NewzIntel.com

Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arkansas Drug Ring and Their California Suppliers Sentenced to a Combined 132 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL DORADO – Fifteen members and associates of a South Arkansas drug trafficking organization, including two Los Angeles-area narcotics suppliers, have been sentenced to serve a combined 1,591 months in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place between August 7, 2024, and May 21, 2025, in the United States District Court at El Dorado, Arkansas.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

    According to court records, between August 2021 and August 2022, Christopher Walters, age 45, of Magnolia, operated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing kilograms of methamphetamine in and around Columbia County, Arkansas.  Walters sourced bulk methamphetamine from Michael Cummings, a 46-year-old Southern California business owner who doubled as an interstate narcotics supplier.  Cummings employed Robert Leonne Morris, age 47, of Los Angeles, to deliver methamphetamine and other drugs to Walters in Arkansas, at times by rail.  Walters then engaged numerous South Arkansas DTO members and associates in storing, transporting and distributing that methamphetamine, and attempting to do so, before sharing the substantial profits with Cummings.

    On August 10, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its state and local partners executed search warrants at multiple Columbia County properties owned or controlled by DTO members and associates, including Walters.  In so doing, investigators found and seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, more than 15 firearms, including tactical rifles, and thousands of dollars in cash.

    Between September 2022 and March 2023, a federal grand jury sitting in the Western District of Arkansas returned indictments charging 15 members and associates of Walters’ DTO, including Cummings and Morris, with a total of fifty (50) felony counts.  All 15 defendants pleaded guilty to one or more felony violations of the Controlled Substances Act, and have been sentenced as follows:

     

    Defendant

    Prison Term

    Sentence Date
    Christopher Walters, 45, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    222 months

    December 6, 2024
    Michael Cummings, 46, of Los Angeles, California

    162 months

    March 21, 2025
    Jvance Radford, 47, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    144 months

    August 22, 2024
    Joseph Lowe, 38, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    140 months

    August 12, 2024
    Robert Leonne Morris, 47, of Los Angeles, California

    121 months

    May 21, 2025
    Lacadran D. Thomas, 37, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    120 months

    August 22, 2024
    Marcus S. Jordan, 42, of Waldo, Arkansas

    110 months

    December 4, 2024
    Hendrick Johnson, 27, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    108 months

    September 11, 2024
    Dawnisha D. Jordan, 40, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    98 months

    August 7, 2024
    John L. Grissom, 40, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    97 months

    August 7, 2024
    Jarrod D. Wilson, 38, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    78 months

    March 20, 2025
    Nyterious L. Sharp, 32, of Waldo, Arkansas

    60 months

    August 23, 2024
    Antonio J. Johnson, 41, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    54 months

    August 22, 2024
    Malaysia D. Benjamin, 36, of Los Angeles, California

    41 months

    December 5, 2024
    Mario L. Meadows, 36, of Magnolia, Arkansas

    36 months

    May 21, 2025

     

    In addition to his 162-month prison sentence, a $100,000 money judgment was also entered against Cummings, representing his profits from the year-long conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Arkansas.  That judgment is executable against Cummings’ assets in California and elsewhere. 

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by the Magnolia Police Department, the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Union County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado Police Department, the Arkansas State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.

    The case was investigated and prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Oyster Enterprises II Acquisition Corp Completes Upsized $253,000,000 Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Miami, Florida, May 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oyster Enterprises II Acquisition Corp (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OYSEU) announced today the closing of its upsized initial public offering of 25,300,000 units, which includes 3,300,000 units issued pursuant to the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option. The offering was priced at $10.00 per unit, resulting in gross proceeds of $253,000,000. 

    The Company’s units began trading on May 22, 2025 on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “OYSEU.” Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of the Company and one right (the “Share Right”) to receive one tenth (1/10) of one Class A ordinary share of the Company upon the consummation of an initial business combination. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and Share Rights are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “OYSE” and “OYSER,” respectively.

    Of the proceeds received from the consummation of the initial public offering (including the full exercise of the over-allotment option by the underwriters) and a simultaneous private placement of units, $253,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit sold in the offering) was placed in a trust account of the Company.

    The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, but is focused on industries that align with the background of the Company’s management team and advisor, including technology, media, entertainment, sports, consumer products, financial services, real estate and hospitality. The Company will also focus on AI companies positioned to complement or disrupt those industries, as well as companies within the digital assets and blockchain ecosystem.

    The Company’s management team is led by Mario Zarazua, its Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman, and Heath Freeman, its Chairman. In addition, the Board includes Divya Narendra, Lief Haniford and Jordan Fliegel. Randall D. Smith is an Advisor to the Company, and Mike Rollins is the Chief Financial Officer.

    BTIG, LLC acted as sole book-running manager for the offering.

    Registration statements relating to the securities were declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 21, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the anticipated use of the net proceeds of the initial public offering and the simultaneous private placement, and the search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Company Contact:

    Oyster Enterprises II Acquisition Corp
    801 Brickell Avenue, 8th Floor
    Miami, Florida, 33131
    Attn: Mario Zarazua, CEO and Vice Chairman
    mario@oysteracquisition.com
    (786) 744-7720
    www.oysteracquisition.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Arab Plan for Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development sets out a realistic path for the reconstruction of Gaza: UK statement at the UN

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The Arab Plan for Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development sets out a realistic path for the reconstruction of Gaza: UK statement at the UN

    Statement by Stephen Hickey, Director for Middle East and North Africa in the FCDO, at the Preparatory meeting of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

    I’d also like to express the UK’s thanks to Saudi Arabia and to France for your excellent leadership in steering our preparations for this high-level conference at the UN.

    We are delighted to be co-chairing the Working Group on Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction with Egypt.

    The Working Group has three main goals.

    First, as the Egyptian Ambassador has just set out, we want to mobilise support for the Arab/Islamic Plan for Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development.

    The plan sets out a realistic path for the reconstruction of Gaza and, if implemented, promises swift and sustainable steps to improve the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza.

    We strongly encourage all delegations ahead of the Conference in June to consider what concrete measures or commitments you can make to provide financial, technical, and capacity-building support to the plan, and to empower the Palestinian Authority to lead it.

    Of course, recovery and reconstruction efforts must also be based upon a solid political and security framework, which provides peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians alike.

    We therefore encourage delegations to consider what enabling elements, including financial, governance and security arrangements, are required. We urgently need to get these in place so that reconstruction efforts are sustainable, inclusive, and can support longer-term peace.

    Second, our Working Group will look to identify how we can address the dire humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    As my Prime Minister said this week, the level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable.

    Humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip has been completely blocked or severely restricted since 2 March, and the entire population is at risk of famine according to the latest IPC report of 12 May. Meanwhile, hostages continue to be held in appalling conditions.

    The Secretary-General has been clear that the entry of humanitarian assistance must be restored immediately with UN agencies allowed to work in full respect of humanitarian principles.

    The UK has allocated $135 million this year to support the OPTs, including to provide humanitarian relief and support for Palestinian economic development.

    Our working group will explore how we can ensure sufficient funding of the response, and the steps that can be taken to ensure it is consistent with humanitarian principles and with International Humanitarian Law. This includes the needs of the most vulnerable groups.

    Third and finally, UNRWA delivers essential services and life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees in the OPTs and in the region. It is indispensable. That is why in the last financial year, the UK provided $55 million in funding to support its important work.

    Yet UNRWA is still facing a shortfall of more than $450 million from a budget of $880 million, as it confronts the biggest humanitarian crisis seen in the organisation’s history. 

    Our working group will consider what further support can be provided by all of us to UNRWA, including through securing sustainable financial contributions.

    Further details on the aims of our Working Group Five are set out in the Concept Note, which has been circulated. We encourage written submissions on the guiding questions from delegations and the UN system by Friday, 30 May.

    Co-chairs, in closing, the UK has long been clear that lasting peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike can only be achieved through a two-state solution.

    We look forward to working with our Egyptian colleagues, the entire UN membership, and colleagues across the UN system to help deliver a conference which moves us towards this goal.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: We should use the conference to form measures to safeguard the Two-State Solution and uphold international law: UK statement at the UN

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    We should use the conference to form measures to safeguard the Two-State Solution and uphold international law: UK statement at the UN

    Statement by Stephen Hickey, Director for Middle East and North Africa in the FCDO, at the Preparatory meeting of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

    In addition to co-chairing Working Group Five on Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction in Gaza with our Egyptian colleagues, the UK is also looking forward to engaging across all the working groups.

    I would like to set out three priority areas where the UK thinks this Conference can have real impact in moving us closer to achieving a Two-State Solution.

    First, the Palestinian Authority. To achieve a sovereign and unified Palestinian State living in peace and security with Israel, we need to provide support to the Palestinian Authority so that it can effectively govern the entirety of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This includes financial and technical assistance, as it delivers vital reforms.

    We should also explore how to strengthen support for Palestinian Authority fiscal and trade reforms, especially under the PA-EU reform framework, with the aim of restoring the Palestinian Authority’s economic viability.

    Second, security. Through Working Group Two, we have an important opportunity to consider how we can ensure long-term security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. 

    We should use this to build international consensus on the transitional security and governance arrangements for the future of Gaza, without Hamas, that can lay the ground for sustainable peace in the region.

    Third, we should use the conference to consider concrete measures for safeguarding the Two-State Solution and upholding international law. This should include concrete measures to oppose illegal settlement activities and any attempts at annexation.

    For its part, the UK has announced a series of sanctions targeting those responsible for supporting, inciting and promoting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 

    In addition to these three important themes, we must continue to press for an immediate and rapid increase in humanitarian aid delivery and distribution in Gaza. And we must also support the efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and achieve a long-term political solution. 

    This is the best and only way to ensure lasting prosperity and stability in the region.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman García’s Statement on Shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement about the killing of two Israeli Embassy employees at the Capital Jewish Museum: 

    “I strongly condemn this horrible, senseless act of antisemitism. My heart is with the victims, and everyone impacted by the attack. We mourn the lives lost and reject the idea that justice can be won through violence.”

     

     # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Increasing State Police Patrols at Synagogues

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul has directed State Police to increase patrols at Synagogues and other Jewish institutions following the horrific murder of two Israeli Embassy employees leaving a Jewish event outside of the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. While there are no known threats to New Yorkers, State Police has increased patrol visibility and are conducting regular checks of vulnerable sites, such as Jewish religious institutions and schools. New Yorkers can contact the State’s Hate and Bias Prevention Unit at 1-844-662-4283 or visit here to report any issues of harassment or violence.

    “Antisemitism is a threat to all of us, and this act of terrorism is a painful reminder that we must continue to fight it wherever it rears its ugly head,” Governor Hochul said. “Public safety is my top priority and I will continue fighting hate to ensure all New Yorkers can feel safe in their communities.”

    The New York State Intelligence Center remains in close contact with our federal, state and local partners, and will continue to monitor for any threats.

    Governor Hochul continues to combat the rise in hate crimes and secured $35 million in the FY26 Enacted Budget for Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) program. These grants provide funding to boost safety and security for certain organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs or mission.

    Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, the New York State Division of Human Rights established the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit (HBPU) in December 2022 to help communities combat prejudice and discrimination. The HBPU Response Team offers support to communities impacted by bias or hate and connects impacted individuals with referrals to relevant stakeholders including State Police when incidents rise to the level of a crime. The Response Team helps to create community healing and support, through conflict resolution meetings, restorative justice practices, public education and assisting those impacted by hate or bias in filing complaints and/or accessing resources with other relevant State agencies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev took part in the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues Mukhtar Babayev

    May 23, 2025

    Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Head of the Environment Protection Organization Sheena Ansari

    May 23, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the “Garden of Memory” campaign after the plenary session of the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the “Garden of Memory” campaign after the plenary session of the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the “Garden of Memory” campaign after the plenary session of the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the “Garden of Memory” campaign after the plenary session of the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    May 23, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Patrushev took part in the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress

    Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev took part in the events of the XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress. After the plenary session, together with the Chairperson of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and colleagues from foreign countries, Dmitry Patrushev planted a tree as part of the “Garden of Memory” campaign.

    “We pay great attention to forest restoration. In 2025, Russia plans to restore forests on an area of over 1.3 million hectares. This work is being carried out within the framework of a separate federal project of the national project “Ecological Well-being”. Volunteers – participants in environmental campaigns also contribute to it every year. Thus, the traditional environmental and patriotic campaign “Garden of Memory” is held throughout the country and abroad. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died during the Great Patriotic War. Such events, among other things, contribute to environmental education, preservation and transmission of historical memory of the exploits of our heroes to the younger generation. Over the five years of the campaign, millions of volunteers from 78 countries of the world have joined in planting memorial gardens, who, through joint efforts, have planted over 130 million memorial trees,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

    On the sidelines of the Nevsky International Ecological Congress, Dmitry Patrushev held two international meetings – with the Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, head of the Environmental Protection Organization Shina Ansari and the representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on climate issues Mukhtar Babayev. Russia works with both countries within the framework of the Tehran Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea.

    Russia and Iran are actively strengthening ties in the field of environmental conservation. There are two working groups: on water management and on ecology. The two countries also continue to work together to restore the population of the Persian leopard. In 2016, the first two individuals, transferred by the Iranian side, were released into the wild. Currently, 12 leopards live in the wild in the Russian part of the Caucasus. Dmitry Patrushev invited his Iranian colleagues to visit the Leopard Restoration Center in Sochi.

    At a meeting with the representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on climate issues Mukhtar Babayev, the main topic was the shallowing of the Caspian Sea. Last year, a Russian-Azerbaijani working group was formed on this issue. Russia and Azerbaijan agreed to develop a joint program to solve this problem. Dmitry Patrushev said that it is planned to approve it this year.

    The Deputy Prime Minister also drew attention to the need to form a common regulatory framework for interaction between Russia and Azerbaijan in the field of environmental protection.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW: Baldwin Releases Report on How Trump Cuts Are Hurting Veterans and Caregivers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released a new report on how President Donald Trump’s reckless cuts to staff and services are hurting our veterans.

    “When Americans serve and sacrifice for our freedom, it’s our duty to have their back when these brave men and women return home,” said Senator Baldwin. “As we spend this weekend remembering those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for us and honoring the families of the fallen, we also recommit ourselves to taking care of those in uniform, those who returned home, and the loved ones of our troops. I will work with anyone to do right by our veterans and survivors but this Administration is failing to keep their end of that sacred promise.”

    President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE are enacting deep cuts across the federal government that continue to cost veterans their jobs and jeopardize essential care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that veterans and their caregivers rely on every day. VA Secretary Doug Collins announced they plan to cut 83,000 jobs, slashing the essential workforce by over 17 percent at the federal agency. These cuts come on top of staffing shortages at the VA, including having 66,000 vacancies across the health system, and further outlined in a 2024 report that found that 137 of 139 VA health centers nationwide report a severe staffing shortage in at least one area, particularly nursing and psychology.

    NPR found that 11,273 VA employees nationwide have applied for deferred resignation, which the Trump administration is offering as part of its DOGE initiative to cut the VA’s workforce. The top positions across all networks that are requesting deferred resignation are nurses (about 1,300), medical support assistants (about 800), and social workers (about 300). In a recent poll by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, more than 4 out of 5 veterans said they are concerned that recent federal cuts could impact veteran benefits and health care.

    Veterans are also being hit hard by cuts across the federal agencies, where they make up 30 percent of the nearly 2.3 million civilian federal workforce. DOGE’s stated goal to eliminate 75 percent of the federal workforce could mean that up to 500,000 veterans could lose their jobs.

    Read the full report.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minutes – Thursday, 22 May 2025 – Brussels – Final edition

    Source: European Parliament

    PV-10-2025-05-22

    EN

    EN

    iPlPv_Sit

    Minutes
    Thursday, 22 May 2025 – Brussels

     Abbreviations and symbols

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

    IN THE CHAIR: Antonella SBERNA
    Vice-President

    1. Opening of the sitting

    The sitting opened at 09:00.



    2. Choose Europe for Science (debate)

    Council and Commission statements: Choose Europe for Science (2025/2713(RSP))

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

    The following spoke: Christian Ehler, on behalf of the PPE Group, Giorgio Gori, on behalf of the S&D Group, Catherine Griset, on behalf of the PfE Group, Piotr Müller, on behalf of the ECR Group, Valérie Hayer, on behalf of the Renew Group, Anna Strolenberg, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Ilaria Salis, on behalf of The Left Group, Marc Jongen, on behalf of the ESN Group, Letizia Moratti, Lina Gálvez, Annamária Vicsek, Marion Maréchal, Christophe Grudler, Vladimir Prebilič, Catarina Martins, Zsuzsanna Borvendég, Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă, Angelika Niebler, Sofie Eriksson, Jana Nagyová, Diego Solier, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Anthony Smith, Hélder Sousa Silva, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, Bruno Gonçalves, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, Kris Van Dijck, Jüri Ratas, Elena Sancho Murillo and Eszter Lakos.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Liudas Mažylis, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis and Sebastian Tynkkynen.

    IN THE CHAIR: Victor NEGRESCU
    Vice-President

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Helmut Brandstätter, João Oliveira and Lukas Sieper.

    The following spoke: Ekaterina Zaharieva.

    The debate closed.



    3. Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 (debate)

    Report on the deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 [2025/2027(INI)] – Committee on Petitions. Rapporteur: Gheorghe Falcă (A10-0063/2025)

    Peter Agius (deputising for the rapporteur) introduced the report.

    The following spoke: Glenn Micallef (Member of the Commission).

    The following spoke: Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, on behalf of the PPE Group, Sandra Gómez López, on behalf of the S&D Group, Pál Szekeres, on behalf of the PfE Group, Kosma Złotowski, on behalf of the ECR Group, Jana Toom, on behalf of the Renew Group, Ana Miranda Paz, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Marcin Sypniewski, on behalf of the ESN Group, Maria Walsh and Mireia Borrás Pabón.

    The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Elena Nevado del Campo, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Petras Gražulis, Maria Zacharia and Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos.

    The following spoke: Glenn Micallef and Peter Agius.

    The debate closed.

    Vote: 22 May 2025.

    (The sitting was suspended at 10:45.)



    IN THE CHAIR: Pina PICIERNO
    Vice-President

    4. Resumption of the sitting

    The sitting resumed at 11:01.

    ⁂

    The following spoke: Patryk Jaki.



    5. Voting time

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



    5.1. Amending Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 as regards additional assistance and further flexibility to outermost regions affected by severe natural disasters and in the context of cyclone Chido devastating Mayotte ***I (vote)

    Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 as regards additional assistance and further flexibility to outermost regions affected by severe natural disasters and in the context of cyclone Chido devastating Mayotte (COM(2025)0190 – C10-0071/2025 – 2025/0104(COD)) – Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

    REQUEST FOR AN URGENT DECISION by the AGRI Committee (Rule 170(6))

    Approved

    Vote: at a later part-session.

    Detailed voting results



    5.2. Amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism ***I (vote)

    Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism [COM(2025)0087 – C10-0035/2025 – 2025/0039(COD)] – Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Antonio Decaro (A10-0085/2025)

    The debate had taken place on 21 May 2025 (minutes of 21.5.2025, item 15).

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL and AMENDMENTS

    Approved (P10_TA(2025)0108)

    REQUEST FOR REFERRAL BACK TO COMMITTEE

    Approved

    The following had spoken:

    Antonio Decaro (rapporteur), after the vote on the Commission proposal, to request that the matter be referred back to the committee responsible, for interinstitutional negotiations in accordance with Rule 60(4).

    Detailed voting results



    5.3. Modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus ***I (vote)

    Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus [COM(2025)0034 – C10-0006/2025 – 2025/0021(COD)] – Committee on International Trade. Rapporteur: Inese Vaidere (A10-0087/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL and AMENDMENTS

    Approved (P10_TA(2025)0109)

    Parliament’s first reading thus closed.

    The following had spoken:

    – Before the vote, Inese Vaidere (rapporteur), to make a statement on the basis of Rule 165(4).

    – Before the vote, Glenn Micallef (Member of the Commission), to make a statement.

    Detailed voting results



    5.4. Granting equivalence to Moldova and Ukraine for field inspections and seed production ***I (vote)

    Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine [COM(2024)0052 – C9-0026/2024 – 2024/0027(COD)] – Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Veronika Vrecionová (A10-0043/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    PROPOSAL TO REJECT THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL

    Rejected

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL and AMENDMENTS

    Approved (P10_TA(2025)0110)

    Parliament’s first reading thus closed.

    Detailed voting results



    5.5. Amendments to the Capital Requirements Regulation as regards securities financing transactions under the net stable funding ratio ***I (vote)

    Amendments to Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions as regards requirements for securities financing transactions under the net stable funding ratio (COM(2025)0146 – C10-0059/2025 – 2025/0077(COD)) – Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    PROPOSAL TO REJECT THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL

    Rejected

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL and AMENDMENTS

    Approved (P10_TA(2025)0111)

    Parliament’s first reading thus closed.

    Detailed voting results



    5.6. Euratom Research and Training Programme for the period 2026-2027 complementing Horizon Europe * (vote)

    Report on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for the period 2026-2027 complementing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and repealing Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 [COM(2025)0060 – C10-0052/2025 – 2025/0035(NLE)] – Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Borys Budka (A10-0083/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    COMMISSION PROPOSAL TO THE COUNCIL

    Approved by single vote (P10_TA(2025)0112)

    Detailed voting results



    5.7. Partial renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors – HR nominee (vote)

    Report on the nomination of Ivana Maletić as a Member of the Court of Auditors [06874/2025 – C10-0049/2025 – 2025/0802(NLE)] – Committee on Budgetary Control. Rapporteur: Ondřej Knotek (A10-0088/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)
    (Secret ballot (Rule 133(3)))

    APPOINTMENT OF IVANA MALETIĆ

    Approved (P10_TA(2025)0113)

    The list of Members voting is annexed to these minutes (minutes of 22.5.2025 Annex 1).

    Detailed voting results



    5.8. Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 (vote)

    Report on the deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 [2025/2027(INI)] – Committee on Petitions. Rapporteur: Gheorghe Falcă (A10-0063/2025)

    (Majority of the votes cast)

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

    Adopted (P10_TA(2025)0114)

    The following had spoken:

    Fabienne Keller, to move an oral amendment to paragraph 35. Parliament had not agreed to put the oral amendment to the vote as more than 39 Members had opposed it.

    Detailed voting results

    8

    (The sitting was suspended for a few moments.)



    6. Resumption of the sitting

    The sitting resumed at 11:42.



    7. Explanations of vote



    7.1. Amending Regulation (EU) 2023/956 as regards simplifying and strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism (A10-0085/2025 – Antonio Decaro) (oral explanations of vote)

    Jadwiga Wiśniewska



    7.2. Written explanations of vote

    Explanations of vote submitted in writing under Rule 201 appear on the Members’ pages on Parliament’s website.



    8. Approval of the minutes of the part-session and forwarding of texts adopted

    In accordance with Rule 208(3), the minutes of that day’s sitting and those of the previous day’s sitting would be put to the House for approval at the start of the next sitting.

    With Parliament’s agreement, the texts adopted during the part-session would be forwarded to their respective addressees without delay.



    9. Dates of the next part-session

    The next part-session would be held from 16 June 2025 to 19 June 2025.



    10. Closure of the sitting

    The sitting closed at 11:46.



    11. Adjournment of the session

    The session of the European Parliament was adjourned.

    Alessandro Chiocchetti

    Roberta Metsola

    Secretary-General

    President



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



    I. Transfers of appropriations and budgetary decisions

    In accordance with Article 29 of the Financial Regulation, the Committee on Budgets had decided to approve transfer of appropriations INF1/2025 – Section VI – European Economic and Social Committee.

    In accordance with Article 29 of the Financial Regulation, the Committee on Budgets had decided to approve transfer of appropriations No 2/2025 – Section IX – European Data Protection Supervisor.

    In accordance with Article 31(6) of the Financial Regulation, the Committee on Budgets had decided to approve the Commission’s transfer of appropriations DEC 05/2025 – Section III – Commission.

    In accordance with Article 31(6) of the Financial Regulation, the Council of the European Union had decided to approve the Commission’s transfer of appropriations DEC 05/2025 – Section III – Commission.



    ATTENDANCE REGISTER

    Present:

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

    Excused:

    Berg Sibylle, Burkhardt Delara, Hazekamp Anja



    ANNEX 1 – Partial renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors – HR nominee

    MEMBERS VOTING IN THE SECRET BALLOT

    ECR:
    Bartulica, Bay Nicolas, Berlato, Bielan, Bocheński, Brudziński, Cavedagna, Ciccioli, Ciriani, Crosetto, Donazzan, Dworczyk, Erixon, Fidanza, Fiocchi, Gambino, Geadi, Gemma, Gosiewska, Inselvini, Jaki, Junco García, Kamiński, Kanko, Kartheiser, Kols, Krutílek, Magoni, Maląg, Mantovani, Maréchal, Mularczyk, Müller, Nesci, Ozdoba, Peltier, Picaro, Polato, Pozņaks, Razza, Ruissen, Rzońca, Sberna, Solier, Squarta, Storm, Sturdza, Szydło, Târziu, Teodorescu, Terheş,Timgren, Tomaszewski, Torselli, Trochu, Tynkkynen, Valchev, Van Dijck, Ventola, Veryga, Vivaldini, Vondra, Vrecionová, Wąsik, Weimers, Wiśniewska, Zalewska, Złotowski

    ESN:
    Anderson, Arndt, Aust, Borvendég, Boßdorf, Buchheit, David, Droese, Froelich, Gražulis, Jongen, Jungbluth, Knafo, Laykova, Mazurek, Neuhoff, Schnurrbusch, Sell, Stoyanov, Sypniewski, Tyszka, Uhrík, Volgin, Zajączkowska-Hernik

    NI:
    Beňová, Braun, De Masi, Dostál, Firmenich, Iovanovici Şoşoacă, Kabilov, Konečná, Laššáková, Lazarus, Nikolaou-Alavanos, Ondruš, Panayiotou, Papadakis, Pérez, Pürner, Roth Neveďalová, Sieper, Sorel, von der Schulenburg, Warnke, Yoncheva, Zacharia

    PPE:
    Abadía Jover, Adamowicz, Aftias, Agius, Arias Echeverría, Arimont, Arłukowicz, Beleris, Bellamy, Bentele, Berendsen, Berger, Bernhuber, Bogdan, Brejza, Buda Daniel, Budka, Bugalho, Buła, Carberry, Casa, Caspary, Chinnici, Crespo Díaz, Cunha, Dahl, Dávid, de la Hoz Quintano, De Meo, Doherty, Doleschal, Do Nascimento Cabral, Dorfmann, Düpont, Ehler, Estaràs Ferragut, Ezcurra Almansa, Falcă, Falcone, Farský, Ferber, Gahler, Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Gerzsenyi, Geuking, Gieseke, Giménez Larraz, Gomart, González Pons, Gotink, Grims, Hadjipantela, Halicki, Hansen, Hava, Herbst, Herranz García, Hetman, Hohlmeier, Humberto, Imart, Jarubas, Joński, Juknevičienė, Kalniete, Kanev, Kefalogiannis, Kelly, Kircher, Köhler, Kohut, Kokalari, Kolář, Kopacz, Kovatchev, Kulja, Lakos, Lazarov, Lenaers, Liese, Lins, Lopatka, López-Istúriz White, Łukacijewska, McAllister, Mandl, Marczułajtis-Walczak, Mato, Maydell, Mažylis, Mertens, Millán Mon, Morano, Moratti, Motreanu, Mureşan, Navarrete Rojas, Nerudová, Nevado del Campo, Niebler, Niedermayer, Novakov, Nykiel, Pascual de la Parte, Pedro, Pereira, Pietikäinen, Polfjärd, Princi, Protas, Radev, Radtke, Ratas, Ressler, Ripa, Salini, Saudargas, Schneider, Schwab, Seekatz, Sienkiewicz, Smit, Sokol, Solís Pérez, Sommen, Sousa Silva, Stier, Szczerba, Ter Laak, Terras, Tobé, Tomašič, Tomc, Tonin, Toveri, Tsiodras, Vaidere, Vălean, Van Leeuwen, Vincze, Voss, Vázquez Lázara, Walsh, Walsmann, Warborn, Wawrykiewicz, Wcisło, Weber, Winkler, Winzig, Wiseler-Lima, Zdechovský, Zdrojewski, Zoido Álvarez, Zver

    PfE:
    Androuët, Annemans, Bardella, Bartůšek, Bay Christophe, Blom, Bonte, Borchia, Borrás Pabón, Brasier-Clain, Bryłka, Buczek, Ceccardi, Dauchy, Deloge, Diepeveen, Dieringer, Disdier, Dömötör, Dostalova, Ferenc, Frigout, Furet, Gál, Girauta Vidal, Griset, Győri, Gyürk, Haider, Hauser, Jamet, Joron, Knotek, Kovařík, Krištopans, Kubín, László, Leonardelli, Mariani, Martín Frías, Mayer, Moreira de Sá, Nagyová, Nikolic, Olivier, Patriciello, Pennelle, Piera, Pimpie, de la Pisa Carrión, Rechagneux, Rougé, Sanchez, Sardone, Schaller-Baross, Steger, Szekeres, Tânger Corrêa, Tertsch, Thionnet, Tolassy, Tovaglieri, Valet, Vandendriessche, Vannacci, Varaut, Vicsek, Vilimsky, Vistisen, Werbrouck, Zijlstra

    Renew:
    Agirregoitia Martínez, Allione, Al-Sahlani, Andrews, Auštrevičius, Azmani, Bosse, Boyer, Brandstätter, Canfin, Cassart, Chastel, Christensen, Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Cotrim De Figueiredo, Cowen, Devaux, Farreng, García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Gerbrandy, Glück, Goerens, Gozi, Groothuis, Grudler, Guetta, Hahn, Hayer, Henriksson, Hojsík, Ijabs, Joveva, Karlsbro, Karvašová, Katainen, Kelleher, Keller, Kulmuni, Kyuchyuk, Løkkegaard, McNamara, Minchev, Ní Mhurchú, Ódor, Oetjen, Paet, Šarec, Singer, Streit, Stürgkh, Toom, Van Brug, van den Berg, Vasconcelos, Vautmans, Vedrenne, Verougstraete, Wiesner, Wiezik, Wilmès, Yar, Yon-Courtin, Žalimas

    S&D:
    Agius Saliba, Andriukaitis, Angel, Assis, Bajada, Ballarín Cereza, Barley, Benea, Benifei, Biedroń, Bischoff, Blinkevičiūtė, Bonaccini, Bullmann, Ceulemans, Chahim, Corrado, Costanzo, Cremer, Cristea, Danielsson, Decaro, Dibrani, Di Rupo, Dobrev, Ecke, Eriksson, Fernández, Fritzon, Fuglsang, Gálvez, García Pérez, Geier, Germain, Glucksmann, Gomes, Gómez López, Gonçalves Bruno, Gonçalves Sérgio, González Casares, Gori, Grossmann, Gualmini, Heide, Heinäluoma, Homs Ginel, Incir, Jalloul Muro, Jerković, Kalfon, Kaljurand, Lalucq, Laureti, López, López Aguilar, Luena, Lupo, Maestre, Maij, Manda, Maniatis, Maran, Mebarek, Mendes, Mendia, Mikser, Molnár, Moreno Sánchez, Moretti, Muşoiu, Negrescu, Noichl, Pajín, Papandreou, Pellerin-Carlin, Penkova, Picula, Rafowicz, Regner, Repasi, Repp, Reuten, Ridel, Rodrigues, Ros Sempere, Sánchez Amor, Sancho Murillo, Sargiacomo, Schaldemose, Scheuring-Wielgus, Schieder, Serrano Sierra, Sidl, Sippel, Śmiszek, Strada, Tarquinio, Tavares, Temido, Tinagli, Tobback, Tudose, Ušakovs, Van Brempt, Vigenin, Zan

    The Left:
    Andersson, Antoci, Arvanitis, Aubry, Barrena Arza, Botenga, Boylan, Carême, Chaibi, Clausen, Della Valle, Demirel, Everding, Farantouris, Flanagan, Fourreau, Galán, Gedin, Hassan, Kennes, Lucano, Martins, Mesure, Montero, Morace, Oliveira, Omarjee, Palmisano, Pedulla’, Rackete, Saeidi, Salis, Schirdewan, Sjöstedt, Smith, Tamburrano, Tridico

    Verts/ALE:
    Andresen, Asens Llodrà, Bloss, Camara, Cavazzini, Cormand, Eickhout, Freund, Geese, Gregorová, Häusling, Holmgren, Kuhnke, Lagodinsky, Langensiepen, Lövin, Marino, Marquardt, Marzà Ibáñez, Matthieu, Metz, Miranda Paz, Neumann, Niinistö, Nordqvist, Orlando, Paulus, Peter-Hansen, Prebilič, Riba i Giner, Riehl, Satouri, Sbai, Schilling, Scuderi, Sinkevičius, Søvndal, Strik, Strolenberg, Tegethoff, Toussaint, Van Sparrentak, Vieira, Waitz

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – FISC mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai – Subcommittee on Tax Matters

    Source: European Parliament

    Members of the FISC Subcommittee will travel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, from 26 to 28 May 2025 in order to discuss developments in the area of international taxation and the fight against tax avoidance and evasion. The mission, led by FISC Chair Mr Pasquale Tridico, will meet with Mr Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs; Mr Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council; and Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuami, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the FNC.

    The delegation will also meet with other Members of the Federal National Council, the UAE’s Parliament. Further meetings are scheduled with Mr Hamed Al Zaabi, Secretary General of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Office; Mr Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the Federal Tax Authority; and Mr Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, along with other key stakeholders.

    Discussions will notably focus on the implementation of the OECD/G20 international tax reform and the United Arab Emirates’ efforts to combat tax evasion and avoidance and enhance transparency for taxation purposes. The country’s attractiveness for multinational enterprises (MNEs) and high-net-worth individuals will also be addressed, as well as the UAE’s readiness to enhance standards on good tax governance and to comply with anti-money laundering standards.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Missions – FISC mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai – 26-05-2025 – Subcommittee on Tax Matters

    Source: European Parliament

    Members of the FISC Subcommittee will travel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, from 26 to 28 May 2025 in order to discuss developments in the area of international taxation and the fight against tax avoidance and evasion. The mission, led by FISC Chair Mr Pasquale Tridico, will meet with Mr Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs; Mr Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council; and Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuami, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the FNC.

    The delegation will also meet with other Members of the Federal National Council, the UAE’s Parliament. Further meetings are scheduled with Mr Hamed Al Zaabi, Secretary General of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Office; Mr Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the Federal Tax Authority; and Mr Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, along with other key stakeholders.

    Discussions will notably focus on the implementation of the OECD/G20 international tax reform and the United Arab Emirates’ efforts to combat tax evasion and avoidance and enhance transparency for taxation purposes. The country’s attractiveness for multinational enterprises (MNEs) and high-net-worth individuals will also be addressed, as well as the UAE’s readiness to enhance standards on good tax governance and to comply with anti-money laundering standards.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: D.C. Attack, Gaza & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (22 May 2025) | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

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

    Highlights:
    D.C. Statement
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Lebanon/Israel
    Chagos Islands
    Sudan
    CERF
    Security Council
    Senior Personnel Appointment
    Biological Diversity
    Financial Contribution

    D.C. statement
    The Secretary-General strongly condemns the appalling killing on Wednesday night of two Israeli Embassy officials in Washington, D.C. Nothing can justify such a horrific act.
    The Secretary-General reiterates his consistent condemnation of attacks against diplomatic officials.
    The Secretary-General calls for the perpetrator to be brought to justice and extends his sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims and to the Government of Israel.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that yesterday, about 90 loaded trucks left Kerem Shalom to multiple destinations inside Gaza. They carried nutrition supplies, flour, medicines and other critical stocks that were allowed in.
    Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher commended humanitarians for their courage, noting they continue to face huge challenges getting goods out of the crossing to where they are needed.
    This shipment is limited in quantity and nowhere near sufficient to meet the scale and scope of the needs of Gaza’s 2.1 million people. OCHA tells us that other supplies as basic as fresh food, hygiene items, water purification agents, and fuel to power hospitals have not been let in for over 80 days.
    What the UN is currently allowed to bring in includes nutrition products, some food ingredients, and medical supplies.
    Of yesterday’s supplies, over 500 pallets with nutrition supplies were safely offloaded in UNICEF’s warehouse in Deir al Balah. This is nearly 20 truckloads. They include ready-to-use therapeutic food and lipid-based nutritional supplements. These life-saving supplies are now being unpacked and repackaged so that smaller loads can reach people in need via dozens of distribution points.
    A handful of bakeries in south and central Gaza, supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), have resumed bread production. These bakeries are now operational distributing bread via hot meal kitchens. However, after nearly 80 days of a total blockade of humanitarian assistance, families still face a high risk of famine, and far more aid is needed across all of Gaza.
    The shipments of flour we received recently – over 50 truckloads – have helped bakeries in Deir al Balah resume operations.
    As a reminder, the latest analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification concluded that people across Gaza are at risk of famine, with nearly half a million people teetering on the edge of starvation. OCHA underscores that it is critical for Israeli authorities to facilitate the movement of humanitarian convoys, including from southern Gaza to the north, so that all supplies can reach people in need wherever they are across the Gaza Strip.
    Also, just a note on access to and from Kerem Shalom: Reaching the crossing on the Palestinian side requires humanitarians to travel through an Israeli-militarized area.
    This means that our teams need to wait, often for hours, for military activities to pause – for their safety – and for a green light to be given by the Israeli authorities to proceed. We also need to ensure the use of secure routes from Kerem Shalom onward into Gaza, as we did last night and hope to do again today.
    Meanwhile, military operations continue across the Gaza Strip, with reports of strikes, shelling and fresh ground incursions. In recent days, our colleagues on the ground report that attacks have struck tents and buildings where people are sheltering, causing scores of casualties.
    Today, Al Awda hospital of North Gaza caught fire, reportedly after being attacked. Through coordination with Israeli authorities, OCHA facilitated the access of the Palestinian Civil Defense to the area, where they spent hours working to extinguish the fire. According to initial reports, the medicine warehouse was heavily damaged.
    Meanwhile, water wells in some areas of Gaza are shutting down as they remain out of reach or lack fuel. OCHA reports that Israeli authorities continue to deny attempts to retrieve fuel from areas where coordination is required. 

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=22%20May%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WNVf-svLhw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Supports Artemis Accords Signatories Advancing Exploration

    Source: NASA

    The United States participated in an international Artemis Accords workshop May 21-22 to advance the safe and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was represented by the UAE Space Agency, the workshop took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
    The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding principles signed by nations for a peaceful and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy. In October 2020, under the first Trump administration, the accords were created, and since then, 54 countries have joined with the United States in committing to transparent and responsible behavior in space.
    “Following President Trump’s visit to the Middle East, the United States built upon the successful trip through engagement with a global coalition of nations to further implement the accords – practical guidelines for ensuring transparency, peaceful cooperation, and shared prosperity in space exploration,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. “These accords represent a vital step toward uniting the world in the pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery beyond Earth. NASA is proud to lead in the overall accords effort, advancing the principles as we push the boundaries of human presence in space – for the benefit of all.”
    Participants from 30 countries joined the discussions and a tabletop exercise centered on defining challenges for operating in a complex environment.
    As the Artemis Accords workshop concluded Thursday, participants reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the principles outlined in the accords and to continue identifying best practices and guidelines for safe and sustainable exploration. The first workshop was hosted by Poland in 2023, followed by Canada in 2024.
    Artemis Accords signatories have committed to sharing information about their activities to the United Nations of Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and other appropriate channels. Transparency and communication are key to peaceful exploration.
    The Artemis Accords signatories will gather for face-to-face discussions on the margins of the International Astronautical Congress in late September, where workshop recommendations and outcomes will be presented to the Artemis Accords principals. NASA anticipates additional countries will sign in the coming weeks and months.
    The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements, including the Registration Convention and the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices for responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. 
    Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sex Offender Convicted on New Child Pornography Charge

    Source: US FBI

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jordan E. Brodie, 37, of LeRoy, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography following a previous conviction for possession of child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in May 2023, Brodie, a convicted sex offender under the active supervision of the Genesee County Probation Department, became involved in a chat application in which he and others traded child pornography. Brodie uploaded at least one of the images to a different platform, which then reported the image to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  An investigation by the New York State Police determined that the upload took place from Brodie’s home in LeRoy. A search warrant was executed at Brodie’s residence during which investigators seized his phone, and the contents of the social media account that uploaded the image. Images of child pornography depicting children less than 12 years old were recovered from both the phone and the social media account.  Some of images included violence against children. Brodie was previously convicted of a child pornography charge in May 2021 in Genesee County, for which he was being actively supervised at the time of the current offense. 

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei II, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

    Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cleveland Area Brothers Indicted for Fraud and Money Laundering Schemes

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a twenty-two count indictment charging two Cleveland area brothers with multiple fraud and money laundering schemes.

    Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 41, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, and his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 30, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, four counts of money laundering, and one count of theft of government funds. Zubair Al Zubair also faces one count of harboring a fugitive.

    The indictment charges that from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers engaged in multiple schemes, including an investment fraud scheme, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan scheme, a cryptocurrency mining scheme, a commercial real estate lease scheme, and a residential real estate lease scheme. According to the facts alleged in the indictment, the Al Zubair brothers obtained funds and property from victims under false pretenses and spent the proceeds on luxury items, such as cars, travel, entertainment, firearms, and jewelry. They allegedly falsely claimed to have extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair also allegedly falsely claimed to be married to a princess and to be a member of a royal family in the United Arab Emirates. The defendants also allegedly made false claims about potential investments returns, about property they owned or controlled, and about their intentions, among other falsehoods alleged in the indictment. Through these false claims, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly obtained millions of dollars from their victims. In addition to the fraud and money laundering charges, Zubair Al Zubair is also charged with providing a place to stay and transportation to a fugitive wanted on federal criminal charges.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Russia’s invasion united different parts of Ukraine against a common enemy – 3 years on, that unanimity still holds

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ben Horne, Assistant Professor in the School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee

    Russian aggression has united Ukrainians around the flag. Omer Messinger/Getty Images

    When Russia invaded Ukraine in the spring of 2022, President Vladimir Putin incorrectly assumed it would be a swift takeover.

    In fact, three years on, negotiators from both countries are tentatively exploring the idea of a negotiated way out of a largely stalemated conflict.

    So what did the Kremlin’s initial assessment get wrong? Aside from underestimating the vulnerabilities of Russia’s military, analysts have suggested that Moscow also miscalculated the support Russia would receive from Ukrainians in the country’s east who have close ethnic ties to Russia.

    Our recently published study on Ukrainian sentiment toward Russia before and after the invasion backs up that assertion. It demonstrates that even those Ukrainians who had close ties to Russia based on ethnicity, language, religion or location dramatically changed allegiances immediately following the invasion. For example, just prior to the invasion of 2022, native Russian speakers in Ukraine’s east tended to blame the West for tensions with Russia. But immediately after the invasion, they blamed Moscow in roughly the same numbers as non-Russian-speaking Ukrainians.

    Moreover, this shift was not just a short-lived reaction. Three years after the invasion, we followed up on our survey and found that Ukrainians still blame Russia for tensions to a degree that was never so unanimous before 2022.

    A natural experiment

    Our study is part of a larger project exploring how effective Russian propaganda has been at influencing Russian-speaking adults in certain former Soviet states. Our inaugural survey was launched in the fall of 2020, while the question regarding tensions between Ukraine and Russia was first posed in February 2022, immediately prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Surveys were completed by over 1,000 Russian-speaking people in Ukraine − excluding Crimea and the breakaway Donbas region for security reasons − and in Belarus. While the spring surveys in Ukraine were conducted in person, the others were done by telephone due to the political situation in each country.

    Belarus was chosen because it shares a similar historical, linguistic and ethnic background to Ukraine, but the two nations have diverged in their geopolitical paths. Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus, like Ukraine, forged ahead in attempting to build democratic systems. But after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko came to power in 1994, the country become an authoritarian state with a high dependence on Russia for political and economic support.

    In broad terms, Ukraine has had an opposite trajectory. Relations between Ukraine and Russia fluctuated over the initial years of independence. But since the Maidan revolution of November 2013 to February 2014, a staunch pro-Western leadership has emerged.

    Still, certain segments of the population in Ukraine continued to hold affinities toward Russia – most notably, the Russian-speaking older generation in the country’s east.

    Our surveys provide a kind of natural experiment looking at the impact of a Russian invasion on previous pro-Russian public sentiment.

    Ukraine serves as the “treatment” group and Belarus as a “quasi-control” group, with the distinguishing factor being a Russian invasion. The questions we asked: “Who do you think is responsible for the worsening tensions between Russia and Ukraine?” and “In general, how do Russian policies affect your country?”

    Ukrainian, American and Russian delegates meet for peace talks on May 16, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey.
    Arda Kucukkaya/Turkish Foreign Ministry via Getty Images

    Converging blame

    We found that in Ukraine, but not in Belarus, geopolitical views were sharply unified by the experience of the invasion. On one level, this is not surprising – after all, the people of a country being invaded would be expected to hold some degree of resentment to the invading army.

    But what we found most interesting is that this effect in Ukraine massively overrode the split among various identities before the invasion. This was most prominent in people’s perceptions of who was to blame for rising tensions.

    Prior to the invasion, 69.7% of respondents in Ukraine overall blamed Russia for the tensions between the two countries, with 30.3% blaming NATO, Ukraine or the U.S. By August 2022, 97.3% of respondents in Ukraine blamed Russia for the tensions, with only 2.7% blaming NATO, Ukraine or the U.S.

    By comparison, in the neighboring country of Belarus, 15.5% of respondents blamed Russia for the tensions prior to the invasion, and only 21.9% of respondents blamed Russia for the tensions after the invasion.

    This near unanimity in Ukraine masks the massive shifts you see when broken down for demographic differences. For example, blame varied widely across regions of Ukraine before the invasion but converged after the invasion. Prior to the invasion, only 36.0% of respondents in the east of Ukraine and 51.4% of respondents in the south of Ukraine blamed Russia for the tensions. After the invasion, over 96% of respondents in both regions blamed Russia.

    A similar effect can be seen across other demographic differences. Only 30.6% of Catholics in Ukraine blamed Russia for the tensions prior to the invasion, while 83.0% blamed Russia later on.

    What were once stratified opinions before the invasion became uniform afterward.

    To check that this trend was not just an immediate post-invasion blip, we conducted the surveys again in September 2024 and February 2025. The overall proportion of Ukrainians who blamed Russia for the tensions remained high, with 85.7% and 84.5%, respectively. And again, these results held across the various demographic breakdowns.

    In February 2025, the most recent survey, 77.2% of respondents in the east of Ukraine and 83.0% of respondents in the south blamed Russia. Catholics across Ukraine continued to blame Russia, with 90.7% in September 2024 and 90.6% in February 2025. Overall, there has been a small drop in the percentages of those blaming Russia – with war fatigue a possible reason.

    Consequences for peace

    Our findings suggest that in times of collective threat, divisions within a society tend to fade as people come together to face a common enemy.

    And that could have huge consequences now, as various parties, including the U.S., look at peace proposals to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Among the options being explored is a scenario in which the current front lines are frozen.

    This would entail recognizing the Russian-occupied territory of Crimea and the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as part of Russia. But it would also effectively relinquish Ukraine’s southeastern provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to Russia.

    While our surveys cannot speak to how this will go down among the people of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, the study did include Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. And our findings show that the sense of Ukrainian identity strengthened even among Russian-speaking people in those areas.

    Ben Horne has received funding from the Office of Naval Research through the Minerva Research Initiative (Grant: N000142012618).

    Catherine Luther has received funding from the Office of Naval Research through the Minerva Research Initiative (Grant: N000142012618).

    R. Alexander Bentley has received funding from the Office of Naval Research through the Minerva Research Initiative (Grant: N000142012618)

    – ref. Russia’s invasion united different parts of Ukraine against a common enemy – 3 years on, that unanimity still holds – https://theconversation.com/russias-invasion-united-different-parts-of-ukraine-against-a-common-enemy-3-years-on-that-unanimity-still-holds-255092

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israelis have a skewed view on extent of Gaza’s hunger plight − driven by censorship and media that downplay humanitarian crisis

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jori Breslawski, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Tel Aviv University

    Aid has only trickled into Gaza despite the Israeli government saying it would ease its blockade. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Under mounting international pressure, Israel announced on May 19, 2025, that it would lift its monthslong humanitarian blockade on Gaza.

    The aid, which the Israeli government said would include a “basic amount” of food to stave off starvation, comes as more than 90% of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are experiencing acute food insecurity.

    Despite the staggering number of people at risk of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza, however, two-thirds of Israelis are opposed to allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. That’s true even when that aid is delivered by international organizations not linked to either Hamas or UNRWA, the U.N.’s aid agency for Palestinian refugees that the Israeli government has banned and refuses to work with.

    What drives Israeli opposition to aid?

    As researchers with a keen interest in conflict resolution and humanitarian aid, we wondered whether a key factor driving Israeli attitudes may be misperceptions about the scale of humanitarian need.

    To find out to what extent misperceptions shape opposition to humanitarian aid, we surveyed close to 3,000 Jewish Israelis between Jan. 21 and March 19, 2025, across all age groups, regions, income levels and sex in an online survey.

    We found that many respondents believed that fewer than 10% of Gazans were going hungry − revealing a stark disconnect between public perception and the situation reported by international humanitarian organizations. Indeed, when asked to explain their opposition to humanitarian aid, one of those we surveyed responded, “They don’t have a shortage of food, it’s just presented that way.” Another replied, “The vast majority of Gaza residents have enough food, there are restaurants and shopping malls operating in Gaza.”

    Does credible information change attitudes?

    Our survey pointed to the role that media bias and censorship may be playing in distorting Israelis’ understanding of suffering in Gaza.

    Media bias is a common phenomenon during war. But since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which 1,182 Israelis were killed by Hamas fighters, media bias over the war in Gaza has been institutionalized in Israel. Citing national security reasons, the Israel Defense Forces has ramped up censorship.

    A recent analysis suggests that more than 35% of articles from Israeli media have been partially redacted and almost 10% completely censored in 2025.

    While Israelis are free to consume international news, many do not due to language barriers and perceived bias against Israel.

    As a result, what Israeli citizens read, hear and see in national media increasingly reflects the interests of the government.

    Furthermore, online platforms such as Facebook and X are designed to promote posts that reinforce users’ preexisting beliefs, resulting in an echo chamber rather than exposing people to diverse viewpoints.

    Exposure to dire humanitarian situation

    But what happens when people expressing skepticism over the level of suffering in Gaza are presented with credible information?

    To test this, we asked a randomly chosen subset of participants to read parts of news articles published by Ynet — Israel’s most popular online news source — about the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. These included reports that managed to escape the censor of children whose weight had dropped by half and families surviving on grass and garbage.

    We then compared whether those who had read these news reports demonstrated higher levels of support for aid delivery than those who did not. The results showed that exposure to the news reports portraying the humanitarian situation in Gaza led to increased support for humanitarian aid − but only by a modest 5 percentage points increase.

    This limited shift underscores how deeply held many Israeli views on the war in Gaza are and how resistant to change attitudes are, even when it comes to basic humanitarian assistance. Understandably, part of this relates to the continued collective shock and anger provoked by the brutal Hamas attack in 2023. In addition to the killings, more than 250 hostages were taken, with dozens still be being held.

    Fitting with a broader pattern of Gazans being seen as undeserving of sympathy, our survey found that more than a third of Israelis believe that more than 90% of Palestinians in Gaza support Hamas.

    A common refrain we heard is that “there are no uninvolved” in Gaza. Many respondents explicitly justified their opposition to humanitarian aid with statements including, “Everyone in Gaza is involved in what happened on October 7,” or “They don’t deserve to be taken care of after they were happy about what they did to us.”

    However, this view starkly contradicts evidence of significant opposition to Hamas within Gaza.

    According to the latest poll from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey, taken in early May 2025, only 37% of Palestinians in Gaza thought the Oct. 7 attack was “correct.” Moreover, half of all Gaza respondents said they supported recent demonstrations calling for Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza.

    Given this reality, Israelis’ attribution of collective responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack creates a troubling moral calculus that rationalizes civilian suffering. Again, it points to the role that misperceptions play in the ongoing conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis.

    Another likely reason for the limited impact of being given accurate reporting of the humanitarian crisis is that it represents just a drop in the bucket compared with the broader information environment most Israelis are exposed to.

    A single news story, no matter how compelling, is unlikely to outweigh the cumulative effect of months of emotionally charged and partially censored media coverage, political messaging and social media discourse that emphasizes threat and distrust.

    In such an environment, deeply entrenched narratives are difficult to shift.

    In this regard, the fact that reading even a single brief news story had any effect is encouraging. It suggests that a more accurate and sustained information environment − one that conveys the true extent of humanitarian suffering and the complexity of public sentiment in Gaza − could have a much greater impact on Israeli public opinion.

    Jori Breslawski receives funding from The Hartoch Institute of Government, The Colton Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, and the Global Religion Research Initiative.

    Carlo Koos receives funding from the European Research Council (www.wareffects.eu)

    – ref. Israelis have a skewed view on extent of Gaza’s hunger plight − driven by censorship and media that downplay humanitarian crisis – https://theconversation.com/israelis-have-a-skewed-view-on-extent-of-gazas-hunger-plight-driven-by-censorship-and-media-that-downplay-humanitarian-crisis-257201

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Additional Defendant Pleads Guilty in $50 Million Ponzi Scheme Involving Off-the-Road Tires

    Source: US FBI

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Jersey man who is alleged to have fled to Turkey has returned to the United States and pleaded guilty to his role in a nationwide, off-the-road tire sale fraud scheme that resulted in tens of millions of dollars of losses.

    Ahmet Neidik, 64, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire fraud.

    Neidik was the co-owner of, and ran the daily operations for, transportation, logistics and importing/exporting businesses. Some of the proceeds of the scheme were sent to businesses controlled by Neidik. Neidik would then wire money to the bank accounts of co-conspirators.

    It is alleged that John K. Eckerd, Jr., 58, of Dallas, is the leader of the multi-state conspiracy.

    Conspiring with previously convicted and sentenced defendant Jason E. Adkins, 46, of Jackson, Ohio, Eckerd and others orchestrated a $50 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 50 investors.

    According to Eckerd’s indictment, from 2012 until at least in or around late 2018, Eckerd represented himself to potential investors as an entrepreneur and businessman with expertise in the market for off-the-road tires. Off-the-road tires are over-sized tires that are used on earth moving equipment and/or mining equipment. Eckerd had control of or access to many corporations allegedly used as part of the scheme.

    Co-conspirators allegedly solicited millions of dollars from investor-victims under false pretenses. Investors were told their money would be used to buy off-the-road tires at a steep discount, and that the tires would then be re-sold to a buyer at a much higher rate. Investors were promised a high percent rate of return on investment, generally within 180 days.

    It is alleged defendants rarely bought or sold tires, and when they did, they used the same tires as the basis for multiple deals, promising multiple investors that they each owned the same tires.

    Defendants corresponded with the potential investors face-to-face, as well as through a combination of phone calls, text messages, and, on occasion, emails. It is alleged they used private planes to showcase their inventory and appear wealthy and successful. Defendants also allegedly provided investors with elaborate, fraudulent paperwork regarding the purported deals. The co-conspirators requested large investments and loans, most to be funded through wire transfers.

    With his guilty plea, Neidik admitted to participating in the scheme. To give potential investors confidence in the tire deals, Eckerd and Adkins offered the services of a purportedly neutral third party to arrange shipment of the tires and/or hold investment funds in escrow until certain conditions were met in completing the deal. Neidik allowed Eckerd and Adkins to represent to investors that he was the neutral third party, and on some occasions, entered into escrow agreements with the investors.

    As part of his plea, Neidik has agreed to pay $370,000 in restitution for his part of the scheme.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall, Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WFP Statement

    Source: World Food Programme

    GAZA, Palestine – 15 World Food Programme trucks were looted late last night in Southern Gaza, while en route to WFP-supported bakeries. These trucks were transporting critical food supplies for hungry populations waiting anxiously for assistance.

    Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming, is contributing to rising insecurity. We need support from the Israeli authorities to get far greater volumes of food assistance into Gaza faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes, as was done during the ceasefire.

    WFP cannot safely operate under a distribution system that limits the number of bakeries and sites where Gaza’s population can access food. 

    WFP and its partners must also be allowed to distribute wheat flour and food parcels directly to families  directly to families – the most effective way to prevent widespread starvation.

    As WFP has said previously, two million people are facing extreme hunger and famine without immediate action.

    #                    #                       #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus: Joint Statement to the OSCE, May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus: Joint Statement to the OSCE, May 2025

    UK and 37 other countries call for immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners in Belarus.

    I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States, who are members of the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and my own country Poland. 

    The following participating States are also joining this statement: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, North Macedonia, San Marino and Switzerland.  

    Since the death of political prisoner and activist Vitold Ashurak in prison on 21 May 2021, we mark the International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus annually.  

    Since May 2021, at least seven more political prisoners have died in the regime’s captivity: Mikalai Klimovich, Ales Pushkin, Vadzim Khrasko, Ihar Lednik, Aliaksandr Kulinich, Dmitry Schletgauer and Valiantsin Shtermer. They were unjustly persecuted for their political opinions, and failed to receive adequate medical attention and care. 

    In June last year, a group of 38 participating states invoked the Vienna Human Dimension mechanism and questioned many individual cases related to prisoners’ dignity, access to medication and medical care, to legal counsel of their own choosing, to effective remedies and a fair legal trial, as well as contacts with their families. The Belarus authorities did not bring any meaningful response to these questions nor has Belarus made progress on the recommendations of either the 2020 or 2023 Moscow Mechanism reports. 

    Some of those prisoners have since then been released, after completion of their sentences or through pardons, however the arbitrary detention of citizens for exercising their human rights persists. As of May 15, 2025, VIASNA estimates that there were 1189 political prisoners in Belarus. Many of them have serious health issues, disabilities, are over the age of 60, and are suffering from mental disorders. Many of them are subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including deprivation of necessary medical assistance. The UN Committee against Torture reported that torture in these prisons is systemic, habitual, widespread and deliberate with a pattern of impunity for perpetrators. 

    This is the day to remember them all. A day to reiterate our call for the Belarusian authorities:  

    • to stop repressing individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, to freedom of association and to peaceful assembly;  

    • to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, and to ensure their rehabilitation.  

    This is also the day to express our solidarity with relatives and friends of political prisoners, who are subject to political and administrative repression in Belarus and in exile, as part of a wider brutal crackdown on opposition figures, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, journalists and other media actors, and other citizens who dare voice any opposition or dissent.  

    In the face of this disregard of OSCE principles and commitments by the Belarusian authorities, we will continue to support the Belarusian people’s aspiration for a free, democratic and independent Belarus.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Hola Prime Plans to Enter Futures Trading to Solve One of Finance’s Most Persistent Problems: Complexity

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, NY, May 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hola Prime, a leading proprietary trading firm, has announced its expansion into futures trading with a clear and ambitious goal: to simplify one of the most complicated and inaccessible segments of the financial markets.

    While interest in futures trading is steadily rising among both retail and professional traders, the industry remains riddled with barriers that discourage newcomers and frustrate even experienced participants. Complexities like sophisticated trading platforms, use of leverage, complex margin requirements, and confusing expiry structures, the current futures market has long been a space reserved for the few.

    “The futures market has long been defined by its complexity, and that complexity has often acted as a barrier to broader participation,” said Somesh Kapuria, CEO and Founder of Hola Prime. “At Hola Prime, we believe access to powerful financial instruments shouldn’t be limited by jargon or structural opacity. Our mission is to strip away unnecessary layers, provide clarity through education, simplify this industry, and offer a trading experience that is both sophisticated and accessible. Futures trading should be seen as an opportunity, not a test of endurance.”

    Despite the strategic leverage and diversification that futures trading offers, the industry remains difficult. The language is opaque – terms like “contango”, “convergence” and “backwardation” leave beginners alienated. Expiry dates and rollovers require precise management, while trading demands advanced tools and precise decisions.

    Most firms don’t offer much guidance or onboarding. They expect traders to already know how everything works. This makes it hard for new traders to get started, and when combined with the stress of fast-moving markets, it often leads to burnout or losses.

    Hola Prime plans to completely reimagine the trading experience by putting education at the core. The vision includes creating simple, easy-to-understand resources, such as visual guides, relatable analogies, and clear comparisons with forex, to help simplify complex trading concepts. To ensure traders receive personalized support, Hola Prime aims to launch one-on-one coaching sessions covering everything from technical strategies to emotional resilience.

    With all of these steps, Hola Prime Academy is set to have a rapid and high-scale expansion.

    Furthermore, Hola Prime TV is set to become a dedicated platform for live market insights, live trading sessions, expert interviews, and step-by-step strategy breakdowns, helping traders stay informed. Additionally, Hola Prime plans to offer global accessibility, industry-first 1-hour payouts, and a transparent trading environment, breaking down the traditional entry barriers often associated with futures prop trading.

    Besides this, Hola Prime has removed the unnecessary complexity and created clear, straightforward rules for successful trading. Their straightforward rulebook simplifies futures trading, making it easy to understand and apply.

    “There’s a fundamental design flaw in how this industry has been built – too much noise, too little clarity,” said Sumedha Sharma, CFO of Hola Prime. “We’re reengineering the trader’s journey to be simple, supportive, and scalable. Futures shouldn’t be a specialist’s game – they should be open to anyone willing to learn.”

    By rethinking how futures trading is taught, executed, and experienced, Hola Prime is positioning itself not just as a futures prop trading firm but as a problem-solver in an industry overdue for change. In doing so, it’s not simply launching a product. It’s setting a new standard for what trader-first futures trading can look like.

    About Hola Prime

    Hola Prime is a global proprietary trading firm with offices in the UK, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Dubai, and India. It supports a diverse community of traders across 175+ countries, offering access to over 150 financial instruments across multiple trading platforms. The firm is known for its structured approach to risk management, transparency, and trader-centric operations. Learn more at holaprime.com.

    Social Links

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holaprime_global/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtVEJa1Ml132Be7tnk-DjeQ

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hola-prime/?viewAsMember=true

    X: https://x.com/HolaPrimeGlobal

    Discord: https://discord.gg/TJ7TcHPXBf

    Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/HolaPrime/

    Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/HolaPrime/

    Medium: https://medium.com/@social_46267

    Media Contact

    Company: Hola Prime

    Contact: Media Team

    Email: marketing@holaprime.com

    Website: https://holaprime.com/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Like many populist leaders, Trump accuses judges of being illegitimate obstacles to safety and democracy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Gregory, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Clemson University

    The front entrance of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House, the workplace of Judge James Boasberg, along with other federal and appeals court judges, is seen in Washington, D.C. Philip Yabut/Getty Images

    Federal judges and at times Supreme Court justices have repeatedly challenged – and blocked – President Donald Trump’s attempts to reshape fundamental aspects of American government.

    Many of Trump’s more than 150 executive orders, including one aimed at eliminating the Department of Education, have been blocked by injunctions and lawsuits.

    When a majority of Supreme Court justices ruled on May 16, 2025, that the Trump administration could not deport a group of Venezuelan immigrants without first giving them the right to due process in court, Trump attacked the court.

    “The Supreme Court of the United States is not allowing me to do what I was elected to do,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is a bad and dangerous day for America!” he continued in the post.

    As the Trump administration faces other orders blocking its plans, the president and his team are framing judges not just as political opponents but as enemies of democracy.

    Trump, for example, has called for the impeachment of James Boasberg, a federal judge who also issued orders blocking the deportation of immigrants in the U.S. to El Salvador. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said that Boasberg was “trying to protect terrorists who invaded our country over American citizens,” and Trump has also called Boasberg and other judges who ruled against him or his administration “left-wing activists.”

    “We cannot allow a handful of communist, radical-left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the president of the United States,” Trump said at a rally in April 2025. “Judges are trying to take away the power given to the president to keep our country safe.”

    As a scholar of legal and political theory, I believe this kind of talk about judges and the judicial system is not just misleading, it’s dangerous. It mirrors a pattern seen across many populist movements worldwide, where leaders cast independent courts and judges as illegitimate obstacles to what they see as the will of the people.

    By confusing the idea that the people’s will must prevail with what the law actually says, these leaders justify intimidating judges and their sound legal rulings, a move that ultimately undermines democracy.

    President Donald Trump shakes hands with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    Thwarting ‘the will of the American people’?

    In the face of judicial rulings against them, Trump and other administration officials have suggested on multiple occasions that judges are antagonistic to what the American people voted for.

    Yet these rulings are merely a reflection of the rule of law.

    Trump and supporters such as Elon Musk have characterized the rulings as a sign that a group of elite judges are abusing their power and acting against the will of the American people. The rulings that enforce the law, according to this argument, stand in opposition to the popular mandate American voters give to elected officials like the president.

    “If ANY judge ANYWHERE can stop EVERY Presidential action EVERYWHERE, we do NOT live in a democracy,” Elon Musk posted on X in February 2025. “When judges egregiously undermine the democratic will of the people, they must be fired,” Musk added.

    And U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said in March 2025, “We do have the authority over the federal courts, as you know. We can eliminate an entire district court.”

    Framing judges as enemies of democracy or as obstacles to the people’s will departs sharply from the traditional view – held across political lines – that the judiciary is an essential, nonpartisan part of the American constitutional system.

    While previous presidents have expressed frustration with specific court decisions or judges’ political leanings, their critiques mostly focused on specific legal reasoning.

    Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned against the Trump administration’s charge that judges were actively undermining democracy. In late April 2025, she said during a conference for judges that “relentless attacks on judges are an attack on democracy.”

    So, are judges obstructing democracy – or protecting it?

    Are unelected judges a sign of democracy?

    The U.S. Constitution established an independent judiciary as a coequal branch of government, alongside the legislative and executive branches. Federal judges are appointed for life and cannot be removed for political reasons. The country’s founders thought this protection could insulate judges from political pressures and ensure that courts uphold the Constitution, not the popularity of a given policy.

    Yet as the federal judiciary has expanded in size and power, the arguments about the relationship between democracy and judicial independence have become louder among some political scientists and legal philosophers.

    Some critics take issue with the fact that federal judges are appointed by politicians, not elected to their positions – a fact that others argue contributes to their independence.

    Federal judges often serve longer on the bench than many elected officials.

    Why, some critics argue, should a small group of unelected experts be allowed to overturn decisions made by elected officials?

    Other democratic theorists, however, say that federal judges can act as a check on elected leaders who may misuse or abuse their power, or pass laws that violate people’s legal rights. This indirectly strengthens democracy by giving people a meaningful way to have recourse against laws that go against their rights and what they actually voted for.

    A common story across countries

    The argument that judges are an enemy to democracy is not unique to the U.S.

    Authoritarian leaders from across the world have used similar language to justify undermining the courts.

    In the Philippines, then-President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 told Maria Lourdes Sereno, a top judge who was an outspoken critic of Duterte’s war on drugs, “I am now your enemy.” Shortly after, the Philippines Supreme Court voted to oust Sereno from the court. These judges cited Sereno’s failure to disclose personal financial information when she was first appointed to the court as the reason for her removal.

    Filipino protesters and outside critics alike viewed Sereno’s removal as politically motivated and said it undermined the country’s judicial independence.

    El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s allies in the legislative assembly similarly voted in May 2021 to remove the government’s attorney general as well all five top judges for obstructing Bukele’s plans to imprison, without proper due process, large numbers of people. Bukele replaced the attorney general and judges with political loyalists, violating constitutional procedure.

    Kamala Harris, then vice president of the U.S., was among the international observers who said the removal of judges in El Salvador made her concerned about El Salvador’s democracy. Bukele justified the judges’ removal by saying he was right and that he refused to “listen to the enemies of the people” who wanted him to do otherwise.

    And in April 2024, a minister in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet called Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara an “enemy of the people,” blaming her for protests outside Netanyahu’s home. This disparagement was part of Netanyahu’s broader efforts to weaken judges’ role and independence and to remove judicial constraints on executive power.

    Judge James Boasberg is one example of a judge who was personally attacked by President Donald Trump for issuing various rulings on the administration’s plans to deport Venezuelan immigrants.
    Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

    Pushing against democracy

    In the name of weakening what they call undemocratic institutions, these and other leaders try to discredit independent judges. This attempt helps these leaders gain power and silence dissent.

    Their attempts to disparage and discredit judges misrepresent judges’ work by asserting that it is political in nature – and thus subject to political criticism and even intimidation. But in the U.S., judges’ constitutionally mandated work takes place in the realm of law, not politics.

    By confusing the idea that the people’s will must prevail with what the law actually says, these leaders justify intimidating judges and their rulings, a move that ultimately undermines democracy.

    Independent judges may not always make perfect decisions, and concerns about their interpretations or potential biases are legitimate. Judges sometimes make decisions that are objectionable from a moral and legal standpoint.

    But when political leaders portray judges as the problem, I believe it’s crucial to ask: Who truly benefits from silencing judges?

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

    – ref. Like many populist leaders, Trump accuses judges of being illegitimate obstacles to safety and democracy – https://theconversation.com/like-many-populist-leaders-trump-accuses-judges-of-being-illegitimate-obstacles-to-safety-and-democracy-255472

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • Russia and Ukraine start prisoner exchange, but not yet completed

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Russia and Ukraine began a major prisoner swap on Friday that was agreed on at their first direct talks in more than three years, a Ukrainian military source said on Friday.

    U.S. President Donald Trump said the prisoner exchange had already been completed but Kyiv and Moscow did not confirm this and the military source said the swap was still under way.

    Russia and Ukraine each agreed at two hours of talks in Istanbul last week to swap 1,000 prisoners, but failed to agree to a ceasefire proposed by Trump. Previous prisoner swaps have been mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

    The prisoner swap was the only concrete step towards peace the two sides agreed at their talks in Istanbul.

    “Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

    Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides are believed to have been wounded or killed in Europe’s deadliest war since World War Two, although neither side publishes accurate casualty figures. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians have also died as Russian forces have besieged and bombarded Ukrainian cities.

    Ukraine says it is ready for a 30-day ceasefire immediately, but Russia, which launched the war by invading its neighbour in 2022 and now occupies about a fifth of Ukraine, says it will not pause its assaults until conditions are met first. A member of the Ukrainian delegation called those conditions “non-starters”.

    Trump, who has shifted U.S. policy from supporting Ukraine towards accepting some of Russia’s account of the war, had said he could tighten sanctions on Russia if Moscow blocked a peace deal. But after speaking to Putin on Monday he decided to take no action for now.

    Moscow says it is ready for peace talks while the fighting goes on, and wants to discuss what it calls the war’s “root causes”, including its demands Ukraine cede more territory, and be disarmed and barred from military alliances with the West. Kyiv says that is tantamount to surrender and would leave it defenceless in the face of future Russian attacks.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Global: West Nile virus found in the UK for the first time – what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Hunter, Professor of Medicine, University of East Anglia

    Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock.com

    For the first time, traces of the West Nile virus have been found in mosquitoes in the UK, according to a report published this week by the UK Health Security Agency.

    Here’s what you need to know about the virus and the disease it causes.

    What is West Nile virus?

    West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus first identified in Uganda in 1937. It belongs to the same viral family as dengue and yellow fever. The virus is most commonly transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, particularly the species Culex pipiens, which mainly feeds on birds.

    Birds are the primary host for West Nile virus, and the virus spreads in a cycle from infected birds to mosquitoes and then back to birds. Occasionally, mosquitoes can transmit the virus to humans or other animals.

    Most human infections – around 80% – cause no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they are usually mild: fever, fatigue, headaches, body aches and sometimes nausea. But in rare cases, around one in 150 infections, the virus can cause severe illness, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis. Older adults, especially those over 50, are most at risk of serious complications.

    The virus cannot normally be spread from person to person, though rare cases of transmission have occurred through blood transfusions or from mother to baby during pregnancy.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    How did it get to the UK?

    Although the exact route isn’t known, experts believe the virus may have arrived in the UK via migratory birds infected elsewhere. The mosquitoes probably picked up the virus after feeding on these birds during their northward journey.

    The detection was made as part of a routine mosquito surveillance programme run by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Mosquitoes collected from marshlands in south-east England tested positive in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, which detect fragments of the virus’s genetic material.

    It’s important to note that a positive PCR test doesn’t necessarily mean the virus is infectious. After a mosquito becomes infected, the virus needs time – several days – to multiply inside the mosquito before it can be transmitted. And this process is highly temperature dependent.

    Can the virus spread in the UK?

    The UK’s relatively cool climate has, until now, helped keep mosquito-borne diseases at bay. At summer temperatures of around 15°C, it can take up to 100 days for the virus to develop inside a mosquito – longer than the insect’s lifespan. In contrast, in hotter climates (above 30°C), this process can take just a few days.

    For a local outbreak to occur, there would need to be a critical mass of infected birds and mosquitoes, with enough warm weather to sustain multiple cycles of transmission. So far, that hasn’t happened in the UK.

    But climate change could alter the equation. With rising global temperatures and longer, hotter summers, the conditions that allow viruses such as West Nile to spread may become more common in the UK.

    What’s happening elsewhere?

    West Nile virus was once limited to Africa and the Middle East but has spread significantly in recent decades. Large outbreaks have been recorded in countries including Greece, Romania, Israel, Russia and the US.

    The US outbreak began in New York City in 1999 when an unusual number of birds were found dead in a city zoo. A veterinary pathologist at the Bronx Zoo, Tracey McNamara, helped link the bird deaths to the human illnesses being reported.

    Since then, the virus has spread across most of the US, Canada and parts of South America, resulting in over 60,000 reported human cases, 28,000 hospitalisations and more than 3,000 deaths.

    In 2024, 19 European countries reported a total of 1,436 local cases, most in men over 65, with 125 deaths. Most were in Italy, Greece and Spain – countries with hot, mosquito-friendly summers.

    Outbreaks were also reported in birds and horses, which are both susceptible to the virus.

    Should UK residents be concerned?

    While the detection of West Nile virus in UK mosquitoes is noteworthy, experts emphasise that the public health risk remains very low. No human cases have been reported in the UK to date, and current summer temperatures are not yet conducive to sustained transmission.

    The greater risk for most British people probably comes from travel – particularly to southern Europe, where cases are rising.

    Travellers are advised to take standard mosquito precautions: wear light-coloured clothing, long sleeves and trousers, and use insect repellent, especially in the evening when mosquitoes are most active.

    For now, the virus is unlikely to spread widely in the UK. But as climate patterns shift, continued surveillance and public awareness will be key to staying ahead of the risk.

    Paul Hunter consults for the World Health Organization. He receives funding from National Institute for Health Research and has received funding from the World Health Organization and the European Regional Development Fund.

    – ref. West Nile virus found in the UK for the first time – what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/west-nile-virus-found-in-the-uk-for-the-first-time-what-you-need-to-know-257295

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli Advances to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs, South Africa’s Made By Basketball (MBB) Wins Second Straight

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    KIGALI, Rwanda, May 23, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Five players scored in double figures and Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) beat Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya) 104-91 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda last night, which gave them their fourth straight win in the Nile Conference and a guaranteed slot in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs (https://BAL.NBA.com/). Al Ahli will join Al Ittihad (Egypt), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), 2022 BAL champion US Monastir (Tunisia), the defending champion Petro de Luanda (Angola) and Kriol Star (Cape Verde) when the BAL Playoffs tip off at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa on June 6. Tickets for the 2025 BAL Playoffs are available on www.Ticketmaster.co.za.

    Former NBA Academy Africa student-athlete Jean Jacques Boissy (Senegal) led Al Ahli with 26 points, while Mohamed Abdourahman (Libya) added 23 points and 13 rebounds. Uchenna Iroegbu (U.S./Nigeria) led Thunder with  23 points, with Eugene Adera (Kenya) adding nine points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

    In the second game last night, Made By Basketball (South Africa) defeated the home team APR (Rwanda) 94-88, winning their second straight game in the competition. Jovan Mooring (U.S.) got 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Teafale Lenard Jr. (U.S.) recorded 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Pieter Prinsloo (South Africa) added 13 points and seven rebounds. Tennessee Tech center David Craig (South Africa) played more than 24 minutes, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocks for the South African team which shot 51 percent from the floor.

    Obadiah Noel (U.S.) led APR with 23 points and Youssoupha Ndoye (Senegal) added 19 points and 10 rebounds, but APR struggled offensively down the stretch, shooting 37 percent from the floor. APR retained their second position in the Nile Conference, but will look to bounce back this weekend after two consecutive losses.

    The Nile Conference resumes on Saturday, with MBB (2-2) taking on Nairobi City Thunder (0-4) and Al Ahli Tripoli (4-0) facing APR (2-2).

    POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCES

    GAME HIGHLIGHTS

    NILE CONFERENCE STANDINGS

    1. Al Ahli Tripoli* – 4-0
    2. APR – 2-2
    3. MBB – 2-2
    4. Nairobi City Thunder- 0-4

    *Advanced to 2025 BAL Playoffs

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • US and Iran to resume nuclear talks amid clashing red lines

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Iranian and U.S. negotiators will resume talks on Friday in Rome to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, despite Tehran’s supreme leader warning that clinching a new deal might be insurmountable amid clashing red lines.

    The stakes are high for both sides. President Donald Trump wants to curtail Tehran’s potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race. The Islamic Republic, for its part, wants to be rid of devastating sanctions on its oil-based economy.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoySteve Witkoff will hold a fifth round of talks, through Omani mediators, despite both Washington and Tehran taking a tough stance in public over Iran’s uranium enrichment.

    Although Iran insists the talks are indirect, U.S. officials have said the discussions – including the latest roundon May 11 in Oman- have been both “direct and indirect”.

    Araqchi, who arrived in Rome with his two deputies, wrote

    on X: “…Zero nuclear weapons = we Do have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. Time to decide”.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump believes negotiations with Iran are “moving in the right direction”.

    Tehran and Washington have both said they prefer diplomacy to settle the impasse, but remain deeply split on several red lines that negotiators will have to circumvent to reach a new nuclear deal and avert future military action.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington is working to reach an accord that would allow Iran to have a civil nuclear energy programme but not enrich uranium, while admitting that achieving such a deal “will not be easy”.

    Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on Iran’s state matters, rejected Washington’s demands that Tehran stop refining uranium as “excessive and outrageous”, warning that the talks are unlikely to yield results.

    Among remaining stumbling blocks is Tehran’s refusal to ship abroad all of its highly enriched uranium stockpile – possible raw material for nuclear bombs – or engage in discussions over its ballistic missile programme.

    Iran says it is ready to accept some limits on enrichment, which it maintains is for civilian nuclear energy uses only – but needs watertight guaranteesthat Washington would not renege on a future nuclear accord.

    Trump, who has restored a “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran since February, ditched the 2015 nuclear pact in 2018 during his first term and reimposed sweeping U.S. sanctions that continue to hobble the Iranian economy.

    Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the 2015 pact’s limits.

    Wendy Sherman, a former U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs who led the U.S. negotiating team that reached the 2015 agreement, said it was impossible to convince Iran to scrap enrichment – which Tehran touts as a matter of sovereignty.

    “I don’t think it is possible to get a deal with Iran where they literally dismantle their programme, give up their enrichment, even though that would be ideal,” she told Reuters.

    The cost of failure of the talks could be high. While Tehran says its nuclear activity is for peaceful ends, Iran’s arch-foe Israel discounts this,saying it would never allow Iran’s clerical establishment to obtain nuclear weapons.

    Israel’s strategic affairs minister and the head of its foreign intelligence service Mossad will also be in Rome for talks with the U.S. team that is negotiating with Iran, a source aware of the matter told Reuters.

    Araqchi said on Thursday Washington would bear legal responsibility if Israel attacked Iranian nuclear installations, following a CNN report that Israel might be preparing strikes.

    While rising U.S.-Iran tensions over enrichment have put the nuclear talks in doubt, three Iranian sources said on Tuesday that the clerical leadership lacks a clear fallback plan if efforts to overcome the standoff collapse.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Georgian National Extradited from Moldova to Face Charges for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York City

    Source: US State of California

    Leader of White Supremacist Group ‘Maniac Murder Cult’ Recruited Others to Bomb and Poison the Jewish Community and Racial Minorities 

    Defendant Allegedly Planned Scheme to Distribute Poisoned Candy on New Year’s Eve

    Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, of Tbilisi, was extradited to the United States from Moldova on May 22, and will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today. Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 in connection with a four-count indictment returned in the Eastern District of New York charging him with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.

    According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing, MKY, MMC and MKU, an international racially-motivated violent extremist group. As alleged in the indictment, Chkhikvishvili recruited people to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City.

    “This case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate hate-fueled violence, and we will pursue those who threaten innocent lives wherever they may be.”

    “The defendant is accused of recruiting others to kill Jewish people, kill racial minorities, and of providing instructions on how to commit other lethal attacks — even targeting children around the holidays by poisoning candy,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These allegations are despicable, and thanks to the work and partnership of the FBI and the authorities in Moldova, Michail Chkhikvishvili has been brought to the United States to face charges in our justice system.”

    “As alleged, the defendant, a white supremacist, recruited others to participate in a violent campaign of hatred against racial minorities and the Jewish community and to engage in the mass killing of children and others in these communities using poison, suicide bombs, firearms, arson fires, and vehicle explosions. Today’s extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Protecting our homeland, city, district, and country from violent extremists will always be one of the top priorities of the Justice Department and my office.”

    Chkhikvishvili’s MKY adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad.

    Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence. In the Hater’s Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, the Hater’s Handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The Hater’s Handbook describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” The Hater’s Handbook specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.

    In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn. As alleged, beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via the encryption-enabled mobile messaging platform Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with the leader of a separate violent extremist neo-Nazi group, and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC).

    In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili asking whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” Chkhikvishvili further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder[]” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.”

    Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate carrying out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities.

    In January, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases with the UC. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Chkhikvishvili sent materials linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS. 

    Chkhikvishvili wanted the planned attack to be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo‑Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, Chkhikvishvili told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.”     

    Chkhikvishvili’s solicitations of violence have resulted in multiple attacks and killings around the world. In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing approximately five people outside of a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, wearing a tactical vest adorned in Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and to violent statements made by him. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook, authored by Chkhikvishvili, and other violent propaganda.

    If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure); five years in prison for conspiring to solicit violent felonies; 20 years in prison for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and ricin poison; and five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications.

    The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Chkhikvishvili from Moldova.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Rebecca Roth. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has also provided assistance.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgian National Extradited from Moldova to Face Charges for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York City

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Leader of White Supremacist Group ‘Maniac Murder Cult’ Recruited Others to Bomb and Poison the Jewish Community and Racial Minorities 

    Defendant Allegedly Planned Scheme to Distribute Poisoned Candy on New Year’s Eve

    Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, of Tbilisi, was extradited to the United States from Moldova on May 22, and will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today. Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 in connection with a four-count indictment returned in the Eastern District of New York charging him with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.

    According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing, MKY, MMC and MKU, an international racially-motivated violent extremist group. As alleged in the indictment, Chkhikvishvili recruited people to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City.

    “This case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate hate-fueled violence, and we will pursue those who threaten innocent lives wherever they may be.”

    “The defendant is accused of recruiting others to kill Jewish people, kill racial minorities, and of providing instructions on how to commit other lethal attacks — even targeting children around the holidays by poisoning candy,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These allegations are despicable, and thanks to the work and partnership of the FBI and the authorities in Moldova, Michail Chkhikvishvili has been brought to the United States to face charges in our justice system.”

    “As alleged, the defendant, a white supremacist, recruited others to participate in a violent campaign of hatred against racial minorities and the Jewish community and to engage in the mass killing of children and others in these communities using poison, suicide bombs, firearms, arson fires, and vehicle explosions. Today’s extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Protecting our homeland, city, district, and country from violent extremists will always be one of the top priorities of the Justice Department and my office.”

    Chkhikvishvili’s MKY adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad.

    Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence. In the Hater’s Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, the Hater’s Handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The Hater’s Handbook describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” The Hater’s Handbook specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.

    In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn. As alleged, beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via the encryption-enabled mobile messaging platform Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with the leader of a separate violent extremist neo-Nazi group, and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC).

    In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili asking whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” Chkhikvishvili further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder[]” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.”

    Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate carrying out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities.

    In January, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases with the UC. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Chkhikvishvili sent materials linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS. 

    Chkhikvishvili wanted the planned attack to be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo‑Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, Chkhikvishvili told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.”     

    Chkhikvishvili’s solicitations of violence have resulted in multiple attacks and killings around the world. In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing approximately five people outside of a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, wearing a tactical vest adorned in Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and to violent statements made by him. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook, authored by Chkhikvishvili, and other violent propaganda.

    If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure); five years in prison for conspiring to solicit violent felonies; 20 years in prison for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and ricin poison; and five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications.

    The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Chkhikvishvili from Moldova.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Rebecca Roth. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has also provided assistance.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: International Investigation Leads to Shutdown of Ransomware Group

    Source: US FBI

    “Radar/Dispossessor” servers and domains successfully dismantled

    On August 12, FBI Cleveland announced the disruption of “Radar/Dispossessor”—the criminal ransomware group led by the online moniker “Brain”—and the dismantling of three U.S. servers, three United Kingdom servers, 18 German servers, eight U.S.-based criminal domains, and one German-based criminal domain.

    Since its inception in August 2023, Radar/Dispossessor has quickly developed into an internationally impactful ransomware group, targeting and attacking small-to-mid-sized businesses and organizations from the production, development, education, healthcare, financial services, and transportation sectors. Originally focused on entities in the United States, the investigation discovered 43 companies as victims of the attacks, from countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Honduras, India, Canada, Croatia, Peru, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany. During its investigation, the FBI identified a multitude of websites associated with Brain and his team.

    Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that encrypts data on a computer making it unusable. A malicious cybercriminal holds the data hostage until the ransom is paid. If the ransom is not paid, the victim’s data remains unavailable. Cybercriminals may also pressure victims to pay the ransom by threatening to destroy the victim’s data or to release it to the public.

    Radar Ransomware follows the same dual-extortion model as other ransomware variants by exfiltrating victim data to hold for ransom in addition to encrypting victim’s systems. Simply, the ransomware identifies and attacks new victims and, re-victimizes current victims.

    Radar/Dispossessor identified vulnerable computer systems, weak passwords, and a lack of two-factor authentication to isolate and attack victim-companies. Once the criminals gained access to the systems, they obtained administrator rights and easily gained access to the files. The actual ransomware was then used for encryption. As a result, the companies could no longer access their own data. Once the company was attacked, if they did not contact the criminal actor, the group would then proactively contact others in the victim company, either through email or phone call. The emails also included links to video platforms on which the previously stolen files had been presented. This was always with the aim of increasing the blackmail pressure and increasing the willingness to pay.

    Finally, the compromise was announced by the attackers on a separate leak page and a countdown set until public release of the victim data if no ransom was paid.

    As ransomware can have many variants, such as this case, the total number of businesses and organizations affected is yet to be determined. The FBI encourages those with information about Brain or Radar Ransomware—or if their business or organization has been a target or victim of ransomware or currently paying a criminal actor—to contact its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. Your identity can remain anonymous.

    The investigation and joint takedown were conducted in conjunction with the the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, Bamberg Public Prosecutor’s Office, Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA), and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Current and Former Minor League Baseball Players Indicted for Insider Trading in Del Taco Stocks

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 26, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – An indictment was unsealed today charging current and former minor league baseball players Jordan Qsar, Grant Witherspoon and Austin Bernard with insider trading in Del Taco, Inc. stocks after they received advanced notice of the acquisition of Del Taco by Jack in the Box, Inc. on December 6, 2021.

    According to the indictment, Qsar learned from a close friend who worked at Jack in the Box that the company was acquiring Del Taco. The friend was a senior associate in Jack in the Box’s strategic finance department who personally worked on the acquisition project. The disclosure was a violation of duties to Jack in the Box and its shareholders.

    The indictment states that Qsar fraudulently shared the inside information with Witherspoon and Bernard, who were connected to Qsar through collegiate and minor league baseball teams at Pepperdine University and the Tampa Bay Rays.

    In the following months, after learning the inside information, Qsar, Witherspoon, and Bernard purchased Del Taco stocks, discussed when and how many shares they were purchasing, and tipped others with the inside information.

    According to the indictment, after Jack in the Box and Del Taco went public with the acquisition on December 6, 2021, Del Taco stocks jumped in price from $7.53 to $12.51 per share—representing a 66 percent increase from the prior trading day’s closing price. In the days following, Qsar, Witherspoon, and Bernard sold all their Del Taco stocks, earning them illegal profits of approximately $56,000, $41,800, and $64,600, respectively.

    “The system has to be fair for everyone, or the market fails,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Those who seek to undermine this system for personal gain will face consequences.”

    “Insider trading directly affects the integrity of our economy,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure people who intentionally undermine and threaten our economy will be brought to justice.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Sou.

    DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number: 24-CR-0385-DMS

    Jordan Joseph Qsar                             Age: 28

    Grant Lee Witherspoon                      Age: 27

    Austin Lane Bernard                          Age: 28

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Title 18 U.S.C. 371 – Conspiracy

    Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine

    Title 15 U.S.C. 78j(b), 78ff & Title 17 C.F.R. 240.10b-5 and 240.10b5-1 – Securities Fraud

    Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison; $5 million fine

    Title 18 USC 1343 – Wire Fraud & Title 18 USC 2 – Aiding and Abetting

    Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison; $250,000 fine

    Title 18 USC 981(a)(1)(C) and Title 28 USC 2461(c) – Criminal Forfeiture

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau Investigation

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –