires where ten or more people died since 1940.

    Collectively, these 24 incidents account for at least 2,800 deaths, with nearly 1,300 in the 21st century alone.

    The Cocoanut Grove fire (Boston, 1942) remains the deadliest on record, killing 492 people. The club’s flammable decorations and locked exits turned what should have been an ordinary night out into one of the worst fire disasters in history.

    In Argentina, the República Cromañón fire killed 194 people in 2004, caused by pyrotechnics igniting flammable materials inside the club.

    The Kiss nightclub fire in Brazil in 2013 was even deadlier, claiming 242 lives.

    More recently, Thailand’s Mountain B nightclub fire killed 23 people in 2022.

    And in 2023, 13 people died in a fire at the Fonda Milagros nightclub in Spain.

    Now, North Macedonia’s Pulse nightclub joins this long list.

    Why are nightclubs so risky for fires?

    A review of past nightclub fires we’ve collated in our database reveals common patterns. Two key factors have contributed to the frequency and severity of these fire disasters.

    1. Pyrotechnics, fireworks and flammable materials

    One of the most common causes of nightclub fires has been the use of pyrotechnics in enclosed spaces. Pyrotechnics are controlled chemical reactions designed to produce flames, smoke, or light effects.

    They have been involved in at least six of the deadliest nightclub fires, including the recent Pulse nightclub fire in North Macedonia, as well as The Station (United States, 2003), Kiss (Brazil, 2013), Colectiv (Romania, 2015), Lame Horse (Russia, 2009) and República Cromañón (Argentina, 2004).

    When used indoors, pyrotechnics can easily ignite flammable ceiling materials, acoustic foam, or decorations.

    In some cases, fireworks – which are different from stage pyrotechnics and sometimes illegally used indoors – have played a role. The Lame Horse nightclub fire, which killed 156 people in Russia in 2009, was caused by a spark from fireworks igniting a low ceiling covered in flammable plastic decorations.

    Even when fires don’t start from pyrotechnics or fireworks, the materials used in nightclub interiors can rapidly turn a small fire into a major disaster.

    Foam insulation, wooden panelling, plastic decorations and carpeted walls have all been key factors in past nightclub fires. In Cocoanut Grove (Boston, 1942), artificial palm trees and other flammable decorations accelerated the blaze.

    2. Overcrowding and blocked or insufficient exits

    Evacuation failures have been a factor in nearly every major nightclub fire.

    In some instances, crowds may not immediately recognise the severity of the situation, especially if they mistake alarms for false alarms or special effects (for example, smoke machines, loud music).

    Further, patrons could be intoxicated due alcohol or other drugs. Intoxication combined with potential disorientation due to dim lighting can further reduce judgement during an evacuation.

    Clearly, the best way to protect patrons is to prevent a fire from breaking out in the first place. But in settings where fire risks are inherently high, the ability to evacuate people swiftly is crucial.

    Nightclubs, however, have a poor track record when it comes to evacuation safety measures.

    Nightclubs are among the most crowded indoor spaces. While crowd density is part of a nightclub’s design and atmosphere, overcrowding beyond legal capacity is common.

    A crowd that has gradually gathered over several hours must suddenly evacuate in seconds or minutes to survive a fire. This is made more difficult by narrow hallways and limited exits, which quickly become bottlenecks when hundreds of people attempt to escape at once.

    What’s more, not all exits are always accessible during a fire. In several past nightclub disasters, locked or obstructed emergency exits have significantly worsened the death toll.

    Minimising the risks

    Nightclubs are uniquely vulnerable to fires due to a combination of structural risks, unsafe materials, overcrowding and regulatory failures.

    While human behaviour plays a role in how fires unfold in confined spaces such as nightclubs, people should be able to go for a night out and expect to come home safely.

    Regulatory oversight must ensure strict compliance with fire codes. Venues should have fire suppression systems (such as sprinklers, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors) to control or contain fires before they spread, and adequate exits.

    Nightclubs should ban indoor pyrotechnics and fireworks, as history has repeatedly shown their deadly consequences.

    Capacity limits must be enforced, and emergency exits should always be accessible.

    Australia has strict fire safety regulations for nightclubs, with venues required to have fire suppression systems, emergency exits and trained staff to manage fire risks.

    Public awareness is also key. Patrons need to understand the real risk of fires in nightclubs, and be prepared to evacuate swiftly but calmly if danger arises.

    Ruggiero Lovreglio receives funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi (NZ) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA).

    Milad Haghani 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. Many of history’s deadliest building fires have been in nightclubs. Here’s why they’re so dangerous – https://theconversation.com/many-of-historys-deadliest-building-fires-have-been-in-nightclubs-heres-why-theyre-so-dangerous-252372

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Unchanged global climate policies will cost India 19% and world 15% of GDP by 2050 | Interview with The Economic Times

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    The interview was conducted by Deepshikha Sikarwar & Vinay Pandey.
    How do you see US president Donald Trump’s election weighing in on the entire climate debate?
    We are central bankers and supervisors, so we are non-political. We are data-dependent and science-based. We are here together to discuss the impact of climate and nature-related risks on our economies. Talking about climate change in general, there are two major risks: physical risks; meaning increasing numbers of droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires. And transition risks, which are the costs and consequences of the transition to net zero.
    If climate policy falls short then, of course, economic and financial risks will increase. That’s what central banks must look at. We analyze the data and see what kind of impact climate change has on the economy. That’s our job. We must deal with these risks, and we will address them, also towards governments.
    What does the withdrawal of the US Federal Reserve mean for NGFS and its agenda? 
    The NGFS was founded at the end of 2017. At that time, we were only eight members. Now we are 144. The Fed, as you just mentioned, left in January. Except for the US, none of the members have exited so far. Instead, thirteen new members have joined since I took over as NGFS Chair at the start of 2024. So, we are still a growing organization.
    And our agenda stays the same, because it has nothing to do with the exit of one member. If we see deregulation, if we see climate being taken off the policy agenda, then we might see increasing physical risk, meaning an acceleration of climate change. And that might mean that we even become more vocal on the risks we see.
    How do you see India’s progress? What more needs to be done?
    It’s not up to me to judge the stance and actions of our colleagues from the Reserve Bank of India. I just mentioned our latest update on the long-term scenarios about GDP being 15 % lower, worldwide, than in a world without climate change. For India, the GDP loss is even bigger. If the world keeps its current policies unchanged, global temperatures are expected to rise by three degrees Celsius (on average). And this could cost India roughly 19 % of GDP by 2050, compared to a world without climate change. So, for India, we show that climate change can have even more serious consequences than elsewhere. And, at the same time, the scenarios show that India is among those countries who would benefit the most from a global transition towards net zero emissions.
    You’ve said your actions are data dependent. What is the data telling us in terms of the economic impact of climate change? Because there is also a pushback.
    We are analytical powerhouses. Our climate scenarios are our flagship product. We have set up different long-term scenarios. For example, a current policy scenario or a fragmented world one, where climate policy is delayed, divergent and/or insufficient across the globe. Or a scenario where policy would bring us to a Paris-aligned world. We look at what those different climate scenarios mean in economic terms, for GDP, inflation, productivity, and so on.
    The fifth vintage of our long-term climate scenarios was published at the start of November last year. It told us that under the current policies scenario, global GDP will be 15 % lower globally in 2050 than it would be without climate change. This is a striking number, and in fact we have reason to believe that it doesn’t even show the full picture, because we do not yet have a full set of data. It does not reflect, for example, future sea level rises, or the kind of climate migration that we might see. When we have more data, we will get more insights, and the results might even change.
    What has the conversation been like at the plenary in the backdrop of the US exit and what is the assessment of the progress made so far?
    We’ve never seen such a strong commitment as we see here in India today. More than 100 people from over 60 countries came from all around the world to be here in person. Another 100 people participated virtually. We’ve never had so many senior level representatives from central banks and financial supervisors. We have more than 25 governors or deputy governors here in India at our annual meeting. 
    What we’ve reflected on today is how political headwinds, deregulation, impact our work. And our work stays the same, because we are non-political animals, and we stick to our mandates. With so many central banks from all over the world in our network, we all have different mandates. In emerging markets or developing countries, the mandates are often not as narrow as they are in, for example, Europe. So, we do have members with broader mandates. That allows them to do different things, such as promoting green finance or other financial sector development.
    Most central banks have initiated some sort of action on tackling climate change and its economic impact. What is your assessment of the progress and what more is needed?
    With 144 members from all over the globe, there are members at completely different stages, depending on when they started and how big their capacities are. Some members are very advanced, like the French, the Dutch, the UK, and there are those who have just started or are so small that they barely have capacity.
    What are the advanced central banks doing? They have started with climate stress testing in the banking sector. For example, in Europe, we have already done a few climate stress tests. In India, Brazil and many countries in Africa, you see that climate change strongly affects food prices. We also see, in some African countries for example, that energy prices are significantly affected by climate change. We cannot rely on past data or experiences; we need a forward-looking perspective. There’s a lot of uncertainty and non-linearity. So, we must work in terms of scenarios.
    When the NGFS was set up in December 2017, there were some central banks who thought, “oh my god, there’s climate change and we do not know at all whether this will affect our work, our mandates”. We thought, “this might be such a big threat that it’s better to collaborate, put together all the resources we have and to see what will come out”. This is why the NGFS was set up. Over the years, we have not only realized that climate change really matters to the economy but also confirmed that it affects our mandates.
    The whole idea of this network is that we share our knowledge amongst our members. This is the benefit of being a member of the NGFS. And we also produce public goods like the scenarios mentioned, which can be used by financial sector players and policymakers beyond the network.
    Different governments have different commitments to climate change and central banks have different mandates. Given that, how effective can this body be?
    Climate policy is not part of our mandate. What governments do is another thing. Of course, our analysis shows that if governments take less action on climate, it will have a huge impact on the economy, often also on inflation.
    You are right, central banks globally have a wide range of different tasks and mandates. But this is also the beauty of our network. 144 different organisations learn from each other. Many members – for example emerging markets – have a lot in common with each other. These countries often form groups among peers so that they can share experience and best practice.
    Any thinking on short-term scenario mapping?
    We will soon publish our short-term scenarios with a time horizon of three to five years, hopefully in the first half of the year. We think it is important to show what will happen within this time horizon.
    Not many care about 2050 and 2100. Not many of us work over this time horizon. If you are a CEO, your contract lasts 3‑5 years. If you’re a politician, you want to be re-elected within 3‑5 years. A scenario which tells you what might happen in 2050, of course, really matters for human beings. But, to tell the story to someone who thinks short term, you need also short-term scenarios.
    © The Times Group. All rigths reserved.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Many of history’s deadliest building fires have been in nightclubs. Here’s why they’re so dangerous

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne

    A fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia has killed at least 59 people and injured more than 150. The blaze broke out at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, where around 500 people were attending a concert.

    Witnesses reported that pyrotechnics used during the performance ignited the ceiling, causing flames to spread rapidly.

    Authorities have arrested 20 people so far, including the club’s manager. Investigations continue. The North Macedonian government has declared a seven-day mourning period.

    While building fires are not limited to nightclubs, many of the most devastating building fires in history have happened in nightclubs around the world. So why are nightclubs such a risky place for deadly fires?

    A long history of nightclub fires

    A look at past nightclub fires shows just how common and deadly they’ve been in the past 100 years. We identified at least 24 nightclub fires where ten or more people died since 1940.

    Collectively, these 24 incidents account for at least 2,800 deaths, with nearly 1,300 in the 21st century alone.

    The Cocoanut Grove fire (Boston, 1942) remains the deadliest on record, killing 492 people. The club’s flammable decorations and locked exits turned what should have been an ordinary night out into one of the worst fire disasters in history.

    In Argentina, the República Cromañón fire killed 194 people in 2004, caused by pyrotechnics igniting flammable materials inside the club.

    The Kiss nightclub fire in Brazil in 2013 was even deadlier, claiming 242 lives.

    More recently, Thailand’s Mountain B nightclub fire killed 23 people in 2022.

    And in 2023, 13 people died in a fire at the Fonda Milagros nightclub in Spain.

    Now, North Macedonia’s Pulse nightclub joins this long list.

    Why are nightclubs so risky for fires?

    A review of past nightclub fires we’ve collated in our database reveals common patterns. Two key factors have contributed to the frequency and severity of these fire disasters.

    1. Pyrotechnics, fireworks and flammable materials

    One of the most common causes of nightclub fires has been the use of pyrotechnics in enclosed spaces. Pyrotechnics are controlled chemical reactions designed to produce flames, smoke, or light effects.

    They have been involved in at least six of the deadliest nightclub fires, including the recent Pulse nightclub fire in North Macedonia, as well as The Station (United States, 2003), Kiss (Brazil, 2013), Colectiv (Romania, 2015), Lame Horse (Russia, 2009) and República Cromañón (Argentina, 2004).

    When used indoors, pyrotechnics can easily ignite flammable ceiling materials, acoustic foam, or decorations.

    In some cases, fireworks – which are different from stage pyrotechnics and sometimes illegally used indoors – have played a role. The Lame Horse nightclub fire, which killed 156 people in Russia in 2009, was caused by a spark from fireworks igniting a low ceiling covered in flammable plastic decorations.

    Even when fires don’t start from pyrotechnics or fireworks, the materials used in nightclub interiors can rapidly turn a small fire into a major disaster.

    Foam insulation, wooden panelling, plastic decorations and carpeted walls have all been key factors in past nightclub fires. In Cocoanut Grove (Boston, 1942), artificial palm trees and other flammable decorations accelerated the blaze.

    2. Overcrowding and blocked or insufficient exits

    Evacuation failures have been a factor in nearly every major nightclub fire.

    In some instances, crowds may not immediately recognise the severity of the situation, especially if they mistake alarms for false alarms or special effects (for example, smoke machines, loud music).

    Further, patrons could be intoxicated due alcohol or other drugs. Intoxication combined with potential disorientation due to dim lighting can further reduce judgement during an evacuation.

    Clearly, the best way to protect patrons is to prevent a fire from breaking out in the first place. But in settings where fire risks are inherently high, the ability to evacuate people swiftly is crucial.

    Nightclubs, however, have a poor track record when it comes to evacuation safety measures.

    Nightclubs are among the most crowded indoor spaces. While crowd density is part of a nightclub’s design and atmosphere, overcrowding beyond legal capacity is common.

    A crowd that has gradually gathered over several hours must suddenly evacuate in seconds or minutes to survive a fire. This is made more difficult by narrow hallways and limited exits, which quickly become bottlenecks when hundreds of people attempt to escape at once.

    What’s more, not all exits are always accessible during a fire. In several past nightclub disasters, locked or obstructed emergency exits have significantly worsened the death toll.

    Minimising the risks

    Nightclubs are uniquely vulnerable to fires due to a combination of structural risks, unsafe materials, overcrowding and regulatory failures.

    While human behaviour plays a role in how fires unfold in confined spaces such as nightclubs, people should be able to go for a night out and expect to come home safely.

    Regulatory oversight must ensure strict compliance with fire codes. Venues should have fire suppression systems (such as sprinklers, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors) to control or contain fires before they spread, and adequate exits.

    Nightclubs should ban indoor pyrotechnics and fireworks, as history has repeatedly shown their deadly consequences.

    Capacity limits must be enforced, and emergency exits should always be accessible.

    Australia has strict fire safety regulations for nightclubs, with venues required to have fire suppression systems, emergency exits and trained staff to manage fire risks.

    Public awareness is also key. Patrons need to understand the real risk of fires in nightclubs, and be prepared to evacuate swiftly but calmly if danger arises.

    Ruggiero Lovreglio receives funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi (NZ) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA).

    Milad Haghani 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. Many of history’s deadliest building fires have been in nightclubs. Here’s why they’re so dangerous – https://theconversation.com/many-of-historys-deadliest-building-fires-have-been-in-nightclubs-heres-why-theyre-so-dangerous-252372

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump is surveying Australian academics about gender diversity and China – what does this mean for unis and their research?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Walker-Munro, Senior Lecturer (Law), Southern Cross University

    Shortly after taking office, US President Donald Trump issued executive orders banning federal funding on so-called “woke” research.

    This is part of his broader ban on all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, grants and programs in the US government.

    These orders are massive in scope, impacting studies as varied as stroke recovery, computing and ancient languages.

    The impact in the United States so far has been dramatic. Some universities are already cutting student admissions and looking at ways to shed academic staff and researchers.

    Now the ban has impacted Australian researchers who have links to US government-funded projects. The Trump Administration is asking for information on how their research fits in with US foreign and domestic policy.

    What has happened?

    The US government has sent a 36-point questionnaire to some Australian researchers who are working on joint projects with US colleagues.

    ABC Radio National reports at least eight Australian universities are involved. Their research areas include foreign aid, medicine, vaccines and defence. The New York Times reports a similar document has also been sent to other overseas organisations with US funding links.

    The questions are wide-ranging and cover academics’ links to China as well as their projects’ focus on topics such as diversity, inclusion and gender identity, as well as climate change.

    Some of the specific questions include:

    Can you confirm that your organisation has not received ANY funding from PRC People’s Republic of China, Russia, Cuba or Iran?

    Can you confirm that this is no DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] project or DEI elements of the project? [sic]

    Does this project take appropriate measures to protect women and to defend against gender ideology as defined in the below Executive Order?

    Can you confirm this is not a climate or “environmental justice” project or include such elements?

    The survey also covers issues such as secure borders with Mexico, ending government waste, terrorism, the war on opioids, and “eradicating anti-Christian bias”.

    Concern and anger

    In response, the Group of Eight (which represents Australia’s top research universities) and Australian Academy of Science have separately raised concerns with the Australian government about the survey and its impact on Australian research.

    The Group of Eight says the US has already suspended or terminated research grants with six of its eight member universities.

    The National Tertiary Education Union also labelled the survey “blatant foreign interference”.

    A spokesperson for Education Minister Jason Clare says Australia is
    “engaging with the US government to understand what these measures mean for future funding and collaboration”.

    Are Trump’s orders legal?

    Trump’s executive orders are currently the subject of numerous lawsuits in the US. Plaintiffs say Trump’s orders violate the First and Fifth Amendments – those dealing with protection of free speech, equal protection and “due process of law” when depriving a citizen of property.

    Whether Trump’s orders are legal or not is a tricky question, and will likely come down the judges hearing each case.

    In the meantime, US government agencies are withholding funding anyway. Reports also suggests Trump has instructed his administration to ignore court orders – hardly surprising, given Trump’s history of contempt of US courts.

    What does this mean for Australia?

    US involvement in Australian research is significant. According to the Academy of Science, US government research funding involving Australian research organisations was $A386 million in 2024.

    It is arguable Trump’s orders infringe Australian sovereignty. But the US has always had the capacity to interfere in Australian university research – it just hasn’t actually done it until now.

    Research contracts signed between universities and funding bodies can contain all kinds of requirements, so US law can end up applying to Australian researchers. When the AUKUS deal was announced in 2021, a huge question was how universities would comply with notoriously harsh US export control laws.

    The survey indicates it was issued by the US Office of Management and Budget and appears to be supported by the US CHIPS and Science Act (which authorises certain research investments) and National Science Foundation policies. So, while Australian researchers could potentially ignore these questionnaires, that would legally give a US funding body grounds to cancel the funding contract.

    Our foreign interference laws also weren’t designed for situations like this. Even if they did, Trump is the current head of the US government, and is likely to be immune from prosecution

    Statutory tests for foreign interference – including criteria that such acts are covert, and/or involve threats of harm – simply don’t apply to a US president like Trump.

    So legally, it doesn’t look like there is much Australia can do about Trump’s orders.

    What can Australia do?

    Some newly unemployed researchers are now poised to leave the US, taking their research with them. This poses a potential security risk, with countries such as China and Russia both keen to capitalise on Trump’s decisions.

    But other nations are also aware of the possibilities. The European Union has already offered displaced US scientists a more “sympathetic place to work”. South Korea and Canada are also marketing themselves as attractive options. Australia could follow suit.

    The federal government is currently doing a strategic review of Australia’s research and development system. This could make diversifying our research partners a national priority.

    This could include revisiting a 2023 decision, not to join Horizon Europe – the European Union’s key research fund.

    Either way, given such radical changes in the US, Australia needs to seriously reconsider how it is funding and structuring research.

    Brendan Walker-Munro has consulted for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, and is also an Adjunct Expert Associate of the National Security College. He has received funding from the Social Cyber Institute and Active Cyber Defence Alliance.

    – ref. Trump is surveying Australian academics about gender diversity and China – what does this mean for unis and their research? – https://theconversation.com/trump-is-surveying-australian-academics-about-gender-diversity-and-china-what-does-this-mean-for-unis-and-their-research-252282

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Fatal crash following fleeing driver incident, Penrose

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Please attribute to Detective Inspector Kevan Verry, Counties Manukau CIB:

    Police are continuing with a critical incident investigation surrounding the events leading up a fatal crash in Penrose yesterday afternoon.

    One person has died, and another person remains in a critical condition after a driver allegedly fled from Police and crashed on Great South Road just before 2pm.

    Today, Police are in a position to release some further information as our enquiries continue.

    A 22-year-old man will appear in Manukau District Court on Friday charged with reckless driving causing death and reckless driving causing injury following yesterday’s incident.

    Shortly before 2pm, a Police officer sighted a vehicle travelling at excess speed along Vestey Drive.

    Moments later the vehicle crossed the centre line and crashed into two other vehicles near the intersection of Great South Road, Penrose and Sundown Lane.

    A passenger from one of the vehicles struck was pronounced deceased at the scene and the driver of the same vehicle was transported to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.

    The driver of the other vehicle hit sustained minor injuries and did not require medical treatment.

    The driver of the speeding vehicle was transported to hospital in a critical condition, and remains in hospital in a stable condition.

    We would like to acknowledge the impact that yesterday’s events will have had on the community and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

    We are providing support to those affected and their families, as well as our staff who were impacted.

    Until the next of kin notifications have been carried out, further details regarding the deceased are unable to be released.

    There are now several investigations underway, including a critical incident investigation and a policy, practice, and procedure investigation.

    As is standard procedure, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has also been notified.

    A scene examination was completed yesterday and the Serious Crash Unit and staff are working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.

    Police are also appealing to any witnesses who may have seen the a grey Holden Commodore in the Panama Road, Great South Road and Vestey Drive areas between 1.30pm-2pm yesterday.

    Anyone with information or footage is urged to contact Police to assist with the investigation.

    Please update Police online or call 105 and use the reference number 250316/5377 or cite ‘Operation Kershaw ’.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Getting a better deal for Australian artists globally

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    Australian artists can expect more money in their pockets when their works are resold overseas, with international reciprocity being extended to a further nine countries under the Albanese Labor Government’s Resale Royalty Scheme.

    The nine countries are: Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Uruguay. This takes the list of total participating countries to 26.

    Under the Scheme, visual artists are entitled to a five per cent share on eligible resales of their original works valued at $1,000 or more in Australia, and the ability to access local schemes in participating countries when their works are resold there.

    The extension delivers on the Government’s commitment outlined in the National Cultural Policy, Revive, to enhance the scheme to provide royalty payments to artists, including First Nations artists, under international arrangements.

    The changes come into effect on 31 March 2025. 

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the expanded list would give artists the remuneration they deserve. 

    “We’re ensuring Australian artists are properly compensated for their work when they first sell it and on future sales. Just like when you purchase a book or an album, the artist gets a cut each time.

    “So far more than $16 million in royalties have been generated, which artists would have otherwise missed out on.

    “Our Government is committed to creating a fairer playing field and supporting our home-grown talent both locally and abroad.”

    The Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artist Act 2009 provides visual artists with royalty rights similar to other creators such as songwriters or authors.

    Under the act, auction houses and galleries are required to report resales to Copyright Agency, which determines eligibility, collects royalties and pays them to artists. 

    To learn more about the resale royalty scheme including additional countries visit | Resale Royalty Scheme | Office for the Arts 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: SUNDAY SHOWS: American Strength Is Back Under President Trump

    Source: The White House

    This morning, the Trump Administration took to the TV networks to make clear to the country and world that American strength is back – and no longer will terrorist attacks on U.S. troops and vital international commerce be tolerated.

    Here’s what you missed:

    President Trump on Full Measure

    • On securing the border: “You just needed a new president … I said, ‘close the border’ — and they closed the border.”
    • On tariffs: “We have companies moving into the United States at levels that has never been seen before.”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Face the Nation

    • On Houthi terrorist attacks in the Red Sea: “In the last 18 months, the Houthis have struck or attacked … the U.S. Navy 174 times, and 145 times, they’ve attacked commercial shipping. So, we basically have a band of pirates with guided precision anti-ship weaponry exacting a toll system in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. That’s just not sustainable.”
    • On revoking visas for terrorist sympathizers: “When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest … If you tell us when you apply for a visa, ‘I’m coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events,’ that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States … If you had told us you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa.”
    • On tariffs: “I understand why these countries don’t like it — because the status quo of trade is good for them. It benefits them … We are going to set a new status quo … We have de-industrialized the United States of America. There are things we can no longer make.”

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Sunday Morning Futures

    • On U.S. strikes against Houthi terrorists: “An era of peace through strength is back … This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence … The minute the Houthis say ‘we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting.”
    • On President Trump’s agenda: “Shipbuilding, long-range munitions, hypersonics, long-range drones, a Golden Dome, southern border – the president has laid out very clearly his agenda to rebuild the U.S. military … We have revived the warrior ethos.”

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on This Week

    • On U.S. strikes against Houthi terrorists: “These were not pinprick, back and forth, what ultimately proved to be feckless attacks. This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.”

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Fox News Sunday

    • On negotiations for peace in Ukraine: “As both President Putin and Zelensky said on our first call just a few weeks ago, only President Trump could drive this to an end … We know who we’re dealing with on all sides.”

    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Meet the Press

    • On President Trump’s economic agenda: “One week does not the market make… It would have been very easy for us to come in, run these reckless policies that have been happening before. We’ve got these large government deficits… We are bringing those down in a responsible way.”
    • On tariffs: “Chinese manufacturers will eat the price … I believe that the currency adjusts … If we’re de-regulating, if we’re getting energy prices down, then if we look across the spectrum, Americans will realize lower prices and better affordability.”

    Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on State of the Union

    • On negotiations to end the war in Ukraine: “Before this visit, there was another visit, and before that visit, the two sides were miles apart … The two sides are, today, a lot closer … We’ve narrowed the differences.”
    • On when a deal to end the war could be possible: “The president uses the timeframe weeks — and I don’t disagree with him. I am really hopeful that we’re going to see some real progress here.”
    • On dealing with Hamas: “What happened with the Houthis yesterday, what happened with our strike, ought to inform as to where we stand with the regard to terrorism and our tolerance level for terrorist actions — and I would encourage Hamas to get much more sensible.”

    Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday Morning Futures

    • On securing our homeland: “The president signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act against Tren de Aragua members who have invaded our country … The president invoked this authority to deport nearly 300 of them who are now in El Salvador, where they will be behind bars where they belong.”
    • On activist legal challenges: “President Trump is not shy of resistance … Clearly, there are left-wing activists who sit behind a bench in a courthouse who don’t like this president and his policies, but the fact is everything President Trump is doing is within his executive authority.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Raises Canadian National Flag at Colorado State Capitol to Celebrate March 15th as Colorado Canada Friendship Day

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis will celebrate Colorado Canada Friendship Day by raising the Canadian National Flag at the Colorado State Capitol, and in the evening, lighting up the Capitol with the Canadian white and red. 

    “From maple syrup to hockey players and much more, we in Colorado appreciate our friendship and close ties with Canada. Raising the Canadian flag today is symbolic of our friendship, showing that when we work together, even in challenging times, we grow our economy and make the people of both sovereign nations better off. I am grateful for our friends to the north, and look forward to annually celebrating Colorado Canada Friendship day,” said Governor Polis. 

    “Thank you, Governor Polis, for recognizing the strength of the Canada and Colorado relationship. Canadians appreciate your gesture today. I am proud to see Canada’s flag flying alongside Colorado’s at the State Capitol, which reaffirms our partnership, friendship, and alliance!” said Sylvain Fabi, Consul General of Canada in Denver. 

    In 2023, Colorado exported $1.8 billion in Colorado goods and produce to Canada, accounting for 18% of Colorado’s trade exports. Nearly a quarter of those exports were from Colorado beef, supporting our local hardworking farmers and ranchers. In the same year, 176,612 visitors traveled from Canada to enjoy Colorado, strengthening our tourism industry and supporting small businesses and our economy. Colorado is also home to 272 Canadian-owned companies employing 21,000 Colorado workers. The Capital will be lit red and white tonight to showcase. Colorado Canada friendship. 

    The Governor will also be hosting a Colorado Mexico Friendship Day. Details are forthcoming. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s English language order upends America’s long multilingual history

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mark Turin, Associate professor, Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia

    Across its nearly 250-year history, the United States has never had an official language. On March 1, U.S. President Donald Trump changed that when he signed an executive order designating English as the country’s sole official language. The order marks a fundamental rupture from the American goverment’s long-standing approach to languages.

    “From the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language,” Trump’s order states. “It is in America’s best interest for the federal government to designate one — and only one — official language.”

    This new order also revokes a language-access provision contained in an earlier executive order from 2000 that aimed to improve access to services for people with limited English. Federal agencies now seem to have no obligation to provide vital information in other languages.

    Despite some reactions in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere, it remains unclear whether Trump’s executive order will face legal or political challenges. Amid continual attacks from the Trump administration on established norms, this decree may pass with relatively little resistance, despite a deeper meaning that extends far beyond language.

    Multilingual realities and monolingual fantasies

    The U.S. has a long multilingual history, beginning with the hundreds of Indigenous languages indelibly linked to these lands. The secondary layer are colonial languages and their variants, including French in Louisiana and Spanish in the Southwest. In all historical periods, immigrant languages from around the world have added substantially to the linguistic mix that makes up the U.S.

    Today, New York is one of world’s most linguistically diverse cities, with other U.S. coastal cities not far behind. According to data from the Census Bureau, one-fifth of all Americans can speak two or more languages. The social, economic and cognitive benefits of bilingualism are well-established, and there is no data to support the assertion that speaking more than one language threatens the integrity of the nation state.

    A building in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, which hosts speakers of diverse South Asian languages and their associations, April 17, 2017.
    (Ross Perlin)

    English has long functioned as a pragmatic lingua franca for the U.S. Yet an American tendency towards ideological monolingualism is gathering momentum.

    The emergence of Spanish as the nation’s second language, with well over 40 million speakers, has generated a particular anxiety. During the last few decades, more than 30 American states have enshrined English as an official language.

    Linguistic insecurity

    The March 1 executive order is a crowning achievement for the “English-only movement.” Trump has tapped directly into this sentiment and its xenophobic preoccupations, rooted in white fragility and white supremacy.

    In 2015, during his first bid for the Oval Office, Trump reprimanded Jeb Bush, the bilingual former governor of Florida, during a televised debate, stating: “This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.”

    Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2024, Trump gave voice to his own linguistic insecurity:

    “We have languages coming into our country. We don’t have one instructor in our entire nation that can speak that language…These are languages — it’s the craziest thing — they have languages that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing.”

    Beyond the brazen untruths and intentional exaggerations, such statements only reflect weakness and fear. The March 1 executive order states that “a nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society.”

    It is in fact a sign of strength that Americans have not needed such a mandate until now, effectively navigating their complex multilingual reality without top-down legislation.

    English around the world

    It’s instructive to compare the language policy of the U.S. with other settler colonial contexts where English is dominant.

    In neighbouring Canada, the 1969 Official Languages Act grants equal status to English and French — two languages that were brought European migrants — and requires all federal institutions to provide services in both languages on request. Revealingly, only 50 years later did Canada finally pass an Indigenous Languages Act granting modest recognition to the original languages of the land.

    While Australia’s constitution specifies no official language, the government promotes English as the “national language,” and then offers to translate some web pages into other languages.

    Navigating the distinction between de facto and de jure, New Zealand has taken a more considered approach. Recognizing that English is unthreatened and secure, even without legal backing, New Zealand legislators have focused their attention elsewhere. Te reo Māori was granted official language status in 1987, followed by New Zealand Sign Language in 2006.

    Even the colonial centre and origin point for the global spread of English, the United Kingdom assumes a nuanced position on language policy. Welsh and Irish have both received some official recognition, while in Scotland, the Bòrd na Gàidhlig continues to advocate for official recognition of Gaelic.

    Principle and practice

    Trump’s recent executive order is both practical and symbolic.

    Practically, it remains unclear what the order means for Spanish in Puerto Rico, the Indigenous languages of Hawaii and Alaska — which have received official recognition — for American Sign Language and for all the multilingual communities that make up the nation.

    Language access can be a matter of life or death.

    Interpretation in courts, hospitals and schools is a fundamental human right. No one should be barred from accessing vital services simply because they don’t speak English, whether that’s when dealing with a judge, a doctor or a teacher. The consequences of government agencies abandoning their already limited efforts at translation and interpretation could have huge ramifications.

    Symbolically, Trump’s order is red meat for his MAGA followers. Associating national integrity with the promotion of one language above others might seem to reflect American exceptionalism, but it in fact destroys the cultural and linguistic diversity that makes the U.S. exceptional.

    Ironically, this executive order brings the U.S. into alignment with most of the world’s other nation-states — albeit not the ones that speak English as their first language — which seek to impose the standardized language of an ethnic majority on all of their citizens. The consequences can be both polarizing and homogenizing.

    Most of the world’s people are resolutely multilingual and are only becoming more so. Americans will not stop speaking, writing and signing in languages other than English because of an executive order. The linguistic dynamism of the U.S. is essential to the country’s social fabric. It should be nurtured and defended.

    Mark Turin receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Tokyo College, the University of Tokyo.

    Ross Perlin has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

    – ref. Trump’s English language order upends America’s long multilingual history – https://theconversation.com/trumps-english-language-order-upends-americas-long-multilingual-history-252163

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Guam at decolonisation ‘crossroads’ with resolution on US statehood

    By Mar-Vic Cagurangan in Hagatna, Guam

    Debate on Guam’s future as a US territory has intensified with its legislature due to vote on a non-binding resolution to become a US state amid mounting Pacific geostrategic tensions and expansionist declarations by the Trump administration.

    Located closer to Beijing than Hawai’i, Guam serves as a key US strategic asset, known as the “tip of the spear,” with 10,000 military personnel, an air base for F-35 fighters and B-2 bombers and home port for Virginia-class nuclear submarines.

    The small US territory of 166,000 people is also listed by the UN for decolonisation and last year became an associate member at the Pacific Islands Forum.

    Local Senator William A. Parkinson introduced the resolution to the legislature last Wednesday and called for Guam to be fully integrated into the American union, possibly as the 51st state.

    “We are standing in a moment of history where two great empires are standing face-to-face with each other, about to go to war,” Parkinson said at a press conference on Thursday.

    “We have to be real about what’s going on in this part of the world. We are a tiny island but we are too strategically important to be left alone. Stay with America or do we let ourselves be absorbed by China?”

    His resolution states the decision “must be built upon the informed consent of the people of Guam through a referendum”.

    Trump’s expansionist policies
    Parkinson’s resolution comes as US President Donald Trump advocates territorially expansionist policies, particularly towards the strategically located Danish-ruled autonomous territory of Greenland and America’s northern neighbour, Canada.

    “This one moment in time, this one moment in history, the stars are aligning so that the geopolitics of the United States favour statehood for Guam,” Parkinson said. “This is an opportunity we cannot pass up.”

    Guam Legislature Senator William A. Parkinson holds a press conference after introducing his resolution. BenarNews screenshot APR

    As a territory, Guam residents are American citizens but they cannot vote for the US president and their lone delegate to the Congress has no voting power on the floor.

    The US acquired Guam, along with Puerto Rico, in 1898 after winning the Spanish-American War, and both remain unincorporated territories to this day.

    Independence advocates and representatives from the Guam Commission on Decolonisation regularly testify at the UN’s Decolonisation Committee, where the island has been listed as a Non-Self-Governing Territory since 1946.

    Commission on Decolonisation executive director Melvin Won Pat-Borja said he was not opposed to statehood but is concerned if any decision on Guam’s status was left to the US.

    “Decolonisation is the right of the colonised,” he said while attending Parkinson’s press conference, the Pacific Daily News reported.

    ‘Hands of our coloniser’
    “It’s counterintuitive to say that, ‘we’re seeking a path forward, a path out of this inequity,’ and then turn around and put it right back in the hands of our coloniser.

    “No matter what status any of us prefer, ultimately that is not for any one of us to decide, but it is up to a collective decision that we have to come to, and the only way to do it is via referendum,” he said, reports Kuam News.

    With the geostrategic competition between the US and China in the Pacific, Guam has become increasingly significant in supporting American naval and air operations, especially in the event of a conflict over Taiwan or in the South China Sea.

    The two US bases have seen Guam’s economy become heavily reliant on military investments and tourism.

    The Defence Department holds about 25 percent of Guam’s land and is preparing to spend billions to upgrade the island’s military infrastructure as another 5000 American marines relocate there from Japan’s Okinawa islands.

    Guam is also within range of Chinese and North Korean ballistic missiles and the US has trialed a defence system, with the first tests held in December.

    Governor Lou Leon Guerrero delivers her “State of the Island” address in Guam on Tuesday . . . “Guam cannot be the linchpin of American security in the Asian-Pacific if nearly 14,000 of our residents are without shelter . . .” Image: Office of the Governor of Guam/Benar News

    The “moment in history” for statehood may also be defined by the Trump administration spending cuts, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero warned in her “state of the island” address on Wednesday.

    Military presence leveraged
    The island has in recent years leveraged the increased military presence to demand federal assistance and the territory’s treasury relies on at least US$0.5 billion in annual funding.

    “Let us be clear about this: Guam cannot be the linchpin of American security in the Asian-Pacific if nearly 14,000 of our residents are without shelter, because housing aid to Guam is cut, or if 36,000 of our people lose access to Medicaid and Medicare coverage keeping them healthy, alive and out of poverty,” Guerrero said.

    Parkinson’s proposed legislative resolution calls for an end to 125-plus years of US colonial uncertainty.

    “The people of Guam, as the rightful stewards of their homeland, must assert their inalienable right to self-determination,” states the resolution, including that there be a “full examination of statehood or enhanced autonomous status for Guam.”

    “Granting Guam equal political status would signal unequivocally that Guam is an integral part of the United States, deterring adversaries who might otherwise perceive Guam as a mere expendable outpost.”

    If adopted by the Guam legislature, the non-binding resolution would be transmitted to the White House.

    A local statute enacted in 2000 for a political status plebiscite on statehood, independence or free association has become bogged down in US courts.

    ‘Reject colonial status quo’
    Neil Weare, a former Guam resident and co-director of Right to Democracy, said the self-determination process must be centred on what the people of Guam want, “not just what’s best for US national security”.

    “Right to Democracy does not take a position on political status, other than to reject the undemocratic and colonial status quo,” Weare said on behalf of the nonprofit organisation that advocates for rights and self-determination in US territories.

    “People can have different views on what is the best solution to this problem, but we should all be in agreement that the continued undemocratic rule of millions of people in US territories is wrong and needs to end.”

    He said the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence next year can open a new venue for a conversation about key concepts — such as the “consent of the governed” — involving Guam and other US territories.

    Republished from BenarNews with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bahía Blanca Inundated

    Source: NASA

    Intense rainfall triggered deadly flash flooding in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, in late austral summer 2025. The city received approximately 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain in 8 hours on March 7, local authorities told news outlets—about two-thirds the average amount the area sees in one year.
    The false-color images above show the city and its surroundings on January 30 (left) and March 11 (right), before and after the rainstorm. They were acquired with the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 and the OLI on Landsat 8, respectively. The band combination (7-5-4) used in the images makes it easier to distinguish between water, land, and vegetation. Flooded areas are visible in developed areas, particularly near the coast, as well as in the surrounding fields.
    The water level in the channels looks similar in the two images, but it fluctuates significantly with tides and weather. The average tidal range, or difference between high and low tides, at the Ingeniero White port is about 3.6 meters (11.8 feet). Prevailing winds that blow parallel to the main channels can accelerate or delay the tidal wave. Increases in suspended sediment after the storm may account for some of the variation in color between the two images. The rest of the estuary also appears more saturated.
    The intense rain on March 7 set a record for daily precipitation in Bahía Blanca, toppling the previous mark of 175 millimeters (6.9 inches) from 1930, officials reported. A cold front moving through the region triggered the severe weather, causing warm, humid air from a recent heatwave to rise, cool, and condense.
    Flash flooding submerged parts of the city in more than 2 meters of water, according to news reports. The deadly storm also forced the evacuation of a hospital and more than 1,000 residents from their homes. Floodwaters damaged roadways, causing multiple sections of National Route 3 to close. Bahía Blanca is home to more than 330,000 people and is a major port in Buenos Aires province.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNE LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

     

     

    News Release 2025-43

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    March 14, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez issued the following statement after a federal judge in the United States District Court for Maryland issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) for 18 federal agencies, ordering them to stop the illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees and to reinstate fired employees by 1:00pm (ET) on Monday, March 17, 2025. 

     

    “President Trump blindsided the states when he fired thousands of federal probationary employees without giving them the 60-day notice required by law. He jeopardized these employees’ financial security and risked overwhelming the states’ ability to help those who were out of work.

     

    “This ruling not only requires the Trump administration to stop these indiscriminate and unlawful layoffs but also orders it to undo the harm inflicted across the country by restoring the jobs of hardworking federal employees.  

     

    “These mass firings reflect a disregard for both the law and the essential role of the civil service in maintaining government stability. Our office is committed to upholding the rule of law and will take every necessary legal step to ensure compliance with this court order.” 

     

    The TRO comes seven days after Attorney General Lopez joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injuries to the plaintiff states. The TRO stops the unlawful mass firings, orders the agencies to give those employees their jobs back, and applies to the following 18 federal agencies:

     

     

    The state of Hawaiʻi is represented in this matter by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day.

     

    Information on the original lawsuit can be found here.

     

    Attorney General Lopez was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    A PROCLAMATION

    Tren de Aragua (TdA) is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization with thousands of members, many of whom have unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States. TdA operates in conjunction with Cártel de los Soles, the Nicolas Maduro regime-sponsored, narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela, and commits brutal crimes, including murders, kidnappings, extortions, and human, drug, and weapons trafficking. TdA has engaged in and continues to engage in mass illegal migration to the United States to further its objectives of harming United States citizens, undermining public safety, and supporting the Maduro regime’s goal of destabilizing democratic nations in the Americas, including the United States.

    TdA is closely aligned with, and indeed has infiltrated, the Maduro regime, including its military and law enforcement apparatus. TdA grew significantly while Tareck El Aissami served as governor of Aragua between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, El Aissami was appointed as Vice President of Venezuela. Soon thereafter, the United States Department of the Treasury designated El Aissami as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, 21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. El Aissami is currently a United States fugitive facing charges arising from his violations of United States sanctions triggered by his Department of the Treasury designation.

    Like El Aissami, Nicolas Maduro, who claims to act as Venezuela’s President and asserts control over the security forces and other authorities in Venezuela, also maintains close ties to regime-sponsored narco-terrorists. Maduro leads the regime-sponsored enterprise Cártel de los Soles, which coordinates with and relies on TdA and other organizations to carry out its objective of using illegal narcotics as a weapon to “flood” the United States. In 2020, Maduro and other regime members were charged with narcoterrorism and other crimes in connection with this plot against America.

    Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA. The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States. Indeed, in December 2024, INTERPOL Washington confirmed: “Tren de Aragua has emerged as a significant threat to the United States as it infiltrates migration flows from Venezuela.” Evidence irrefutably demonstrates that TdA has invaded the United States and continues to invade, attempt to invade, and threaten to invade the country; perpetrated irregular warfare within the country; and used drug trafficking as a weapon against our citizens.

    Based upon a review of TdA’s activities, and in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, on February 20, 2025, acting pursuant to the authority in 8 U.S.C. 1189, the Secretary of State designated TdA as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    As President of the United States and Commander in Chief, it is my solemn duty to protect the American people from the devastating effects of this invasion. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., hereby proclaim and direct as follows:

    Section 1. I find and declare that TdA is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States. TdA is undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare against the territory of the United States both directly and at the direction, clandestine or otherwise, of the Maduro regime in Venezuela. I make these findings using the full extent of my authority to conduct the Nation’s foreign affairs under the Constitution. Based on these findings, and by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 50 U.S.C. 21, I proclaim that all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies. I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are, by virtue of their membership in that organization, chargeable with actual hostility against the United States and are therefore ineligible for the benefits of 50 U.S.C. 22. I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are a danger to the public peace or safety of the United States.

    Sec. 2. I direct the Attorney General, within 60 days of the date of this proclamation, to prepare and publish a letter under her signature declaring the policy described in section 1 of this proclamation as the policy of the United States and attaching this proclamation. I direct the Attorney General to transmit this letter to the Chief Justice of the United States, the chief judge of every circuit court of appeals, the chief judge of every district and territorial court of the United States, each Governor of a State and territory of the United States, and the highest-ranking judicial officer of each State and territory of the United States.

    Sec. 3. I direct that all Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation are subject to immediate apprehension, detention, and removal, and further that they shall not be permitted residence in the United States.

    Sec. 4. Pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with applicable law, apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove every Alien Enemy described in section 1 of this proclamation. The Secretary of Homeland Security retains discretion to apprehend and remove any Alien Enemy under any separate authority.

    Sec. 5. All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall collaborate with law enforcement officials of the United States and with appropriate State, local, and tribal officials, to use all lawful means to apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation.

    Sec. 6. Pursuant to my authority under 50 U.S.C. 21 to direct the conduct to be observed on the part of the United States toward the Alien Enemies subject to this proclamation, to direct the manner and degree of the restraint to which such Alien Enemies shall be subject and in what cases, to provide for the removal of such Alien Enemies, and to establish any other regulations which are found necessary “in the premises and for the public safety,” I hereby direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to execute all the regulations hereinafter contained regarding the Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security are further directed to cause the apprehension, detention, and removal of all members of TdA who otherwise qualify as Alien Enemies under section 1 of this proclamation. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security are authorized to take all necessary actions under the Alien Enemies Act to effectuate this proclamation, consistent with applicable law. In doing so, and for such purpose, they are authorized to utilize agents, agencies, and officers of the United States Government and of the several States, territories, dependencies, and municipalities thereof and of the District of Columbia. All such agents, agencies, and officers are hereby granted full authority for all acts done by them in the execution of such regulations when acting by direction of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as the case may be.

    Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., I hereby declare and establish the following regulations which I find necessary “in the premises and for the public safety”:

    (a) No Alien Enemy described in section 1 of this proclamation shall enter, attempt to enter, or be found within any territory subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Any such Alien Enemy who enters, attempts to enter, or is found within such territory shall be immediately apprehended and detained until removed from the United States. All such Alien Enemies, wherever found within any territory subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are subject to summary apprehension.

    (b) Alien Enemies apprehended pursuant to this proclamation shall be subject to detention until removed from the United States in such place of detention as may be directed by the officers responsible for the execution of these regulations.

    (c) Alien Enemies shall be subject to removal to any such location as may be directed by the officers responsible for the execution of these regulations consistent with applicable law.

    (d) All property in the possession of, or traceable to, an Alien Enemy, which is used, intended to be used, or is commonly used to perpetrate the hostile activity and irregular warfare of TdA, along with evidence of such hostile activity and irregular warfare, shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture.

    The Attorney General is further granted authority, pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act and 3 U.S.C. 301, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to issue any guidance necessary to effectuate the prompt apprehension, detention, and removal of all Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation. Any such guidance shall be effective immediately upon issuance by the Attorney General.
    This proclamation and the directives and regulations prescribed herein shall extend and apply to all land and water, continental or insular, in any way within the jurisdiction of the United States.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Several charged in firearms conspiracy linked to weapons at Canadian border

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

    HOUSTON – Seven people have been arrested following the return of a nine-count indictment in a conspiracy to provide false information to federal firearms licensed dealers, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Authorities have now taken the final man charged into custody in Chicago. Gemale Sheali, 23, Houston, is expected to make his initial appearance there and will then be ordered to appear for his arraignment in Houston in the near future. 

    The other six – Eddylson Patino, 23, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in Houston, Mozambique citizen Muhammad Dagha, 22, who also illegally resided in Houston, and Abuelgasim Siddig, 23, Omar Farooq, 24, Erik Aguirre, 23, and Andres Ferman, 24, all of Houston – were previously taken into custody and made appearances in federal court.

    According to the charges, the investigation began following the discovery of 68 firearms, including a suppressor, firearm magazines and ammunition, in Neche, North Dakota, along the Canadian border. The indictment alleges some of the Houston-area conspirators had purchased some of the recovered firearms. Further investigation allegedly revealed the conspirators had been acquiring the weapons on behalf of the conspiracy by providing false information to federal firearms licensed dealers. 

    According to the indictment, beginning around 2024, the conspirators acquired firearms by providing false information as to being the actual purchaser to federal firearms licensed dealers. The investigation allegedly linked two guns, respectively recovered in Mexico and Canada, to the conspiracy.

    It is alleged that Patino was responsible for obtaining firearms for later exportation out of the United States, while Dagha recruited conspirators to purchase them on behalf of Patino. Both are charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting providing false information to federal firearms licensed dealers.

    Siddig, Farooq, Aguirre, Sheali and Ferman are all charged with conspiracy, and providing false information to a federal firearms licensed dealers during the acquisition of firearms

    All seven face up to five years in federal prison on each count as charged and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Houston and Fargo, North Dakota, and Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Canadian law enforcement and the Houston Police Department. 

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith is prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee of the District of North Dakota. 

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches 100x Leverage Crypto Trading, No KYC, Double Deposit Bonus, and $50 Welcome Bonus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin’s price fluctuating below $100,000, many analysts predict a prolonged period of high volatility in the crypto market. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. 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. 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. 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.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8e4f9d5-733c-4f2d-ae59-f090c4d12acf

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66abe146-1313-4406-8203-172b691970d4

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d2a4935e-2679-4e80-bf28-41777a645561

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e120da17-985e-46ec-97b5-53f836fdcff8

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bocana Resources Corp. Announces Cancelation and Reissuance of Stock Option Grants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, March 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bocana Resources Corp. (TSXV: BOCA) (Frankfurt: VC1) (the “Company“) has been advised by the TSX Venture Exchange that the previously issued grant of 2,400,000 stock options to directors and officers on May 24, 2024, were issued outside of the proper timeline for the Company’s Stock-Based Compensation Plan to be effective. Therefore, the Company is canceling the previously issued stock options of May 24, 2024, and reissuing them with the same terms as previously issued.

    Each stock option entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company for $0.10 on the following terms:

        Number of
    Expiry date Vesting date stock options
    May 24, 2029 May 24, 2024 1,800,000
    June 30, 2029 June 30, 2024 300,000
    September 30, 2029 September 30, 2024 150,000
    December 31, 2029 December 31, 2024 150,000
        2,400,000
     

    About Bocana Resources Corp.

    Bocana is a mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral properties in South America. Bocana, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Huiracocha International Service SRL, holds a 100% working interest in the mineral properties known as the Escala area concessions located at the Department of Potosi, Sud Lipez Province, Bolivia, as awarded by Comibol.

    Contact Information
    For more information on Bocana, visit https://bocanaresources.com.

    For more information or interview requests, please contact:
    Timothy J. Turner – Chief Executive Officer
    info@bocanaresources.com

    This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    The TSX Venture Exchange has reviewed and approved the accuracy of this news release.

    The Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BW Energy: Issuance of shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Issuance of shares

    Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement published earlier today by BW Energy Limited (“BW Energy” or the “Company”) regarding the settlement of RSUs by issuance of shares in the Company in order to settle RSUs under BW Energy’s Long Term Incentive Program (LTIP).

    Following the issuance of shares, there are 258,066,021 issued shares in the Company, each with a nominal value of USD 0.01, all of which have been validly and legally issued and fully paid.

    For further information, please contact:

    Brice Morlot, CFO BW Energy, ir@bwenergy.no

    About BW Energy:
    BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The Company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The Company’s assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon, 100% interest in the Golfinho and Camarupim fields, a 76.5% interest in the BM-ES-23 block, a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil, and a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy. In addition, BW Energy holds approximately 6.6% of the common shares in Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. and a 20% non-operating interest in the onshore Petroleum Exploration License 73 (“PEL 73”) in Namibia. Total net 2P+2C reserves and resources were 580 million barrels of oil equivalent at the start of 2024.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA’s narrative therapist nominated for Women Changing the World Awards

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    South Africa’s world-renowned Narrative Therapist and Psychosocial Specialist, Ncazelo Mlilo, has been nominated in the prestigious Women Changing the World Awards.

    The awards, according to a statement by psychosocial organisation, Phola, are like the Grammy Awards for recognising women across the world who are doing incredible work, making a positive difference in various industries and areas, including business, sustainability, leadership, health, education, product development, innovation, and technology.

    Mlilo, who is based in Johannesburg, has been selected for two categories, the People’s Choice Award for Non-Profit and Social Enterprise, and the Women in Therapy and Counselling Services Award.

    This recognition celebrates the groundbreaking work in mental health, her development of Afrocentric, culturally sensitive narrative-based methodologies, and her dedication to empowering communities worldwide.

    The awards ceremony will take place during a summit in London, in the United Kingdom on 2-3 April 2025.

    Mlilo has over 25 years’ experience in trauma counselling.

    She has worked with children, youth, women, families, and communities to address the effects of HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence (GBV), poverty, conflict, and other hardships.

    Mlilo co-created the Tree of Life (ToL) Methodology, currently used in over 60 countries including the USA, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Iran, India, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and across Africa.

    She has developed other methodologies like COURRAGE, the Narratives in the Suitcase Project, O.U.T.R.R.A.G.E.D. for GBV prevention.

    Mlilo trains over 1 000 mental health practitioners worldwide every year, with her work reaching an estimated 100 000 people, annually.

    She is also a prominent keynote speaker at international conferences, including the Trust’s Collective Narrative Practices Conference, held in 2024 in Australia, the Narrative Therapy Centre Conference, where she spoke about the Narratives in the Suitcase, held in Australia in 2023, among others.

    As a result, her work is the intervention of choice in these global institutions, like the Dulwich Centre Foundation in Australia and NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Without us, there is no future’: Youth take over UN Women’s Commission

    Source: United Nations 2

    Women

    “Support us and include us” to achieve real progress on advancing equal rights for all, young leaders told the Commission on the Status of Women, as the forum wrapped up the first week of its annual session at the UN Headquarters, in New York, on Friday.

    “Support us and include us in intergovernmental processes,” said Ema Meçaj, a medical student and member of Albania’s youth steering committee, who was among young men and women panellists from around the world at an interactive dialogue at the 69th session of world’s largest annual conference on women (CSW69), which runs from 10 to 21 March.

    In tackling gender-based violence and poverty, prevention is key alongside inclusion, Ms. Meçaj said, emphasising that efforts must centre on reaching the most vulnerable and recommending the establishment of a holistic approach to existing international commitments for gender equality.

    Broadcast of the interactive dialogue.

    Driving towards equality

    The dialogue rounded up a busy first week, with thousands of delegates from around the world seeing the adoption of a landmark declaration on Monday as they continue to take stock of the rights of women and girls and identify challenges and paths forward to realise gender equality while gauging progress on the historical 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

    During the afternoon dialogue, youth leaders from Canada, Nepal, Nigeria and Panama identified challenges and proposed concrete solutions to pressing issues, from violence against women to equality for all, including Indigenous Peoples and women and girls with disabilities.

    They also described what the Beijing Platform for Action meant for them, from a blueprint for equal rights to a “cry of resistance”.

    Read our explainer on the UN Commission on the Status of Women here

    Gender justice for all

    Eva Chiom Chukwenele, an amputee peer counsellor at the Mobility Clinic Limited in Nigeria, said as a child, the Platform for Action meant that all girls would have the right to education, healthcare and leadership.

    “But, gender justice is incomplete when women with disabilities are not included,” she said. “The world was not designed for women with disabilities.”

    Lamenting the current dearth on data about them, she wondered “if there is no data, how can you be counted?”

    She proposed a range of actions, including inclusive data collection, accessible schools and sharing positive stories in the media to shed light on this “invisible” group.

    “When history looks back on this moment, will you be remembered as someone who broke all the barriers or as someone who allowed them to remain?” she asked the audience. “The time to act is now.”

    When history looks back on this moment, will you be remembered as someone who broke all the barriers or as someone who allowed them to remain?

    Men and boys are key players

    The active, central participation of men and boys is essential in collective efforts to realise gender equality, but this has been challenging, said Ahdithya Viseweswaran, coordinator of the Young Diplomats of Canada.

    “The stakes have never been higher,” he said. “We must stop placing the burden on women to endure and navigate the toxicity of patriarchal systems and instead confront patriarchal masculinities as a root cause of their oppression.”

    He proposed a framework for tackling the roots of inequality and violence, he said, with men and boys being seen as “indispensable” actors for change. At the heart of these efforts is reaching boys, who are not born with an inherent attachment to patriarchy, he said, adding that “we are shaped how we are raised.”

    “As men’s rights influencers and State actors weaponise their platforms to undermine the hard-won gains of gender equality, we cannot afford to falter,” he said.

    “Instead, we need to present young men and boys with a compelling alternative, one rooted in self-liberation, empathy and justice, a redefinition of masculinity that prioritises partnership over domination, liberation over oppression and shared humanity over rigid hierarchies.”

    Without us, there is no future

    We still have a long road to go … being an Indigenous woman in Latin America is not easy

    Laura Dihuignidili Huertas, a youth leader from the Guna Yala province in Panama, said collective action is key to changing the current grim realities as many of the commitments made in Beijing 30 years ago remain unfulfilled, especially in rural areas.

    “We still have a long road to go,” said Ms. Huertas, a human rights activist who founded ANYAR, a youth-led organization. “Being an Indigenous woman in Latin America is not easy.”

    Forced displacement, discrimination and poverty are among pressing daily challenges, she said, stressing that progress cannot be made if people are left behind and that the Beijing Platform for Action was “a cry of resistance”.

    “We want firm commitments and concrete results,” she said. “We are the generation that can make a reality of the dreams of Beijing, but this can only be possible if we rise up, organise and mobilise all those who have yet joined the fight because without us, there is no future.”

    UN Women/Ryan Brown

    Young people at the UN Headquarters, in New York, attending the Commission on the Status of Women.

    Leading and inspiring change

    Joining the dialogue, Sima Bahous, head of UN Women, applauded participants and encouraged their efforts to advance gender equality at a time when rights are being trampled.

    “You are leading and inspiring change,” she said.

    Young feminists are not just participants in change, but are mobilising online and off to work towards a future free of violence, inequality and poverty.

    “We cannot build a just future without those who will inherit it,” she said. “Let this be our call to action.”

    Focus on Afghan women and girls

    In a parallel side event, conference participants gathered to raise international support for and take stock of the rights of Afghan women and girls in light of a bevy of restrictive laws passed since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in the country.

    Upholding the Rights of Afghan Women and Girls Women, Peace, and Security is one of dozens of side events being held during CSW69. Check the full side events schedule here.

    Watch the full event on UN Web TV here

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Newark arrests illegal alien in New Jersey with prior conviction of vehicular homicide for illegal reentry

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended Ismael Efrain Lopez-Bautista, 43, a citizen of Guatemala, March 11 for illegal reentry after deportation in Vineland, New Jersey.

    Lopez-Bautista was previously convicted of vehicular homicide and was arrested by ICE illegal reentry. He is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey.

    “Our Cherry Hill office, with support from our with our federal partners, ensured this criminal alien was held accountable for reentering the United States illegally after deportation,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The FBI and DEA’s assistance aligns with our whole-government-approach in meeting our nation’s priorities in immigration enforcement.”

    The Vineland Police Department arrested Lopez-Bautista Oct. 31, 2012, for knowingly leaving scene of motor vehicle accident and death by auto or vessel and driving while intoxicated. On May 30, 2014, the Superior Court of New Jersey convicted Bautista for death by auto or vessel and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment.

    An immigration judge ordered Lopez-Bautista removed from the United States May 2, 2019, and ICE removed him May 16, 2019.

    On Aug. 7, 2020, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested Lopez-Bautista near Nogales, Arizona, while he was trying to illegally reenter the United States. The U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, sentenced Bautista Jan. 7, 2021, to 15-months incarceration for illegal reentry after deportation. ICE removed him from the United States for a second time May 25, 2022.

    According to the ICE investigation, Lopez-Bautista illegally reentered the United States in December 2023, through Arizona, and was residing at an address in Vineland, New Jersey. ICE HSI obtained a criminal arrest warrant from the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey and arrested him March 11.

    ICE transferred Lopez-Bautista into U.S. Marshals Service custody, pending illegal reentry prosecution and lodged an immigration detainer against him.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 4-time removed, twice convicted criminal alien sentenced to 1+ year for illegal reentry

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    March 14, 2025Fort Myers, FL, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

    FORT MYERS, Fla. – An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to Tomas Juarez-Santos, 45, a four-time removed criminal illegal alien from Mexico with two prior convictions for illegal reentry after deportation, being sentenced March 11 to more than a year in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States.

    Juarez-Santos, previously convicted in 2010 and 2019 for illegal reentry, pleaded guilty in December 2024.

    Juarez-Santos was arrested in Collier County on state criminal charges Sept. 3, 2024, and found to be present in the U.S. without legal authorization.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dominican Man Sentenced to 33 Months of Imprisonment for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ramon Medina Colon, age 50, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced on March 14, 2025, to 33 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Julia K. Munley for illegal reentry into the United States.  

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Medina Colon was first ordered removed from the United States in 2007 following his first felony conviction for criminal possession of a loaded firearm.  Thereafter, Medina Colon was discovered and removed from the United States a total of four times, following additional convictions for possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, resisting arrest, and several DUIs.  He was also previously convicted of illegal reentry into the United States in 2012.

    The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Charges

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

    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man and Guatemalan native was sentenced today to 192 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

    According to public court documents, Wilton Omar Garcia-Castillo, 19, distributed 500 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in June 2024. Two days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Garcia-Castillo’s Council Bluffs residence and located 27 pounds of methamphetamine along with a loaded firearm, an extended firearm magazine, digital scales, and more than $4,000.

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

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety–Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Council Bluffs Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Iowa State Patrol.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Exceeds 200 New Immigration Cases in 4 Days

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13.

    In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and Jaime Ricardo Lopez-Rojas, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.

    In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016.  Daniel Olivas-Nieto, also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering Charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Mexican nationals and former leaders of the Los Zetas cartel were arraigned today in Washington, D.C., on charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved multiple murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States, using firearms — including a machinegun — during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and conspiring to launder monetary instruments.

    According to court documents, Miguel Trevino Morales, also known as Z-40, Zeta40, and 40, age 52, and Omar Trevino Morales, also known as 42 and Z-42, age 48, ascended to the highest level of leadership in Los Zetas, a violent cartel comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Miguel Trevino Morales allegedly took over leadership of Los Zetas in October 2012 until his arrest by Mexican authorities in 2013, at which point, his brother, Omar Trevino Morales, allegedly assumed primary leadership of the cartel until his arrest by Mexican authorities in 2015. After their arrests, the defendants allegedly renamed Los Zetas to Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and continued to control the cartel while incarcerated in Mexico. Through the date of the fifth superseding indictment, CDN allegedly continued Los Zetas’ criminal drug trafficking activities and acts of violence including murders, assaults, kidnappings, assassinations, and acts of torture. On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated CDN as a foreign terrorist organization.

    “The Criminal Division is dedicated to achieving the Attorney General’s goal of the Total Elimination of Cartels,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As alleged, former Zetas cartel leaders Z-40 and Z-42 engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice in the United States violent transnational criminals and leaders of cartels and hold them accountable for the death and violence they have committed here and abroad and for the large amounts of dangerous drugs that devastate our communities.”

    “As alleged, the defendants represent some of the world’s most vicious cartel leaders, who oversaw Los Zetas’ reign of terror with grotesque impunity and ruthlessness, and a sheer disregard for anything beyond their wealth, power, and control,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso of ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York. “I commend ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force for consistently proving itself as a formidable opponent against cartels intent on causing harm. We will use whatever means necessary to protect the safety and security of Americans from threats both here and abroad.”

    The defendants are charged with one count each of continuing a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana for importation into the United States, use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and international money laundering conspiracy. As part of the continuing criminal enterprise count, the defendants are alleged to have engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers. Because the defendants are charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, they face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.    

    The defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests, that were not honored during the prior Administration, but the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s and the Attorney General’s leadership against Mexican drug cartels. On Feb. 27, the defendants were transferred by Mexican authorities to the United States.   

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, ICE HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.

    Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang for the Eastern District of New York, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WEEK EIGHT WINS: A Testament to American Greatness Under President Trump

    Source: The White House

    The past week was marked by another series of triumphs that underscore the commitment of President Donald J. Trump and his administration to making America stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before.

    Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week eight:

    • President Trump’s economic agenda came into focus as Americans saw needed economic relief following years of Bidenflation.
      • Consumer inflation “eased more than expected” in February, with core inflation at its lowest level in nearly four years — driven by a decline in airfare prices as Americans prepare for Spring Break.
      • Wholesale inflation came in much lower than expected in February.
      • Mortgage rates dropped to their lowest levels since December, while home purchase applications are at their highest level since January.
      • The price of a dozen eggs is down 36.6% since President Trump’s inauguration.
      • The average price for regular gas has fallen below $3/gallon in 31 states — the third straight week of decline — with the price of oil down nearly 15% since President Trump took office.
    • President Trump and his administration continued their remarkable progress in securing the border following the news that illegal crossings have plummeted to the lowest levels ever recorded.
      • In President Trump’s first 50 days, ICE arrested 32,809 illegal immigrants — nearly 75% of whom were accused or convicted criminals — virtually the same number of arrests over the entirety of Biden’s final year in office.
      • Just 77 “gotaways” were recorded in the past three weeks — a 95% decrease from the average daily number of “gotaways” under Biden in 2023.
      • Migration to the U.S. through Panama’s Darien Gap has dropped by 99% as would-be illegal border crossers turn around.
    • President Trump’s Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum took effect as the Trump Administration levels the playing field for American workers.
      • Steel Manufacturers Association: “As the revised steel tariff goes into effect today, President Trump is boldly declaring that America will no longer be a dumping ground for cheap, subsidized foreign steel … By closing loopholes in the tariff that have been exploited for years, President Trump will again supercharge a steel industry that stands ready to rebuild America.”
      • Five major organizations representing the steel industry issued a statement lauding the tariffs.
    • President Trump’s tariffs continued driving manufacturing back to the U.S.
      • Cra-Z-Art — the biggest toymaker in the country — is expanding its domestic manufacturing by 50%.
        • “We are moving a large percentage of what we have in China to here, duplicating some machinery and investing in high speed automation equipment,” said Chairman Lawrence Rosen. “When Trump announced the higher tariffs on China, it’s been full steam ahead.”
      • GE Aerospace announced a $1 billion investment in its U.S.-based manufacturing operation, which will create 5,000 new jobs.
      • Asahi Group Holdings, one of the largest Japanese beverage makers, announced a $35 million investment to boost production at its Wisconsin plant.
      • Angel Aligner, a global orthodontic manufacturer, announced it will build its first U.S.-based production facility in Wisconsin.
      • Pegatron Corp., a Taiwan-based artificial intelligence server maker, announced it will build its first U.S.-based facility and increase its U.S. investment.
      • Merck opened its $1 billion North Carolina manufacturing facility as it plans to invest $8 billion in the U.S. over the next several years.
      • Saica Group, a Spain-based corrugated packaging maker, announced plans to build a $110 million new manufacturing facility in Anderson, Indiana.
      • Saint Gobain Ceramics announced a new $40 million NorPro manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, New York.
      • LGM Pharma announced a $6 million investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Rosenberg, Texas.
    • President Trump forced Ontario, Canada, Premier Doug Ford to back down from his threat to implement 25% electricity tariffs on American consumers.
    • The Department of Homeland Security unveiled the CBP Home App, which repurposes the Biden-era CBP One App to give illegal immigrants the option of self-deporting.
    • The Trump Administration stripped the first visa of a foreign student linked to Hamas-supporting “disruptions” on a college campus.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency launched the “biggest day of deregulation in American history,” which included ending the Biden-Harris electric vehicle mandate, stopping the Biden Administration’s assault on power plants, and eliminating costly emissions standards.
    • The EPA canceled more than 400 “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “environmental justice” grants, totaling $1.7 billion.
    • The Department of Education opened investigations into 45 universities under Title VI for alleged impermissible use of race-exclusionary preferences, race-based scholarships, and/or race-based segregation.
    • The Trump Administration announced Ukraine accepted an offer to enter into immediate negotiations for a ceasefire and ultimate end to the brutal war.
    • The Trump Administration secured an agreement by Israel and Lebanon to engage in land border negotiations.
    • Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum officially fulfilled President Trump’s promise to rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge — honoring the memory of Jocelyn Nungaray, a young woman whose life was tragically cut short by an illegal immigrant.
    • The Department of the Interior announced the approval of a federal mining plan modification to extend the operational life of Montana’s Spring Creek Mine by 16 years — enabling the production of nearly 40 million tons of coal and supporting hundreds of full-time jobs.
    • The Department of Energy signed the third major liquefied natural gas export permit approval since President Trump reversed the Biden-era ban, allowing the Delfin LNG project — which was delayed by the Biden Administration — to move forward.
    • The Department of Justice’s new interagency task force arrested 214 criminals in its first two weeks, including violent MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members.
    • The Department of Veterans Affairs opened another new clinic — in addition to the three new clinics opened over the past several weeks — to serve thousands of additional veterans.
    • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a department-wide review of the U.S. military’s physical and grooming guidelines to ensure the force is meeting the highest possible standard.
    • The Department of Defense terminated woke climate change programs and initiatives that were not in line with the department’s core warfighting mission.
    • Army Chief of Staff General George ordered a review of all general officer memorandums of reprimand that were issued to soldiers who refused to comply with the Biden Administration’s COVID vaccine mandate.
    • The Department of Transportation rescinded memos issued by the Biden administration that injected social justice, radical environmental agendas into infrastructure funding decisions.
    • The Department of the Treasury sanctioned Iran’s oil minister and shadow fleet operators and targeted Houthi terrorists involved in smuggling and procuring weapons.
    • The Department of Agriculture continued its push to root out fraud, waste, and abuse — including terminating a grant that supports “queer and trans farmers and urban consumers.”
    • The Department of Health and Human Services ended a loophole that allowed ingredient manufacturers to utilize chemicals with unknown safety data in food.
    • The Federal Communications Commission launched its sweeping “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete” deregulation initiative to alleviate the unnecessary, burdensome regulatory assault on Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Four small planets discovered around one of the closest stars to Earth – an expert explains what we know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Coel Hellier, Professor of Astrophysics, Keele University

    Barnard’s Star is a small, dim star, of the type that astronomers call red dwarfs. Consequently, even though it is one of the closest stars to Earth, such that its light takes only six years to get here, it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Now, four small planets have been found orbiting the star. Teams in America and Europe achieved this challenging detection by exploiting precision instruments on the world’s largest telescopes.

    Diminutive Barnard’s Star is closer in size to Jupiter than to the Sun. Only the three stars that make up the Alpha Centauri system lie closer to us.

    The planets newly discovered around Barnard’s Star are much too faint to be seen directly, so how were they found? The answer lies in the effect of their gravity on the star. The mutual gravitational attraction keeps the planets in their orbits, but also tugs on the star, moving it in a rhythmic dance that can be detected by sensitive spectrograph instruments. Spectrographs split up the star’s light into its component wavelengths. They can be used to measure the star’s motion.

    A significant challenge for detection, however, is the star’s own behaviour. Stars are fluid, with the nuclear furnace at their core driving churning motions that generate a magnetic field (just as the churning of Earth’s molten core produces Earth’s magnetic field). The surfaces of red dwarf stars are rife with magnetic storms. This activity can mimic the signature of a planet when there isn’t one there.

    The task of finding planets by this method starts with building highly sensitive spectrograph instruments. They are mounted on telescopes large enough to capture sufficient light from the star. The light is then sent to the spectrograph which records the data. The astronomers then observe a star over months or years. After carefully calibrating the resulting data, and accounting for stellar magnetic activity, one can then scrutinise the data for the tiny signals that reveal orbiting planets.

    In 2024, a team led by Jonay González Hernández from the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute reported on four years of monitoring of Barnard’s Star with the Espresso spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. They found one definite planet and reported tentative signals that indicated three more planets.

    Now, a team led by Ritvik Basant from the University of Chicago in a paper just published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, have added in three years of monitoring with the Maroon-X instrument on the Gemini North telescope. Analysing their data confirmed the existence of three of the four planets, while combining both the datasets showed that all four planets are real.

    Often in science, when detections push the limits of current capabilities, one needs to ponder the reliability of the findings. Are there spurious instrumental effects that the teams haven’t accounted for? Hence it is reassuring when independent teams, using different telescopes, instruments and computer codes, arrive at the same conclusions.

    The Gemini North telescope is located on Maunakea in Hawaii.
    MarkoBeg / Shutterstock

    The planets form a tightly packed, close-in system, having short orbital periods of between two and seven Earth days (for comparison, our Sun’s closest planet, Mercury, orbits in 88 days). It is likely they all have masses less than Earth’s. They’re probably rocky planets, with bare-rock surfaces blasted by their star’s radiation. They’ll be too hot to hold liquid water, and any atmosphere is likely to have been stripped away.

    The teams looked for longer-period planets, further out in the star’s habitable zone, but didn’t find any. We don’t know much else about the new planets, such as their estimated sizes. The best way of figuring that out would be to watch for transits, when planets pass in front of their star, and then measure how much starlight they block. But the Barnard’s Star planets are not orientated in such a way that we see them “edge on” from our perspective. This means that the planets don’t transit, making them harder to study.

    Nevertheless, the Barnard’s Star planets tell us about planetary formation. They’ll have formed in a protoplanetary disk of material that swirled around the star when it was young. Particles of dust will have stuck together, and gradually built up into rocks that aggregated into planets. Red dwarfs are the most common type of star, and most of them seem to have planets. Whenever we have sufficient observations of such stars we find planets, so there are likely to be far more planets in our galaxy than there are stars.

    Most of the planets that have been discovered are close to their star, well inside the habitable zone (where liquid water could survive on the planet’s surface), but that’s largely because their proximity makes them much easier to find. Being closer in means that their gravitational tug is bigger, and it means that they have shorter orbital periods (so we don’t have to monitor the star for as long). It also increases their likelihood of transiting, and thus of being found in transit surveys.

    The European Space Agency’s Plato mission, to be launched in 2026, is designed to find planets further from their stars. This should produce many more planets in their habitable zones, and should begin to tell us whether our own solar system, which has no close-in planets, is unusual.

    Coel Hellier has received research council grants for the discovery of exoplanets.

    – ref. Four small planets discovered around one of the closest stars to Earth – an expert explains what we know – https://theconversation.com/four-small-planets-discovered-around-one-of-the-closest-stars-to-earth-an-expert-explains-what-we-know-252075

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Trade Envoy programme appointment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Trade Envoy programme appointment

    Lord David Evans of Sealand appointed as UK Trade Envoy to Brazil.

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has appointed Lord David Evans of Sealand as the UK Trade Envoy to Brazil.

    UK Trade Envoys are appointed by the Business and Trade Secretary to drive UK economic growth through exports and investment. They are tasked with identifying trade and investment opportunities for businesses and championing the UK as a destination of choice for investment in their respective markets, working closely with the Department for Business and Trade.

    For more information visit: United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy Programme – GOV.UK

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Welcome Back to Guatemalan Chevening Scholars 2023-24

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    Welcome Back to Guatemalan Chevening Scholars 2023-24

    Ambassador Juliana Correa welcomed the Guatemalan Chevening Scholars who successfully completed their master’s programs at prestigious UK universities.

    Four Guatemalan scholars from the 2023-24 academic year pursued master’s degrees at various renowned British institutions.

    The Embassy congratulated the scholars on the successful completion of their studies and for being outstanding representatives of Guatemala during their time in the UK.

    Chevening is the UK government’s global scholarship program, offered by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in partnership with various organizations. Since 1983, Chevening has helped build bridges with over 160 different countries and territories, supporting the education and development of future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers worldwide.

    The returning scholars are:

    • Francisco Alejandro Pineda Suárez – LLM in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution, Queen Mary University of London.
    • Ana Isabella González Palma – MSc in Medical Anthropology, University of Oxford.
    • Jaquilin Anai Salazar – MSc in International Development, University of Bristol.
    • Mario Andrea Yon Secaida – MSc in Public Policy and Administration, The London School of Economics and Political Science.

    Chevening has fostered economic development and better business environments worldwide by funding scholars who have created businesses, become directors, and hold high-level positions in global organizations.

    The application window for the 2025-2026 scholarships will open in August 2025. We strongly encourage mid-career professionals to apply for the program and sign up for alerts by visiting the Chevening website.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –