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Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON— A Colorado man was sentenced to prison today after he was convicted of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Tyler Earl Ethridge, 35, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to seven months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras.

                Judge Contreras convicted Ethridge of obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder, both felony offenses, on Sept. 8, 2023.  In addition to the felonies, Ethridge was convicted of several misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

                Judge Contreras sentenced Ethridge on a felony offense of civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

                According to evidence presented during the trial, Ethridge traveled from his home in Colorado to Washington, D.C., and on Jan. 6, 2021, attend the former President’s “Stop the Steal” rally on the National Mall. Ethridge left during the rally and made his way toward the Capitol building. At approximately 12:55 p.m., while on restricted Capitol grounds near the Peace Circle, Ethridge and the crowd encountered a line of bike rack barricades, fencing, and police officers preventing their advance. Court documents say that the crowd—including Ethridge—surged forward, destroying the barricades, overwhelming police, and knocking an officer to the ground.  Ethridge also helped remove the bicycle rack fencing erected on the northwest approach to the Capitol, which bore a large sign declaring “Area Closed.”

                Ethridge proceeded with the crowd past the barricades to the West Plaza outside of the Capitol. There, while people in Ethridge’s earshot chanted “Stop the steal! Stop the steal!”, Ethridge was pepper-sprayed and shot with rubber bullets by police officers attempting to control and disperse the crowd. Ethridge was not deterred. He then climbed a media scaffolding and exhorted the crowd to continue fighting the police. 

                At approximately 2:35 p.m., Ethridge entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Door. From there, Ethridge proceeded to the Rotunda. As he walked to and then up the stairs leading to the Rotunda, Ethridge recorded video on his cell phone. In that video, loud alarms are blaring as Ethridge urges another protestor to “cover your face.” Ethridge stayed in the Rotunda for approximately three minutes. While in the Rotunda, police officers attempting to control and disperse the crowd deployed more pepper spray, and again Ethridge suffered its effects. Rather than exit the Capitol, however, Ethridge remained and filmed several videos that he posted to social media.

                In one such video, Ethridge stated:

                “We stormed the Capitol. [. . .] This is amazing. I hope this doesn’t get me thrown in jail. I’m officially a pastor. This is what pastors need to do. […] Christians, we need to infiltrate every area of society like this. Every area of society like this. Peacefully. But if it takes a little bit of aggression to barge through the walls that Satan separates us from the culture, it’s time for the body of Christ to infiltrate the culture.”

                Minutes after leaving the Rotunda, Ethridge joined a crowd of rioters in the hallway between the Rotunda and the Senate Chamber. There, Ethridge and the other rioters forcibly resisted police efforts to clear the area, by bracing his body and attempting to physically resist the officers’ efforts to move him out of the hallway. After this physical conflict with law enforcement officers, Ethridge returned to the Rotunda, where he stayed for approximately 10 minutes. Ethridge then exited the Capitol building, having spent approximately 30 minutes inside the building.

                In the aftermath of Jan. 6, Ethridge remained active on social media. In one post, dated Sept. 24, 2021, he wrote, “Don’t be afraid of what they sentence you with. I’m not. I’m ready for whatever I’ll be charged with. America is still primed and ready.”

                The FBI arrested Ethridge on July 8, 2022, in Colorado.

                This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Denver Field Office and its Colorado Springs Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and its Abilene Resident Agency. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eurojust supports major operation against Albanian drug-trafficking ring in Italy: 66 arrests

    Source: Eurojust

    26 September 2024|

    A large-scale cocaine-smuggling ring was dismantled by authorities in Italy, Albania, Poland and Switzerland, coordinated by Eurojust. During an action day, a total of 45 suspects were arrested, most of them in Italy. Prior to the action day, 21 suspects involved in the sale of cocaine in and around the city of Brescia were arrested. In total, 66 arrests were made. The Albanian-led organised crime group (OCG) had been selling cocaine from Latin America for at least four years, mainly in the north of Italy.

    Eurojust set up a coordination centre this week to support and coordinate the actions of all authorities involved. During the investigations and the action day, for an estimated amount of EUR 4 million in cash was seized, as well as 360 kilograms of cocaine, luxury vehicles and watches, telecommunications equipment, arms and ammunition.

    Investigations into the drug-smuggling network started in 2020 at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) of Brescia. The OCG used five warehouses and storage centres in and around Brescia to distribute the cocaine.

    Credits: Guardia di Finanza di Brecia 

    The suspects laundered their illegal profits via an extensive network of enterprises run by an Italian-Chinese organisation set up for this purpose, which supplied fake invoices with a total value of around EUR 375 million. The OCG members will be charged with the trafficking of illicit drugs, money laundering and investment fraud.

    During this week’s action day, over 400 officers were deployed across Italy. To assist the authorities on the ground, Eurojust set up a coordination centre at its premises in The Hague and supported the execution of European Arrest Warrants and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance towards Albania and Switzerland. Europol facilitated the exchange of information between the involved countries and provided operational coordination as well as analytical support. On the action day, a Europol analyst with a mobile office was deployed to cross-check information on the spot in Italy.

    The operations were carried out at the request of the PPO of Brescia via the following authorities:

    • Italy: PPO Brescia; Anti-Mafia District Directorate of the Guardia di Finanza – Provincial Command of Brescia; Central Investigation Service for Organised Crime (SCICO), Rome; International Police Cooperation Service Liaison Bureau, Tirana
    • Poland: PPO Warsaw; Central Police Bureau of Investigations
    • Albania: Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK); Albanian State Police
    • Switzerland: Office of Attorney-General; Federal Police (Fedpol)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pelican Narrows — ARRESTED – Saskatchewan RCMP CRT: male wanted after pointing firearm at officers

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    September 25, 2024
    Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan

    News release

    As a result of continued investigation, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) and Pelican Narrows Detachment determined Solomon Custer was in a residence in Pelican Narrows on September 24.

    They contained the area, and with the assistance of Critical Incident Response Team officers, arrested Custer without incident.

    Details of his court appearance are pending.

    Investigators thank the media and members of the public for their assistance in this investigation.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Saskatchewan RCMP CRT: male wanted after pointing firearm at officers

    2024-09-18

    On September 14, 2024, Saskatchewan RCMP Crime Reduction Teams (CRT) from Meadow Lake and La Ronge were attempting to arrest an adult male at a residence in- Pelican Narrows. During the execution of the arrest warrant, the adult male exited the residence and stood on a covered deck, where officers saw him holding a firearm. The adult male then pointed the firearm at officers multiple times.

    The male jumped through an opening in the deck and ran into a nearby forested area. Officers searched the area with their Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), but were unable to locate him.

    As a result, 26-year-old Solomon Custer from Pelican Narrows is charged with:

    • 1 count, pointing a firearm, section 87(1) of the Criminal Code
    • 1 count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, section 88(1) of the Criminal Code
    • 1 count, resist arrest, section 129(a) of the Criminal Code
    • 1 count, assault on a police officer with a weapon, section 270.01(1)(a) of the Criminal Code

    A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

    RCMP asks the public to report all sightings and information about Solomon Custer’s whereabouts.

    Solomon Custer is described as approximately 5’9″ tall and 155 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He may be in the Pelican Narrows area.

    If you see Solomon Custer, do not approach him. Report all sightings and information about the whereabouts of Solomon Custer to RCMP by calling 310-RCMP (7267). Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    Saskatchewan RCMP Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team (WEST) is assisting in this investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Successful operation against fraudsters targeting cities and municipalities

    Source: Eurojust

    German and Italian authorities worked together with Eurojust and Europol to stop a fraudulent scheme. The suspects targeted public institutions, cities, and municipalities, and were able to cause damages of several million euros. On 24 September, an operation took place where technology and assets were seized and search warrants against five suspects were executed.

    For over a year, suspects ran a fraudulent scheme in Germany that made them millions. Several public institutions, companies, cities, and municipalities were affected by the scheme. By using phishing techniques, the suspects gained access to real invoices that were addressed to public institutions and companies. The fraudsters manipulated them with their own financial information. The manipulated invoices were then sent to victims, who paid them to the fraudsters instead of their business partners.

    Investigations into the scheme identified five suspects with Italian and German citizenship. As authorities needed to search properties in Germany and Italy, a cross-border case was opened at Eurojust. Coordination through Eurojust defined the strategy of the investigation between the German and Italian authorities. Authorities decided to execute simultaneous searches in the two countries to gather evidence of the fraud and seize assets that were gained through the fraudulent scheme. Europol provided continuous intelligence development to map out the different targets and their criminal activity.

    On 24 September, search warrants against five suspects were executed in Germany and Italy and ten propereties were searched. During the operation, Europol activated a Virtual Command Post to provide support from its headquarters to the investigators on the field as they carried out their enforcement actions. Assets were provisionally secured, and cell phones, computers, and data storage devices were seized. Special Forces will now investigate the seized technology as the investigation continues.

    The following authorities were involved in the actions:

    • Germany: Public Prosecution Office Leipzig – Central Cybercrime Office, Leipzig Criminal Investigation Department – Commissariat 33 (Cybercrime)
    • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office Naples; Economic and Financial Police Units of the Guardia di Finanza Naples, Verona, Treviso and Bolzano

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Earns Position on Dean’s List of the National Shooting Sports Foundation Report Card

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today announced that she was added to the National Shooting Sports Foundation Dean’s List for her dedication to defending the Second Amendment in the 118th Congress. 

    The NSSF Congressional Report Card evaluates how elected officials defend Second Amendment rights and support law-abiding firearm owners in the 118th Congress. Grades are determined by key factors such as voting records, co-sponsorships, committee involvement, floor speeches, and other official actions. Tenney has earned a spot on the Dean’s List, reflecting her 100% voting alignment with NSSF priorities and full co-sponsorship of all scored bills.

    “As a Constitutional Conservative, safeguarding the Second Amendment has always been one of my top priorities in Congress,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I remain steadfast in opposing any efforts to strip law-abiding Americans of their constitutional freedoms. I am honored to receive this prestigious ranking from the NSSF, and I am committed to continuing my work to defend the Second Amendment for all law-abiding Americans.”

    “The 2024 NSSF Congressional Report Card is a comprehensive analysis of our elected representatives’ positions on firearm and ammunition industry priorities in the 118th Congress. The Report Card’s grades are based on key votes, co-sponsorships, committee activity, floor speeches, and other official actions by Senators and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Members of our industry are grateful to have so many strong allies in the Halls of Congress,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President for Government & Public Affairs and General Counsel. “NSSF is proud to especially recognize Representative Tenney as a member of the new NSSF Congressional Dean’s List for her exemplary leadership in supporting the firearm and ammunition industry and the nearly 400,000 hard working Americans employed in the industry. Making the Dean’s List is special recognition that Rep. Tenney has gone above and beyond to protect and preserve the Second Amendment rights of her constituents and the industry that makes the exercise of those rights possible. We applaud Rep. Tenney for her exemplary level of support.”

    Earlier this year, Tenney released her Second Amendment plan, highlighting her legislative accomplishments and how she plans to build upon these existing wins to safeguard our Second Amendment rights. View Tenney’s Second Amendment Plan Here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Biographical notice

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 2

    Mylène Paradis (BA [communications], Université Laval, 1991; MA [journalism], Université Laval, 1993) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2002.

    Mylène Paradis (BA [communications], Université Laval, 1991; MA [journalism], Université Laval, 1993) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2002. At headquarters, she held positions with the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force and the Central America and Caribbean Bureau. She was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister of International Development and Director of the Global Health and Nutrition Branch. Abroad, she was posted to Madrid from 2005 to 2008. Throughout her career, she has held secondments to various departments, including the Privy Council Office, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Health Canada. Most recently, she was Director General of Canadian Partnerships for Health and Social Development at Global Affairs Canada.

    Marianick Tremblay (BBA [civil and international law], Université de Sherbrooke, 1989; LL.B. Université de Sherbrooke, 1990) was called to the Quebec Bar in 1990 and joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1993. At headquarters, she served as senior counsel in the Environmental Law Division, coordinator of the Human Security Program, and senior counsel for small arms. Ms. Tremblay also served as deputy director of the Brazil and Southern Cone Section, and then as director of Hemispheric Affairs, which included relations with the Organization of American States and coordination of the Canadian delegation’s participation in the Summit of the Americas. From 2018 to 2021, she served as director general of the Mobilization of Canadians in the Partnerships for Development Innovation Sector. She has served in various overseas postings, including Mexico (1995–1998), Morocco (2001–2005), Chile (2007–2010), and as Ambassador to El Salvador (2010–2012), Ecuador (2015–2018), and Colombia (2021–2024).

    Craig Weichel (BA Honours [History], Wilfrid Laurier University, 1994; MA [History], McMaster University, 1996) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1998. At headquarters, he worked in the U.S. General Relations, Northern Europe, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (Nuclear), and United Nations divisions. He also headed the Natural Disaster Response and Civilian Security Policy Division and the North Korea Task Force. From 2007 to 2009, he was President of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. Abroad, he served in New York with the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations; in Vienna with the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; in Rome and, more recently, in Washington, where he directed the embassy’s environment and energy program.

    Brenda Wills (Hons BComm, University of Manitoba, 2003; MSc [Sustainable Development], University of Sussex, 2021) is a Métis from Red River, Manitoba who joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2004. Her first posting abroad was in Washington, D.C. as Second Secretary (Trade Policy). She subsequently served as First Secretary (Trade) in Chile, Senior Trade Commissioner and Counsellor (Trade) in Colombia, and Counsellor (Trade Policy) in Mexico City. At Headquarters, she worked in the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch, first on negotiations with the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, and then on the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations as Deputy Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement. She also served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Deputy Minister of International Business Development and Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner. Most recently, she served as Senior Trade Commissioner and Counsellor (Commercial Affairs) in Singapore.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Justice upheld in District Court’s sentencing in a case of “conspiracy to publish seditious publication”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Justice upheld in District Court’s sentencing in a case of “conspiracy to publish seditious publication”
    Justice upheld in District Court’s sentencing in a case of “conspiracy to publish seditious publication”
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         ​Following the conviction of three defendants on August 29 in a case of “conspiracy to publish and/or reproduce seditious publication”, the District Court handed down its sentence today (September 26).           The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government spokesman said: “The court has held earlier that Chung Pui-kuen and Lam Shiu-tung, while holding chief editorial positions at Stand News, had knowledge and approved of the seditious intent of the articles, providing Stand News as a publishing platform for inciting hatred against the Central Authorities and the HKSAR Government, as well as hatred against the administration of justice.”           The spokesman said, “The reasons for verdict by the Court have pointed out clearly that the ideology of Stand News was localism which excluded China, and that it even became a tool to smear and vilify the Central Authorities and the HKSAR Government during the movement of opposition to the proposed legislative amendments. The court found that the relevant articles, without any objective basis, attacked the relevant law and procedures; and relevant law enforcement and prosecutorial process; spread hatred and anti-government sentiment with disinformation; attacked law enforcement by the Police and glorified the behaviour of rioters – in other words, they were not based on facts. To distort acts of inciting hatred as “journalism” is a complete reversal of right and wrong.”           “According to Schedule 3 of the Implementation Rules of Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has made an application to court for a confiscation order to confiscate the proceeds of the relevant crime. DoJ will continue to handle subsequent procedures in accordance with the law.”            “The court stated in its reasons for sentence that at the time of the offence, the three defendants were not engaging themselves in genuine journalistic work but were participating in the so-called protest at the time. From the editorial of Stand News and News Stand, it is evident that they sided with the protesters against the Government. The crimes committed by the three defendants are very serious.”            “The reasons for sentence also pointed out that, given Stand News had approximately 1,600,000 followers, the seditious articles involved have undoubtedly caused significant harm to both the Central Government and HKSAR Government as well as the residents, although it is difficult to quantify.”     The spokesperson stated: “The reasons for sentence also indicated that, due to the severity of the offences, imprisonment is the only appropriate sentencing option. Regarding the length of the sentence, the maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment. This maximum penalty is completely disproportionate to the severity of the offences. According to the existing Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the maximum penalty for the crime of sedition is seven years’ imprisonment. Based on the culpability of the second defendant, Chung Pui-kuen, a starting point of 23 months’ imprisonment was adopted, and a sentence of 21 months was passed. For the third defendant, Lam Siu-tung, a starting point of 14 months’ imprisonment was adopted but due to the potential risk to his life if sent to prison, a sentence was imposed that allows for his immediate release.”     The spokesman says, “Following the verdict in this case, some have expressed concerns about freedom of the press and speech in Hong Kong. Some foreign media or other people with ulterior motives, as well as anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians, made untruthful and purely political remarks smearing the HKSAR. We have made clarifications and rebuttals many times to set the record straight. As demonstrated in the court’s reasons for its verdict, Stand News completely disregarded objective facts and contravened the “special duties and responsibilities” which journalists must observe under international human rights conventions.”     The spokesman pointed out that, “The Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights guarantee fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, procession and demonstration. Members of the public (including journalists) in Hong Kong are, as always, free to make comments or criticisms that are based on facts, and to enjoy and exercise freedoms of the press and of speech in accordance with the law, without fear of unwittingly violating the law.”     “It is the constitutional duty of the HKSAR to safeguard national security. In this regard, the HKSAR Government will ensure that laws are observed and continue to enforce the law resolutely, decisively and rigorously with a view to effectively preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for acts and activities endangering national security with all-out efforts.”

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 23:57

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Keynote address by SJ at seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (English only) (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Keynote address by SJ at seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (English only) (with photos)
    Keynote address by SJ at seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (English only) (with photos)
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         Following is the keynote address by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today (September 26): Her Excellency Dato’ Sri Azalina (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said), 鄭學方代辦 (Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, Mr Zheng Xuefang), Dato’ Seri Gobalakrishnan (President, National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia), ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests,      I am very pleased to be here today. Firstly, I must thank all of you for joining our seminar. I was told that there are all together around 150 friends from Malaysia attending this event. It is a daunting task to speak right after such an eminent panel of speakers sharing their experiences and expertise.       I would like to begin by a very important fact. That is the relationship between China and Malaysia. The year of 2024 is extremely important because it marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries. I think the exact date was May 31, 1974. Fast forward, in June this year, the Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Li Qiang, visited Kuala Lumpur. On that occasion, he renewed a co-operation agreement between the two countries for another five years. And fast forward, not too long ago, I think less than two weeks ago on September 20, the King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar went to Beijing and met President Xi Jinping. He described the trip as a great success. ASEAN is now the number one trading partner of China, and I understand that Malaysia is going to be the chairman of ASEAN in 2025. So I have no question whatsoever that the relationship between China and Malaysia and ASEAN will be taken to a new height in the very near future.      Now, returning to Hong Kong. Many speakers have already mentioned the historical ties of people-to-people connection. Our Chief Executive actually came to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July 2023. On that occasion, 11 co-operation agreements and memorandum of understanding were signed. Your Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry actually came to Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago to attend the Hong Kong – ASEAN Summit. And right after that, the governments of Hong Kong and Malaysia announced that we are finalising the negotiation of establishing an Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Kuala Lumpur and we are very hopeful that the ETO will be established very soon. Once again, that will signify another important development between Hong Kong and Malaysia. So the certainty is that we are going to see a much closer relationship or economic co-operation between the jurisdictions. And against this background, there must be a huge demand and need for legal co-operation between the two jurisdictions. That is exactly the purpose of my trip, joined by a group of very eminent lawyers from Hong Kong.      The message that we wish to convey is reflected by the theme of this seminar – Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond. In answer to one of the questions posed by the participants, we are not saying that Hong Kong is the only gateway. It is not an exclusive gateway, but it is a very unique gateway. It is unique because, as Janice (panel speaker Ms Janice Chew) has mentioned, I used six factors to describe why Hong Kong legal service is unique in the sense that it cannot be found elsewhere. Now I have to repeat the six factors, but I would like to put that in a different way so that my friends who have attended the Ho Chi Minh City event would not feel bored.      The first point is very important, which is also mentioned by some of the speakers — the stability of our common law system which is guaranteed to be continuing beyond 2047. Jern-fei (panel speaker Mr Ng Jern-fei, KC) mentioned that one of the linkage between Malaysia and Hong Kong is that we share the common law heritage. We are common law jurisdictions. In the past, there were questions as to whether the “one country, two systems” principle including our common law system can go beyond 2047. I think Elaine (panel speaker Ms Elaine Lo) gave a very good answer, she referred to government leases. But I can be even more specific. Firstly, I think that is one piece of freehold land in Hong Kong, the St John’s Cathedral. But subject to that, all land in Hong Kong is leasehold land. On July 5 this year, actually a very important legislation came into existence, that is known as the Extension of Government Leases Ordinance. The effect is that most leases in Hong Kong have been automatically renewed for 50 years in the sense that they will go beyond 2047. So it is not just a direction given by the central authorities. That has been given statutory force. I think that serves as a very good piece of evidence proving that the “one country, two systems” principle and the common law system will survive after 2047.      The second factor goes to the reliability of our judicial system. When it comes to reliability of judicial system, I think I have to mention two facts, the quality of our judges and the integrity of our system. I think one of the speakers referred to the fact that the judgments of our Court of Final Appeal (CFA) have been cited in many other common law jurisdictions. I do have the statistics between 2018 and 2024, there are 46 occasions on which CFA judgments have been cited in many common law jurisdictions. This figure is provided by the Judiciary, so I think it is quite reliable. When it comes to integrity, our Judiciary put a lot of emphasis to ensure that our judicial proceedings will remain to be of very high standard and there is no compromise. One example, nowadays we are very fond of using artificial intelligence (AI) in our work. Our Judiciary issued a guideline in July this year regulating the use of artificial intelligence in judicial proceedings, in short, telling the judges in what circumstances and for what purposes they can resort to AI. I think the purpose is to ensure that our judicial proceedings will not be compromised by the use of modern technology. So that’s the second point.      The third point is we have a very business-friendly legal environment. I can again give you some objective evidence. According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024 compiled by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland, Hong Kong overall ranked the fifth, and when it comes to business legislation, the business law, Hong Kong ranked the first in the world. So that tells a lot about the quality of our business law. But we recognise that there is no room for complacency. And Elaine also mentioned one point about how we ensure that our business environment will be as attractive as possible to investors. She referred to a new listing rule. In March last year, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange introduced a Chapter 18C under the Listing Rules to allow specialist technology company to get listed in Hong Kong. And the first successful case actually took place on June 13 this year. A company named QuantumPharm Inc, stationed in Shenzhen and specialised in artificial intelligence and robotics, became a public listed company pursuant to Chapter 18C. Again, that is a very good piece of evidence showing the efforts that we have made to ensure that our laws and regulations will remain to be very business-friendly and attractive.      The fourth point is that we provide a very safe and secure environment – no exchange control, freedom of movement of funds and property. One of the participants asked a question about the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption), that is a very important matter. In fact, in my very brief conversation with Her Excellency Minister right before we enter this room, this is a matter that we touched upon. Hong Kong is a very safe place because we have very clean law enforcement agencies to ensure that all the laws and regulations will be strictly enforced. There is a Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by an NGO (non-governmental organisation) called Transparency International. I think for the latest survey, Hong Kong ranked 14th out of 180 countries and territories. So that’s why you are so interested about ICAC, because it is the institution responsible for ensuring there is no corruption. So for all practical purpose, there is absence of corruption in Hong Kong.      The fifth point is the feature that distinguishes Hong Kong from any other common law jurisdictions. That is our connection, the connection with the Mainland legal system via a number of very important mutual legal assistance arrangements. Now Joanne (panel speaker Ms Joanne Lau) has mentioned one of them, the interim arrangement, but I would like to give another example, which is also very telling.      In January this year, a mutual legal arrangement concerning the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters by the courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region came into effect in Hong Kong. It means that a Hong Kong judgment, provided that certain criteria and conditions have been fulfilled, can be enforced and recognised in Mainland China, and vice versa. And I would like to compare the arrangement with the Hague Judgments Convention, because we have adopted the same principle. We are more liberal in the sense that while we are striking a balance between the interest of judgment creditor and the judgment debtor, the scope or the type of cases covered by this arrangement is even wider than the Hague Judgments Convention. It is because some types of intellectual property (IP) cases have been included in the arrangement, whereas IP cases have been completely excluded from the Hague Judgments Convention. So this is my fifth factor.      The last factor is also something very important. It is about the abundant supply of truly international legal practitioners. We have very good examples here. For example, Janice, she is dually qualified in Malaysia and Hong Kong. But she is just one of the numerous examples. There are around 13 000 solicitors, 1 600 barristers and more than 920 law firms in Hong Kong. Some of these firms have altogether 315 oversea offices and 85 offices in Mainland China. And we have 77 registered foreign law firms and more than 1 450 registered foreign lawyers. And I think three of them are qualified in Malaysia. So when you instruct a Hong Kong lawyer, you are not instructing a mere Hong Kong lawyer but you are instructing a global lawyer who is able to provide legal service not confining to matters concerning Hong Kong law.      Another important factor is that we are not just familiar with the common law, we are not just familiar with international law practice, we are also familiar with the Chinese culture – how things are done in our culture, why things are done in a certain way, why documents are drafted in a certain manner. And when it comes to legal service, what is important? It is not simply your knowledge about the law, it is how much you know your client, how much you know how the business community actually works. It is about knowing the people instead of knowing the law on paper.      So combining these six factors, I would venture to say that not only the gateway is a very scenic route, as mentioned by Jern-fei, but it is also a very unique route that you cannot find elsewhere. But to enable the very unique legal services to serve the interests of Malaysia, I think the pre-condition is that we have to know each other better and we have to have more platforms for regular exchanges and to explore opportunities for collaboration.      That’s why I am very delighted that in a moment, the Asian International Arbitration Centre in Malaysia is going to sign MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the SCIA (South China International Arbitration Center (HK)) and also with eBRAM (eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre). I am aware that you have many questions, but because of the time constraint, the panel speakers were not able to answer all the questions as pointed out about Alex (panel moderator Mr Alexander Tang). But right after this seminar we have a reception which I believe will last until 8pm. So I would encourage all of you to take the opportunity to have more exchanges and to make friends. I’m sure that all the members from the Hong Kong delegation will be more than happy to answer whatever questions that you have in mind.      I always like to use analogy to end my submission. I always describe the legal service offered by Hong Kong is something like you are entering a food plaza or food hall which consists of many different types of restaurants serving different cuisines. And the important point is that no matter what you want, no matter what you need, you name it and you will get it. So that is what Hong Kong undertakes to serve. And I do hope that today marked a new beginning of the collaboration between Malaysia and Hong Kong when it comes to legal co-operation. I look forward to meeting all of you very soon, perhaps right after the seminar or on other occasion. Thank you very much.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 23:55

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Welcomes Witness Insights on Business Tax Considerations in a ‘Post-Wayfair’ World

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth, participated in a hearing titled “Providing Small Business Relief from Remote Sales Tax Collection.” 

    Grassley in his opening remarks acknowledged challenges small online retailers have faced since South Dakota v. Wayfair. He additionally discussed Iowa’s membership in the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement and its associated reforms to facilitate compliance with state tax laws.

    Click the corresponding links for:

    Excerpts from Grassley’s exchange with hearing witnesses follow.

    Lowering Burdens in Non-Streamline States

    Grassley: “Since the Wayfair decision, have states that aren’t Streamlined members enacted reforms to limit burdens on interstate commerce or taken steps to join Streamlined?”

    Craig Johnson, Executive Director, Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board: “Most states have not done anything specifically, that I am aware of, to remove those undue burdens. Now, they have done what the Supreme Court noted in Wayfair: they did the no retroactive applications, they put in a small seller threshold. But the question is, did they do the third thing, which is, remove the undue burdens or join the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board? I think that’s the question that still remains, and that’s a question the Supreme Court did not answer.”

    Impact of Simplification Requirements on Retailers Compliance with Sales Taxes

    Grassley: “Mr. Johnson, you note that more than 30,000 sellers have registered with Streamlined to collect and remit taxes to members. [… Another witness,] Mr. Bishop-Henchman, notes it is estimated that nearly 50,000 businesses are ignoring their obligation to collect and remit sales taxes and risking getting caught. In your view, would greater adoption of the simplification requirements implemented by Streamlined members increase the compliance rate of retailers with sales tax obligations – in other words, getting at those 50,000?”

    Johnson: “As far as whether or not [greater adoption of Streamlined simplification requirements] would improve the compliance, I think the answer is yes, absolutely it would. I think our member states have recognized the simpler you make the laws for sellers to comply with, the greater the voluntary compliance. And you’re going to recognize the revenues that are going to come along with it because you’re going to make it easy for business to be able to calculate collect and remit the tax.”

    States Enforcing Pre-Wayfair Laws

    Grassley: “Mr. Bishop-Henchman, you noted that multiple states have tried or are attempting to enforce pre-Wayfair laws. They are effectively seeking to retroactively collect sales taxes from retailers that had no legal obligation to collect such taxes at that time. Are individual states generally observing the Supreme Court’s recognition of the need for simplification to avoid imposing an ‘undue burden’ on interstate commerce?”

    Joseph Bishop-Henchman, Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union Foundation: “Unfortunately, not enough.”

    Mr. Bishop-Henchman cited litigation as a potential tool in the toolbox to prevent one state from imposing burdens on the rest of the country but said the Supreme Court’s National Pork Producers Council v. Ross decision “undercut” that possibility by punting to Congress for a fix.

    Grassley: Do you see more states voluntarily adopting simplification measures or becoming Streamlined members as more time passes after the Wayfair decision?

    Bishop-Henchman: “At this point, my answer would be no, I don’t see states joining unless there’s some incentive for them to do so.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Convicted Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for RICO, Hobbs Act Violations

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

    WACO, Texas – Two Temple men were sentenced today to life in federal prison for crimes committed in violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and the Hobbs Act. In February, a federal jury found the men guilty of all charges.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Atorius Marquis Williams aka Lil Man, 27, and Trashawn Lamar Alexander aka Mad Max, 30, were members and associates of a criminal organization referred to as Killas With Aggression (KWA), an organization engaged in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by, among other things, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to rob persons engaged in the distribution of controlled substances.

    Williams and Alexander, along with codefendant Demonta Daniels aka Tado aka Tato, conspired to commit four murders, multiple violent assaults, extortion, drug trafficking and armed robberies in furtherance of the criminal enterprise.  Specifically, the indictment alleges four overt acts to include murder—one committed by Williams on Sept. 30, 2017, in Belton; the second, committed by Williams and Alexander on Dec. 10, 2017, in Temple; the third, committed by Williams and Daniels on Jan. 16, 2018, in Temple; and the fourth, committed by Williams, Daniels and Alexander on Jan. 31, 2018, in Temple.

    Additionally, the defendants conspired to affect commerce by robbery, committing acts of physical violence and threatening to commit acts of physical violence to steal controlled substances and proceeds from persons engaged in illegal drug distribution. Williams, Daniels and Alexander were also convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, namely robbery. Alexander was convicted of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

    On Monday, Alexander and Williams were each sentenced to life in prison for three counts and a concurrent 20 years in prison for three additional counts.

    “The result in this case is a testament to this office’s commitment to seek justice for our community members,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “It reflects the hard work and interagency cooperation of our federal and state law enforcement partners, whose efforts brought this case to a successful conclusion. Violence in our communities will not be tolerated and justice will be served.”

    “Texas citizens have the right to feel safe from violent crime.  The drug and gang activity that fuels these acts in our communities is unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “Our agents have put in years of hard work to bring these defendants – Atorius Williams and Trashawn Alexander – to justice, and today’s sentence is evidence of their dedication. We want to thank our partners for their continued dedication to keeping our communities safe from violent crime.”

    Daniels will be sentenced at a later date. Seven other codefendants in the case had been sentenced prior to todays. Dominic Johnson was sentenced in January 2023 to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Desmond Wilkerson was sentenced in September 2023 to 71 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; James Roy Whitfield Jr was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 102 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Jason Mayse was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 40 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; Jyaraciel Whitfield was sentenced in September 2023 to 144 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Christopher Meyers was sentenced in August 2022 to 144 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; and Reginald Williams was sentenced in September 2023 to 96 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting.

    The FBI, Temple Police Department, Belton Police Department, Bell County Organized Crime Unit, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Cameron Police Department, and Hearne Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Killeen Police Department and Bell County Sheriff’s Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whites Mountain  — Missing 48-year-old man

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Sussex RCMP detachment is asking for the public’s help to locate a missing 48-year-old man from Whites Mountain, N.B.

    David Alexander Mitchell was last seen on September 9, 2024, at a residence on Whites Mountain Road, in Whites Mountain, N.B. He was reported missing to police on September 25, 2024. Police have followed up on several leads to try to locate him but have so far been unsuccessful. Police and his family are concerned for his wellbeing.

    David Alexander Mitchell is described as being approximately six feet two inches (188 centimetres) tall, and weighing approximately 200 pounds (91 kilograms). He has hazel eyes, grey hair and a grey goatee. A clothing description is not available at this time.

    Anyone who may have seen David Alexander Mitchell since September 9, 2024, or who has information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Sussex RCMP Detachment at 506-433-7700.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National recognition for local partnership working

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Three improvement projects that are part of Aberdeen’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) have gained national recognition for their impressive partnership working to help improve people’s lives across the city. 

    Details were shared at the meeting of the Community Planning Aberdeen (CPA) Board yesterday (Wednesday 25 September).

    Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard, CPA chair, said: “The successful delivery of the updated Local Outcome Improvement Plan depends on Community Planning partners working together for the benefit of all people living in the city.  

    “National recognition of the positive impact our improvement projects are having highlights how by working together we can all play a part in helping to make Aberdeen a place where everyone can prosper.” 

    The Employment Support for People Leaving Prison project aims to increase the number of prison leavers engaging with employability support by 50% by 2026. 

    It’s success to date saw Aberdeen City Council receive the COSLA’s 2024 Excellence Award for Achieving Better Outcomes For The Most Vulnerable in Partnership.

    The partnership between the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), pub company and brewer Greene King, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), and the Council sought to improve people’s chances of successfully reintegrating into their communities upon leaving prison, reduce reoffending rates, and help mitigate recruitment challenges for the hospitality sector.

    The 12-week academy programme saw people in custody trained to work in a replica Greene King kitchen, by professional chefs. Equipment for the kitchen was funded by Aberdeen City Council’s ABZWorks. 

    The Business Start Up project led by Business Gateway, has seen 193 referrals of individuals in receipt of universal credits consider starting a business since the start of the programme with 91 individuals starting a business.  A total of 58 businesses have been referred for the Council’s Seed Funds with ABZWorks to date.  

    The Business Start Up project was a finalist for the Best Collaborative Working Initiative (with other public sector or third sector) Award at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards 2024. 

    The Reaching Out to People at Risk and Removing Barriers to Accessing Drug Support improvement project led by Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP) is a collaboration between Aberdeen City Council, ACHSCP, Alcohol and Drugs Action, Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, Police Scotland, and NHS Grampian. The project aims to reduce by 20% the number of drug related deaths in the city’s priority neighbourhoods by increasing the distribution of Naloxone by 25% year-on-year by 2026.

    A new Naloxone App was formally launched on 30 August. The app allows people to find the nearest stockists of Naloxone, videos on how to use Naloxone and respond to an overdose and links to support services. 

    All secondary schools have staff trained in administering Naloxone in addition to Level 6 first aid, giving them a qualification as well as the ability to save someone’s life. 

    The project was a finalist for COSLA’s 2024 Excellence Awards for Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health and Wellbeing Award.  

    The reports that went before Community Planning Aberdeen today can be viewed here.  

    Community Planning Aberdeen is the name for the local partnership of public, private and third sector organisations and communities working together to improve people’s lives across Aberdeen.  

     

    Photo: Aberdeen City Council wins the COSLA 2024 Excellence Award for Achieving Better Outcomes For The Most Vulnerable in Partnership.  Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard (second from left) and members of the winning partnership project accept the prestigious award on behalf of the Council.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wasserman Schultz, Owens Introduce Bill to Protect Rights of Crime Victims, Prevent Repeat of Epstein Impunity

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “Courtney Wild and other victims of Jeffrey Epstein have been wrongly denied standing to invoke their rights. This legislation would fulfill the original intent of the CVRA and prevent such gross miscarriages of injustice from being repeated,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “Crime victims deserve dignity and adequate support rather than further victimization at the discretion of federal prosecutors. Based on cases like Courtney’s, this bill is necessary to ensure there is no ambiguity in the law and all crime victims are afforded the rights they have always deserved.”

    Washington DC – Yesterday, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Burgess Owens (UT-4) introduced the bipartisan Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims’ Rights Act to ensure victims of crime are treated with dignity, have the support they need while navigating criminal proceedings, and avoid further victimization.

    The Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims’ Rights Act was spurred by Wild’s lawsuit that asserted the rights of victims who fell prey to Jeffrey Epstein and were kept in the dark as federal prosecutors hashed out a secret and shockingly lenient plea deal. Wild fought in court for over 10 years before a Federal District Court finally declared that her rights, and the rights of other victims were violated under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA). However, in April 2020, the Eleventh Circuit of Appeals rejected her lawsuit, in part because the federal government never filed charges against Epstein, so due to ambiguities in the law, the CVRA was never triggered.

    This legislation would empower the Attorney General to implement the necessary reforms to ensure that all crime victims are afforded their rights under the CRVA. These reforms include the clarification that victims have the right to be informed by federal prosecutors of any plea or pretrial agreement that could impact their ability to secure justice and requiring the court to order a remedy if a victim’s rights have been violated, among other reforms. 

    U.S. Reps. Jim Costa (CA-21) and Lois Frankel (FL-22) joined as original cosponsors.

    The following organizations have endorsed this legislation: Courtney Wild (survivor-advocate), Brad Edwards, and Paul Cassell (Wild’s Lawyers); Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA), Victims’ Rights Law Center (VRLC), National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV), and the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI). 

    “Courtney Wild and other victims of Jeffrey Epstein have been wrongly denied standing to invoke their rights. This legislation would fulfill the original intent of the CVRA and prevent such gross miscarriages of injustice from being repeated,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “Crime victims deserve dignity and adequate support rather than further victimization at the discretion of federal prosecutors. Based on cases like Courtney’s, this bill is necessary to ensure there is no ambiguity in the law and all crime victims are afforded the rights they have always deserved.”

    “The Courtney Wild case exposed glaring gaps in our justice system—a web of legal loopholes and procedural barriers that prevent victims from sharing their voices and downplays the horrors they’ve faced, particularly when powerful people are involved. Thanks to Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s tireless advocacy for this bipartisan effort, we can ensure that no victim is forced to navigate the justice system in silence again,” said Rep. Owens

    “Jeffrey Epstein’s victims were kept in the dark as a sweetheart deal was hashed out, allowing a prolific sexual predator to go free with just a slap on the wrist. This bill ensures a more victim-centered process so that such a miscarriage of justice never happens again,” said Rep. Frankel.

    “As the co-founder of the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus, I am proud to support this legislation. It is imperative that we make necessary reforms to the Crime Victims Rights Act to ensure that victims receive the support they deserve and have their voices heard in the justice system,” said Rep. Costa.

    “The current CVRA leaves most victims without legal representation and without any real recourse or remedy for injustice. This amendment is crucial for the advancement of victim’s rights in the United States,” said Courtney Wild, survivor-advocate.    

    “We are extremely grateful for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Congressman Burgess Owens’s (R-UT) leadership on the Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims’ Rights Act. This bill would ensure the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA) provides equitable and meaningful rights to survivors of crime,” said Bridgette Stumpf, co-founder and executive director of Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC). “Additionally, this bill would ensure consistency in how victims experience the criminal legal system and strengthen access to independent crime victims’ counsel–creating an environment of accountability within the criminal process.” 

    “The National Center for Victims of Crime proudly fought side by side with then-Senator Biden to pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 30 years ago. It is now our privilege and honor to stand with two incredible Representatives, Rep. Schultz and Rep. Owens, as they take up the battle for victims through the Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims’ Rights Act. This crucial act expands VAWA and VOCA in protecting victims’ dignity, not only by ensuring that crime victims’ rights are enforced, but also by providing accountability and remedies when those rights are violated. We thank Rep. Schulz and Rep. Owens for their work on this crucial bill, and we commit to advocating for and serving victims across the nation. Only when victims’ rights are automatic and unquestioned will our victory be achieved,” said Renee Williams, Esq., executive director of the National Center for the Victims of Crime (NCVC).  

    “The Courtney Wild Reinforcing Crime Victims’ Rights Act is an incredible step forward in protecting the rights of federal victims of crime.  NOVA commends Ms. Wild for courageously advocating for federal victims of crime to be treated fairly, respectfully and with dignity throughout the criminal justice process. We thank Ms. Wild and U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Burgess Owens (R-UT) for championing this landmark bill,” said Claire Ponder Selib, Executive Director, National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA).

    “Twenty years ago the CVRA was passed with the intention of making crime victims meaningful participants in criminal justice by ensuring that they have rights from the time of their victimization and that they have access to attorneys at no cost to help protect those rights. We are so grateful to Representative Wasserman Schultz for continuing to push to make these promises a reality,” said Meg Garvin, Executive Director of the National Crime Victim Law Institute. 

    Read the entire bill here. A one-pager on the bill is available here. 

    ####

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Orders in Council

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    HONOURABLE MR. AMERY

    236/2024

    CRIMINAL CODE (CANADA) (section 672.38) – Effective October 25, 2024, reappoints Maryann Chichak as a member of the Criminal Code Review Board for a term to expire on October 24, 2027.

    HONOURABLE MR. ELLIS

    237/2024

    PROCLAMATION – Proclaiming sections 3(e), 7, 8(b) and (c), 16, 19, 45, 46(a) and 47 of the Police Amendment Act, 2022 in force on March 1, 2025.

    238/2024

    POLICE ACT (section 61(1)) as amended by Police Amendment Act, 2022 (section 46(a)) – Makes the Police Governance Regulation.

    HONOURABLE MR. GLUBISH

    239/2024

    ALBERTA RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACT (section 7); Alberta Research and Innovation REGULATION (section 3) – Appoints James Keirstead and Rhea Solis to the board of directors of Alberta Innovates, each for a term to expire on September 24, 2026; appoints Carissa Browning, David Edmonds, Kim Moody and Janet Riopel to the board of directors of Alberta Innovates, each for a term to expire on September 24, 2027.

    HNOURABLE MR. HORNER

    240/2024

    CREDIT UNION ACT (section 8) – Reappoints Laurene Beloin as a director of the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation for a term to expire on September 24, 2026; reappoints Camille Bérubé, nominated by Credit Union Central Alberta Limited, as a director of the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; appoints Harpreet Kohli as a director of the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation for a term to expire on September 24, 2027.

    HONOURABLE MR. JEAN

    241/2024

    MINES AND MINERALS ACT (sections 5 and 11) – Transfers the administration and control of the mines and minerals and the pore space of certain provincial Crown lands to the Crown in right of Canada to be set aside for the use and benefit of the Lubicon Lake Band #453.

    242/2024

    RESPONSIBLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ACT (section 11) – Effective October 21, 2024, appoints Andrew MacPherson to the roster of hearing commissioners of the Alberta Energy Regulator for a term to expire on October 20, 2029.

    HONOURABLE MRS. LAGRANGE

    243/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, rescinds the appointment of Louise Sharon Mosier as a public member to the council of the Alberta College of Dental Hygienists.

    244/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints Tammy McCorkell as a public member to the council of the Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; effective October 9, 2024, appoints Elaine Maria Andrews, to succeed Terence Bunce, and Nickolletta Adriane Sandie, to succeed Wilma Slenders, as public members to the council of the Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists, each for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    245/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints Bob Sprague as a public member to the council of the Alberta College of Optometrists for a term to expire on September 24, 2027.

    246/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints Kenneth Letander and Nicola von Hoensbroech as public members to the council of the Alberta College of Pharmacy, each for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; effective October 9, 2024, appoints Larry Loven, to succeed Irene Elizabeth Pfeiffer, as a public member to the council of the Alberta College of Pharmacy for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    247/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, rescinds the appointment of Laura Mae Delfs as a public member to the council of the Alberta College of Social Workers.

    248/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints Gail Hufty as a public member to the council of the College of Acupuncturists of Alberta for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; effective October 9, 2024, appoints Sean Cameron Melrose, to succeed Tamara Jones, as a public member to the council of the College of Acupuncturists of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    249/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Wilma Slenders, to succeed Tongjie Zhang, as a public member to the council of the College of Alberta Dental Assistants for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    250/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Munira Peermohamed as a public member to the council of the College of Alberta Denturists for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    251/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Tamara Jones, to succeed Elaine Maria Andrews, as a public member to the council of the College of Alberta Psychologists for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    252/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Laura Mae Delfs, to succeed Patricia Pelton, as a public member to the council of the College of Chiropractors of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    253/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints Kenneth Hawrelko as a public member to the council of the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; effective October 9, 2024, appoints Patricia Pelton, to succeed Nickolletta Adriane Sandie, as a public member to the council of the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    254/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Louise Sharon Mosier as a public member to the council of the College of Dietitians of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    255/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Tongjie Zhang as a public member to the council of the College of Hearing Aid Practitioners of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    256/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints William Gaudette as a public member to the council of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; effective October 9, 2024, appoints Irene Elizabeth Pfeiffer as a public member to the council of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    257/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Appoints Mohammad Sajid Khan and Patricia Palechuk as public members to the council of the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Alberta, each for a term to expire on September 24, 2027; effective October 9, 2024, appoints Alissa Harding, to succeed Jennifer Carscallen, as a public member to the council of the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    258/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Jennifer Carscallen as a public member to the council of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    259/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, appoints Terence Bunce as a public member to the council of the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta for a term to expire on October 8, 2027.

    260/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, rescinds the appointment of Munira Hanifmohamed Peermohamed as a public member to the council of the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta.

    261/2024

    HEALTH PROFESSIONS ACT (section 13) – Effective October 9, 2024, rescinds the appointment of Larry Loven as a public member to the council of the College of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta.

    HONOURABLE MR. LOEWEN

    262/2024

    PUBLIC LANDS ACT (section 7) – Transfers the administration and control of certain public land to the Crown in right of Canada in full settlement of the Lubicon Lake Band #453 land settlement claim.

    HONOURABLE MR. MCIVER

    263/2024

    MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ACT (section 125) – Makes the Order Annexing Land from the Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 to the City of Cold Lake.

    264/2024

    SAFETY CODES ACT (section 65) – Makes the Certification and Permit (Expiry Date Extension) Amendment Regulation.

    HONOURABLE MR. NALLY

    265/2024

    PROCLAMATION – Proclaiming section 5 of the Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 in force on October 20, 2024.

    266/2024

    LAND TITLES ACT (sections 213 (as amended by section 5(11) of Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2024) and 214) – Makes the Tariff of Fees Amendment Regulation.

    HONOURABLE MR. NEUDORF

    267/2024

    PROCLAMATION – Proclaiming sections 1, 2(2) to (7) and (9), 4 and 6 of the Utilities Affordability Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 in force on the date of issue of the Proclamation.
     

    GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION ACT (Schedule 13.1, section 6) – Makes the Utilities Consumer Advocate Amendment Regulation.

    269/2024

    UTILITY COMMODITY REBATE ACT (section 10) – Makes the Utility Commodity Rebate Amendment Regulation.

    HONOURABLE MRS. SAWHNEY

    270/2024

    POST-SECONDARY LEARNING ACT (sections 44 and 56) – Effective September 29, 2024, reappoints Daniel Hugo as a member of The Board of Governors of NorQuest College for a term to expire on September 28, 2027.

    271/2024

    POST-SECONDARY LEARNING ACT (sections 44 and 56) – Appoints Rana Atta as a member of The Board of Governors of Olds College for a term to expire on September 24, 2027.

    HONOURABLE MR. SCHOW

    272/2024

    TRAVEL ALBERTA ACT (section 4) – Reappoints Juanita Marois as a director of the board of Travel Alberta for a term to expire on September 24, 2027.

    HONOURABLE MR. SIGURDSON

    273/2024

    LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY DIVERSIFICATION ACT (section 33) – Makes the Domestic Cervid Industry (Expiry Date Extension) Amendment Regulation.

    HONOURABLE MS SMITH

    274/2024

    ALBERTA INVESTMENT ATTRACTION ACT (section 5) – Appoints Ian Gunn as a member of the board of directors of Invest Alberta Corporation for a term to expire on January 30, 2027.

    HONOURABLE MS SMITH

    HONOURABLE MR. LOEWEN

    HONOURABLE MR. AMERY

    275/2024

    PROCLAMATION – Proclaims certain provisions of the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 in force on the date of issue of the Proclamation and October 15, 2024.

    Orders in Council can now be viewed on the King’s Printer website at: https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/507.cfm

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CS co-ordinates Golden Week plans

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today chaired an inter-departmental working group meeting to instruct various departments to better prepare for receiving visitors during the Mainland’s National Day Golden Week from October 1 to 7.

    According to the Immigration Department’s (ImmD) estimate, around 7.01 million passengers will pass through Hong Kong’s sea, land and air control points during Golden Week this year, among which 5.98 million are expected to pass through land control points.

    In terms of Mainland inbound visitors, it is estimated that about 1.23 million passengers will visit Hong Kong during Golden Week.

    The number of outbound and inbound passengers using land boundary control points will peak on October 1.

    The Chief Secretary urged various departments to actively co-ordinate and consolidate supporting services of boundary control points (BCPs), traffic and public transport, promptly respond to various emergency situations and strengthen information dissemination.

    The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by Customs, Police, the ImmD and other departments will be activated from September 28 to October 7 to monitor the real-time situation at various control points.

    The command centre will maintain close liaison with the Mainland port authorities and take timely contingency actions to flexibly deploy manpower at the BCPs to ensure the smooth operation of the land control points.

    The Security Bureau will also activate the Emergency Monitoring & Support Centre in a timely manner to closely monitor and co-ordinate the public order situation at various BCPs and facilitate inter-departmental follow-up action where necessary to respond promptly to various kinds of emergencies.

    Police will arrange sufficient manpower to implement corresponding crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements to ensure that all celebrations will be conducted in a safe and orderly manner. 

    The Transport Department’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will operate 24 hours to closely monitor the traffic condition and public transport services of different districts, including various BCPs and major stations.

    Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk and representatives of relevant bureaus attended the meeting.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gallego, Governor Lewis Announce $107 Million is Coming to Gila River Indian Community for Colorado River Conservation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)

    September 25, 2024

    WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) and Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) Governor Stephen Roe Lewis announced that $107 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is coming to GRIC for three Colorado River conservation projects.

    “Arizona’s tribes are critical partners in securing our water future,” said Rep. Gallego. “That’s why I’m proud to announce this funding, which I helped secure, to support the Gila River Indian Community and conserve Colorado River water.”

    “We are very excited to be finalizing our agreements for these three major infrastructure improvements, which will have major benefits not just for the Community, but for the entire region,” said Gov. Lewis. “Each one of these projects will allow us to use our water more efficiently on our farms, with annual savings in water of over 7,400 acre-feet per year.  Because we are the largest entitlement holder of Colorado River water delivered through the CAP canal, our savings can readily translate into major reductions in our use of Colorado River water, which will add to the 1 million acre-feet of our water that we have already left in Lake Mead for the benefit of the system.”

    The funding announced today is expected to conserve of over 73,000 acre-feet of water over the next 10 years. The funding will be split among the following three projects:

    • $64 million to replace and upgrade irrigation systems on Gila River Farms.

    • $26 million to concrete line over 7.5 miles of earthen canals in the Blackwater area.

    • $17 million to construct a regulating reservoir to capture flows that are currently being spilled from the Santan Canal when too much water is accidentally ordered or delivered into the system.

    Gov. Lewis added that the projects are ready to go, reaffirming to the significance of today’s announcement.

    “We will begin construction on two of these projects in early October and on the third in early November,” he explained. “ All the projects will be completed prior to the Post-2026 Guidelines, which will undoubtedly hit the State of Arizona very hard. These savings will help us all weather those anticipated cuts, and also put us in a position of ensuring we use every drop of our water most efficiently.

    The entire Gila River Indian Community is appreciative of the role that Cong. Gallego and the Arizona delegation played in ensuring that drought and water conservation funding were included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.”

    You can learn more about Rep. Gallego’s work on water in his report: Securing Arizona’s Water Future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine war: Zelensky’s pleas for help are getting drowned out in the clamour from the Middle East

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    While Russia continues its nuclear sabre rattling, with renewed threats to use its arsenal if attacked, fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine and in Russia’s Kursk region remains intense. But the diplomatic centre of gravity of the war recently shifted to New York and Washington.

    Discussions at the UN and meetings scheduled between the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, the US president Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris are by no means unimportant for the outcomes of the conflict. But it is unlikely that they will constitute the pivotal moment in accelerating the pace towards a Ukrainian victory that Zelensky might envisage.

    At meetings at the UN general assembly and security council, Zelensky appealed to world leaders to support his country and force Russia to make peace with Ukraine. His vision to achieve this is via a second global peace summit. This time he wants Russia to participate after the first effort in Switzerland in June achieved very little.



    Read more:
    Ukraine summit fails to provide a path to peace for Kyiv and its allies

    But with Zelensky continuing to push his ten-point peace plan and Putin insisting on Ukraine recognising Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four regions on the mainland, the two sides are as far apart as ever. So prospects of any meaningful negotiations virtually non-existent.

    This has not deterred Zelensky from promoting to Ukraine’s allies what he is calling his “victory plan”.

    The plan “envisages quick and concrete steps by our strategic partners … from now until the end of December”. These concrete steps are likely to include more western military support and the permission to use longer-range western weapons against targets deeper inside Russia.

    This latter point is something on which the western alliance is divided – and the US sceptical on its strategic value. Putin’s insistence that Russia will respond by using its nuclear arsenal if it detects any western missiles crossing its border will have added to this uncertainty.

    Even if more decisive western support were suddenly forthcoming, it is unlikely that it would offset other disadvantages that Ukraine and its allies are facing on the battlefield and beyond. Russia has consolidated its alliances with Iran, North Korea and China. All of these countries have supplied mission-critical ammunition and equipment that has enabled the Kremlin to sustain its war effort in Ukraine.

    Russia, so far, has also maintained its advantage in numbers. It appears to be determined to push this even harder following Putin’s order to increase the number of combat troops of the Russian army by another 180,000 soldiers.

    Meanwhile, a relentless Russian air campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure has also caused lasting damage, especially to the country’s energy supply network. This is likely to have a particularly adverse effect on Ukraine’s civilian population. It is likely to seriously dent morale during the coming winter.

    Other plans (and priorities)

    As discussions at the UN this week have underlined, there is also some diplomatic momentum building up behind a joint proposal by Brazil and China that was initially launched in May. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, pushed the plan during his speech at the UN general assembly on September 24, as did China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi.

    Like previous proposals from China and Brazil individually, as well as from Indonesia, a group of African states and Saudi Arabia, the joint Brazilian-Chinese plan calls for a ceasefire along the current frontlines. Negotiations would then follow.

    Ukraine fears, rightly, that this would entrench the status quo and effectively amount to Kyiv giving up territory illegally annexed by Russia. It would not guarantee any fruitful negotiations but give Russia time and space to regroup and rebuild its armed forces for a likely future escalation. None of this is acceptable to Ukraine and its allies as Zelensky made clear in his speech at the UN.

    Volodymr Zelensky criticises the Brazil-China plan at the UN general assembly.

    China’s previous effort to promote this joint initiative with Brazil just before the peace summit in Switzerland last June, did not go very far. It may not go much further this time either.

    But attention and resources are now much more focused on the Middle East and – to a lesser extent – the civil war in Sudan. So the very fact of this plan’s resurrection may be enough for Russia and its allies to prevent the rest of the world from uniting behind the western-backed Ukrainian proposal for a second global peace summit.

    This is clearly a concern for Ukraine. Zelensky, with a clear eye on countries in the global south, not only rejected the proposal but also argued that forcing Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia would be akin to reimposing a version of the brutal colonial past of the Soviet era on his country.

    Will Zelensky be Trumped in November?

    While the stars are thus hardly aligning in Ukraine’s favour at the UN in New York, things did not go much better as far as US domestic politics is concerned ahead of presidential elections in November. Questioning whether Donald Trump really has a credible plan to end the war, Zelensky triggered the notoriously short-fused Republican contender into lashing out at him at campaign rallies.

    Donald Trump takes aim at Volodymr Zelensky.

    Trump is both accusing Zelensky of refusing to make a deal and expressing doubts about Ukraine’s ability to win the war. Meanwhile, a recent opinion piece penned by Robert F. Kennedy Jnr and Donald Trump Jnr for The Hill, an influential political newspaper, urges that Ukraine be pushed to make a deal with Russia to prevent nuclear escalation.

    And Trump’s running-mate J.D. Vance has made clear his opposition to the US continuing to supply aid to Ukraine if elected in November. So it’s pretty clear that there is a very real prospect that Washington may soon cease to be Kyiv’s most important global ally.

    All of this explains the urgency behind Zelensky’s push for more and more decisive western support in the coming months, and his pleas to the wider international community to back efforts for a just peace for Ukraine. But it also indicates that Russia and its allies have, for now, done enough to further frustrate any progress towards a Ukrainian victory both on the battlefield and at the negotiation table.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. Ukraine war: Zelensky’s pleas for help are getting drowned out in the clamour from the Middle East – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-zelenskys-pleas-for-help-are-getting-drowned-out-in-the-clamour-from-the-middle-east-239752

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 20 rescued, 144 arrested in major child abuse operation across South America

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    26 September 2024

     

    LYON, France – An international operation targeting child sex offenders has led to 144 arrests and enabled the safeguarding of 20 victims across South America.

    During Operation Orion International, 12 South American countries joined forces to combat the production, distribution and possession of online child sexual abuse and exploitation material, focusing particularly on victim identification and rescue.

    As a result of the operation, undertaken with the coordination and support of INTERPOL, 18 direct abusers were caught and 111 people were charged with possession and distribution of abuse material. Seven individuals wanted internationally for child sex offenses, who were the subjects of INTERPOL Red Notices, were also arrested as part of the crackdown.

    The arrested individuals, predominantly men, were aged between 14 and 86 and came from diverse backgrounds. Their occupations included: professor, graphic designer, security guard, mechanic, musician, journalist, psychologist and taxi driver.

    Case studies: child victims safeguarded after years of abuse

    In Argentina, local authorities had identified abuse material circulating on messaging applications.  With the support of INTERPOL and its additional data, authorities were able to identify and safeguard a nine-year-old victim who had suffered at least six years of abuse.

    In a separate case in Chile, police identified an offender sharing child sexual exploitation material in messaging groups. Following his arrest, investigators analysed the seized information and established that the same person had also produced child sexual abuse material at the arrest location. This made it possible to identify and safeguard a 14-year-old girl, the daughter of the perpetrator’s partner.

    As part of Operation Orion International, participating countries were also asked to assess existing Red Notices for child sexual offenders believed to be living within their borders.

    In one such case, Korean authorities had provided information about the manager of a website which shared child exploitation material. Thanks to the collaboration between Korea and Ecuador, with coordination from INTERPOL, the individual was apprehended.

     

    Chile: Targeting the production and distribution of online child sexual abuse material

    Hardware seized in Argentina has opened new avenues for investigation

    Paraguay: 144 arrests were made during the international operation

    Venezuela was one of 12 participating countries in the operation

    Arrests in Colombia as part of Operation Orion International

    International cooperation throughout South America

    The region-wide initiative, which ran from May to September 2024, was launched by INTERPOL following information provided by Chile’s cybercrime unit and the Buenos Aires’ prosecutor’s office, concerning investigations into the transnational distribution of child sexual abuse material on instant messaging applications.

    INTERPOL’s Crimes Against Children unit analysed and consolidated this information, along with its existing data, and then shared this intelligence with participating countries. A preoperational meeting with prosecutors and investigators, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, laid out the roadmap for cross-border collaboration.

    INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said:

    “This operation, and the harrowing cases it exposed, is yet another reminder that child abusers are from all walks of life. Thanks to this international effort, children who have known a lifetime of abuse have been protected from further exploitation.

    “INTERPOL will continue to work with all member countries in our continued, and vital, efforts to protect the most vulnerable members of society.”

    As well as joint international action, the operation required cooperation at a national level, across multiple states. It resulted in arrests and victim identification in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

    The hardware seizures and evidence gathered during Operation Orion International have opened new avenues for investigation, with further results to follow.

    Participating countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Glenwilliam — PEI RCMP Police Dog helps arrest a St. Mary’s Road man for outstanding arrest warrant

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    September 26th 2024, Glenwilliam, Prince Edward Island – PEI RCMP used a police dog to help arrested a 31-year-old St. Mary’s Road man. He is facing 20 charges including driving, property and resist arrest offences.

    On September 24th, 2024, RCMP Provincial General Investigation Section executed a warrant at a residence in Glenwilliam, Prince Edward Island with the goal of arresting an accused who had an outstanding warrant of arrest, and was charged in multiple investigations. During the execution of the search warrant the accused fled on foot from the property. RCMP officers pursued the man and the RCMP police dog was instrumental in his safe apprehension. The man received minor injuries and was held in custody to appear before provincial court on September 26th, 2024.

    31-year-old Morgan Daniel Dixon will answer to 20 charges in relation to 6 separate investigations into driving, property, failing to appear in court and resist arrest offences.

    This investigation was completed by the PEI RCMP Provincial General Investigation Section with the assistance from the Kings District RCMP, and the PEI RCMP Police Dog Service.

    “Arrest warrants don’t go away, in cases where an individual has an outstanding arrest warrant, RCMP remain diligent in their efforts to investigate and bring that person to justice,” said Cpl Gavin Moore, Media Relations Officer for the Prince Edward Island RCMP.

    If you have information about crimes in your community please contact your local police detachment or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $7 Million For Community Environmental Education

    Source: US State of New York

    In celebration of Climate Week, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $7 million in competitive grant funding for community-based, not-for-profit, and tribal organizations to support the construction, or renovation of existing facilities, to create community environmental education centers, which will offer classes and programs on environmental awareness. The centers must be located within or serve a disadvantaged community or an environmental justice community and will help inspire exploration, discovery, and learning about the environment.

    “New York State’s innovative work to protect the environment and address climate change’s disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities includes ensuring the next generation of environmental advocates have access to nature where they live, work and play,” Governor Hochul said. “Environmental education centers supported by this funding will equip visitors with the knowledge they need to join the charge against climate change, protect our environment for future generations, and encourage people to discover and support local cultural preservation.”

    New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) recognizes that climate change doesn’t affect all communities equally and charged the Climate Justice Working Group with the development of criteria to identify disadvantaged communities to ensure frontline and otherwise under-resourced communities benefit from the state’s historic transition to cleaner, greener sources of energy, reduced pollution, cleaner air, and improved economic opportunities. Visit New York’s Climate Act website to view an interactive map and a list of disadvantaged communities statewide.

    Funding for this grant opportunity is provided from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and is available to support capital costs of new construction or renovation proposals. Grants ranging from $250,000 to $3 million will be awarded to fund education centers that explore a broad range of topics such as urban ecology, environmental justice challenges, green technology, and urban environmental sustainability. Proposals may include capital costs, such as purchasing of building or land; construction or renovation; expansion or updating a facility; purchasing furniture, fixtures, and equipment; and purchasing technological hardware.

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC recognizes that bolstering environmental education is critical to supporting real action to fight climate issues affecting disadvantaged and environmental justice communities statewide. Environmental education centers provide a variety of accessible programs and services for individuals, families, and groups and serve as valuable community assets where people gather to hold events, learn about cultural preservation and environmental stewardship, build community resilience, and engage in community climate action.”

    Possible uses or programming for a center include:

    • Education about indoor air pollution and modeling methods to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution;
    • Education about environmental justice challenges;
    • Cultural preservation and environmental stewardship;
    • Green jobs training and education;
    • Programs, information and exhibits that increase awareness and stewardship of the local environment;
    • Models of sustainable development, including LEED Green Building Certification, green infrastructure, and agriculture;
    • Extreme weather shelters with innovative architecture or engineering demonstrations;
    • Research and monitoring programs, focusing on watershed issues, combined sewer overflow, vehicle emissions, energy generation, solid waste transfer activities and/or other environment issues;
    • Community space for local community-based organizations, community events, and workshops;
    • K-12 educational programming in STEAM that may include ecology, environmental harms/risks/issues, green technology, and environmental sustainability;
    • College level electives in ecology, green energy technology and environmental sustainability; and
    • Outdoor components such as community gardens or farms.

    The deadline for all applications is 3 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2025. The request for applications (RFA) is only available online through The Statewide Financial System of New York (sfs.ny.gov). Not-for-profit community-based organizations must be registered and prequalified in SFS to apply.

    New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan 

    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that a minimum of 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path toward a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 150 certified Climate Smart Communities, over 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Free Legal Help Available for South Dakotans Affected by Summer Storms

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Free Legal Help Available for South Dakotans Affected by Summer Storms

    Free Legal Help Available for South Dakotans Affected by Summer Storms

    SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A Disaster Legal Services hotline is now available to provide legal assistance to South Dakotans impacted by this summer’s severe storms and flooding. The hotline connects residents in Davison, Lincoln, Turner, and Union counties with free legal services for those who cannot afford an attorney.

    Residents can reach the hotline at 605-444-3719 during business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Callers can also
    leave a message outside of business hours, and a representative will return your call.

    The hotline may provide help with legal issues such as:

    ▪ Home repair contracts and property insurance claims
    ▪ Redoing wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
    ▪ Price gouging, scams, or identity theft
    ▪ Landlord and tenant problems, or threats of foreclosure
    ▪ Disability related access to federal state and local disaster programs
    ▪ FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration financial benefits

    The hotline cannot help in all cases. For example, they cannot take cases where a settlement could include legal fees or an award, but they may refer those cases to other legal help. The service is a partnership between the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, FEMA, and East River Legal Services.

    tiana.suber

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: AAG Kristen Clarke Delivers Remarks to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division delivers remarks to highlight the Division’s work to protect the civil rights of all Americans.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2DciJrlIpU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientific Regiment. Volunteer Mikhail Laletin: “After the Front – to a University, and Then, Possibly, to an Officer”

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Mikhail Laletin

    Mikhail Laletin, a second-year student at the Faculty of Forensic Science and Law in Construction and Transport at SPbGASU, has served in the 76th Division of the 104th Airborne Assault Regiment of the Airborne Forces in the Special Military Operation Zone. Today, he is getting a higher education and does not rule out that after graduation he will continue to serve as an officer.

    “Higher education provides knowledge and advantages not only in the civilian sphere, but also in the army. A person with higher education is an officer. I am getting a sought-after specialty at a prestigious university and I do not rule out that after graduating from the university I will continue military service. Because until the goals of the SVO are achieved, I cannot be calm about my future and the future of our people, our Fatherland,” says Mikhail.

    Mikhail not only knew that there was such a profession as defending the Motherland, but also looked closely at it: he wanted to enroll in a military school. But then he decided to get a civilian specialty. He recalls how in 2020, as an applicant, he and his friends chose SPbGASU. First of all, the guys evaluated the university from a practical point of view: the university is known for its high quality of education, affordable tuition fees, demand for graduates in the labor market, and convenient location. But everyone made the choice of faculties in accordance with their interests.

    “History and politics are topics that have always interested me. Jurisprudence is important in matters of politics. In addition, I continued the dynasty – my mother and sister graduated from law school. Having received a diploma, perhaps in the future I will get a second higher education – in history,” adds Mikhail.

    In 2022, when the SVO began, he volunteered. He says there were good reasons for that. First of all, he is a patriot and knows the history of his country well.

    “I cannot remain indifferent to how they are trying to rewrite our history from the outside and how the ideology of Nazism is spreading. I stand for traditional values and want to live in a society in which a child has a mother and father, and not parents number one and two. They want to break up our country, divide it, as they did with the Russian Empire and the USSR. Therefore, we must achieve our goals in the SVO. For us, Russians, this is literally a matter of life and death. I am concerned about my fate, the fate of Russia and its people, so I am ready to make my own contribution to its defense,” said Mikhail.

    He recalls how he, a young man from civilian life, was surprised by the attitude of the fighters, how they maintained their fighting spirit even in the most difficult situations. It was here that Mikhail fully felt such a sincere attitude towards each other and truly understood what military brotherhood is.

    “At the front, the line between superior and subordinate, between commanders and soldiers is erased. Here we are all like brothers, everyone is ready to lend a shoulder to another at any moment, both during a combat mission and in any situation. This is the strength of our army,” Mikhail concluded.

    Other materials of the project “Scientific Regiment”

    Our graduate built the Road of Life

    The pioneering work of architect Alexander Nikolsky

    A scientist who developed science in besieged Leningrad
    Fights of student Klinov

    Engineer of the 3rd Belorussian Front

    The path of a volunteer: from front-line roads to space developments

    Ivan Solomakhin: “The most memorable battle is for this Devil’s Height!”

    Fiery Dnieper of the Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Prygunov

    Bringing Victory Closer

    Fyodor Komal’s Front: From the First Minutes of War to Victory

    Junior Political Instructor Boris Gubanov: “The shells whistled, and the earth flew up nearby”

    Viktor Kvyatkovsky – radio operator-intelligence officer of the Baltic Fleet

    How Chief Architect Nikolai Baranov “Hid” Leningrad from the Enemy

    Architect Nikolay Khomutetsky: Four years on the front lines

    Semyon Shifrin thwarted the Nazis’ plans to leave Leningrad without water

    LISI in the post-war years

    Nineteen-year-old machine gunner stormed Berlin

    Abdulla Mangushev: Four Years at the Front and a Life in Science

    The Zazersky architects built and defended the city on the Neva

    LISI graduate Mikhail Zherbin is a design engineer and composer

    He went from being a technical lieutenant to a galaxy of mathematicians

    Konstantin Sakhnovsky: from a cadet of the Russian Empire to an academician of the USSR

    Military architect of the front line of defense and engineering reconnaissance

    A world-renowned scientist, an outstanding engineer and a national champion

    An outstanding urban planner who lived and worked in besieged Leningrad

    Scientific Regiment. Projects of the architect Sergey Evdokimov: from defensive structures and city restoration to metro stations

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://www.spbgasu.ru/nevs-and-events/nevs/scientific-regiment-volunteer-Mikhail-laletin-after-the-front-to-university-and-then-possibly-to-officers/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE: Three charged in connection with murder of Joshua McLean in Tower Hamlets

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of a man in Tower Hamlets have charged three men.

    Joshua McLean, 31, was fatally shot at about 20:27hrs on Tuesday, 6 August in Weavers Fields, Wilmot Street, E2.

    On Wednesday, 25 September, detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command arrested eight males – all aged between 17 and 56 – on suspicion of murder.

    Three have been charged with murder. They are:

    [A] Nefur Miah, 36 (06.04.88), of Redmans Road E1; [B] Muhammed Ismail Ali, 37 (02.10.87), of Marlborough Road RM7; and [C] Simeon Oliver-Stewart, 30 (15.01.94), of Clevedon Close N16.

    They are all due to appear at Thames Magistrates Court today, Friday, 27 September.

    The remaining five males [D], [E], [F], [G] and [H] who were arrested have all been released on bail.

    Joshua’s family have been informed.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact the police via 101, quoting reference CAD 7454/06AUG.

    Information, images or footage can also be provided on a portal via https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS24W82-PO1

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Reappeal: Detectives seek driver of white hatchback

    Source: South Australia Police

    Major Crime Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder of a man in Seaton earlier this month.

    About 10.20pm on Tuesday 10 September, emergency services were called to Carey Avenue after reports a man had been stabbed in the stomach.

    Ambulance officers assisted the man however he died at the scene.

    The victim is a 19-year-old from the address.

    On Friday 13 September, Major Crime Detectives arrested a 19-year-old man from the Eastern suburbs and charged him with murder.

    CCTV footage seized from a neighbouring property shows a white hatchback passing the scene immediately following the murder. The car travels slowly west on Carey Avenue, appearing to pause outside of 38 Carey Avenue and then turn right to travel north along Fidock Avenue.

    The vehicle, pictured below, is similar in size and shape to a Hyundai i30 or a Toyota Corolla hatchback.

    Major Crime Detectives would like to speak to the driver of the white hatchback, as it is believed they may be able to assist with the investigation.  The driver is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Stand News case sentencing set

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said that justice was upheld in the District Court’s sentencing of three defendants in a case of “conspiracy to publish and/or reproduce seditious publication”.
     
    The court handed down its sentence today, following the conviction of three defendants on August 29.
     
    In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government explained that the court has held earlier that Chung Pui-kuen and Lam Shiu-tung, while holding chief editorial positions at Stand News, had knowledge and approved of the seditious intent of the articles, providing Stand News as a publishing platform for inciting hatred against the central authorities and the Hong Kong SAR Government, as well as hatred against the administration of justice.
     
    It added that the reasons for the verdict by the court have pointed out clearly that the ideology of Stand News was localism which excluded China, and that it even became a tool to smear and vilify the central authorities and the Hong Kong SAR Government during the movement of opposition to the proposed legislative amendments.
     
    The court found that the relevant articles, without any objective basis, attacked the relevant law and procedures; and relevant law enforcement and prosecutorial process; spread hatred and anti-government sentiment with disinformation; attacked law enforcement by Police and glorified the behaviour of rioters – in other words, they were not based on facts.
     
    The statement noted that to distort acts of inciting hatred as “journalism” is a complete reversal of right and wrong.
     
    According to Schedule 3 of the Implementation Rules of Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Department of Justice has made an application to the court for a confiscation order to confiscate the proceeds of the relevant crime.
     
    The department will continue to handle subsequent procedures in accordance with the law, the statement added.
     
    It also pointed out that the court stated in its reasons for sentence that at the time of the offence, the three defendants were not engaging themselves in genuine journalistic work but were participating in the so-called protest at the time.
     
    From the editorial of Stand News and News Stand, it is evident that they sided with the protesters against the Government. The crimes committed by the three defendants are very serious, it emphasised.
     
    The reasons for sentence also pointed out that, given Stand News had approximately 1.6 million followers, the seditious articles involved have undoubtedly caused significant harm to both the central government and Hong Kong SAR Government as well as the residents, although it is difficult to quantify, the statement noted.
     
    It added that the reasons for sentence indicated that, due to the severity of the offences, imprisonment is the only appropriate sentencing option.
     
    Regarding the length of the sentence, the maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment.
     
    The Hong Kong SAR Government noted that this maximum penalty is completely disproportionate to the severity of the offences.
     
    According to the existing Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the maximum penalty for the crime of sedition is seven years’ imprisonment.
     
    Based on Chung Pui-kuen’s culpability, a starting point of 23 months’ imprisonment was adopted, and a sentence of 21 months was passed.
     
    For Lam Siu-tung, a starting point of 14 months’ imprisonment was adopted but due to the potential risk to his life if sent to prison, a sentence was imposed that allows for his immediate release.
     
    The statement revealed that following the verdict in this case, some people have expressed concerns about freedom of the press and speech in Hong Kong.
     
    It added that some foreign media or other people with ulterior motives, as well as anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians, made untruthful and purely political remarks smearing the Hong Kong SAR.
     
    The Hong Kong SAR Government made it clear that it has made clarifications and rebuttals many times to set the record straight.
     
    It indicated that, as demonstrated in the court’s reasons for its verdict, Stand News completely disregarded objective facts and contravened the “special duties and responsibilities” which journalists must observe under international human rights conventions.
     
    It also mentioned that the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights guarantee fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, procession and demonstration.
     
    Members of the public, including journalists, in Hong Kong are, as always, free to make comments or criticisms that are based on facts, and to enjoy and exercise freedoms of the press and of speech in accordance with the law, without fear of unwittingly violating the law.
     
    In addition, the statement indicated that it is the constitutional duty of the Hong Kong SAR to safeguard national security.
     
    In this regard, the Hong Kong SAR Government will ensure that laws are observed and continue to enforce the law resolutely, decisively and rigorously with a view to effectively preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for acts and activities endangering national security with all-out efforts.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic and transport arrangements for flag-raising ceremonies and fireworks display in celebration of 75th anniversary of founding of People’s Republic of China

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Special traffic and transport arrangements for flag-raising ceremonies and fireworks display in celebration of 75th anniversary of founding of People’s Republic of China
    Special traffic and transport arrangements for flag-raising ceremonies and fireworks display in celebration of 75th anniversary of founding of People’s Republic of China
    ******************************************************************************************

         The Transport Department (TD) today (September 27) reminded the public that the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases on September 30 (Monday) and October 1 (Tuesday) on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon to facilitate the holding of the flag-raising ceremonies at Wan Chai North, Central and Tin Hau and the fireworks display at Victoria Harbour on October 1 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.(I) Flag-raising ceremoniesRoad closures     Road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in phases in the vicinities of Wan Chai North, Central and Tin Hau from 0.01am on September 30 to 1pm on October 1 until the closed roads reopen to traffic.Public transport service arrangements 

    In connection with the above-mentioned road closure arrangements, CityBus route Nos. 2, 5X, 81, cross-harbour route Nos. 104, 900, 914, 961, A11, H1 and H2K operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted, and the associated bus stops of the said roads located within the affected areas will be suspended or relocated; and
    The taxi stand at Expo Drive will be suspended from 0.01am on September 30 to 1pm on October 1, and the cross harbour taxi stand at Harbour Road westbound opposite Harbour Centre will be suspended from 5.30am to 1pm on October 1. 

    (II) Fireworks displayRoad closures     In connection with the holding of the fireworks display at Victoria Harbour at 9pm on October 1, road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in phases from about 7.30pm in the road sections concerned in Wan Chai, Central District, the Peak and Eastern District on Hong Kong Island. During the period of fireworks display, the section of Island Eastern Corridor westbound between Victoria Park Road and Man Hong Street will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic except for franchised buses.       In Kowloon, road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in phases in the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon Cultural District from about 6pm until the crowds disperse and the roads reopen.     During the road closure period, taxi stands (including taxi pick-up/drop-off points), public light bus stands, roadside parking spaces and private car parks on the roads affected will be suspended.Public transport service arrangements 

    To facilitate the above-mentioned road closure arrangements, the bus and green minibus (GMB) routes operating in the affected areas will be temporarily diverted, and the associated bus and GMB stops located within the affected areas will be suspended or relocated;
    For MTR services, Island Line, South Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, East Rail Line (Admiralty – Sheung Shui), Tuen Ma Line (Hung Hum – Tuen Mun and Austin – City One) and Tung Chung Line will be strengthened from 8pm that night;
    The tram service will be strengthened subject to passenger demand;
    Star Ferry, Sun Ferry, Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, Discovery Bay Transportation Services, Park Island Transport and Fortune Ferry will gradually adjust and suspend part of their services from 5.20pm on October 1 to facilitate the holding of the fireworks display; and
    For the cross-boundary coach services, the terminus of the short-haul cross-boundary coach service between Wan Chai and Huanggang Port at Exhibition Centre Station Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from about 6.30pm until the roads reopen. A temporary terminus will be provided on Hennessy Road westbound near Southorn Centre. The short-haul cross-boundary coach service between Jordan and Huanggang Port will add a temporary pick-up point at the coach pick-up and drop-off area on Wui Man Road outside Hong Kong West Kowloon Station from about 9pm to 11pm. The en-route stop of this service at China Ferry Terminal Bus Terminus will be suspended from about 8.15pm until the roads reopen. 

    Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System service arrangements     The service of the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System will be extended to 2am on October 2.     Due to extensive road closures, the TD anticipates that the traffic along Hong Kong Island North and the vicinity (including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central and the Island Eastern Corridor), the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon Cultural District in Kowloon, and the Cross Harbour Tunnel as well as the Aberdeen Tunnel will become significantly congested. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to these areas affected by the road closures. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise patience and drive with care, and follow the instructions of the Police on site.     Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures when necessary. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements, subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. The public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the TD mobile application “HKeMobility”.     For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk) or its mobile application “HKeMobility”. Passengers may also refer to the passenger notices displayed by the relevant public transport operators.

     
    Ends/Friday, September 27, 2024Issued at HKT 12:45

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police remembrance ceremonies ‘particularly poignant’

    Source: South Australia Police

    People across the state today paused to honour police officers killed in the line of duty, including South Australia Police’s (SAPOL) Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig PBM LEM.

    Ahead of National Police Remembrance Day on Sunday, many united to pay their respects at locations including SAPOL’s Police Academy, the Riverland’s Banrock Station and at Mount Gambier and Port Pirie police stations.

    Observed on 29 September each year, the national day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the dangers of policing. This year recognises the 62 dedicated SAPOL members and those from other Australian and South West Pacific police jurisdictions who have made the ultimate sacrifice when protecting the community.

    Commissioner of Police Grant Stevens APM LEM attended the National Police Remembrance Day memorial service in Canberra, where Brevet Sergeant Doig’s name was added to the National Police Memorial.

    “This year’s remembrance is particularly poignant as we reflect on the life of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig who died in the line of duty last November after being shot by an armed offender at Senior,” Commissioner Stevens said.

    “Brevet Sergeant Doig served his community with distinction, displaying honour and courage in performing his duties while knowing the risks his job entailed.

    “The profound outpouring of grief across South Australia Police and throughout the South Australian community, highlighted the esteem in which Brevet Sergeant Doig was held.”

    Brevet Sergeant Doig’s family attended a private ceremony on 5 September 2024 to unveil his plaque on the Wall of Remembrance at SAPOL’s Academy. At this ceremony, Brevet Sergeant Doig was also posthumously awarded the South Australia Police Bravery Medal and Leadership and Efficiency Medal, adding to other accolades.

    Commissioner Stevens recognised the commitment of all police officers, past and present.

    “National Police Remembrance Day provides a valuable opportunity to reflect upon those who serve and those who have fallen, recalling their unquestionable dedication to our profession and our community at large,” he added.

    “While our people on the frontline of operational policing face the inherent dangers of the profession, it takes commitment and support from all members of the organisation to ensure the South Australian community receives the best possible service.”

    SA Governor Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC joined Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams APM, Minister of Police Dan Cregan, and other dignitaries at SAPOL’s academy this morning to pay their respects at the wall of remembrance. A riderless horse also formed part of the commemoration.

    Minister for Police Dan Cregan said the day is a reminder of the bravery shown by South Australian Police.

    “Every officer deserves the right to come home and we must never forget those on the frontline who put themselves in danger to keep our community safe,” Minister Cregan said.

    “Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig paid the ultimate price for doing his job and this is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to the courage, commitment and dedication of police.”

    In further acknowledgement, on Sunday several venues and locations across metropolitan Adelaide will light up in blue and white police chequering, including Adelaide Oval’s southern stand, Riverbank precinct footbridge, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide Town Hall, and the O-Bahn tunnel. SAPOL’s police headquarters on Angas Street will also light up from tonight (Friday) through to Sunday.

    Breakout

    This year we remember: South Australia Police: Brevet Sergeant Jason Christopher Doig who died on the 17November 2023 after being shot at Senior in the South East.

    New South Wales Police:Sergeant Peter Thomas Stone who drowned on the 1 January 2023 while attempting to rescue his son.

    We also commemorate another addition to this year’s honour roll: Western Australia Police: Senior Constable Glenn Murray who died on the 6 December 2022 after receiving serious injuries in a car accident.

    We also acknowledge two historical additions to the National Police Memorial: Northern Territory Police: Mounted Constable Thomas Edward McNulty who died on the 28 November 1917 from drowning after falling overboard from the ‘Albatross’. Mounted Constable Arthur Robinson Clapp who died on the 5November 1927 from a gunshot wound to the leg after seizing a pistol and securing it in his belt.

    Caption: The National Carillon building in Canberra lit up as a tribute to Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig.

    SA Governor Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC with Deputy Commissioner of Police Linda Williams APM at the Police Academy’s service on Friday 27 September.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police seek video of fleeing driver

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are seeking witnesses to a fleeing driver incident that began in Central Hawke’s Bay and ended in the heart of Palmerston North some 90 minutes later.

    The event started about 3pm on Thursday, when a distinctive orange/red-coloured Ford Falcon, sporting white mags, wide-profile tyres, and tinted windows, failed to stop for Police on State Highway 2, near Te Hauke.

    Police units followed the car as it headed towards Palmerston North, watching as it crossed onto the wrong side of the road several times and dodged sets of road spikes. At one point, the vehicle mounted the footpath.

    Road spikes were deployed on Main Street as the vehicle approached Palmerston North and the car was successfully spiked.

    The driver came to a stop after crashing on Fergusson Street shortly before 4.30pm. The driver fled on foot and was located on Ada Street by a Police dog unit a short time later. 

    The driving behaviour put every other road user at risk, and for no good reason, says Senior Constable Tim Rowe.

    “Police are speaking with a 19-year-old Hastings man in relation to the incident but we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the vehicle’s driving, and anyone who recorded video of the incident.”

    If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 240926/2862.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. 

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH’s enforcement operation “Pipepurge” against waterpipe smoking in no smoking areas (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) conducted an enforcement operation codenamed “Pipepurge” last night (September 26) against illegal waterpipe smoking activities in no smoking areas in Tsim Sha Tsui.
         
         During the operation, officers from TACO (including plainclothes officers) issued a total of seven fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to persons illegally smoking waterpipes at one bar. TACO’s investigation is ongoing, and prosecution may also be taken against operators of the bar who are suspected of contravening the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) (the Ordinance) and the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 221) for aiding and abetting smoking offences. TACO will also notify the Liquor Licensing Board of the above-mentioned violation.
         
         Under the Ordinance, conducting a smoking act in a statutory no smoking area (such as indoor areas of bars or restaurants) is prohibited. Any person doing a smoking act in statutory no smoking areas is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. Moreover, where smoking products (including waterpipes) are sold, in bars or otherwise, the restrictions on the promotion and sale of smoking products stipulated in the Ordinance apply. Offenders are liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000. Venue managers of statutory no smoking areas are empowered by the Ordinance to request a smoking offender cease the act; if the offender is not co-operative, the manager may contact the Police for assistance.
         
         Also, under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, any person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission by another person of any offence shall be guilty of the like offence. A spokesman for the DH appeals to operators and venue mangers of bars/restaurants not to assist any person in breaching the statutory smoking prohibitions, or provide a waterpipe apparatus and tobacco to customers for use.
         
         The DH spokesman stressed that TACO will follow up and investigate every complaint about illegal smoking, and will conduct inspections and take enforcement actions in the venue concerned. TACO will also conduct joint inspections and enforcement action (including plainclothes operations) with other law enforcement agencies from time to time with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement. The DH will continue to closely monitor and take stringent enforcement actions to tackle illegal waterpipe smoking. In the past 12 months, TACO conducted 119 operations against illegal waterpipe smoking activities in no smoking areas. A total of 161 FPNs were issued against smoking offenders, while 78 summonses were issued to staff members and operators of the bars/restaurants for other related offences.   

         The spokesman said that waterpipe is a smoking product, and its combustion of fuel (e.g. charcoal) releases carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that is a by-product from incomplete combustion of any fuel containing carbon, such as charcoals. Exposure to a low concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to a range of symptoms such as dizziness, headache, tiredness and nausea; whereas exposure to a high concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to impaired vision, disturbed co-ordination, unconsciousness, brain damage or even death. People should seek medical attention immediately if they suspect they are developing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
         
         Due to deeper inhalation and longer smoking sessions, waterpipe users usually inhale more toxins than they would when smoking cigarettes. A typical one-hour waterpipe smoking session exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single conventional cigarette. Moreover, sharing a waterpipe apparatus increases the risk of transmitting infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Furthermore, areas in bars/restaurants where waterpipes are handled or kept have been found to be unhygienic during previous enforcement operations. The spokesman cautions against waterpipe smoking and the use of other smoking products. Smokers should quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. For more information on the hazards of waterpipe smoking, please visit http://www.livetobaccofree.hk/pdfs/waterpipe_leaflet_new.pdf.   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –