NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Public service reform strategy launched

    Source: Scottish Government

    Blueprint for enhancing lives and communities.

    A new Public Service Reform Strategy will deliver the public services that people of Scotland deserve and need in the future, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee has said.

    Outlining the strategy to Parliament, the Minister also announced the intention to reduce spending on corporate functions across public bodies, including the Scottish Government, to deliver £1 billion of savings in five years. 

    The strategy sets out concrete steps that government will take through partnership working, particularly with trade unions, to ensure that every pound of investment is focused on frontline delivery and that there are the right staff in the right roles to deliver real change. 

    More than 80 actions are set out to drive change and make Scotland’s public services fit for the future, by addressing the challenges caused by increased demand, changing demographics and UK Government financial decisions.

    These include leadership and cultural change across the public sector; reducing the number of public bodies to deliver increased efficiency; further review and rationalisation of public sector buildings, working with local partners to remove data barriers that prevent the delivery of programmes; embracing automation and publishing a new Digital Strategy which will set out the acceleration of the digitisation of government.

    Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: 

    “This strategy is grounded in the shared belief that Scotland’s public services are an investment — in people, places and our collective future. It builds on the work we’ve done since the Christie Commission which outlined the need for public services focused on prevention, place, partnership, people and performance.

    “Public service reform is an integral part of the government’s response to the challenges we face. The strategy sets out a bold, system-wide approach to change centred around three key priorities: prevention, joined-up services and efficiency.

    “The aim is to do things better, not do less. Public services are an asset and investment in our collective future. They reflect the society we are, and who we aspire to be.

    “We are determined to unlock the full potential of Scotland’s public services — making them more efficient, more joined-up, and more preventative in approach, so that they work better for the people of Scotland. It demonstrates that this Government is ready to go further and faster than we ever have to reform our public services.

    “We must be bold and brave to deliver real, long lasting and meaningful change.”

    Background

    Scotland’s Public Service Reform Strategy: Delivering for Scotland – gov.scot

    The Public Service Reform Strategy is supported by sectoral improvement plans including the NHS Operational Improvement Plan – to tackle immediate pressures on the health service – and the Tackling Child Poverty Plan to reduce the number of children living in relative poverty in Scotland to 10% by 2030.

    It builds on the findings of and subsequent work following the 2011 Christie Commission report, and learning from successful preventative policies such as the roll-out of the Scottish Child Payment. The strategy’s implementation will be evaluated and monitored by the Public Service Reform Board, which brings together scrutiny from public bodies, local government, and the third and private sector. The strategy has also been informed by a summit held in February involving representatives from Scotland’s 131 public bodies, local government and the third sector.

    Learning from 25 years of Preventative Interventions in Scotland – gov.scot

    Examples of previous reforms include:

    • Investment in Early Learning and Childcare: The Scottish Government has invested around £1 billion every year in funded Early Learning and Childcare since 2021. Some 95% of three and four-year-olds are registered for the 1,140 hours funded childcare offer and 74% of parents have said it helped employment prospects.
    • Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012: One of the biggest public service transformations since devolution, this created the Scottish Police Authority, the unified Police Service of Scotland (Police Scotland) and the single Scottish Fire & Rescue Service.
    • Childsmile: Between 2003 and 2020, the Childsmile programme has halved tooth decay amongst children and generated significant cost savings for NHS health boards.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman arrested following murder in Camden

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 69-year-old woman was found dead in her home.

    Met officers have arrested a 66-year-old woman on Wednesday, 18 June on suspicion of murder. She remains in police custody.

    Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 18:00hrs on Friday, 13 June to a report of an unresponsive woman at her home in Mornington Place, Camden.

    Officers attended and found a woman with stab injuries. She was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

    She has been identified as 69-year-old Jennifer Abbott. She was last seen by neighbours on Tuesday, 10 June walking her dog in the Camden area.

    A post-mortem examination, which took place on Sunday, 15 June, gave cause of death as sharp force trauma.

    The victim’s next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

    Detective Inspector Barry Hart, of Homicide Command, Specialist Crime North, said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the victim’s loved ones who are being supported by specialist officers at this time.

    “We thank the local community for their patience as we continue to investigate this shocking crime. This arrest marks a significant step forward. There are several lines of enquiry ongoing, and we are working hard to establish the exact circumstances of this incident.

    “Locals can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while we conduct our enquires.”

    If anyone witnessed the incident, or has any information that can help the investigation, please contact the police as a matter of urgency on 101 quoting 6470/13JUN.

    To remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Case of Missing Sullivan Children Added to Rewards Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information about the disappearance of siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan.

    On May 2, the RCMP started a missing persons investigation for Lilly, 6, and Jack, 4, after family members could not locate the children in their home or on the property in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County.

    Family members reported they last saw Lilly inside the home and could hear Jack on the morning of May 2. The investigation has confirmed that both Lilly and Jack were with family members on the afternoon of May 1.

    “The disappearance of Jack and Lilly Sullivan is felt across the province and beyond, and my heart goes out to the family, the community and everyone who has been working to find these children since Day 1,” said Becky Druhan, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “Police and investigators are working tirelessly to find answers, and I urge anyone with information to please share this with the RCMP as soon as possible.”

    Lilly Sullivan is described as four feet tall and weighing 60 pounds, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. At the time of her disappearance, Lilly was believed to be wearing a pink Barbie top, pink rubber boots with rainbow print and carrying a cream-coloured backpack with strawberry print.

    Jack Sullivan is described as three feet six inches tall and weighing 40 pounds, with dark blonde hair and hazel eyes. At the time of his disappearance, Jack was believed to be wearing a pull-up diaper, black Under Armour jogging pants and blue rubber boots with dinosaur print.

    Anyone with information regarding this crime should call the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program at 1-888-710-9090. People who come forward with information must provide their name and contact information and may be called to testify in court. All calls will be recorded.

    People who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of Nova Scotia at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

    Quick Facts:

    • the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program is an additional tool to help police in major unsolved crime cases
    • the reward amount will be based on the investigative value of the information provided
    • including this case, there are now 122 active cases in the program
    • employees of law enforcement and correctional agencies are not eligible to collect this reward

    Additional Resources:

    Cases under the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program are listed at: https://novascotia.ca/just/Public_Safety/Rewards

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Berkeley County man arrested on 11 Child Sexual Abuse Material* chargesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Nathan Dwayne Reed, 25, of Hanahan, S.C., on 11 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Mount Pleasant Police Department, and Goose Creek Police Department, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.

     

    Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Reed. Investigators state Reed distributed files of child sexual abuse material.

     

    Reed was arrested on June 17, 2025. He is charged with 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

     

    The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

     

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

     

     

     

    * Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant.  Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for life for drugging and raping 10 women as judge commends Met officers

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A senior judge has praised the Metropolitan Police Service following one of the most challenging and complex investigations conducted by detectives to bring a serial rapist to justice.

    The case demonstrates the Met’s ongoing commitment to keeping women and girls safe and work to eradicate sexual violence, largely at the hands of predatory men.

    Zhenhao Zou, 28 (20.02.97), of Churchyard Row, Elephant and Castle, was convicted of drugging and raping women both in the UK and China in March 2025. A jury found him guilty of 28 offences in total, including counts of voyeurism, possession of an extreme pornographic image, possession of a drug to commit a sexual offence and false imprisonment.

    On Thursday, 19 June, he was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court to a life sentence. He will have to serve a minimum of 24 years.

    The lengthy sentence reflects justice for the women who are victim-survivors of Zou and is testament to the extraordinary lengths gone to by investigators, who left no stone unturned in their pursuit to take a dangerous sexual predator off the streets.

    Following the sentencing hearing, officers paid tribute to the brave victim-survivors, who have always remained at the very heart of the investigation.

    During the sentencing hearing, the judge commended Met detectives DC Jack Woods and DC Oliver Colville, while paying tribute to the whole prosecution team.

    Commander Kevin Southworth, of the Metropolitan Police Service, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts have always been with the courageous victim-survivors of Zou’s heinous and predatory crimes.

    “Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our officers and prosecutors, a dangerous and cowardly offender has been handed a life sentence. I hope the fact Zou can no longer harm others serves as a small amount of comfort to the women who have suffered immeasurably.

    “I would also like to take this opportunity to stress that our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou. Please come forward and speak with our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect.”

    The investigation

    Before his arrest in January 2024, Zou was a student at University College London (UCL) since 2019 and prior to that studied at Queen’s University Belfast.

    Zou used social media platforms and dating websites to target victim-survivors – all of which are believed to be of Chinese heritage. He lured women to his accommodation under the pretence of having a drink or studying and then plied them with drinks laced with drugs.

    He filmed himself as he raped the woman as they lost consciousness.

    Met investigators watched hundreds of these disturbing videos as they built a case of evidence against Zou. It was after analysis of this graphic and disturbing material that it became apparent that he had not only committed offences in London, but also in his home country of China too.

    The prosecution team were unable to identify all of the victim-survivors captured, so relied on this video evidence to present a compelling case during the trial. Officers also meticulously pulled together over 4000 documents to leave no doubt in the jury’s mind about Zou’s guilt.

    Alongside this, they downloaded around six and a half terabytes worth of data from Zou’s phones and laptops, which included around nine million messages. This is the equivalent to 1,664 hours of footage and is one of the biggest cases the Met’s digital forensics lab has ever dealt with.

    Met officers spent months trawling through messages to understand Zou’s pattern of offending, scrupulously translating them into English from Simplified Chinese.

    The appeal

    Following Zou’s conviction, investigators shared that they believed Zou’s offending was much wider than the eleven rapes he was convicted of. They made a direct appeal to unidentified victim-survivors to come forward and seek specialist support.

    Securing justice for the victim-survivors of Zou and putting him behind bars has been at the forefront of detective’s minds since the start of the investigation. To secure a conviction through a fair trial, officers made the decision not to appeal for further victim-survivors ahead of conviction. Sharing specific information relating to his offending may have caused the case to collapse, leaving Zou to offend again. By appealing post-conviction, the Met was able to share the fullest details to support potential victim-survivors coming forward.

    Since the appeal in March 2025, 24 women have made reports to the police. These continue to be investigated thoroughly by a dedicated team of officers. Following the sentencing hearing, the team will continue to liaise with the Crown Prosecution Services around potential future charges.

    Detectives continue to keep an open mind about the identities of unidentified victim-survivors but have been keen to speak to women from the Chinese student community – they may have been living in London between 2019-2024 or met Zou while he was living in China.

    So far, investigators have not received any reports from women who met Zou while he was living in Belfast but remain in contact with Police Service Northern Ireland. They continue to encourage any current or former Northern Ireland residents who have concerns to come forward and speak to officers.

    Saira Pike, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Zou is a serial rapist and a danger to women. His life sentence reflects the heinous acts and harm he caused to women and the danger he posed to society.

    “We have always been determined to seek justice for both the unidentified and identified victims in this case. We used an evidence-led approach that relied on the video recordings of Zou to ensure this dangerous predator faced justice.

    “The prosecution team worked with the police for over a year to pick apart an unprecedented amount of footage and web chats showing his meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes.

    “Following the police appeal, we will continue to review and consider any further charges to ensure that he is held accountable and seek justice for all victims.

    “I’d like to take this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt thanks to the courageous women who came forward to report Zou’s horrific crimes. They have been incredibly strong and brave – there is no doubt that their evidence helped us to secure his conviction, and the life sentence handed to him today.”

    How to contact the police and independent support agencies:

    Reports relating to Zhenhao Zou can be made online via the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP): https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS25X38-PO1 . The MIPP is also available in Simplified Chinese https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS25X38-PO2, so it is as accessible as possible for potential victim-survivors.

    If you wish to speak to Met detectives or make a report relating to Zou, you can also contact police via email on survivors@met.police.uk

    You can also make a report to police by calling 101 from within the UK, quoting reference 2904/04FEB25.

    If you live in England or Wales and have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies, please contact the independent charity Rape Crisis via their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line or call them on 0808 500 2222. Specially trained staff are there to listen, answer questions and offer emotional support.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for drugging and raping 10 women as judge commends officers

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A senior judge has praised the Metropolitan Police Service following one of the most challenging and complex investigations conducted by detectives to bring a serial rapist to justice.

    The case demonstrates the Met’s ongoing commitment to keeping women and girls safe and work to eradicate sexual violence, largely at the hands of predatory men.

    Zhenhao Zou, 28 (20.02.97), of Churchyard Row, Elephant and Castle, was convicted of drugging and raping women both in the UK and China in March 2025. A jury found him guilty of 28 offences in total, including counts of voyeurism, possession of an extreme pornographic image, possession of a drug to commit a sexual offence and false imprisonment.

    On Thursday, 19 June, he was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court to a life sentence. He will have to serve a minimum of 24 years.

    The lengthy sentence reflects justice for the women who are victim-survivors of Zou and is testament to the extraordinary lengths gone to by investigators, who left no stone unturned in their pursuit to take a dangerous sexual predator off the streets.

    Following the sentencing hearing, officers paid tribute to the brave victim-survivors, who have always remained at the very heart of the investigation.

    During the sentencing hearing, the judge commended Met detectives DC Jack Woods and DC Oliver Colville, while paying tribute to the whole prosecution team.

    Commander Kevin Southworth, of the Metropolitan Police Service, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts have always been with the courageous victim-survivors of Zou’s heinous and predatory crimes.

    “Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our officers and prosecutors, a dangerous and cowardly offender has been handed a life sentence. I hope the fact Zou can no longer harm others serves as a small amount of comfort to the women who have suffered immeasurably.

    “I would also like to take this opportunity to stress that our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou. Please come forward and speak with our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect.”

    The investigation

    Before his arrest in January 2024, Zou was a student at University College London (UCL) since 2019 and prior to that studied at Queen’s University Belfast.

    Zou used social media platforms and dating websites to target victim-survivors – all of which are believed to be of Chinese heritage. He lured women to his accommodation under the pretence of having a drink or studying and then plied them with drinks laced with drugs.

    He filmed himself as he raped the woman as they lost consciousness.

    Met investigators watched hundreds of these disturbing videos as they built a case of evidence against Zou. It was after analysis of this graphic and disturbing material that it became apparent that he had not only committed offences in London, but also in his home country of China too.

    The prosecution team were unable to identify all of the victim-survivors captured, so relied on this video evidence to present a compelling case during the trial. Officers also meticulously pulled together over 4000 documents to leave no doubt in the jury’s mind about Zou’s guilt.

    Alongside this, they downloaded around six and a half terabytes worth of data from Zou’s phones and laptops, which included around nine million messages. This is the equivalent to 1,664 hours of footage and is one of the biggest cases the Met’s digital forensics lab has ever dealt with.

    Met officers spent months trawling through messages to understand Zou’s pattern of offending, scrupulously translating them into English from Simplified Chinese.

    The appeal

    Following Zou’s conviction, investigators shared that they believed Zou’s offending was much wider than the eleven rapes he was convicted of. They made a direct appeal to unidentified victim-survivors to come forward and seek specialist support.

    Securing justice for the victim-survivors of Zou and putting him behind bars has been at the forefront of detective’s minds since the start of the investigation. To secure a conviction through a fair trial, officers made the decision not to appeal for further victim-survivors ahead of conviction. Sharing specific information relating to his offending may have caused the case to collapse, leaving Zou to offend again. By appealing post-conviction, the Met was able to share the fullest details to support potential victim-survivors coming forward.

    Since the appeal in March 2025, 24 women have made reports to the police. These continue to be investigated thoroughly by a dedicated team of officers. Following the sentencing hearing, the team will continue to liaise with the Crown Prosecution Services around potential future charges.

    Detectives continue to keep an open mind about the identities of unidentified victim-survivors but have been keen to speak to women from the Chinese student community – they may have been living in London between 2019-2024 or met Zou while he was living in China.

    So far, investigators have not received any reports from women who met Zou while he was living in Belfast but remain in contact with Police Service Northern Ireland. They continue to encourage any current or former Northern Ireland residents who have concerns to come forward and speak to officers.

    Saira Pike, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Zou is a serial rapist and a danger to women. His life sentence reflects the heinous acts and harm he caused to women and the danger he posed to society.

    “We have always been determined to seek justice for both the unidentified and identified victims in this case. We used an evidence-led approach that relied on the video recordings of Zou to ensure this dangerous predator faced justice.

    “The prosecution team worked with the police for over a year to pick apart an unprecedented amount of footage and web chats showing his meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes.

    “Following the police appeal, we will continue to review and consider any further charges to ensure that he is held accountable and seek justice for all victims.

    “I’d like to take this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt thanks to the courageous women who came forward to report Zou’s horrific crimes. They have been incredibly strong and brave – there is no doubt that their evidence helped us to secure his conviction, and the life sentence handed to him today.”

    How to contact the police and independent support agencies:

    Reports relating to Zhenhao Zou can be made online via the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP): https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS25X38-PO1 . The MIPP is also available in Simplified Chinese https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS25X38-PO2, so it is as accessible as possible for potential victim-survivors.

    If you wish to speak to Met detectives or make a report relating to Zou, you can also contact police via email on survivors@met.police.uk

    You can also make a report to police by calling 101 from within the UK, quoting reference 2904/04FEB25.

    If you live in England or Wales and have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies, please contact the independent charity Rape Crisis via their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line or call them on 0808 500 2222. Specially trained staff are there to listen, answer questions and offer emotional support.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preventing avoidable deaths in custody

    Source: Scottish Government

    Members of expert group to oversee reforms announced.

    Details of an expert group that will help drive reforms to prevent avoidable deaths in custody have been announced.

    Justice Secretary Angela Constance is leading the Ministerial Accountability Board overseeing the implementation of actions to address the recommendations of Sheriff Collins’ Fatal Accident Inquiry report into the deaths of Katie Allan and William Lindsay (also known as William Brown) at HMP & YOI Polmont. The first meeting of the Board was held on Thursday (19 June).

    Bringing a wealth of experience from third sector, legal, operational, research and health backgrounds, the members of the Board will provide support to mitigate challenges and ensure action is delivered as quickly as possible. Engaging with families will also be a central part of the Board’s role, to ensure lived experience is integral to reform.

    The Board is an interim measure until the National Oversight Mechanism – an independent national oversight body for all deaths in custody, separate from the Government – is established over the coming year. It will take on responsibility for overseeing implementation of the FAI actions along with its other responsibilities.

    Ms Constance said:

    “Action is already being taken to prevent avoidable deaths in custody but it is essential that these reforms are driven at pace to make lasting change.

    “The members of the Ministerial Accountability Board are all leaders in their fields and will bring invaluable expertise and experience across a wide range of sectors to make sure the promise of reform is delivered.

    “Engaging with families will be a vital part of the Boards role to ensure that lived experience remains central to the action taken.”

    Background             

    The Ministerial Accountability Board members are:

    Sam Gluckstein, Head of the UK National Preventive Mechanism.

    Sarah Armstrong, Professor of Criminology at University of Glasgow, SCCJR researcher and co-author of ‘Nothing to See Here’.

    Phil Wheatley, British prison officer, formerly the Director General of the National Offender Management Service and before that, the Director General of HM Prison Service.

    Professor Nancy Loucks OBE, Chief Executive of Families Outside and co-chair of the Independent Review into Deaths in Prison Custody, Chair to the DiPC Family Reference Group.

    Nicky Brown, Head of Service at Public Defence Solicitors office.

    Dr Sarah Couper, Public Health Scotland, lead consultant for mental health.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump administration’s conflicting messages on Chinese student visas reflect complex US-China relations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Meredith Oyen, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    The U.S. announced plans to scrutinize and revoke student visas for students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or whose studies are in critical fields, but appears to have reconsidered. The decision and apparent about-face could have a wide-ranging impact on both nations. LAW Ho Ming/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump appears to have walked back plans for the U.S. State Department to scrutinize and revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the country.

    On June 11, 2025, Trump posted on his social media platform TruthSocial that visas for Chinese students would continue and that they are welcome in the United States, as their presence “has always been good with me!”

    The announcement came weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his department would begin scrutinizing and revoking student visas for Chinese nationals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, or whose studies are in critical fields.

    The contradictory moves have led to confusion among Chinese students attending college or considering studying in the United States.

    Over time, Chinese nationals have faced barriers to studying in the U.S. As a scholar who studies relations between the two nations, I argue that efforts to ban Chinese students in the United States are not unprecedented, and historically they have come with consequences.

    Student visas under fire

    The Trump administration laid out the terms for revoking or denying student visas to Chinese nationals but then backtracked.
    STAP/Getty Images

    Since the late 1970s, millions of Chinese students have been granted visas to study at American universities. That total includes approximately 277,000 who studied in the United States in the 2023-2024 academic year.

    It is difficult to determine how many of these students would have been affected by a ban on visas for individuals with Chinese Community Party affiliations or in critical fields.

    Approximately 40% of all new members of the Chinese Communist Party each year are drawn from China’s student population. And many universities in China have party connections or charters that emphasize party loyalty.

    The “critical fields” at risk were not defined. A majority of Chinese students in the U.S. are enrolled in math, technology, science and engineering fields.

    A long history

    Since the late 1970s, the number of Chinese students attending college in the U.S. has increased dramatically.
    Kenishiroite/Getty Images

    Yung Wing became the first Chinese student to graduate from a U.S. university in 1852.

    Since then, millions of Chinese students have come to the United States to study, supported by programs such as the “Chinese Educational Mission,” Boxer Indemnity Fund scholarships and the Fulbright Program.

    The Institute for International Education in New York estimated the economic impact of Chinese students in the U.S. at over US$14 billion a year. Chinese students tend to pay full tuition to their universities. At the graduate level, they perform vital roles in labs and classrooms. Just under half of all Chinese students attending college in the U.S. are graduate students.

    However, there is a long history of equating Chinese migrants as invaders, spies or risks to national security.

    After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the U.S. Department of Justice began to prevent Chinese scholars and students in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – from returning to China by stopping them at U.S. ports of entry and exit. They could be pulled aside when trying to board a flight or ship and their tickets canceled.

    In one infamous case, Chinese rocket scientist Qian Xuesen was arrested, harassed, ordered deported and prevented from leaving over five years from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, the United States and China began ambassadorial-level talks to negotiate repatriations from either country. After his experience, Qian became a much-lauded supporter of the Communist government and played an important role in the development of Chinese transcontinental missile technology.

    During the 1950s, the U.S. Department of Justice raided Chinatown organizations looking for Chinese migrants who arrived under false names during the Chinese Exclusion Era, a period from the 1880s to 1940s when the U.S. government placed tight restrictions on Chinese immigration into the country. A primary justification for the tactics was fear that the Chinese in the U.S. would spy for their home country.

    Between 1949 and 1979, the U.S and China did not have normal diplomatic relations. The two nations recognized each other and exchanged ambassadors starting in January 1979. In the more than four decades since, the number of Chinese students in the U.S. has increased dramatically.

    Anti-Chinese discrimination

    The idea of an outright ban on Chinese student visas has raised concerns about increased targeting of Chinese in the U.S. for harassment.

    In 1999, Taiwanese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee was arrested on suspicion of using his position at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to spy for China. Lee remained imprisoned in solitary confinement for 278 days before he was released without a conviction.

    In 2018, during the first Trump administration, the Department of Justice launched its China Initiative. In its effort to weed out industrial, technological and corporate espionage, the initiative targeted many ethnic Chinese researchers and had a chilling effect on continued exchanges, but it secured no convictions for wrongdoing.

    Trump again expressed concerns last year that undocumented migrants from China might be coming to the United States to spy or “build an army.”

    The repeated search for spies among Chinese migrants and residents in the U.S. has created an atmosphere of fear for Chinese American communities.

    Broader foreign policy context

    An atmosphere of suspicion has altered the climate for Chinese international students.
    J Studios/Getty Images

    The U.S. plan to revoke visas for students studying in the U.S. and the Chinese response is being formed amid contentious debates over trade.

    Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian accused the U.S. of violating an agreement on tariff reduction the two sides discussed in Geneva in May, citing the visa issues as one example.

    Trump has also complained that the Chinese violated agreements between the countries, and some reports suggest that the announcement on student visas was a negotiating tactic to change the Chinese stance on the export of rare earth minerals.

    When Trump announced his trade deal with China on June 11, he added a statement welcoming Chinese students.

    However, past practice shows that the atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion may have already damaged the climate for Chinese international students, and at least some degree of increased scrutiny of student visas will likely continue regardless.

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

    – ref. Trump administration’s conflicting messages on Chinese student visas reflect complex US-China relations – https://theconversation.com/trump-administrations-conflicting-messages-on-chinese-student-visas-reflect-complex-us-china-relations-258351

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The term ‘lone gunman’ ignores the structures that enable violence

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Art Jipson, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Dayton

    Members of law enforcement agencies search for shooting suspect Vance Boelter at a house on June 15, 2025, in Belle Plaine, Minn. AP Photo/George Walker IV

    When shots rang out in Minnesota, targeting state Democratic politicians, the headlines quickly followed a familiar script: a mentally unstable suspect and the well-worn label “lone gunman.”

    According to media reports, the Minnesota gunman, Vance Luther Boelter, was a deeply religious anti-abortion activist and a conservative who supported President Donald Trump.

    The term lone gunman, routinely deployed in the aftermath of mass shootings and political violence – that the suspect was simply acting alone, so there’s no one or nothing else to blame – may offer a comforting explanation, but it’s dangerously simplistic.

    It obscures the conditions that made the violence possible in the first place. It casts the perpetrator as an isolated anomaly – mentally unwell, unpredictable, detached from broader movements or ideologies.

    As a scholar of extremism, I argue that the use of this term ignores the larger symptoms of deeper societal failures such as rising political extremism, systemic hate or the normalization of violent rhetoric.

    The lone gunman myth

    The idea of the lone gunman has long held sway in American public discourse, with perhaps no example more iconic than the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Warren Commission that was set up to investigate concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, a finding still contested by many.

    But more significant than the historical debate is how the lone gunman label became entrenched in the national psyche. It presents a digestible narrative, one that absolves institutions of responsibility and short-circuits more difficult questions about what conditions produced the attacker in the first place.

    More recent examples reveal how this myth continues to serve as a shield against systemic scrutiny.

    After the 2012 mass shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, media coverage quickly centered on James Holmes’ mental state, with little emphasis on the culture of gun access, misogyny or disaffection with peers that shaped his actions.

    Similarly, after Dylann Roof murdered nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, early coverage emphasized his apparent isolation and mental state. However, he had openly stated his motivations in a racist manifesto and had long-standing connections to white supremacist ideology that motivated and shaped his violence.

    Radicalization is rarely solitary

    In most cases, so-called lone wolves are not as isolated as the term implies. Researchers have increasingly shown that radicalization is a social process.

    Individuals absorb extremist views through online echo chambers, algorithmic recommendation systems, peer validation and reinforcement from political and media figures.

    Robert Bowers’ lawyers claimed in a public court filing that he was suffering from schizophrenia and structural and functional brain impairments.
    AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    This is evident in cases like that of Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. Bowers’ defense attorneys said in a March 2023 court filing that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Though he acted alone, Bowers was deeply embedded in far-right networks on the social media platform Gab, where he echoed white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

    Similarly, Payton Gendron, who killed 10 Black people in a Buffalo supermarket in 2022, cited previous mass shooters as inspiration and plagiarized sections of a white nationalist manifesto. His radicalization was nourished in extremist online forums on platforms such as 4chan and Discord.

    Even attacks without manifestos or explicit ideological tracts often follow recognizable scripts. The El Paso shooter, who killed 23 people in a Walmart in 2019, wrote that he was targeting Hispanics as part of a defense against an “invasion” of immigrants – echoing language used by some conservative analysts, pundits and political figures in mainstream U.S. media and government.

    Again and again, attackers are seen to be acting in ways that align with a broader rationalization or ideology, even if they do not carry official membership in a particular group or organization.

    The politics of the ‘lone gunman’

    Importantly, the lone gunman narrative is applied unevenly, especially along racial lines.

    White perpetrators are frequently described as mentally ill or troubled loners. Their violence is compartmentalized as the result of personal demons. In contrast, as the Sentencing Project – which is working to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system – has shown, Black, Muslim or immigrant suspects are often held up as proof of a broader threat: religious, ethnic or cultural.

    This double standard not only reinforces racial stereotypes but also shapes how law enforcement and the media view violence committed by white actors – as an aberration rather than a pattern.

    The media can play a crucial role in perpetuating the lone gunman myth.
    Consider how swiftly the media and politicians labeled the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, perpetrated by Omar Mateen, as an act of Islamist terrorism. Even though Mateen had no meaningful connections to any terrorist groups, his Islamic religious beliefs were used to construct a narrative that he was part of a global threat.

    By contrast, the FBI hesitated to call Dylann Roof’s actions “racial terrorism.” Terrorism is defined as a form of political violence, where the threat or use of physical force by individuals or groups is not only intended to influence or disrupt governmental authority but to instill fear and force political change. The FBI designated Roof’s crime as a hate crime perpetrated by a disturbed young man.

    This distinction between calling Roof’s attack a hate crime rather than racially motivated terrorism sparked significant criticism from scholars, activists and commentators. Many argued that Roof’s white supremacist motives and the symbolic target, a historic Black church, made it a clear case of racial terrorism.

    Moving toward a more honest understanding

    This asymmetry matters.

    I argue that it shapes public perception, policy responses and resource allocation. It allows white supremacist violence to flourish under the radar, often dismissed until it becomes undeniable – usually after multiple lives have been lost.

    At the same time, politicians are frequently reluctant to acknowledge the ideological underpinnings of such violence, particularly when those ideologies overlap with their own rhetoric or voter base.

    After the 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, where the gunman explicitly cited the “Great Replacement theory” in his manifesto, several Republican politicians who had previously echoed similar anti-immigrant rhetoric condemned the violence but avoided addressing the ideology behind it. The Great Replacement theory is a white supremacist conspiracy theory that falsely claims white populations are being deliberately replaced by nonwhite immigrants, especially Muslims, Latinos or Black people, through immigration, higher birth rates and federal government policy.

    Despite the shooter’s clear ideological motivation, once again many officials focused on mental illness or the violence as an isolated case of extremism. The impact of the messages about immigration and demographic change in contributing to a climate of racial fear and conspiracy were left unacknowledged.

    The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly identified white supremacist violence as one of the top domestic terrorism threats. Investigations related to domestic terrorism and violence have increased significantly over the past few years. In a 2023 interview with “PBS NewsHour,” Seamus Hughes of the University of Nebraska Omaha’s National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology and Education Center said that “the FBI was investigating 850 people three years ago. Now they’re investigating 2,700.”

    Yet meaningful, structural reforms, whether in tech and social media regulation, gun control or public education, have remained elusive. I believe connecting the larger social, political and cultural issues that surround extreme violence is critical to building healthy communities.

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

    – ref. The term ‘lone gunman’ ignores the structures that enable violence – https://theconversation.com/the-term-lone-gunman-ignores-the-structures-that-enable-violence-259107

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Vala Umgodi operations net over 200 suspects 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Vala Umgodi operations continue to make progress with 239 suspects having been arrested throughout the country.

    According to the police, the suspects were arrested for illegal mining-related offences and various other crimes that include, among others, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of unpolished diamonds, unlawful possession of explosives and contravention of the Immigration Act.

    On Tuesday, a 42-year-old Sydwell Shane Mkhantswa appeared briefly in the Kwa-Mbonambi Periodical Court in connection with a case of theft of minerals from Richards Bay Minerals (RBM). 

    His arrest relates to a tracing operation on 03 March 2024, when members of Operation Vala Umgodi and Kwa-Mbonambi police officers responded to reports of a truck which was intercepted carrying over R800 000 worth of suspected stolen Zircon from RBM. 

    Further investigation linked the suspect with another Kwa-Mbonambi case of theft of minerals in which he allegedly delivered RBM minerals to Isiphingo in Durban where police found over R24 million worth of suspected stolen minerals.

    After several tracking and tracing operations, the suspect was cornered and arrested at a residence in Germiston, Gauteng on 12 June 2025.

    The accused is scheduled to appear in court again on 24 June 2025, where he is expected to make a formal bail application.

    In operations starting from  01- 15 June 2025, six unlicensed firearms, 26 rounds of ammunition and four vehicles were seized.

    Other highlights per province for the past week include:
    •    Limpopo: Vala Umgodi teams conducted disruptive operations at Sefateng Chrome Mine and Bokone Platinum Mine on 13 June 2025. Four suspects were arrested, and a large quantity of chromite ore and illegal mining equipment was seized.
    •    Free State: Members deployed for Operation Vala Umgodi in Free State, acting on intelligence successful intercepted a white Toyota Quantum panel van travelling from Gauteng province en route to Cape Town, and discovered a consignment of Khat plants worth R210, 000. Police arrested a 43-year-old man on charges of possession of suspected drugs and drug trafficking.
    •    Northern Cape: On 06 June 2025, members attached to Operation Vala Umgodi arrested 11 suspects aged between 29 and 44 years in Kimberley and Kleinzee, respectively. During the operations, members received information about suspected illegal miners hiding at a Game Reserve Farm near Koingnaas. The team operationalised the information, which resulted in the arrest of nine suspects and charged them for various offences, including contravention of Immigration laws, trespassing, and possession of unpolished diamonds.
    •    Mpumalanga: A 30-year-old illegal miner was shot and injured during a shootout with members of Vala Umgodi operation in Sabie, on 11 June 2025. The suspect was initially admitted to Sabie Hospital under police guard and has since been discharged and placed in custody.
    •    Gauteng: A wanted suspect was fatally wounded during a shootout with members of Operation Vala Umgodi on 13 June 2025. He was wanted for shooting at police officers at Zamimpilo Informal Settlement and was located at Soul City Informal Settlement. The team recovered a firearm that will undergo ballistic tests to establish if it was used in the commission of other crimes.
    •    North West: Vala Umgodi operation continued its clampdown on illicit mining and immigration violations in. On 05 June 2025, members conducted disruptive illegal mining operation at Rocin mine in the area of Wolwerand, led to the seizure of illegal mining equipment that include various explosives, four generators, jack hammers, spades, a welding machine, gas bottles, a water pump, four pendukas and gold bearing material.

    “With coordinated operations across the affected provinces, Operation Vala Umgodi continues to deliver results in its mandate to disrupt and dismantle illegal mining activities, specifically within and around mining communities.

    “Since its inception December 2023, Operation Vala Umgodi led to the arrest of more than 27 000 suspects with more than 600 firearms, that include imitation firearms (toy guns) and 16 000 rounds of ammunition seized,” said the police. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Decade long Infrastructure Strategy to deliver stability, investment and national renewal

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Decade long Infrastructure Strategy to deliver stability, investment and national renewal

    10 Year Infrastructure Strategy published today (19 June) will deliver on the Government’s growth mission, as part of the Plan for Change, transforming how infrastructure projects are planned and delivered.

    • Safer hospitals, modernised schools, and renovated courts to replace crumbling public sector buildings, as Strategy pledges at least £9 billion per year over next decade for renewal of Health, Education and Justice estates
    • New approach to infrastructure will include vital reforms to ensure planning and delivery is joined up, backed by £725 billion in long-term funding for maintenance and major projects.

    The soaring maintenance backlog which has left our schools, colleges, hospitals and courts in a state of disrepair will be turned around as part of the government’s landmark 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy published today (19 June).  

    The Strategy sets out a long-term plan for how the government will invest in infrastructure and ensure that funding is spent effectively and efficiently, marking a new approach to how projects are planned and delivered.  

    This government is committed to doing things differently to deliver infrastructure and fix the failures of the past, having accepted all of the James Stewart Review’s recommendations on HS2. The Strategy provides the certainty and stability needed to attract investment, boosting British supply chains and jobs, and takes a joined-up view to improve planning and delivery across all types of infrastructure.  

    It will also encourage inward investment by providing a long-term vision that gives investors the confidence and certainty they need to truly commit funding to projects, creating job opportunities and boosting living standards for people across the country, delivering on the Plan for Change. 

    These plans are backed by at least £725 billion of government funding over the coming decade, from which at least £9 billion will be allocated in 2025-26 to address the critical maintenance needs of health, education and justice estates, rising to over £10 billion per year by 2034-35.  

    This will increase access to quality, modern public services, following years of underinvestment, and deliver significant real-world benefits for patients, students, staff, and communities.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

    Infrastructure is crucial to unlocking growth across the country, but for too long investment has been squeezed. Crumbling public buildings are a sign of the decay that has seeped into our everyday lives because of a total failure to plan and invest.

    We’re not just fixing buildings – we’re enhancing public services, improving lives and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth in communities throughout the UK.

    This will deliver the decade of national renewal we promised Britain, and fulfil our Plan for Change goals to kickstart economic growth, and build an NHS fit for the future.

    The 10-year maintenance investment will deliver tangible improvements for people across the country:

    • Health: Over £6 billion per year will create safer hospital environments across England with reduced waiting times, improved patient outcomes, and better working conditions for NHS staff. By eliminating RAAC concrete and addressing critical infrastructure risks, patients will receive care in modern facilities that support rather than hinder their treatment and recovery.
    • Education: Investment in school and college maintenance will rise to almost £3 billion annually, transforming learning environments across England and providing safe and high-quality spaces for children and young people, improving educational outcomes and breaking down barriers to opportunity.
    • Justice: At least £600 million investment each year will improve safety and security in prisons across England and Wales, reducing incidents and creating environments more conducive to rehabilitation. Enhanced court facilities will help reduce backlogs and improve access to justice.

    This strategic investment approach will help break the cycle of deterioration and emergency repairs that has characterised public infrastructure maintenance for decades. By adopting a preventative approach, services will face fewer disruptive closures, operate more efficiently, and deliver better value for taxpayers in the long term. 

    The programme directly supports the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future, with healthcare facilities that enable earlier diagnosis and better treatment outcomes. It also advances the mission to break down barriers to opportunity by ensuring all children have access to quality learning environments, regardless of where they live. 

    To support delivery of this strategy, the government is funding at least £725 billion for the country’s infrastructure over the next decade, ensuring that public infrastructure capital funding continues to grow in line with inflation after the current Spending Review period. This funding certainty will help government and industry plan further ahead, allowing for more efficient delivery of UK wide infrastructure. 

    The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), established by the government this year, will work with partners across government and industry to effectively implement the strategy across the whole of the UK. NISTA will periodically review the progress made and work with devolved governments to ensure that infrastructure strategy across the UK is joined up.

    Becky Wood, Chief Executive Officer of NISTA, said:

    This investment is a welcome part of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and will help us to address some of the challenges that our key public services have faced over recent years.   

    Strategic preventative maintenance based on longer-term plans is a more effective approach than making decisions in the absence of certainty about the future – and will ensure our vital public services remain resilient and fit for purpose. 

    By approaching replacement and maintenance of our infrastructure in an informed and systematic way, we can target interventions effectively and plan properly for the future.

    More information

    The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy outlines the government’s comprehensive approach to infrastructure investment across all sectors.

    This funding commitment follows recommendations from the National Audit Office on the need for long-term, sustainable maintenance funding.

    The funding in the 10YIS includes:   

    • £1 billion to carry out maintenance on key transport infrastructure, including crumbling bridges, flyovers and crossing.  

    • £590 million to start work on the Lower Thames Crossing. 

    • £16 billion of new public investment will help build over 500,000 new homes, which will also unlock over £53bn of private investment.

    Tracy Blackwell, Chief Executive Officer, Pension Insurance Corporation said:

    The government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy is a good step in the right direction – providing clarity, ambition, and commitment to long-term investors in UK infrastructure, like Pension Insurance Corporation. We welcome the clearer pipeline of projects and a renewed focus on social value, something that is of real importance for local people. The Government’s wider efforts on planning reform, transparent delivery bodies, and reducing the regulatory burden will supplement this new strategy – offering a much more investable environment across the UK.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley said:

    The Strategy set out today is a serious plan for addressing the long-running challenges that have prohibited investment for years. The government needs to be transparent in how it selects its infrastructure investments to drive growth and this Strategy is a big step forward in doing that. I look forward to further detail on the government’s plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

    Keith Lawson, Executive Vice President, Jacobs said:

    Jacobs welcomes the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy as a testament to the Government’s commitment to driving economic growth, empowering communities, and providing market certainty. We are excited about the potential for this ambitious strategy to attract new talent to our sector, embrace new technologies, and promote the UK’s ability to compete globally.

    By investing in public services, transport, and clean energy, we are not only addressing today’s needs but also laying the foundation for a resilient future. The combined efforts of the Spending Review, NISTA, and the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy provide the stability, coordination, and long-term vision necessary for efficient infrastructure delivery.

    At Jacobs, we are committed to partnering with the Government to deliver these vital projects, creating lasting positive impacts across the UK.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New law to ensure fairness for all in court

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New law to ensure fairness for all in court

    Sentencing guidelines which risked differential treatment for different races and religions blocked as Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Act receives Royal Assent

    • Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Act receives Royal Assent
    • Law prevents guidelines on pre-sentence reports which reference personal characteristics – such as race or ethnicity coming into effect
    • Law will ensure everyone is treated equally by the courts, part of mission to create Safer Streets through the Plan for Change

    Sentencing guidelines which risked differential treatment for different races and religions, in terms of access to pre-sentence reports, will be blocked under new legislation which has become law today (Thursday 19 June).

    Pre-sentence reports can play a valuable role in supporting judges when making decisions on sentencing. The reports provide an assessment of the nature and causes of an offender’s behaviour, the risk they pose, as well as an independent recommendation of the sentencing options available to the court. However, the changes proposed by the Sentencing Council earlier this year risked a two-tier justice system with offenders treated differently based on their religion or the colour of their skin.

    The new law prevents sentencing guidelines from singling out specific cohorts for differential treatment based on their personal characteristics, when it comes to ordering pre-sentence reports – maintaining fairness and equality under the law.  

    This Act will not restrict courts from requesting pre-sentence reports on a case-by-case basis, such as for pregnant women or those involving young people, or domestic abuse. 

    The Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood said:  

    Equality before the law is the backbone of public confidence in our justice system and today’s change to the law ensure fairness for all in our courts.  

    I am grateful to the Council and its officials for their constructive work on this, I will continue to ensure no one is treated differently just because of their skin colour or religion under the law.

    Background information

    • The Government supports the use of PSRs but the guidance included in the Sentencing Council’s revised Imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline – specifically stating a PSR would normally be considered necessary for offenders based on their personal characteristics, such as religion or ethnicity – risked differential treatment before the law. 
    • The measures will apply to England and Wales.  
    • This Act follows formal objections raised by the Lord Chancellor to the Sentencing Council regarding sections of the revised Imposition guideline, which was published on 5 March 2025 and originally due to come into effect on 1 April 2025. 
    • Courts are under a statutory obligation to request PSRs in all cases (under section 30 of the Sentencing Code), unless they consider it unnecessary in the circumstances of the case. This Act does not impact this statutory obligation. 
    • The Act also does not prevent the Sentencing Council from advising, in general terms, that PSRs are sought in cases where the court would benefit from an assessment of an offender’s personal circumstances. 
    • The Act also does not affect Court of Appeal case law about the types of cases where PSRs are necessary or desirable, including the recent case of Thompson in which the Court of Appeal said it would be desirable to obtain a PSR in cases of pregnant or post-natal women.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Treasury to allocate additional R1.1 billion for political funding 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    An additional R1.1 billion in funding will be made available to political parties over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), says Finance Minister Enoch Gondongwana.

    “Over the MTEF, an additional R1.1 billion in funding will be made available to political parties. Mindful of next year’s Local Government Elections, however, we are considering availing even further funding,” Gondongwana said on Thursday.

    The Minister was speaking at the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Political Party Funding Symposium underway in Durban.

    In his address, the Minister said the performance of the economy and the lower revenue collection, presents serious challenges, which “may hinder the implementation of a common funding pool for political contestants supported by the fiscus”.

    “In addition to the allocations to the IEC, from 2011/12 to date, funding of R3 billion has been provided to political parties to provide a baseline of public funding to help smaller or newer parties compete more effectively against well-established and privately funded ones,” the Minister said.

    Gondongwana said a young democracy like South Africa relies on strong and independent institutions for its longevity and legitimacy.

    “These institutions are key to maintaining the checks and balances that are the backbone of any democracy.”

    Gondongwana said another equally important component is competitive elections by political parties that are not beholden to private interests and should therefore be publicly funded.

    “Political funding in South Africa has historically been opaque, with little regulation or public disclosure until recent years,” he said, adding that for much of the democratic era, political parties were not legally required to reveal their sources of private funding. 

    “This raised concern about corruption, undue influence, and lack of accountability.

    “This fundamentally shifted with the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA) of 2018, which came into effect on April 1, 2021.”

    The Minister said despite these advances, challenges remain in enforcement, local transparency and curbing illicit financing.

    “The implementation of the PPFA has in some measure led to a significant drop in private funding for many political parties, making it challenging for them to meet operational costs. There are other pitfalls to the PPFA that we must be honest about and work hard to overcome. 

    “Another challenge is that currently, the political party funding legislation does not extend to local government level. This is an area that we must address.

    “As National Treasury and government as a whole, we must commit to improving transparency and oversight of political finance to prevent abuse by illicit networks.” 

    The Minister said good progress has been made in the course to remove South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

    “We have made good progress, as seen in our most update from FATF on our journey to being removed from the grey list, where our reforms to resolve systemic weaknesses in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, and to root the links with political party funding have been recognised.”

    READ | SA completes actions to exit grey list

    Godongwana said the ability to hold free and fair elections is a vital feature of any democracy, encompassing both procedural (periodic elections) and substantive (freeness and fairness) aspects.

    “As custodians of the fiscus, we ensure IEC funding for successful elections. You are all aware of the announcement I made in the much-contested 2025 Budget Speech on funds allocated to the IEC for the hosting of the upcoming local government elections. 

    “We have allocated R885 million for the IEC and R550 million for the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force to maintain public order.”

    READ | Symposium looks into impact of political funding law

    The Minister said democracy thrives on continuous debate and a level playing field for the contestation of ideas.

    “Transparency is at the heart of party political funding. To make informed choices when voting, voters need to know who is behind the funding of political parties and what agendas they are pursuing. We must curtail opportunities for parties with questionable intentions to gain power.

    “This requires a strong fiscus and responsible public finance management, shunning wastage and ensuring traceability of all money flows,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • PM Modi expresses grief over Pune road accident, announces financial aid for victims

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives in a road accident on the Jejuri-Morgaon road in Pune. He announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured, to be provided from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

    In a post on X, the PMO quoted PM Modi as saying, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident on the Jejuri-Morgaon road in Pune, Maharashtra. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.”

    On Wednesday, seven people died in a road accident on the Jejuri-Morgaon road in Pune district, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandeep Singh Gill confirmed.

    The accident involved a collision between a sedan and a pickup truck, he added.

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Türkiye: Unlawful use of force by police against protesters in March “may amount to torture”

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Turkish authorities must carry out prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations into alleged human rights violations committed by law enforcement officials throughout mass protests in March 2025, some of which may amount to torture, said Amnesty International in new research findings. 

    “I cannot breathe”: Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment during protests in March documents police violence during and in the aftermath of largely peaceful nationwide protests that erupted following the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul and Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples’ Republican Party (CHP), and 91 others on 19 March 2025. 

    “Our findings reveal damning evidence of unlawful force frequently used by law enforcement officers against peaceful protesters in cities across Türkiye. The authorities used tear gas, pepper spray, kinetic impact projectiles and water cannons against people who were simply exercising their rights,” said Esther Major, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Research in Europe. 

    “The violations documented constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and, in some cases, may amount to torture. These unlawful acts of violence must be investigated promptly and the perpetrators brought to justice in fair trials.” 

    Everyone around me was screaming ‘I cannot breathe.’…Everyone was on top of each other like a human pyramid of around 30 people

    Peaceful protesters suffered numerous injuries and even hospitalizations. According to the authorities, law enforcement officials detained at least 1,879 people, with more than 300 people remanded in pre-trial detention by the end of March. At least eight journalists and four lawyers were indicted under the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations which criminalises participation in unauthorised gatherings. Dozens of prosecutions, in which hundreds are being hauled before the courts, began in April with further hearings pending in the months ahead. 

    “They dragged me while I was on my knees. I thought I would die’’

    Amnesty International interviewed 17 protesters as well as several lawyers and our Evidence Lab verified dozens of videos documenting how protesters were beaten, kicked and dragged on the ground by law enforcement officials even when they were dispersing, not resisting or were already restrained. The organisation’s researchers also obtained and reviewed court documents, medical consultation reports and criminal complaints by protesters in which details of the allegations of ill-treatment and injuries were recorded, corroborating the accounts of the interviewed individuals.

    Protesters were subjected to water cannon, tear gas, kinetic impact projectiles by police, often at very close range directly targeting the head and upper body, in violation of international human rights law and standards. Officers used pepper spray directed at people’s faces often from a range of less than one metre causing burning, pain, and inflammation. 

    Warnings by police prior to dispersal consistently fell short of standards required by both domestic and international law, with insufficient time and space for participants to safely and voluntarily leave the protests. Almost all the people interviewed told Amnesty International that they had not heard police loudspeaker dispersal announcements or that force was deployed immediately following the warning.  

    We’ll put you in through the back door of the riot police bus, and your corpse will come out the front door

    One person told Amnesty International how, at a demonstration in Istanbul on 23 March, no time was allowed following a police order to disperse before the immediate use of pepper spray and kinetic impact projectiles. He described how many people trying to flee fell on top of each other like dominoes, and that police continued to use pepper spray and beat people when they were on the ground.

    He told Amnesty International: “Everyone around me was screaming ‘I cannot breathe.’…Everyone was on top of each other like a human pyramid of around 30 people.”

    On 23 March, one man in Istanbul’s Saraçhane Square was hit in the eye by a kinetic impact projectile. As a result, he underwent vitrectomy surgery, a procedure to remove the vitreous humour the eye, and has since been told that he might never fully recover his vision in that eye. Another protester in Ankara had his foot crushed by a water cannon vehicle. 

    A 27-year-old student who had joined a protest in Istanbul on 22 March told Amnesty International through her lawyer: “I was kicked so much that I couldn’t walk properly. I kept falling down. They dragged me while I was on my knees. I thought I would die.” 

    Another man who was at a demonstration in Istanbul on 23 March told Amnesty International: “Around six or seven riot police were kicking and punching me including in my face and head. One of them gave me a flying kick to my chest. Some of my teeth became loose due to the beating. As they were beating me, they were shouting insults like ‘I will f**k your mother, your sister’, son of a whore.”  

    Threats of violence including sexual violence were reported by others too. Student Eren Üner was detained at his home and beaten by police in Istanbul on 24 March, after sharing social media posts by police officers boasting about their ill treatment of protesters. Üner described how police officers who detained him told him: “We’ll put you in through the back door of the riot police bus, and your corpse will come out the front door.” He also told Amnesty International: “The senior officers said they would insert a baton into me and asked for a baton from the other police officers. But this did not happen.” 

    “It is clear from our findings that what happened in Türkiye during these largely peaceful protests in March was a blatant assault on people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said Esther Major. 

    “Instances of unnecessary use of force were not isolated but appear to reflect a pattern of law enforcement officials systematically targeting people who were peacefully protesting, standing by or trying to disperse. These violations are the latest in an egregious and ongoing crackdown on expressions of peaceful dissent. We call on the authorities in Türkiye to ensure they are investigated and perpetrators brought to justice, with victims receiving redress for the harm they were subjected to.” 

    Background  

    Under international law, states have a legal obligation to respect and ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly for those who wish to gather together with others. Any restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly must be prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate aim, and be necessary and proportionate to that aim. Blanket bans on protests are presumptively disproportionate, and restrictions imposed on assemblies must instead be based on an individualized assessment by the authorities of the conduct of particular participants or of a particular assembly. Any use of force by law enforcement officials must be strictly necessary and proportionate and only the minimum force necessary may be used. Those who use unlawful force must be held accountable. 

    Ekrem İmamoğlu was remanded in pre-trial detention on 23 March, the same day he was nominated by his party as the main opposition candidate for the next presidential election following a symbolic primary in which over 15 million people participated. He was removed from his post alongside district mayors of Şişli and Beylikdüzü, who also face charges. By early June, four further waves of detentions had taken place with scores of elected representatives, employees of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality as well as people from the district municipalities taken into custody. 

    For more information contact [email protected]      

    Read more about Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ campaign here

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Presence delivers specialized training on sectorial analysis of financial crimes for Albanian State Police

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE Presence delivers specialized training on sectorial analysis of financial crimes for Albanian State Police

    In support of Albania’s National Strategy for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a three-day training programme on sectorial analysis on financial crimes, from 17 to 19 June 2025. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to enhance the institutional capacity of the Albanian State Police, specifically of the Anti-Money Laundering Sector within the General Directorate.
    Led by two national experts, the training was designed to strengthen the police analytical and operational capabilities in the field of economic and financial crime. It provided 12 officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to conceive and draft sectoral analyses in this field. These skills will support strategic planning, intelligence-led investigations and effective interagency co-ordination in combating money laundering, corruption and related financial offenses.
    By delivering targeted capacity-building support, this training contributes directly to the implementation of the Albania’s National Strategy for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and reinforces the OSCE’s commitment to promoting effective, intelligence-driven policing in Albania.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Halts New Clinical Trials That Export Americans’ Cells to Foreign Labs in Hostile Countries for Genetic Engineering

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    For Immediate Release:
    June 18, 2025

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced an immediate review of new clinical trials that involve sending American citizens’ living cells to China and other hostile countries for genetic engineering and subsequent infusion back into U.S. patients – sometimes without their knowledge or consent.
    This action by the FDA follows mounting evidence that some of these trials failed to inform participants about the international transfer and manipulation of their biological material and may have exposed Americans’ sensitive genetic data to misuse by foreign governments including adversaries.
    This practice was made possible by a data security rule finalized under the Biden Administration in December 2024 and implemented in April 2025 by the U.S. Department of Justice. While the rule imposed export controls to limit sensitive data transfers to countries of concern, the Biden Administration specifically requested and approved a sweeping exemption that allowed U.S. companies to send trial participants’ biological samples — including DNA — for processing overseas as part of FDA-regulated clinical trials. This exemption applied even in cases involving companies partially owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
    “The previous administration turned a blind eye and allowed American DNA to be sent abroad — often without the knowledge or understanding of trial participants,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. “The integrity of our biomedical research enterprise is paramount. We are taking action to protect patients, restore public trust, and safeguard U.S. biomedical leadership.”
    The FDA is actively reviewing all relevant clinical trials that relied on this exemption and will require companies to demonstrate full transparency, ethical consent, and domestic handling of sensitive biological materials. New trials that cannot meet these standards will not proceed.
    The agency is also working closely with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ensure that no federally funded research is compromised by these practices. Additional enforcement and policy measures could be forthcoming.
    This action is part of a broader national effort to implement Executive Orders 14117 and 14292, which direct the federal government to prevent the exploitation of sensitive biological data by foreign adversaries and ensure research funding flows only to secure, transparent, and U.S.-compliant institutions.

    Consumer:888-INFO-FDA

    ###

    Boilerplate

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Content current as of:
    06/18/2025

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release-Beach Leash Laws are for the Protection of Monk Seal Pups, June 18, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release-Beach Leash Laws are for the Protection of Monk Seal Pups, June 18, 2025

    Posted on Jun 18, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    BEACH LEASH LAWS ARE FOR THE PROTECTION OF MONK SEAL PUPS

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 18, 2025

    HONOLULU – A 43-year-old woman was issued a civil resource violation for having a dog on a beach in a state park Saturday by the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE). Photographs of the encounter show the dog off its leash and walking with a group of adults and children. The violation has a $100 fine. The same day, two other people were cited for the same offense.

    The initial citation resulted from an incident in which an off-leash dog ran straight at a resting Hawaiian monk seal on O‘ahu’s North Shore, causing the male seal, named Holokai and tagged as RG40, to move away into the water. A DOCARE officer and a volunteer with Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response (HMAR) approached the group playing with the dog in the water.

    Dogs, on-leash or not, are prohibited within most Hawai‘i state parks and except for service dogs, are never allowed on beaches under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of State Parks. The same rules apply to state Natural Area Reserves, under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW).

    Hawaiian monk seals are protected under both state and federal laws. Violations of these laws can result in warnings, citations, or more severe penalties depending on various factors, such as the severity of the violation, and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

    This incident illustrates the importance of following leash laws, especially during this time of year. The 2025 pupping season for endangered Hawaiian monk seals is well underway, with 11 pups born on O‘ahu so far.

    While mothers do birth year-round, March through August is typically the peak season. This is when pups are born on sandy shorelines across the state. This is a critical and vulnerable time for one of the world’s rarest marine mammals.

    The endemic Hawaiian monk seal is a federally and state protected species with an estimated population of 1,600 individuals. Pup survival is vital to the recovery of the species, and off-leash dogs pose a serious threat. Curious or aggressive dogs, even if well-intentioned, can easily injure or kill a young seal. The dogs themselves are also at risk. Hawaiian monk seals are wild animals with powerful jaws and a defensive bite. A protective mother can cause deep wounds, broken bones, or severe infections in dogs.

    It’s essential to remember that beaches are important resting areas for monk seals, especially during the summer. Keeping your dog leashed is a simple action that can help save a monk seal pup’s life. Harm can result from a disturbance in seal’s natural behaviors and repeated disturbances could cause seals to abandon their pups or abandon birth beaches.

    Dog walkers are urged to always keep dogs leashed and avoid areas where monk seals are known to rest or nurse their pups. Always follow posted signs and guidance from marine wildlife officials. The City and County of Honolulu has a list of on- and off-leash dog parks around O‘ahu. Please see the link below.

    Community awareness and responsible behavior are key to the survival of Hawaiian monk seals. With everyone’s kōkua, seal pups can grow up safely and return to have their own pups.

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

    HD video – Ka‘ena Point State Park seals (May 27, 2023):

    Photographs – Dog and seal encounter on Lyman’s Beach (June 15, 2025):

    City and County of Honolulu dog walking areas:

    Report sightings or concerns to the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline:

    888-256-9840.

     

    Media Contact:

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release-Beach Leash Laws are for the Protection of Monk Seal Pups, June 18, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release-Beach Leash Laws are for the Protection of Monk Seal Pups, June 18, 2025

    Posted on Jun 18, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    BEACH LEASH LAWS ARE FOR THE PROTECTION OF MONK SEAL PUPS

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 18, 2025

    HONOLULU – A 43-year-old woman was issued a civil resource violation for having a dog on a beach in a state park Saturday by the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE). Photographs of the encounter show the dog off its leash and walking with a group of adults and children. The violation has a $100 fine. The same day, two other people were cited for the same offense.

    The initial citation resulted from an incident in which an off-leash dog ran straight at a resting Hawaiian monk seal on O‘ahu’s North Shore, causing the male seal, named Holokai and tagged as RG40, to move away into the water. A DOCARE officer and a volunteer with Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response (HMAR) approached the group playing with the dog in the water.

    Dogs, on-leash or not, are prohibited within most Hawai‘i state parks and except for service dogs, are never allowed on beaches under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of State Parks. The same rules apply to state Natural Area Reserves, under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW).

    Hawaiian monk seals are protected under both state and federal laws. Violations of these laws can result in warnings, citations, or more severe penalties depending on various factors, such as the severity of the violation, and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

    This incident illustrates the importance of following leash laws, especially during this time of year. The 2025 pupping season for endangered Hawaiian monk seals is well underway, with 11 pups born on O‘ahu so far.

    While mothers do birth year-round, March through August is typically the peak season. This is when pups are born on sandy shorelines across the state. This is a critical and vulnerable time for one of the world’s rarest marine mammals.

    The endemic Hawaiian monk seal is a federally and state protected species with an estimated population of 1,600 individuals. Pup survival is vital to the recovery of the species, and off-leash dogs pose a serious threat. Curious or aggressive dogs, even if well-intentioned, can easily injure or kill a young seal. The dogs themselves are also at risk. Hawaiian monk seals are wild animals with powerful jaws and a defensive bite. A protective mother can cause deep wounds, broken bones, or severe infections in dogs.

    It’s essential to remember that beaches are important resting areas for monk seals, especially during the summer. Keeping your dog leashed is a simple action that can help save a monk seal pup’s life. Harm can result from a disturbance in seal’s natural behaviors and repeated disturbances could cause seals to abandon their pups or abandon birth beaches.

    Dog walkers are urged to always keep dogs leashed and avoid areas where monk seals are known to rest or nurse their pups. Always follow posted signs and guidance from marine wildlife officials. The City and County of Honolulu has a list of on- and off-leash dog parks around O‘ahu. Please see the link below.

    Community awareness and responsible behavior are key to the survival of Hawaiian monk seals. With everyone’s kōkua, seal pups can grow up safely and return to have their own pups.

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

    HD video – Ka‘ena Point State Park seals (May 27, 2023):

    Photographs – Dog and seal encounter on Lyman’s Beach (June 15, 2025):

    City and County of Honolulu dog walking areas:

    Report sightings or concerns to the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline:

    888-256-9840.

     

    Media Contact:

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davis, García, Ramirez, Jackson Demand Noem, ICE Provide Access to Detained Constituents at ICE Center in IL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    CHICAGO, IL — Today, Congressmembers Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding access to constituents at the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in Illinois, after masked, unidentified agents unlawfully denied their entry. The Members of Congress also blasted her policy to unlawfully prohibit Members of Congress from exercising their oversight authority, after receiving the excuse that an ICE agent could deny a tour of the site based on operational capacity. 

    “Under the law, Members of Congress have the authority to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain people. Whether that facility is formally identified as a detention facility is irrelevant. The operational capacity of agents and staff at the facility is also irrelevant when it comes to allowing access to Members of Congress. It is the role of Congress to provide oversight,” wrote the members. “Yet, you and the rest of the Trump Administration continue to break the law and bypass Congressional authority to conceal the ways in which you are abusing your power to violate our rights, undermine due process, and tear our communities apart.”

    The Members of Congress also outline that in the past several weeks, DHS officials denied Members of Congress conducting oversight access to ICE facilities and detention centers in New Jersey, California, New York, and now the state of Illinois. 

    “Your actions prove your lack of commitment to accountability, your disregard for Congress as an equal branch of government with oversight authority, and your intent to conceal the campaign of terror you are waging against our communities,” continued the representatives. 

    To read the full letter, CLICK HERE. 

    BACKGROUND:

    The visit by the representatives to the  Broadview ICE Processing Center was prompted by reports that the center is unlawfully used against city and state ordinances as a detention center, where migrants are being denied access to their attorneys and held in inhumane and unsanitary conditions, sleeping on the floor, and without complete meals. Under appropriation laws, Members of Congress have the authority to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used to detain or otherwise house people without advance notice. 

    The authority is outlined in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-93), Division D – Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020, Sec. 532 and re-affirmed in each year since, including Section 527(a) of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–47). It establishes that “none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Homeland Security by this Act may be used to prevent…a Member of Congress…from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens… [nor] to make any temporary modification at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a visiting Member of Congress… compared to what would be observed in the absence of such modification.”

    Additionally, subsection (b) clarifies that nothing in this section requires a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of intent to enter such a facility for oversight purposes. The Department itself has affirmed the oversight duties of Members of Congress in guidance posted by ICE dated February 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Hearings – REGI Public Hearing on cohesion policy for the equality of the regions – 25-06-2025 – Committee on Regional Development

    Source: European Parliament

    Abstract_design © Image used under license from Adobe Stock

    The Committee on Regional Development will hold a public hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures” with the participation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Culture and Education and the Committee on Petitions on Wednesday 25 June 2025.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Charges brought against Spain’s Prosecutor General for leaking confidential information for political reasons and Spain’s compliance with Article 2 TEU – E-002349/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002349/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Dolors Montserrat (PPE)

    Supreme Court Justice Ángel Hurtado is bringing summary proceedings against Spain’s Prosecutor General on the grounds that there is enough evidence to corroborate suspicions that he revealed confidential information.

    Hurtado’s writ states that, based on the investigation, there are grounds to believe that ‘instructions were received from the Prime Minister’s office to make use of available information for political ends.’ The Prosecutor General is accused of leaking confidential information ‘as a result of instructions received from the Prime Minister’s office… for the purposes of winning the narrative battle.’

    Though the Prosecutor General faces very serious charges – which could result in his being imprisoned and disbarred from office – he has neither resigned nor lost the support of the Spanish Government. In the light of the above:

    • 1.Does the Commission consider that this state of affairs is at odds with the rule of law principles laid down in the Treaty on European Union, in particular concerning the independence of the judiciary and the Prosecutor General’s office?
    • 2.Is the Commission not concerned about the fact that the Prosecutor General’s Office is being used by the Government to destroy a political opponent, blatantly contradicting the recommendations of the rule of law mechanism that require autonomy and neutrality?
    • 3.Will the Commission react to this incident by requesting information from the Spanish Government, or will the latter feature in the upcoming rule of law report on Spain?

    Submitted: 11.6.2025

    Last updated: 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – The Court of Justice of the European Union – 18-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is one of the EU’s seven institutions. It consists of two courts of law: the Court of Justice proper and the General Court. It is the judicial authority of the EU. The courts ensure the correct interpretation and application of primary and secondary EU law in the EU. They review the legality of acts of the EU institutions and decide whether Member States have fulfilled their obligations under primary and secondary law. The Court of Justice also provides interpretations of EU law when so requested by national judges.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli – RC-B10-0282/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    pursuant to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of the Rules of Procedure
    replacing the following motions:
    B10‑0282/2025 (Verts/ALE)
    B10‑0287/2025 (Renew)
    B10‑0289/2025 (S&D)
    B10‑0290/2025 (PPE)
    B10‑0295/2025 (ECR)

    Sebastião Bugalho, Rasa Juknevičienė, David McAllister, Željana Zovko, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Tomas Tobé, Miriam Lexmann, Andrey Kovatchev, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Dariusz Joński, Loránt Vincze, Danuše Nerudová, Mirosława Nykiel, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Davor Ivo Stier, Luděk Niedermayer, Liudas Mažylis, Inese Vaidere, Loucas Fourlas, Krzysztof Brejza
    on behalf of the PPE Group
    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Tobias Cremer
    on behalf of the S&D Group
    Adam Bielan, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Rihards Kols, Mariusz Kamiński, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Alexandr Vondra, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Bogdan Rzońca, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Assita Kanko, Marlena Maląg, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Kris Van Dijck
    on behalf of the ECR Group
    Urmas Paet, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Engin Eroglu, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Eugen Tomac, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar, Dainius Žalimas
    on behalf of the Renew Group
    Lena Schilling, Markéta Gregorová
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
    Hanna Gedin, Jonas Sjöstedt, Per Clausen

    Document selected :  

    RC-B10-0282/2025

    Texts tabled :

    RC-B10-0282/2025

    Texts adopted :

    European Parliament resolution on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli

    (2025/2752(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia,

    – having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas Mzia Amaglobeli, a journalist and co-founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti outlets, was arrested during pro-European protests on 12 January 2025 and faces four to seven years in prison for a provoked incident involving a police officer;

    B. whereas the adoption of draconian legislation – such as the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, Code of Administrative Offences and Law on Grants – constitutes a dangerous acceleration of democratic backsliding and deliberate authoritarian strategy by Georgian Dream to silence critical voices in civil society and independent media and persecute the political opposition;

    C. whereas the authorities have virtually annihilated remaining independent media outlets in the country; whereas the public information space is fully dominated by pro-government media, spreading Russian-style propaganda and anti-European disinformation;

    D. whereas in Mzia Amaglobeli’s case, the authorities ignored procedural safeguards, imposed pre-trial detention without a clear legal basis, contested by the Public Defender, and assigned a presiding judge lacking qualifications in criminal law; whereas she is being punished for exposing corruption and reporting on election fraud during the 2024 elections;

    E. whereas she reportedly suffered inhumane treatment and undertook a 38-day hunger strike;

    F. whereas Estonia and Lithuania have imposed personal sanctions on Georgian judges and police officers linked to Mzia Amaglobeli’s case;

    1. Demands Mzia Amaglobeli’s immediate and unconditional release and the withdrawal of all charges against her, and denounces her politically motivated arrest and prosecution;

    2. Strongly condemns the Georgian Dream regime’s systemic assault on democratic institutions, political opposition, independent media, civil society and judicial independence;

    3. Expresses deep concern over arbitrary detentions and the harassment of, and violence against, journalists in Georgia, including smear campaigns, legal persecution, abuse and gender-based violence in detention; calls for independent investigations and urges the authorities to immediately end intimidation and ensure journalists’ safety and freedom;

    4. Urges the Georgian authorities to release all political prisoners and other illegally detained persons without delay, including activist Mate Devidze, opposition leaders Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia and Nika Gvaramia, and former President Mikheil Saakashvili, and denounces the violent abduction of UNM Chair Tina Bokuchava’s husband and the reported threats to her children’s safety;

    5. Calls for the immediate repeal of all repressive legislation, the restoration of democracy, and full protection of media freedom and civil liberties;

    6. Calls for the EU to step up support for Georgia’s independent media and civil society following the entry into force of the FARA, and monitor ongoing trials;

    7. Regrets the persistent inaction of the Council, Member States and Commission and reiterates its repeated call on Member States to impose bilateral sanctions against Georgian Dream leaders and officials responsible for democratic backsliding;

    8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, President Zourabichvili, and the self-appointed authorities of Georgia.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Human rights situation in the Philippines and EU-Philippines free trade agreement negotiations – E-001506/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines. The European External Action Service and the Commission raise these concerns regularly, both bilaterally and when engaging in multilateral fora such as the United Nations Human Rights Council.

    Human rights issues are an integral part of the EU’s relations with the Philippines, as set out in the partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA)[1] and are discussed in detail during the annual meetings of the EU-Philippines Subcommittee on Good Governance, the Rule of Law and Human Rights and in the GSP+ monitoring under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences[2] (GSP) .

    T he Commission finances programmes that strengthen the rule of law by improving access to justice, supporting judicial reforms and enhancing accountability and human rights protection across the country.

    The Commission engages with, and welcomes input from, all civil society, including human rights organisations.   The EU text proposals[3] include a chapter on trade and sustainable development (TSD), in line with the 2022 Commission TSD communication[4], proposing more participation and support for civil society and a stronger focus on implementation and enforcement and cover human rights through the proposed provisions on labour standards and gender equality.  

    The EU has proposed human rights as an essential element of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by linking to the relevant provisions of the PCA.

    In 2022, the Commission published a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA)[5], which includes a dedicated section with a human rights impact assessment, and all elements in the SIA are taken into consideration in the text proposals and during the ongoing FTA negotiation.

    • [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents/treaties-agreements/agreement/?id=2011002&DocLanguage=en.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/978/2023-11-28.
    • [3] https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/ad546f8a-b5ba-4a51-ba60-88993dc42d18?p=1.
    • [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0409&qid=1656586727707.
    • [5] https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/09242a36-a438-40fd-a7af-fe32e36cbd0e/library/7ce196ff-3fba-487e-a6ce-1f72e04e40d0/details?download=true.
    Last updated: 18 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minutes – Wednesday, 18 June 2025 – Strasbourg – Final edition

    Source: European Parliament

    PV-10-2025-06-18

    EN

    EN

    iPlPv_Sit

    Minutes
    Wednesday, 18 June 2025 – Strasbourg

     Abbreviations and symbols

    + adopted
    – rejected
    ↓ lapsed
    W withdrawn
    RCV roll-call votes
    EV electronic vote
    SEC secret ballot
    split split vote
    sep separate vote
    am amendment
    CA compromise amendment
    CP corresponding part
    D deleting amendment
    = identical amendments
    § paragraph

    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

    2025 – 2026 SESSION

    Sittings of 16 to 19 June 2025

    STRASBOURG

    MINUTES

    WEDNESDAY 18 JUNE 2025

    IN THE CHAIR: Roberta METSOLA
    President

    1. Opening of the sitting

    The sitting opened at 09:02.



    2. Negotiations ahead of Parliament’s first reading (Rule 72) (action taken)

    The decision of the LIBE Committee to enter into interinstitutional negotiations had been announced on 16 June 2025 (minutes of 16.6.2025, item 12).

    As no request for a vote pursuant to Rule 72(2) had been made, the committee responsible had been able to enter into negotiations upon expiry of the deadline.



    3. Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025 (debate)

    Commission statement: Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025 (2025/2748(RSP))

    The President provided some clarifications on the arrangements for the conduct of the debate, for which a test format was to be used.

    Kaja Kallas (Vice President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) made the statement.

    The following spoke: Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, on behalf of the PPE Group, Yannis Maniatis, on behalf of the S&D Group, Harald Vilimsky, on behalf of the PfE Group, Alexandr Vondra, on behalf of the ECR Group, Valérie Hayer, on behalf of the Renew Group, Bas Eickhout, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Marc Botenga, on behalf of The Left Group, René Aust, on behalf of the ESN Group, Michael Gahler, Sven Mikser, Jean-Paul Garraud, Adam Bielan, Dan Barna, Mārtiņš Staķis, Özlem Demirel, Milan Uhrík, Ruth Firmenich, Ingeborg Ter Laak and Eero Heinäluoma.

    IN THE CHAIR: Sabine VERHEYEN
    Vice-President

    The following spoke: Anna Bryłka, Rasa Juknevičienė, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Petras Auštrevičius, Sebastião Bugalho, Hannah Neumann, Merja Kyllönen, Pekka Toveri, Elio Di Rupo, Roberto Vannacci, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Wouter Beke, Dan Nica, Hans Neuhoff, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Branislav Ondruš, who also answered a blue-card question from Maria Grapini, Riho Terras, Tobias Cremer, Jaak Madison, Markéta Gregorová, Michał Szczerba, Marina Mesure, Sarah Knafo, Ondřej Dostál, Angelika Niebler, who also declined to take a blue-card question from Özlem Demirel, Tonino Picula, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Massimiliano Salini, Evin Incir, Lucia Yar, Mika Aaltola, Giorgos Georgiou, Davor Ivo Stier, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Georgiana Teodorescu, Reinier Van Lanschot, Željana Zovko, Rihards Kols, Irene Montero, Eszter Lakos, Petar Volgin and Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez.

    IN THE CHAIR: Javi LÓPEZ
    Vice-President

    The following spoke: José Cepeda, Petra Steger, who also declined to take a blue-card question from Marta Wcisło, Jüri Ratas, Loucas Fourlas, Niels Fuglsang, Engin Eroglu, Miriam Lexmann, Kathleen Funchion, Ana Miguel Pedro, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, Francisco Assis, Matej Tonin, Johan Van Overtveldt, Anders Vistisen, Marta Wcisło, Ville Niinistö, Sandra Kalniete and Danilo Della Valle.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Hélder Sousa Silva, Maria Grapini, João Oliveira, Petras Gražulis, Lukas Sieper, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos and Juan Fernando López Aguilar.

    The following spoke: Kaja Kallas.

    The debate closed.

    (The sitting was suspended at 11:43.)



    IN THE CHAIR: Roberta METSOLA
    President

    4. Resumption of the sitting

    The sitting resumed at 12:00.



    5. Voting time

    For detailed results of the votes, see also ‘Results of votes’ and ‘Results of roll-call votes’.



    5.1. Macro-financial assistance to Egypt ***I (vote)

    Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on providing macro-financial assistance to the Arab Republic of Egypt [COM(2024)0461 – C10-0009/2024 – 2024/0071(COD)] – Committee on International Trade. Rapporteur: Céline Imart (A10-0037/2025)

    An initial vote had been held on 1 April 2025 and the matter had been referred back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations under Rule 60(4) (minutes of 1.4.2025, item 6.11).

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    REQUEST FROM THE LEFT GROUP TO PROCEED WITH A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENTS (Rule 60(3))

    Rejected

    PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT

    Adopted (P10_TA(2025)125)

    Parliament’s first reading thus closed.

    Detailed voting results



    5.2. Adoption by the Union of the Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty ***I (vote)

    Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the adoption by the Union of the Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty between the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States [COM(2024)0257 – C10-0058/2024 – 2024/0148(COD)] – Committee on International Trade – Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteurs: Anna Cavazzini and Borys Budka (A10-0009/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL and AMENDMENTS

    Approved (P10_TA(2025)126)

    Parliament’s first reading thus closed.

    Detailed voting results

    2

    The following had spoken:

    Anna Cavazzini (rapporteur), before the vote, to make a statement on the basis of Rule 165(4).



    5.3. EU/Euratom Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty: adoption by Euratom * (vote)

    Report on the Proposal for a Council decision on the adoption by the European Atomic Energy Community of the Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty between the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States [COM(2024)0256 – C10-0092/2024 – 2024/0146(NLE)] – Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Borys Budka (A10-0008/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL TO THE COUNCIL

    Approved by single vote (P10_TA(2025)127)

    Detailed voting results



    5.4. Implementation report on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (vote)

    Report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility [2024/2085(INI)] – Committee on Budgets – Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Rapporteurs: Victor Negrescu and Siegfried Mureşan (A10-0098/2025)

    The debate had taken place on 17 June 2025 (minutes of 17.6.2025, item 10).

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

    Adopted (P10_TA(2025)128)

    Detailed voting results



    5.5. The Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law report (vote)

    Report on The Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law report [2024/2078(INI)] – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Rapporteur: Ana Catarina Mendes (A10-0100/2025)

    The debate had taken place on 17 June 2025 (minutes of 17.6.2025, item 11).

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

    Adopted (P10_TA(2025)129)

    Detailed voting results



    5.6. 2023 and 2024 reports on Montenegro (vote)

    Report on the 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Montenegro [2025/2020(INI)] – Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Marjan Šarec (A10-0093/2025)

    The debate had taken place on 17 June 2025 (minutes of 17.6.2025, item 12).

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

    Adopted (P10_TA(2025)130)

    Detailed voting results



    5.7. 2023 and 2024 reports on Moldova (vote)

    Report on 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Moldova [2025/2025(INI)] – Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Sven Mikser (A10-0096/2025)

    The debate had taken place on 17 June 2025 (minutes of 17.6.2025, item 13).

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

    Adopted (P10_TA(2025)131)

    Detailed voting results

    7

    (The sitting was suspended for a few moments.)



    IN THE CHAIR: Christel SCHALDEMOSE
    Vice-President

    6. Resumption of the sitting

    The sitting resumed at 12:35.



    7. Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

    The minutes of the previous sitting were approved.



    8. Stopping the genocide in Gaza: time for EU sanctions (topical debate)

    The following spoke: Manon Aubry to open the debate proposed by the The Left Group.

    The following spoke: Kaja Kallas (Vice President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy).

    The following spoke: Hildegard Bentele, on behalf of the PPE Group, Nacho Sánchez Amor, on behalf of the S&D Group, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, on behalf of the PfE Group (the President noted that some comments needed to be checked), Sebastian Tynkkynen, on behalf of the ECR Group, Hilde Vautmans, on behalf of the Renew Group, Tineke Strik, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Hanna Gedin, on behalf of The Left Group, Marc Jongen, on behalf of the ESN Group, Seán Kelly, Evin Incir, Beatrice Timgren, Barry Andrews, Jaume Asens Llodrà, Nikos Pappas, Kateřina Konečná, Matjaž Nemec, Christophe Bay, Kristoffer Storm, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Ana Miranda Paz, Isabel Serra Sánchez, Ruth Firmenich, Francisco Assis, Abir Al-Sahlani, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Per Clausen, Cecilia Strada, Irena Joveva, Ville Niinistö, Özlem Demirel, Alex Agius Saliba, Lucia Yar, Giorgos Georgiou, Elio Di Rupo, Billy Kelleher, Estrella Galán, Ciaran Mullooly, Mimmo Lucano, Pernando Barrena Arza and Jussi Saramo (once the checks had been carried out, the President provided some clarifications).

    The following spoke: Kaja Kallas.

    The debate closed.



    9. Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act (debate)

    Commission statement: Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act (2025/2758(RSP))

    Michael McGrath (Member of the Commission) made the statement.

    The following spoke: Tomas Tobé, on behalf of the PPE Group, Iratxe García Pérez, on behalf of the S&D Group, Kinga Gál, on behalf of the PfE Group, Paolo Inselvini, on behalf of the ECR Group, Fabienne Keller, on behalf of the Renew Group, Terry Reintke, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Konstantinos Arvanitis, on behalf of The Left Group, Zsuzsanna Borvendég, on behalf of the ESN Group, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Klára Dobrev, Harald Vilimsky, who also declined to take a blue-card question from Nicolae Ştefănuță, Nicolas Bay, who also answered a blue-card question from Mélissa Camara, Dainius Žalimas, who also answered a blue-card question from Lukas Sieper, Tineke Strik, Ilaria Salis, who also declined to take a blue-card question, Christine Anderson, who also declined to take a blue-card question, Judita Laššáková, Maria Walsh, Ana Catarina Mendes and Hermann Tertsch.

    IN THE CHAIR: Martin HOJSÍK
    Vice-President

    The following spoke: Arkadiusz Mularczyk, who also answered a blue-card question from Lukas Sieper, Moritz Körner, Mélissa Camara, who also answered a blue-card question from Jacek Ozdoba, Carolina Morace, Milan Mazurek, Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă, Arba Kokalari, Marc Angel, Paolo Borchia, Jacek Ozdoba, Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Daniel Freund (the President reminded him of the rules on conduct), Li Andersson, Tomasz Froelich, Lukas Sieper, Mirosława Nykiel, Alessandro Zan, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, Tobiasz Bocheński, who also answered a blue-card question from Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Kim Van Sparrentak, Lena Düpont, Krzysztof Śmiszek, András László, who also answered a blue-card question from Michał Wawrykiewicz, Rasmus Nordqvist, who also answered a blue-card question from Tomasz Froelich, Evin Incir, Juan Fernando López Aguilar and Chloé Ridel.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Sebastian Tynkkynen and Alexander Jungbluth.

    The following spoke: Michael McGrath.

    The debate closed.



    10. Safeguarding the rule of law in Spain, ensuring an independent and autonomous prosecutor’s office to fight crime and corruption (debate)

    Commission statement: Safeguarding the rule of law in Spain, ensuring an independent and autonomous prosecutor’s office to fight crime and corruption (2025/2759(RSP))

    Michael McGrath (Member of the Commission) made the statement.

    The following spoke: Tomas Tobé, on behalf of the PPE Group, Javier Moreno Sánchez, on behalf of the S&D Group, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, on behalf of the PfE Group, Diego Solier, on behalf of the ECR Group, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, on behalf of the Renew Group, Diana Riba i Giner, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Isabel Serra Sánchez, on behalf of The Left Group, Dolors Montserrat, Evelyn Regner, who also declined to take a blue-card question from Enikő Győri, Hermann Tertsch, Nora Junco García, João Cotrim De Figueiredo, Jaume Asens Llodrà, Lena Düpont, Francisco Assis, Petra Steger, Siegfried Mureşan, who also answered a blue-card question from Maria Grapini, and Sandro Ruotolo.

    IN THE CHAIR: Younous OMARJEE
    Vice-President

    The following spoke: Enikő Győri, who also answered a blue-card question from Gabriella Gerzsenyi, Michał Wawrykiewicz, who also answered a blue-card question from Nicolás González Casares, Evin Incir, who also declined to take a blue-card question from François-Xavier Bellamy, Csaba Dömötör, Sebastião Bugalho, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, who also declined to take a blue-card question from François-Xavier Bellamy, Fabrice Leggeri, François-Xavier Bellamy to raise a point of order (the President cut off the speaker as his remarks did not constitute a point of order), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, who also accepted a blue-card question from François-Xavier Bellamy (the President cut him off and made some clarifications on the blue-card procedure), David Casa, Ana Miguel Pedro, Dirk Gotink, Andrey Kovatchev and Javier Zarzalejos.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: José Cepeda, András László, Sebastian Tynkkynen and Lukas Sieper.

    The following spoke: Michael McGrath.

    The debate closed.



    11. Clean Industrial Deal (debate)

    Question for oral answer O-000020/2025 by Tom Berendsen, on behalf of the ITRE Committee to the Commission: Clean Industrial Deal (B10-0006/2025) (2025/2656(RSP))

    Tom Berendsen moved the question.

    Stéphane Séjourné (Executive Vice-President of the Commission) answered the question.

    The following spoke: Angelika Winzig, on behalf of the PPE Group, Nicolás González Casares, on behalf of the S&D Group, Paolo Borchia, on behalf of the PfE Group, Daniel Obajtek, on behalf of the ECR Group, Christophe Grudler, on behalf of the Renew Group, Sara Matthieu, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Per Clausen, on behalf of The Left Group, and Anja Arndt, on behalf of the ESN Group.

    The following spoke: Stéphane Séjourné.

    Motions for resolutions tabled under Rule 142(5) to wind up the debate: minutes of 19.6.2025, item I.

    The debate closed.

    Vote: 19 June 2025.



    12. Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system (debate)

    Report on electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system [2025/2006(INI)] – Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Anna Stürgkh (A10-0091/2025)

    Anna Stürgkh introduced the report.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva (Member of the Commission).

    The following spoke: Seán Kelly, on behalf of the PPE Group, Bruno Tobback, on behalf of the S&D Group, András Gyürk, on behalf of the PfE Group, Ondřej Krutílek, on behalf of the ECR Group, Christophe Grudler, on behalf of the Renew Group, Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Dario Tamburrano, on behalf of The Left Group, Sarah Knafo, on behalf of the ESN Group, Angelika Winzig, Mohammed Chahim, Aleksandar Nikolic, Diego Solier, João Cotrim De Figueiredo, Jutta Paulus, Markus Buchheit, who also answered a blue-card question from Jutta Paulus, Fernand Kartheiser, Paulo Cunha, Tsvetelina Penkova, Isabella Tovaglieri, who also declined to take a blue-card question from Dario Nardella, Mariateresa Vivaldini, Barry Andrews, Benedetta Scuderi, Marcin Sypniewski, who also answered a blue-card question from Stine Bosse, Fidias Panayiotou, Mirosława Nykiel, Yannis Maniatis and Julie Rechagneux.

    IN THE CHAIR: Antonella SBERNA
    Vice-President

    The following spoke: Ivars Ijabs, Michael Bloss, Andrea Wechsler, Dario Nardella, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Marion Maréchal, Bart Groothuis, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Jens Geier, Nikola Bartůšek, Beatrice Timgren, Wouter Beke, Nicolás González Casares, who also answered blue-card questions from João Oliveira and Mireia Borrás Pabón, Gilles Pennelle, Hildegard Bentele, who also answered a blue-card question from Lukas Sieper, Sofie Eriksson, Niels Flemming Hansen, Jüri Ratas, Michał Szczerba, Dimitris Tsiodras, Krzysztof Hetman, Andreas Schwab, Regina Doherty and Tomislav Sokol.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Billy Kelleher, João Oliveira, Maria Zacharia and Lukas Sieper.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva and Anna Stürgkh.

    The debate closed.

    Vote: 19 June 2025.



    13. Composition of committees and delegations

    The ECR Group had notified the President of the following decision changing the composition of the committees and delegations:

    – ITRE Committee: Anna Zalewska

    The decision took effect as of that day.



    14. Rise in violence and the deepening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan (debate)

    Commission statement: Rise in violence and the deepening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan (2025/2751(RSP))

    Ekaterina Zaharieva (Member of the Commission) made the statement.

    The following spoke: Michael Gahler, on behalf of the PPE Group, Marit Maij, on behalf of the S&D Group, György Hölvényi, on behalf of the PfE Group, Adam Bielan, on behalf of the ECR Group, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, on behalf of the Renew Group, Erik Marquardt, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Özlem Demirel, on behalf of The Left Group, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Francisco Assis, Barry Andrews, Murielle Laurent and Leire Pajín.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Alessandra Moretti, Nikos Papandreou and Sebastian Tynkkynen.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva.

    IN THE CHAIR: Roberts ZĪLE
    Vice-President

    The debate closed.



    15. Debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (debate)

    (For the titles and authors of the motions for resolutions, see minutes of 18.6.2025, item I.)



    15.1. Media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli

    Motions for resolutions B10-0282/2025, B10-0283/2025, B10-0287/2025, B10-0288/2025, B10-0289/2025, B10-0290/2025 and B10-0295/2025 (2025/2752(RSP))

    Rasa Juknevičienė, Tobias Cremer, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Dainius Žalimas, Lena Schilling, Danilo Della Valle and Petr Bystron introduced their groups’ motions for resolutions.

    The following spoke: Liudas Mažylis, on behalf of the PPE Group, Nacho Sánchez Amor, on behalf of the S&D Group, and Thierry Mariani, on behalf of the PfE Group.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Lukas Sieper.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva (Member of the Commission).

    The debate closed.

    Vote: minutes of 19.6.2025, item 5.1.



    15.2. Case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran

    Motions for resolutions B10-0280/2025, B10-0284/2025, B10-0285/2025, B10-0286/2025, B10-0296/2025, B10-0299/2025 and B10-0300/2025 (2025/2753(RSP))

    Michał Wawrykiewicz, Evin Incir, Veronika Vrecionová, Abir Al-Sahlani, Alice Kuhnke, Jonas Sjöstedt and Sebastiaan Stöteler introduced their groups’ motions for resolutions.

    The following spoke: Alice Teodorescu Måwe, on behalf of the PPE Group, Francisco Assis, on behalf of the S&D Group, Gerolf Annemans, on behalf of the PfE Group, Hilde Vautmans, on behalf of the Renew Group, Wouter Beke, Daniel Attard and Danuše Nerudová.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva (Member of the Commission).

    The debate closed.

    Vote: minutes of 19.6.2025, item 5.2.



    15.3. Dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali

    Motions for resolutions B10-0281/2025, B10-0291/2025, B10-0292/2025, B10-0293/2025, B10-0294/2025, B10-0297/2025 and B10-0298/2025 (2025/2754(RSP))

    Christophe Gomart, Laura Ballarín Cereza and Catarina Vieira introduced their groups’ motions for resolutions.

    The following spoke: Ingeborg Ter Laak, on behalf of the PPE Group, Marta Temido, on behalf of the S&D Group, and Reinhold Lopatka.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva (Member of the Commission).

    The debate closed.

    Vote: minutes of 19.6.2025, item 5.3.



    16. Digital Markets, Digital Euro, Digital Identities: economical stimuli or trends toward dystopia (topical debate)

    The following spoke: Rada Laykova to open the debate proposed by the ESN Group.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva (Member of the Commission).

    The following spoke: Fernando Navarrete Rojas, on behalf of the PPE Group, Aurore Lalucq, on behalf of the S&D Group, Piotr Müller, on behalf of the ECR Group, Billy Kelleher, on behalf of the Renew Group, Sergey Lagodinsky, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Jussi Saramo, on behalf of The Left Group, Siegbert Frank Droese, on behalf of the ESN Group, Lídia Pereira, Stefano Cavedagna, Katri Kulmuni, Damian Boeselager, Milan Mazurek, Fabio De Masi, Paulius Saudargas, Marlena Maląg, Diego Solier, Gheorghe Piperea, Dick Erixon and Claudiu-Richard Târziu.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva.

    The debate closed.



    17. Oral explanations of votes (Rule 201)

    No oral explanations of votes were made.



    18. Explanations of votes in writing (Rule 201)

    Explanations of votes given in writing would appear on the Members’ pages on Parliament’s website



    19. Agenda of the next sitting

    The next sitting would be held the following day, 19 June 2025, starting at 09:00. The agenda was available on Parliament’s website.



    20. Approval of the minutes of the sitting

    In accordance with Rule 208(3), the minutes of the sitting would be put to the House for approval at the beginning of the afternoon of the next sitting.



    21. Closure of the sitting

    The sitting closed at 21:10.



    LIST OF DOCUMENTS SERVING AS A BASIS FOR THE DEBATES AND DECISIONS OF PARLIAMENT



    I. Motions for resolutions tabled

    Media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli

    The following Members or political groups had requested that a debate be held, in accordance with Rule 150, on the following motions for resolutions:

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0282/2025)
    Lena Schilling, Mélissa Camara, Mounir Satouri, Ville Niinistö, Maria Ohisalo, Mārtiņš Staķis, Nicolae     Ştefănuță, Markéta Gregorová
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0283/2025)
    Danilo Della Valle
    on behalf of The Left Group

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0287/2025)
    Urmas Paet, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Engin Eroglu, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Eugen Tomac, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar, Dainius Žalimas, Olivier Chastel
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0288/2025)
    Petr Bystron, Tomasz Froelich, Hans Neuhoff, Alexander Sell
    on behalf of the ESN Group

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0289/2025)
    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Tobias Cremer
    on behalf of the S&D Group

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0290/2025)
    Sebastião Bugalho, David McAllister, Željana Zovko, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Tomas Tobé, Miriam Lexmann, Andrey Kovatchev, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Dariusz Joński, Loránt Vincze, Danuše Nerudová, Mirosława Nykiel, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Davor Ivo Stier, Luděk Niedermayer, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Liudas Mažylis, Inese Vaidere, Rasa Juknevičienė
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    on media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli (2025/2752(RSP)) (B10-0295/2025)
    Adam Bielan, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Reinis Pozņaks, Rihards Kols, Alexandr Vondra, Mariusz Kamiński, Veronika Vrecionová, Ondřej Krutílek, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Assita Kanko, Bogdan Rzońca, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński
    on behalf of the ECR Group

    Case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran

    The following Members or political groups had requested that a debate be held, in accordance with Rule 150, on the following motions for resolutions:

    on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0280/2025)
    Jonas Sjöstedt
    on behalf of The Left Group

    on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0284/2025)
    Alice Kuhnke, Maria Ohisalo, Mounir Satouri, Nicolae     Ştefănuță, Mélissa Camara, Ville Niinistö, Hannah Neumann
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    on the case of Dr Ahmadreza Djalali’s illegal arrest and detention in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0285/2025)
    Abir Al-Sahlani, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Engin Eroglu, Bart Groothuis, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Urmas Paet, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0286/2025)
    Sebastiaan Stöteler, Marieke Ehlers, António Tânger Corrêa, Nikola Bartůšek, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Gerolf Annemans, Hermann Tertsch
    on behalf of the PfE Group

    on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0296/2025)
    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Evin Incir, Chloé Ridel
    on behalf of the S&D Group

    on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0299/2025)
    Sebastião Bugalho, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Željana Zovko, David McAllister, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Tomas Tobé, Miriam Lexmann, Andrey Kovatchev, Loucas Fourlas, Dariusz Joński, Loránt Vincze, Danuše Nerudová, Mirosława Nykiel, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Davor Ivo Stier, Luděk Niedermayer, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Liudas Mažylis, Inese Vaidere
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    on the case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran (2025/2753(RSP)) (B10-0300/2025)
    Adam Bielan, Reinis Pozņaks, Rihards Kols, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Mariusz Kamiński, Alexandr Vondra, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Alberico Gambino, Carlo Fidanza, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Assita Kanko, Bogdan Rzońca, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Cristian Terheş, Diego Solier, Nora Junco García, Michał Dworczyk, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Marion Maréchal
    on behalf of the ECR Group

    Dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali

    The following Members or political groups had requested that a debate be held, in accordance with Rule 150, on the following motions for resolutions:

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0281/2025)
    Merja Kyllönen
    on behalf of The Left Group

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0291/2025)
    Nathalie Loiseau, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Urmas Paet, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Yvan Verougstraete, Lucia Yar
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0292/2025)
    Tomasz Froelich, Hans Neuhoff, Alexander Sell
    on behalf of the ESN Group

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0293/2025)
    Matthieu Valet, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Nikola Bartůšek
    on behalf of the PfE Group

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0294/2025)
    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Laura Ballarín Cereza
    on behalf of the S&D Group
    Catarina Vieira
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0297/2025)
    Sebastião Bugalho, Christophe Gomart, Željana Zovko, David McAllister, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Tomas Tobé, Miriam Lexmann, Andrey Kovatchev, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Dariusz Joński, Loránt Vincze, Danuše Nerudová, Mirosława Nykiel, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Davor Ivo Stier, Luděk Niedermayer, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Liudas Mažylis, Inese Vaidere
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    on dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali (2025/2754(RSP)) (B10-0298/2025)
    Adam Bielan, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Alexandr Vondra, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Assita Kanko, Bogdan Rzońca, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Małgorzata Gosiewska
    on behalf of the ECR Group



    II. Delegated acts (Rule 114(2))

    Draft delegated acts forwarded to Parliament

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the identification of sub-categories within net-zero technologies and the list of specific components used for those technologies. (C(2025)02901 – 2025/2733(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 23 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ITRE
    opinion: ECON, EMPL, ENVI, IMCO, REGI

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/125 concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (C(2025)03066 – 2025/2727(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 21 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: INTA

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the addition of vehicle sub-groups for extra-heavy-combination lorries (C(2025)03071 – 2025/2726(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 20 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ENVI

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards measures adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation for the monitoring, reporting and verification of aviation emissions for the purpose of implementing a global market-based measure and repealing Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1603 (C(2025)03075 – 2025/2725(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 20 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ENVI
    opinion: ITRE

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC) No 111/2005 as regards the inclusion of the drug precursors 4-piperidone and 1-boc-4-piperidone in the list of scheduled substances (C(2025)03079 – 2025/2729(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 21 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: LIBE

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards on the authorisation and organisational requirements for approved publication arrangements and approved reporting mechanisms, and on the authorisation requirements for consolidated tape providers, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/571 (C(2025)03100 – 2025/2765(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 12 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards specifying the input and output data of consolidated tapes, the synchronisation of business clocks and the revenue redistribution by the consolidated tape provider for shares and ETFs, and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/574 (C(2025)03102 – 2025/2761(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 12 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards on the obligation to make market data available to the public on a reasonable commercial basis (C(2025)03103 – 2025/2762(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 12 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council with detailed rules and procedures on the acceptance of air traffic controller licences and certificates issued by third countries. (C(2025)03114 – 2025/2732(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 23 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: TRAN

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council by specifying the rules on the identification of authorised oil and gas producers who are required to contribute to the objective of reaching the Union-target for available CO2 injection capacity by 2030, on the calculation of their respective contributions, and on their reporting obligations (C(2025)03218 – 2025/2730(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 21 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ITRE
    opinion: ECON, EMPL, ENVI, IMCO, REGI

    – Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards specifying the information in an application for authorisation to offer asset-referenced tokens to the public or to seek their admission to trading (C(2025)03221 – 2025/2737(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 5 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 as regards updating the references to the environmental protection requirements and correcting that Regulation (C(2025)03287 – 2025/2735(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 28 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: TRAN

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards geographic coordinates in Annexes VII and XIII thereto (C(2025)03293 – 2025/2734(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 28 May 2025

    referred to committee responsible: PECH

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council to allow the use of monosodium salt of L-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid as a source of folate in infant formula and follow-on formula, processed cereal-based food and baby food, total diet replacement for weight control and in food for special medical purposes (C(2025)03411 – 2025/2736(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 4 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ENVI

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards the assignment of Unique Device Identifiers for spectacle frames, spectacle lenses and ready-to-wear reading spectacles (C(2025)03484 – 2025/2763(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 12 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: SANT

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and of the Council to take into account regulatory developments concerning amendments to UN Regulations Nos 25, 34, 79, 100, 117, 127 and 152, and the new UN Regulations Nos 167, 169 and 171 adopted by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (C(2025)03502 – 2025/2738(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 5 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: IMCO

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) No 876/2013 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards changes to the functioning and management of colleges for central counterparties (C(2025)03626 – 2025/2755(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 11 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the date of application of the own funds requirements for market risk (C(2025)03643 – 2025/2764(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 3 months from the date of receipt of 12 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON

    – Commission Delegated Regulation on the implementation of the Union’s international obligations, as referred to in Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, as regards picked dogfish (C(2025)03715 – 2025/2768(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 13 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: PECH

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 to add Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal and Venezuela to the list of high-risk third countries which have provided a written high-level political commitment to address the identified deficiencies and have developed an action plan with the FATF, and to remove Barbados, Gibraltar, Jamaica, Panama, the Philippines, Senegal, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates from that list (C(2025)03815 – 2025/2740(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 1 month from the date of receipt of 10 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: ECON, LIBE

    – Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/530 as regards its date of application (C(2025)03819 – 2025/2766(DEA))

    Deadline for raising objections: 2 months from the date of receipt of 12 June 2025

    referred to committee responsible: INTA



    ATTENDANCE REGISTER

    Present:

    Aaltola Mika, Abadía Jover Maravillas, Adamowicz Magdalena, Aftias Georgios, Agirregoitia Martínez Oihane, Agius Peter, Agius Saliba Alex, Alexandraki Galato, Allione Grégory, Al-Sahlani Abir, Anadiotis Nikolaos, Anderson Christine, Andersson Li, Andresen Rasmus, Andrews Barry, Andriukaitis Vytenis Povilas, Androuët Mathilde, Angel Marc, Annemans Gerolf, Annunziata Lucia, Antoci Giuseppe, Arias Echeverría Pablo, Arimont Pascal, Arłukowicz Bartosz, Arnaoutoglou Sakis, Arndt Anja, Arvanitis Konstantinos, Asens Llodrà Jaume, Assis Francisco, Attard Daniel, Aubry Manon, Auštrevičius Petras, Axinia Adrian-George, Azmani Malik, Bajada Thomas, Baljeu Jeannette, Ballarín Cereza Laura, Bardella Jordan, Barley Katarina, Barna Dan, Barrena Arza Pernando, Bartulica Stephen Nikola, Bartůšek Nikola, Bausemer Arno, Bay Nicolas, Bay Christophe, Beke Wouter, Bellamy François-Xavier, Benea Dragoş, Benjumea Benjumea Isabel, Beňová Monika, Bentele Hildegard, Berendsen Tom, Berg Sibylle, Berlato Sergio, Bernhuber Alexander, Biedroń Robert, Bielan Adam, Bischoff Gabriele, Blaha Ľuboš, Blinkevičiūtė Vilija, Blom Rachel, Bloss Michael, Bocheński Tobiasz, Boeselager Damian, Bogdan Ioan-Rareş, Bonaccini Stefano, Bonte Barbara, Borchia Paolo, Borrás Pabón Mireia, Borvendég Zsuzsanna, Borzan Biljana, Bosanac Gordan, Boßdorf Irmhild, Bosse Stine, Botenga Marc, Boyer Gilles, Brasier-Clain Marie-Luce, Braun Grzegorz, Brejza Krzysztof, Bricmont Saskia, Brnjac Nikolina, Bryłka Anna, Buchheit Markus, Buczek Tomasz, Buda Daniel, Buda Waldemar, Budka Borys, Bugalho Sebastião, Buła Andrzej, Buxadé Villalba Jorge, Bystron Petr, Bžoch Jaroslav, Camara Mélissa, Canfin Pascal, Carberry Nina, Cârciu Gheorghe, Carême Damien, Casa David, Caspary Daniel, Cassart Benoit, Castillo Laurent, del Castillo Vera Pilar, Cavazzini Anna, Cavedagna Stefano, Ceccardi Susanna, Cepeda José, Ceulemans Estelle, Chahim Mohammed, Chaibi Leila, Chastel Olivier, Christensen Asger, Ciccioli Carlo, Cifrová Ostrihoňová Veronika, Ciriani Alessandro, Cisint Anna Maria, Clausen Per, Clergeau Christophe, Cormand David, Corrado Annalisa, Costanzo Vivien, Cotrim De Figueiredo João, Cowen Barry, Cremer Tobias, Cristea Andi, Crosetto Giovanni, Cunha Paulo, Dahl Henrik, Danielsson Johan, Dauchy Marie, Dávid Dóra, David Ivan, Decaro Antonio, de la Hoz Quintano Raúl, Della Valle Danilo, Deloge Valérie, De Masi Fabio, Demirel Özlem, Deutsch Tamás, Devaux Valérie, Dibrani Adnan, Dieringer Elisabeth, Dîncu Vasile, Di Rupo Elio, Disdier Mélanie, Dobrev Klára, Doherty Regina, Doleschal Christian, Dömötör Csaba, Do Nascimento Cabral Paulo, Donazzan Elena, Dorfmann Herbert, Dostalova Klara, Dostál Ondřej, Droese Siegbert Frank, Düpont Lena, Dworczyk Michał, Ecke Matthias, Ehler Christian, Ehlers Marieke, Eriksson Sofie, Erixon Dick, Eroglu Engin, Estaràs Ferragut Rosa, Everding Sebastian, Falcă Gheorghe, Falcone Marco, Farreng Laurence, Farský Jan, Ferber Markus, Ferenc Viktória, Fernández Jonás, Fidanza Carlo, Fiocchi Pietro, Firmenich Ruth, Flanagan Luke Ming, Fourlas Loucas, Fourreau Emma, Fragkos Emmanouil, Freund Daniel, Fritzon Heléne, Froelich Tomasz, Fuglsang Niels, Funchion Kathleen, Furet Angéline, Furore Mario, Gahler Michael, Gál Kinga, Galán Estrella, Gálvez Lina, Gambino Alberico, García Hermida-Van Der Walle Raquel, Garraud Jean-Paul, Gasiuk-Pihowicz Kamila, Geadi Geadis, Gedin Hanna, Geese Alexandra, Geier Jens, Geisel Thomas, Gemma Chiara, Georgiou Giorgos, Gerbrandy Gerben-Jan, Gerzsenyi Gabriella, Geuking Niels, Gieseke Jens, Giménez Larraz Borja, Girauta Vidal Juan Carlos, Glavak Sunčana, Glucksmann Raphaël, Goerens Charles, Gomart Christophe, Gomes Isilda, Gómez López Sandra, Gonçalves Bruno, Gonçalves Sérgio, González Casares Nicolás, González Pons Esteban, Gori Giorgio, Gosiewska Małgorzata, Gotink Dirk, Gozi Sandro, Grapini Maria, Gražulis Petras, Gregorová Markéta, Grims Branko, Griset Catherine, Gronkiewicz-Waltz Hanna, Groothuis Bart, Grossmann Elisabeth, Grudler Christophe, Gualmini Elisabetta, Guarda Cristina, Guetta Bernard, Guzenina Maria, Győri Enikő, Gyürk András, Haider Roman, Halicki Andrzej, Hansen Niels Flemming, Hassan Rima, Hauser Gerald, Häusling Martin, Hava Mircea-Gheorghe, Heinäluoma Eero, Henriksson Anna-Maja, Herbst Niclas, Herranz García Esther, Hetman Krzysztof, Hojsík Martin, Holmgren Pär, Hölvényi György, Homs Ginel Alicia, Humberto Sérgio, Ijabs Ivars, Imart Céline, Incir Evin, Inselvini Paolo, Iovanovici Şoşoacă Diana, Jalloul Muro Hana, Jamet France, Jarubas Adam, Jerković Romana, Jongen Marc, Joński Dariusz, Joron Virginie, Jouvet Pierre, Joveva Irena, Juknevičienė Rasa, Junco García Nora, Jungbluth Alexander, Kabilov Taner, Kalfon François, Kaliňák Erik, Kaljurand Marina, Kalniete Sandra, Kamiński Mariusz, Kanev Radan, Kanko Assita, Karlsbro Karin, Kartheiser Fernand, Karvašová Ľubica, Katainen Elsi, Kefalogiannis Emmanouil, Kelleher Billy, Keller Fabienne, Kelly Seán, Kennes Rudi, Khan Mary, Kircher Sophia, Knafo Sarah, Knotek Ondřej, Kobosko Michał, Köhler Stefan, Kohut Łukasz, Kokalari Arba, Kolář Ondřej, Kollár Kinga, Kols Rihards, Konečná Kateřina, Kopacz Ewa, Körner Moritz, Kountoura Elena, Kovařík Ondřej, Kovatchev Andrey, Krištopans Vilis, Kruis Sebastian, Krutílek Ondřej, Kubín Tomáš, Kuhnke Alice, Kulmuni Katri, Kyllönen Merja, Kyuchyuk Ilhan, Lagodinsky Sergey, Lakos Eszter, Lalucq Aurore, Lange Bernd, Langensiepen Katrin, Laššáková Judita, László András, Latinopoulou Afroditi, Laurent Murielle, Laureti Camilla, Laykova Rada, Lazarov Ilia, Lazarus Luis-Vicențiu, Le Callennec Isabelle, Leggeri Fabrice, Lenaers Jeroen, Leonardelli Julien, Lewandowski Janusz, Lexmann Miriam, Liese Peter, Lins Norbert, Loiseau Nathalie, Løkkegaard Morten, Lopatka Reinhold, López Javi, López Aguilar Juan Fernando, López-Istúriz White Antonio, Lövin Isabella, Lucano Mimmo, Luena César, Łukacijewska Elżbieta Katarzyna, Lupo Giuseppe, McAllister David, Madison Jaak, Maestre Cristina, Magoni Lara, Magyar Péter, Maij Marit, Maląg Marlena, Mandl Lukas, Maniatis Yannis, Mantovani Mario, Maran Pierfrancesco, Marczułajtis-Walczak Jagna, Maréchal Marion, Mariani Thierry, Marino Ignazio Roberto, Marquardt Erik, Martín Frías Jorge, Martins Catarina, Martusciello Fulvio, Marzà Ibáñez Vicent, Mato Gabriel, Matthieu Sara, Mavrides Costas, Mayer Georg, Mazurek Milan, Mažylis Liudas, McNamara Michael, Mebarek Nora, Mehnert Alexandra, Meimarakis Vangelis, Meleti Eleonora, Mendes Ana Catarina, Mendia Idoia, Mertens Verena, Mesure Marina, Metsola Roberta, Metz Tilly, Mikser Sven, Milazzo Giuseppe, Millán Mon Francisco José, Minchev Nikola, Miranda Paz Ana, Molnár Csaba, Montero Irene, Montserrat Dolors, Morace Carolina, Morano Nadine, Moreira de Sá Tiago, Moreno Sánchez Javier, Moretti Alessandra, Motreanu Dan-Ştefan, Mularczyk Arkadiusz, Müller Piotr, Mullooly Ciaran, Mureşan Siegfried, Muşoiu Ştefan, Nagyová Jana, Nardella Dario, Navarrete Rojas Fernando, Negrescu Victor, Nemec Matjaž, Nerudová Danuše, Nesci Denis, Neuhoff Hans, Neumann Hannah, Nevado del Campo Elena, Nica Dan, Niebler Angelika, Niedermayer Luděk, Niinistö Ville, Nikolaou-Alavanos Lefteris, Nikolic Aleksandar, Ní Mhurchú Cynthia, Noichl Maria, Nordqvist Rasmus, Novakov Andrey, Nykiel Mirosława, Obajtek Daniel, Ódor Ľudovít, Oetjen Jan-Christoph, Oliveira João, Olivier Philippe, Omarjee Younous, Ondruš Branislav, Ó Ríordáin Aodhán, Orlando Leoluca, Ozdoba Jacek, Paet Urmas, Pajín Leire, Palmisano Valentina, Panayiotou Fidias, Papadakis Kostas, Papandreou Nikos, Pappas Nikos, Pascual de la Parte Nicolás, Paulus Jutta, Pedro Ana Miguel, Pedulla’ Gaetano, Pellerin-Carlin Thomas, Peltier Guillaume, Penkova Tsvetelina, Pennelle Gilles, Pereira Lídia, Peter-Hansen Kira Marie, Petrov Hristo, Picaro Michele, Picierno Pina, Picula Tonino, Piera Pascale, Pietikäinen Sirpa, Pimpie Pierre, Piperea Gheorghe, de la Pisa Carrión Margarita, Polato Daniele, Polfjärd Jessica, Popescu Virgil-Daniel, Pozņaks Reinis, Prebilič Vladimir, Princi Giusi, Protas Jacek, Pürner Friedrich, Rackete Carola, Radev Emil, Radtke Dennis, Rafowicz Emma, Ratas Jüri, Razza Ruggero, Rechagneux Julie, Regner Evelyn, Repasi René, Repp Sabrina, Ressler Karlo, Reuten Thijs, Riba i Giner Diana, Ricci Matteo, Ridel Chloé, Riehl Nela, Ripa Manuela, Rodrigues André, Roth Neveďalová Katarína, Rougé André, Ruissen Bert-Jan, Ruotolo Sandro, Rzońca Bogdan, Saeidi Arash, Salini Massimiliano, Salis Ilaria, Salla Aura, Sánchez Amor Nacho, Sanchez Julien, Sancho Murillo Elena, Saramo Jussi, Sardone Silvia, Šarec Marjan, Sargiacomo Eric, Satouri Mounir, Saudargas Paulius, Sbai Majdouline, Sberna Antonella, Schaldemose Christel, Schaller-Baross Ernő, Schenk Oliver, Scheuring-Wielgus Joanna, Schieder Andreas, Schilling Lena, Schneider Christine, Schnurrbusch Volker, Schwab Andreas, Scuderi Benedetta, Seekatz Ralf, Sell Alexander, Serrano Sierra Rosa, Serra Sánchez Isabel, Sidl Günther, Sienkiewicz Bartłomiej, Sieper Lukas, Singer Christine, Sinkevičius Virginijus, Sjöstedt Jonas, Śmiszek Krzysztof, Smith Anthony, Smit Sander, Sokol Tomislav, Solier Diego, Solís Pérez Susana, Sommen Liesbet, Sonneborn Martin, Sorel Malika, Sousa Silva Hélder, Søvndal Villy, Squarta Marco, Staķis Mārtiņš, Stancanelli Raffaele, Ștefănuță Nicolae, Steger Petra, Stier Davor Ivo, Storm Kristoffer, Stöteler Sebastiaan, Stoyanov Stanislav, Strada Cecilia, Streit Joachim, Strik Tineke, Strolenberg Anna, Sturdza Şerban Dimitrie, Stürgkh Anna, Sypniewski Marcin, Szczerba Michał, Szekeres Pál, Tamburrano Dario, Tânger Corrêa António, Tarquinio Marco, Tarr Zoltán, Târziu Claudiu-Richard, Tavares Carla, Tegethoff Kai, Temido Marta, Teodorescu Georgiana, Teodorescu Måwe Alice, Terheş Cristian, Ter Laak Ingeborg, Terras Riho, Tertsch Hermann, Thionnet Pierre-Romain, Timgren Beatrice, Tinagli Irene, Tobback Bruno, Tobé Tomas, Tolassy Rody, Tomac Eugen, Tomašič Zala, Tomaszewski Waldemar, Tomc Romana, Tonin Matej, Toom Jana, Topo Raffaele, Torselli Francesco, Tosi Flavio, Toussaint Marie, Tovaglieri Isabella, Toveri Pekka, Tridico Pasquale, Trochu Laurence, Tsiodras Dimitris, Tudose Mihai, Turek Filip, Tynkkynen Sebastian, Uhrík Milan, Ušakovs Nils, Vaidere Inese, Valchev Ivaylo, Vălean Adina, Valet Matthieu, Van Brempt Kathleen, Vandendriessche Tom, Van Dijck Kris, Van Lanschot Reinier, Van Leeuwen Jessika, Vannacci Roberto, Van Overtveldt Johan, Van Sparrentak Kim, Varaut Alexandre, Vasconcelos Ana, Vasile-Voiculescu Vlad, Vautmans Hilde, Vedrenne Marie-Pierre, Ventola Francesco, Verheyen Sabine, Verougstraete Yvan, Veryga Aurelijus, Vešligaj Marko, Vicsek Annamária, Vieira Catarina, Vigenin Kristian, Vilimsky Harald, Vind Marianne, Vistisen Anders, Vivaldini Mariateresa, Volgin Petar, von der Schulenburg Michael, Vondra Alexandr, Voss Axel, Vozemberg-Vrionidi Elissavet, Vrecionová Veronika, Vázquez Lázara Adrián, Waitz Thomas, Walsh Maria, Walsmann Marion, Warborn Jörgen, Warnke Jan-Peter, Wąsik Maciej, Wawrykiewicz Michał, Wcisło Marta, Wechsler Andrea, Weimers Charlie, Werbrouck Séverine, Wiezik Michal, Winkler Iuliu, Winzig Angelika, Wiseler-Lima Isabel, Wiśniewska Jadwiga, Wölken Tiemo, Wolters Lara, Yar Lucia, Yon-Courtin Stéphanie, Zacharia Maria, Zajączkowska-Hernik Ewa, Zalewska Anna, Žalimas Dainius, Zan Alessandro, Zarzalejos Javier, Zdechovský Tomáš, Zdrojewski Bogdan Andrzej, Zijlstra Auke, Zīle Roberts, Zingaretti Nicola, Złotowski Kosma, Zoido Álvarez Juan Ignacio, Zovko Željana

    Excused:

    Burkhardt Delara, Friis Sigrid, Hazekamp Anja, Kemp Martine

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Strangulation in pornography to be made illegal

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Strangulation in pornography to be made illegal

    The depiction of strangulation in pornography will be banned in a move to protect women from violence, the Government has announced.

    • Pornography depicting any act of strangulation to be made illegal through Crime and Policing Bill
    • Follows acceptance of Independent Porn Review recommendation
    • Protection of women and girls vital to Government’s Plan for Change

    Recognising how dangerous online material is perpetuating the growing epidemic of violence against women and girls, the Government will criminalise pornography that depicts acts of strangulation.

    The announcement, as campaigned for by Jessica Asato and others, follows the Independent Porn Review, conducted by Baroness Gabby Bertin, which found that media sources such as pornography have effectively established strangulation during sex as a ‘sexual norm’, and a belief that strangling a partner during sex is ‘safe’ because it is believed to be non-fatal despite overwhelming evidence that is is believed there is no safe way to strangle a person.

    This is the latest step on the Government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls, part of the Plan for Change.

    Minister for Victims and tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said:

    Depicting strangulation during sex is not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real life consequences for women. 

    Cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated.

    Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) said:

    We welcome the government’s decision to criminalise the depiction of strangulation in pornography, a move that reflects years of campaigning by EVAW and other experts who have long warned about the normalisation of violence against women and girls in online content.

    There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory. Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.

    This is a vital step towards recognising the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes to women and regulating an industry which promotes and profits from violence against women.

    The amendment will be made to the Crime and Policing Bill – central to the Government’s Plan for Change – making streets safer and the justice system stronger for victims.

    Further information

    • The amendment builds on protections already in place within the Obscene Publications Act 1959, and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 which criminalises the possession of extreme porn, which includes the depiction of life-threatening acts.
    • Further details of the amendment will be set out in due course.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appeal for information on missing man in Tsing Yi

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appeal for information on missing man in Tsing Yi

    Police today (June 19) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tsing Yi.

    Cheng Tik-lun, aged 28, went missing after he left his residence in Hong Wah House, Cheung Hong Estate on June 9 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on June 16.

    He is about 1.65 metres tall, around 59 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen in unknown clothing.

    Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1173 or 9078 1880 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

    Ends/Thursday, June 19, 2025
    Issued at HKT 11:27

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman appointed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman appointed

    Deborah Evans is today [19 June] confirmed as the new Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman.

    Ms Evans currently serves as a non-executive Director and chair of the compliance Committee at the Property Ombudsman.  She will take over from Anthony Arter who has been interim Chair since January 2024.  She will take up the post on 1 July.

    The Pensions Ombudsman provides a vital service, by independently investigating and resolving complaints concerning occupational and personal pension schemes. It also plays an important role in ensuring savers receive their entitled benefits and helping pension providers understand their obligations.

    Ms Evans’s appointment comes as the Government’s Pension Schemes Bill continues its passage through Parliament.  Measures include strengthening the legal standing of the Pensions Ombudsman so that pension overpayment cases can be resolved and pension overpayments refunded quicker, reducing waiting times for customers.

    Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said:

    I am pleased to announce Deborah Evans as the new Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman.

    I look forward to working with her as she brings her leadership and expertise to this vital role, helping to uphold high standards of fairness and accountability across the pensions sector.

    I am confident she will make a positive impact for savers and pensioners across the country.

    Deborah Evans said:

    Pensions are vital in providing adequate income in retirement and have a huge impact on people’s lives.

    The role of the Pensions Ombudsman plays a crucial role in ensuring that complaints are dealt appropriately and independently, keeping the system fair.

    I look forward to leading the board to help the organisation succeed and drive improvements throughout the pensions sector.

    Alongside her role at the Property Ombudsman, Deborah Evans is also Director and Chief Executive of Lawyers in Local Government, and Chair of Governors at Trent College.  She will bring extensive experience in leadership and governance, from both the public and regulatory sectors.

    Additional Information

    • The Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman is appointed by the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions. The appointment was made following an open competition regulated by The Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments.
    • As Chair, Deborah Evans will receive £24,000 per year for a minimum time commitment of 36 days annually.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Overcrowded jails fuel prisoner violence

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Overcrowded jails fuel prisoner violence

    Violence is rife in overcrowded, unsafe prisons, with offenders nearly twenty per cent more likely to be involved in assaults in too full jails, new research published today (19 June) reveals.

    • Direct link drawn between overcrowded conditions and increased violence for first time
    • Landmark sentencing reforms mean offenders who behave badly can be held in prison for longer, part of the Government’s Plan for Change
    • New £40 million investment this year to tackle violence, contraband and drones

    The rate of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in men’s prisons increased by 11 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year as they operated at over 99% capacity. The rate of assaults on hard-working prison staff rose by 13 per cent during the same period.  

    This is the first time a direct link has been drawn between increased violence behind bars and the capacity crisis inherited by the Government that put the public at risk. 

    It reinforces the need for the 14,000 more prison places and landmark sentencing reforms set out by Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood last month which will ensure prisons never run out of space again. The changes will help to cut reoffending and keep our streets safe, part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Under these reforms, release from prison will be earned. Offenders who behave badly will be held in prison for longer – helping to reduce violence and drug use. It will mean staff can focus more time on rehabilitating prisoners to reduce the chance of them reoffending on release. 

    The Government has also announced today a £40 million investment in new security measures this year to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars. This includes £10 million on anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows.  

    Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, James Timpson, said:   

    These stark findings confirm what we’ve already seen – dangerously full prisons lead to more crime and more violence. This not only risks the safety of our hardworking staff but means our prisons are failing one of their most important functions – cutting crime. 

    We must end this chaos. That is why as part of our Plan for Change we are reforming sentencing and building 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. Our £40 million new investment will also help combat the flow of contraband which creates unsafe environments in our jails.

    The research found that over a one-year period, crowded environments increase the likelihood of an offender being involved in a violent incident by 19 per cent.  

    The £40 million will fund a range of security enhancements this financial year including window replacements, CCTV and control room upgrades, vehicle gates, biometrics and floodlighting. These improved measures will boost safety, combat the influx of drone activity and clamp down on suspected wrongdoing behind bars.  

    It comes as the National Crime Agency – in conjunction with HM Prisons and Probation Service, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Regional Organised Crime Units – has launched a new initiative stepping up efforts to thwart criminals attempting to smuggle contraband into jails via drones. 

    Two senior police leads will also be embedded into the Corruption and Crime Unit within the Prison and Probation Service to enhance cooperation in tackling key areas like corruption and organised crime in prisons.  

    The investment builds on action the Government has already taken to protect staff from violence, including the rollout of protective body armour for prison officers working within high-security settings and a trial of tasers beginning later this summer. 

    The Government has set aside £7 billion to fund 14,000 extra places by 2031 to deliver the prison capacity needed to keep the public safe. 

    Background information

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –