NewzIntel.com

Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Lawler and Chairman Hill Applaud the Release of American-Israeli Hostage Edan Alexander

    Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    Pearl River, NY – 5/12/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and Congressman French Hill (AR-2), Chairman of the House Hostage Task Force, praised the return of Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli hostage held by Hamas since the October 7th terrorist attack. 

    On Friday, Reps. Lawler and Hill led a letter with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers urging the Trump Administration to exert maximum diplomatic pressure in order to return all of the hostages still being held in Gaza. 

    “I’m thrilled by the news that Edan Alexander has returned home. I applaud President Trump for his tireless diplomatic work in securing the release of these hostages. As we continue forward in securing the release of Americans being held hostage abroad, I remain steadfast in my commitment to bring them all home. God be with the families who are still awaiting the release of their loved ones. I stand with you and will not relent until every American abroad is returned home,” stated Chairman Lawler. 

    “I am overjoyed to hear that Edan Alexander is finally coming home after enduring nearly 600 days of unimaginable hardship and suffering. His release is a moment of great relief and joy for his family and for all Americans who have kept him in their prayers. We are deeply grateful to all those whose tireless efforts made this homecoming possible. As Co-Chair of the Hostage Task Force in the House, I know that while we celebrate Edan’s release, we must continue our work to secure the freedom of every American held abroad and to bring home the remains of every American who died at the hands of Hamas,” concluded Chairman Hill. 

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 12 May 2025 News release People in Gaza starving, sick and dying as aid blockade continues

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food, in the ongoing blockade.

    The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.

    The latest food security analysis was released today by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership, of which WHO is a member.

    “We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today’s report shows that without immediate access to food and essential supplies, the situation will continue to deteriorate, causing more deaths and descent into famine.”

    Famine has not yet been declared, but people are starving now. Three quarters of Gaza’s population are at “Emergency” or “Catastrophic” food deprivation, the worst two levels of IPC’s five level scale of food insecurity and nutritional deprivation.

    Since the aid blockade began on 2 March 2025, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health. This number is likely an underestimate and is likely to increase.  If the situation persists, nearly 71 000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next eleven months, according to the IPC report.

    People in Gaza are trapped in a dangerous cycle where malnutrition and disease fuel each other, turning everyday illness into a potential death sentence, particularly for children. Malnutrition weakens the bodies, making it harder to heal from injuries and fight off common communicable diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia, and measles. In turn, these infections increase the body’s requirement for nutrition, while reducing nutrient intake and absorption, resulting in worsening malnutrition. With health care out of reach, vaccine coverage plummeting, access to clean water and sanitation severely limited, and increased child protection concerns, the risk of severe illness and death grows, especially for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, who urgently need treatment to survive.

    Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also at high risk of malnutrition, with nearly 17 000 expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the next eleven months, if the dire situation does not change. Malnourished mothers struggle to produce enough nutritious milk, putting their babies at risk, while the delivery of counselling services for mothers is heavily compromised. For infants under six months, breastmilk is their best protection against hunger and disease – especially where clean water is scarce, as it is in Gaza.

    The long-term impact and damage from malnutrition can last a lifetime in the form of stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and poor health. Without enough nutritious food, clean water, and access to health care, an entire generation will be permanently affected.

    The plan recently announced by Israeli authorities to deliver food and other essential items across Gaza via proposed distribution sites is grossly inadequate to meet the immediate needs of over two million people. WHO echoes the UN’s call for the global humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality to be upheld and respected and for unimpeded humanitarian access to be granted to provide aid based on people’s needs, wherever they may be. A well-established and proven humanitarian coordination system, led by the UN and its partners, is already in place and must be allowed to function fully to ensure that aid is delivered in a principled, timely, and equitable manner.

    The aid blockade and shrinking humanitarian access continue to undermine WHO’s ability to support 16 outpatient and three inpatient malnutrition treatment centres with life-saving supplies, and to sustain the broader health system. The remaining supplies in WHO’s stocks inside Gaza are only enough to treat 500 children with acute malnutrition – a fraction of the urgent need – while essential medicines and supplies to treat diseases and trauma injuries are already running out and cannot be replenished due to the blockade.

    People are dying while WHO and partners’ life-saving medical supplies sit just outside Gaza – ready for deployment, with safeguards in place to ensure the aid reaches those who need it most in line with humanitarian principles. WHO calls for the protection of health care and for an immediate end to the aid blockade, which is starving people, obstructing their right to health, and robbing them of dignity and hope. WHO calls for the release of all hostages, and for a ceasefire, which leads to lasting peace. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Syria faces renewed sectarian violence as government fails to deliver inclusivity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Katya Alkhateeb, Senior Researcher in International Human Rights Law & Humanitarian Law at Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex

    A recent surge in violence against Syria’s Druze religious community has reportedly seen over 100 people killed since the start of May. This is a grim extension of sectarian targeting that began with the massacre of Alawite civilians in March.

    Both crises are grounded in the same religious justifications, revealing problems in Syria’s transition following the end of the Assad family’s 53-year rule.

    Specifically these atrocities are linked by the misuse of nafir aam – a general call to arms or mass mobilisation. It is an Arabic term rooted in classical Islamic jurisprudence, especially in discussions about jihad and collective defence.

    It is declared only when the Muslim community faces an existential threat, such as an invasion or overwhelming danger from an enemy.

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    Recently though, it has been used by extremist groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda to summon Muslims to fight supposed enemies of the faith. These enemies have, in most cases, been innocent civilians.

    In March, when gunmen loyal to Syria’s former leader Bashar al-Assad (who is an Alawite) clashed with security forces, the transitional government issued a nafir aam. Loudspeakers in mosques across northern Syria broadcast mobilisation calls, tribal groups pledged support, and recruitment links flooded social media.

    The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that close to 1,400 Alawite civilians were subsequently murdered, with the final death toll likely to be much higher.

    A post on the Telegram channel of Syria’s ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham organisation reading: ‘General mobilisation now being announced via loudspeakers in Idlib and Aleppo toward the coast. Listen to the important and urgent announcement directly.’
    Telegram

    The same sectarian machinery has now been turned against the Druze. This latest wave of violence was triggered by the unproven allegation that a Druze cleric was responsible for an audio recording containing anti-Islamic remarks. Despite the cleric’s immediate denial, armed groups launched assaults on Druze areas near Syria’s capital, Damascus.

    Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to protect the Druze and the Israeli military subsequently carried out a series of airstrikes across Syria. These included strikes near the presidential palace. While Netanyahu has positioned these actions as protecting a vulnerable minority, they risk further destabilising Syria’s fragile transition.

    Deeply entrenched sectarianism

    Syria’s transitional government is led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Following its campaign against Assad, HTS has been implementing a new policy of tolerance towards minority groups. The Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has vowed to protect minorities and pursue more inclusive policies.

    But HTS is arguably failing to deliver the inclusive governance it promised when seizing control of the country in December 2024. The seven-member committee for the national dialogue conference, which began in February to discuss a new path for the nation, lacked Alawite, Kurdish and Druze representation.

    The resulting constitutional declaration offered no explicit protections for Syria’s religious diversity. It also centralises power in ways that undermine pluralism.

    Article 3 of the constitutional declaration states that the “religion of the president of the republic is Islam” and “Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation”. Officials have clarified that any future parliament would remain subordinate to Islamic law.

    The ideological basis and policy for sectarian violence in Syria remains deeply entrenched. A 14th-century fatwa (a religious edict) by Sunni Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyyah branded Alawites as “infidels”. This fatwa continues to circulate in areas under government control.

    At the Brussels donors’ conference on Syria in March, Syrian foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani blamed “54 years of minority rule” for mass displacement and deaths – raising concerns about sectarian narratives. And the integrity of the investigation into the recent massacres have been questioned, notably by the Syrians for Truth and Justice human rights group.

    Criticisms have also been made over the inclusion of controversial figures to the newly formed Civil Peace Committee, which is tasked with healing the sectarian wounds left by Assad family rule. One of these figures, Sheikh Anas Ayrout, was reported 12 years ago to have made inciting comments against Alawites.

    Civil society organisations, including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, have called on the government to issue protective religious rulings for minority communities. But their appeals have gone unanswered. And violence, particularly against Alawites in Homs and Aleppo, has surged dramatically.

    Five months after Assad’s fall, it seems that Syria is not witnessing the long hoped for fruition of its 2011 revolution, where pro-democracy protests swept through the country, but rather its continuing unravelling.

    The groups now in power had little to do with the revolution’s early democratic hopes. They have emerged from transnational jihadist networks with a radically different vision for Syria’s future.

    In the view of prominent Syrian intellectual Yassin al-Haj Saleh, Syria urgently needs a period of de-escalation and genuine political concessions. He argues for “taking two or three steps back … to move more firmly forward”. Political solutions must precede the creation of public institutions, not the other way around.

    If the cycle of sectarian violence is not broken, Syria risks sliding deeper into communal bloodshed that could permanently fracture the nation’s social fabric.

    The international community must act decisively. It has to apply concrete political pressure that makes the protection of all Syrians – regardless of sect – a non-negotiable foundation for Syria’s path forward.

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

    – ref. Syria faces renewed sectarian violence as government fails to deliver inclusivity – https://theconversation.com/syria-faces-renewed-sectarian-violence-as-government-fails-to-deliver-inclusivity-255974

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World should be read in tandem to understand today’s troubled times

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emrah Atasoy, Associate Fellow of English and Comparative Literary Studies & Honorary Research Fellow of IAS, University of Warwick

    Is there any past work of fiction that can help us make sense of today’s troubling trends? Taking into account the proliferation of references to obfuscating “Newspeak”, Big Brother-style leaders and impossible-to-circumvent surveillance systems in newspaper articles, this question cries out for a simple answer: “Yes – and that work is George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.”

    People on both the political left and right see Orwell’s 1949 novel as the book from the last century that speaks to the present most powerfully. But there are others who regard consumer culture and social media obsession as the primary concerns of today. They have a different answer: “Yes – and that work is Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.”

    We, however, think the answer is “both”.

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    In the long-running debate over who was the most prophetic writer of their era, Orwell, who was a pupil of Huxley’s at Eton, is generally the favourite.

    One reason for this is that international alliances that long seemed stable are now in flux. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, his final novel, Orwell envisioned a future tri-polar world divided into competing blocks with shifting allegiances.

    In the short time since the US president, Donald Trump, began his second term, his policies and statements have triggered surprising realignments. The US and Canada, close partners for more than a century, have faced off against each other. And in April, an official from Beijing joined with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan to push back as an unlikely trio against Trump’s new tariffs.

    That is perhaps why there is a booming field of “Orwell studies”, with its own academic journal, but not “Huxley studies”. It also probably explains why Nineteen Eighty-Four, but not Brave New World, keeps making its way on to bestseller lists – sometimes in tandem with Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). “Orwellian” (unlike the rarely heard “Huxleyan”) has few competitors other than “Kafkaesque” as an immediately recognisable adjective linked to a 20th-century author.

    Trailer for the film 1984, an adaptation of Orwell’s novel.

    As wonderful as Atwood and Kafka are, we are convinced that combining Orwell’s vision with Huxley’s offers scope for deeper analysis. This is true in part because of, not despite, how common it has been to contrast the modes of autocracy Orwell and Huxley describe.

    Orwellian and Huxleyan visions as one world

    We live in an era when all sorts of systems of control limit our freedoms of expression, identity and religion. Many do not quite fit the template that either Orwell or Huxley imagined, but instead combine elements.

    There are certainly places, such as Myanmar, where those in power rely on techniques that immediately bring Orwell to mind, with his focus on fear and surveillance. There are others, such as Dubai, that more readily evoke Huxley, with his focus on pleasure and distraction. In many cases, though, we find a mixture.

    This is especially clear if you take a global view. That’s something we specialise in as international and interdisciplinary researchers – a literary scholar from Turkey based in the UK, and a Californian cultural historian of China who has also published on southeast Asia.

    Like Orwell, Huxley wrote many books that were not dystopian fiction, but his foray into that genre became his most influential. Brave New World was well known throughout the cold war. In courses and commentaries, it was commonly paired with Nineteen Eighty-Four as a narrative illustrating a shallow society based on indulgence and consumerism, as opposed to the bleaker Orwellian world of suppression of desire and strict control.

    While it is common to approach the two books via their contrasts, they can be treated as interconnected and entangled works as well.

    Trailer for an adaptation of Brave New World, released in 2020.

    During the cold war, some commentators felt that Brave New World showed where capitalist consumerism in the age of television could lead. The west, according to this interpretation, could become a world in which autocrats like those in the novel stayed on top. They would do this by keeping people busy and divided among themselves, happily distracted by entertainment and the drug “soma”.

    Orwell, by contrast, seemed to provide a key to unlock the harder mode of control in non-capitalist, Communist Party-run lands, especially those of the Soviet bloc.

    Huxley himself in Brave New World Revisited, a non-fiction book he published in the 1950s, thought it was important to think about ways the techniques of power and societal engineering in the two novels could be combined, approached and analysed. And there is even more value in combining the approaches now, when capitalism has gone so global and the autocratic wave keeps reaching new shores in the so-called post-truth era.

    Orwellian hard-edged and Huxleyan soft-edged approaches to control and social engineering can be and often are combined. We see this within countries such as China, where the crude repressive methods of a Big Brother state are used against the Uyghur population, while cities such as Shenzhen evoke Brave New World.

    We see this mixing of dystopian elements in many countries – variations on the way that science fiction writer William Gibson, author of novels such as Neuromancer (1984), wrote about Singapore with a phrase that had a soft-edged first half and a hard-edged second: “Disneyland with the death penalty.”

    This can be a useful first step toward better understanding, and perhaps beginning to try to find a way of improving the troubling world of the mid-2020s. A world in which the smartphone in your pocket both keeps track of your actions and provides an endless set of enticing distractions.

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

    – ref. Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World should be read in tandem to understand today’s troubled times – https://theconversation.com/nineteen-eighty-four-and-brave-new-world-should-be-read-in-tandem-to-understand-todays-troubled-times-253872

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Coons, Schatz, Murphy, Booker Joint Statement on Qatar Luxury Jet Gift to Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following joint statement on reports that President Trump will accept a luxury jet valued at $400 million from the royal family of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term.

    “The Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress.

    “Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. No one — not even the president — is above the law.

    “This week, we will ask the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Coons, Murphy, Booker Joint Statement On Qatar Luxury Jet Gift To Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following joint statement on reports that President Trump will accept a luxury jet valued at $400 million from the royal family of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term.
    “The Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress.
    “Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. No one — not even the president — is above the law.
    “This week, we will ask the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by CE at media session in Doha (with photo/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Remarks by CE at media session in Doha (with photo/video) 
    Chief Executive: I will now turn to our English-speaking friends in the media.
     
    This marks my second duty visit to the Middle East since taking office. Our delegation comprises over 50 professionals and leaders of enterprises from Hong Kong plus Mainland China. The composition of the delegation demonstrates Hong Kong’s unique role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” under the principle of “one country, two systems”. Hong Kong is dedicated to capitalising on its connectivity with both Mainland China and the world, collaborating and synergising with economies and enterprises that are eager to pursue high-quality development with us.
     
    I have set out three major goals for our visit to the Middle East this time. First, to strengthen government-to-government relations; second, to explore new areas of co-operation; third, to make friends and expand our network.
     
    Yesterday, I had the honour of meeting His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, followed by a meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. We also visited the Qatar Investment Authority. I introduced to them Hong Kong’s latest developments in finance, professional services, and innovation and technology. We agreed to deepen collaboration across sectors between Hong Kong and Qatar.
     
    We have also expanded our business networks. During this visit, we have achieved 35 MOUs and agreements spanning trade, investment, technology, legal co-operation, financial markets and so on.
     
    In addition to Hong Kong-Qatar co-operation, two agreements were reached between enterprises from Mainland China and Qatar, supporting the development of financial services and advanced manufacturing.
     
    A tripartite agreement among organisations from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Qatar was also reached, focusing on fintech collaboration, showcasing Hong Kong’s bridging role between different economies.
     
    The delegation has first-hand insights from the visit. The delegation visited the Qatar Foundation to learn about its R&D, education and community projects, and visited Lusail City to better understand the smart infrastructure in Qatar’s second-largest city.
     
    Later today, I will visit an autonomous vehicle project at the airport — a project designed by a Mainland Chinese tech firm with its international headquarters in Hong Kong, and first piloted in the Hong Kong International Airport. This exemplifies our role as a launchpad for global innovation.
     
    Tonight, we will depart for Kuwait and will announce the outcome of our duty visit later.
     
    Reporter: Thank you honourable sir. I wanted to ask you if you could you give a rough figure of the value of the 35 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that have been signed today? And if you can go into a little bit more about the sectors whereby Qatar and Hong Kong can both benefit from each other? For example, you mentioned earlier technology in autonomous vehicles manufactured by Yutong.
     
    Chief Executive: There are 35 agreements signed within two days. I think that is quite a record. I am very glad that delegate members, plus our counterparts in Qatar, both have been very active and supportive in developing co-operation, collaboration and networking, and I see them really spending their time exchanging contact details and also exchanging ideas on how they can develop the relationship. The 35 co-operation agreements cover areas including economic co-operation, investment, technology, legal co-operation, finance, banking and also capital arrangement. If you want to look at the 35 areas of co-operation, I think if you look at the fullest, then you will see the focus areas of co-operation.
     
    The result of these 35 agreements will have to be judged by those who will then continue their work. What a visit led by the Chief Executive will achieve, and can achieve, is opening the doors first with governments, so that the delegates, business players and entrepreneurs can then continue the liaison to open more doors, windows and opportunities. It is up to them to work hard, and this is something I will be demanding – for them to work hard. But if you look at my last visit to the Middle East, which was about two years ago, after we signed a number of MOUs, we have seen companies producing hydrogen buses for a country in the Middle East. We have seen, for example, on the stock exchange side, stock exchanges exchanging agreements for dual listing. We also see professionals set up their offices in the countries that I visited in the Middle East last time, and they have been receiving work orders and doing their services. I expect the delegates to continue these liaisons amongst themselves. But I am glad to inform you that the amount of enthusiasm is very strong. I will say that there will be more exchanges between not just governments, but in the private sector, chambers, businessmen and associations. And I will see not just exchanges between themselves, but also their participation in some of the events organised in Hong Kong, including both conferences, a lot of match-making deals, etc. I am very positive that the momentum will continue.
     
    (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
    Issued at HKT 23:58

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE leads delegation to continue visit to Qatar

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CE leads delegation to continue visit to Qatar 
    In the morning, Mr Lee met with the Minister of Labour of Qatar, Dr Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri, to discuss plans on enhancing talent exchanges between Hong Kong and Qatar, with a view to promoting cultural exchanges and communication between the two places. Noting that Hong Kong is home to five of the world’s top 100 universities and is actively developing into an international hub for post-secondary education, Mr Lee highlighted that Hong Kong offers a Belt and Road Scholarship to encourage students from Belt and Road countries or regions to pursue post-secondary studies in the city. This initiative aims to attract more outstanding non-local students and talent to Hong Kong. He welcomed more young people of Qatar to study and develop their careers in Hong Kong.
     
    After that, Mr Lee and the delegation attended a roundtable meeting with representatives of the Qatari Businessmen Association and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry respectively. Highlighting Hong Kong’s robust legal system, resilient financial system and simple and low tax regime, Mr Lee welcomed Qatari enterprises to capitalise on Hong Kong’s advantages in connecting with both the Mainland and the world under the “one country, two systems” principle. Qatari enterprises can also leverage Hong Kong’s high-quality financial, logistics and professional services, as well as its bridging roles to assist enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, tapping into business opportunities on the Mainland market.
     
    In the afternoon, Mr Lee attended a business luncheon co-hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Addressing the luncheon, Mr Lee introduced Hong Kong’s development opportunities and business advantages to over 300 local political and business representatives. Noting that the Middle East is a key region under the Belt and Road Initiative, Mr Lee said this marks his second visit to the Middle East since taking office, and that he was very pleased to see the continuous strengthening of ties and co-operation between Hong Kong and the region. Pointing out that Qatar is Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner in the Middle East region, Mr Lee announced that Hong Kong and Qatar had substantially concluded negotiations on the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, and would begin discussions on mutual recognition arrangements for their respective Authorized Economic Operator Programmes, creating a more favourable environment for flows of capital and goods. He also announced a new arrangement allowing Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders to visit Qatar visa-free for up to 30 days. He said he looks forward to further deepening co-operation with Qatar in such areas as economy and trade, tourism, and culture. He said that Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises complement each other’s strengths, and that Hong Kong will continue to play its bridging role to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, with a view to deepening international exchanges and co-operation. Hong Kong and Qatar can jointly seize the significant development opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.
     
    During the luncheon, government departments, enterprises, and institutions from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Qatar exchanged and announced 35 MOUs and co-operation agreements covering economic co-operation, investment, technology, legal collaboration, as well as finance, banking, and capital market development. In addition to the co-operation between Hong Kong and Qatar, two agreements were signed directly between Mainland and Qatari enterprises to foster co-operation in financial services and high-end manufacturing. Furthermore, a tripartite agreement was signed among Hong Kong, the Mainland, and Qatar to strengthen co-operation in fintech, covering Web3 and AI, leveraging the respective technological strengths of each region for mutual development.
     
    Afterwards, Mr Lee visited Hamad International Airport in Doha to learn about the operation and effectiveness of its autonomous vehicle pilot project and to examine the application of autonomous buses. The pilot project, which had participation by a Chinese enterprise, UISEE, set a precedent for applying autonomous driving technology at airports in the Middle East region. UISEE is one of the leading companies in autonomous driving technology on the Mainland, having established its international headquarters in Hong Kong as a springboard to expand its business globally. The company collaborated with Hong Kong International Airport on autonomous vehicle projects to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of airport logistics, drawing on the successful experiences to promote the technology to the international market. Hamad International Airport, which is the latest pilot site of UISEE, demonstrated the co-operation among Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Qatar.
     
    Mr Lee and the delegation will depart for Kuwait tonight.
     
    Issued at HKT 23:58

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 35 pacts signed on CE’s Qatar visit

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee said 35 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and agreements have been signed during his visit to Qatar.

    At a media session in Doha, Qatar today, Mr Lee emphasised that this is his second visit to the Middle East since taking office. He outlined that his delegation comprises over 50 professionals and leaders of enterprises from both Hong Kong and Mainland China.

    “I have set out three major goals for our visits to the Middle East this time,” he said. “First, to strengthen government-to-government relations. Second, to explore new ideas of co-operation. Third, to make friends and expand our network.

    “We agreed to deepen collaboration across sectors between Hong Kong and Qatar. We have also expanded our business networks. During this visit, we have achieved 35 MOUs and agreements, spanning trade, investment, technology, legal co-operation, financial markets and so on.”

    He added: “In addition to Hong Kong-Qatar co-operation, two agreements were reached between enterprises from Mainland China and Qatar, supporting the development of financial services and advanced manufacturing.

    “A tripartite agreement among organisations from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Qatar was also reached, focusing on fintech collaboration, showcasing Hong Kong’s bridging role between different economies.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: OilXCoin Begins Capital Raise on Republic.com 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ZURICH, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OilXCoin, the evolutionary digital asset grounded in real-world value, is proud to announce it will launch a Reg D capital raise through Republic, one of the industry’s leading platforms for compliant investment offerings. This milestone reaffirms the company’s commitment to transparency, investor protection, and broad market accessibility.

    Having secured regulatory approval for OilXCoin’s prospectus from the Financial Market Authority (FMA) in Liechtenstein, along with passporting rights across the European Economic Area (EEA), OilXCoin continues to raise the bar in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization

    By partnering with Republic, OilXCoin expands its reach across both traditional and crypto-native capital markets through a platform widely recognized for its credibility with global investor communities.

    “Partnering with Republic aligns well with our goal of delivering an asset-backed token to qualified investors as we position OilXCoin for its market entry.” said Dave Rademacher, Co-Founder of OilXCoin. “The platform is trusted by investors and has a track record of facilitating compliant, high-quality investment opportunities.” 

    OilXCoin offers investors exposure to natural gas and oil reserves and their upstream value chains. With a capped token supply and a dual revenue model that includes both natural gas & oil revenues and transaction activity within the blockchain ecosystem, OilXCoin is designed to be a resilient and scalable investment opportunity.

    This public raise builds on early momentum, with more than USD $1.7 million already secured through private placements and restricted securities sales, now providing an opportunity for accredited investors in the United States under Reg D to participate.

    “We believe OilXCoin offers something fundamentally different,” said Glenn McColpin, Head of Oil & Gas at OilXCoin. “By combining real asset backing with blockchain infrastructure – and now launching on platforms like Republic – we’re creating a new way for oil and gas reserves to be financed by investors.”

    With the tokenized asset market projected to grow exponentially, OilXCoin is well-positioned to lead in a space where demand for compliant, real-world asset exposure continues to rise.

    Follow along at x.com/oilxcoin and linkedin.com/oilxcoin to stay updated and be part of this new wave in digital, asset-backed investment.

    -ENDS-

    About OilXCoin:

    OilXCoin is a digital asset that combines the resilience of tangible real-world assets, specifically oil & gas (O&G) and their upstream value chains, with the innovation of blockchain technology, providing investors with a unique opportunity to access both the traditional O&G sector and the dynamic cryptocurrency markets.

    The token is a perpetual debt instrument that gives investors exposure to O&G assets of DeXentra GmbH. Upon a termination of the OilXCoin, holders will have a claim to a share of the (actual or estimated) net proceeds from the disposal of DeXentra GmbH’s O&G assets. The OilXCoin provides no fixed yield. The OilXCoin is issued in the form of ledger-based securities under Swiss law.

    Disclosure: Here

    Investor Notice:

    OilXCoin tokens are available solely to residents of select EEA jurisdictions* and Switzerland. U.S. persons may acquire tokens under Regulation D 506(c). Visit oilxcoin.io for further details and to view or request a copy of the prospectus for the OilXCoin.

    The information contained herein is provided for informational and discussion purposes only and is not intended to be a recommendation for any investment or other advice of any kind, and shall not constitute or imply any offer to purchase, sell, or hold any security or to enter into or engage in any type of transaction. Any such offers will only be made pursuant to formal offering materials containing full details regarding risks, minimum investment, fees, and expenses of such transaction. 

    The tokens offered hereby may be deemed to be securities under U.S. securities laws, and will be sold in the United States only to persons that qualify as “accredited investors” under an exemption provided by Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. The tokens will be subject to transfer restrictions and any U.S. investor should not assume that the tokens can be resold immediately. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory agency has passed upon the merits of or has given its approval to the tokens, the terms of the offering, or the accuracy or completeness of any offering materials.

    *Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.

    Contact:

    Aroma Kumar
    Account Manager
    aroma@lunapr.io
    www.lunapr.io

    Media Notice:

    The information contained in this press release is intended solely for dissemination by media outlets to their affiliates located in the following jurisdictions: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States of America.

    Distribution or sharing of the contents herein outside of these specified jurisdictions is strictly prohibited. Media outlets receiving this communication are responsible for ensuring compliance with this restriction and must exercise due diligence in disseminating information accordingly.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including the Eastern District of Louisiana

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

    Harvey, La. Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Children, Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material, Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material, and Extortion

    NEW ORLEANS – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “This joint operation signals our unrelenting effort to identify and prosecute those individuals responsible for the sexual exploitation of our nation’s youth,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, our office stands ready and committed to utilizing our collective resources to bring justice to both the victims and the perpetrators of these crimes.”

    “The FBI is unwavering in its fight to protect children,” said Jonathan Tapp, Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans. “Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims and hold predators accountable.”

    In the Eastern District of Louisiana, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Lance Rotolo, Jr. (“Rotolo”), age 19, a resident of Harvey, Louisiana, was indicted on May 2, 2025 on five counts including, sexual exploitation of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) (Counts 1 and 2), distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) (Count 3), receiving CSAM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) (Count 4), and transmitting extortionate interstate communications, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d) (Count 5).

    According to the indictment, on or about December 19, 2024, Rotolo produced, and attempted to produce, a visual depiction of a female born in June 2011 (Victim 1) engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Additionally, between on or about January 12, 2025, and on or about February 17, 2025, Rotolo produced and attempted to produce a visual depiction of a female born in July 2009 (Victim 2) engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Rotolo also distributed visual depictions of minors, including children as young as approximately less than one (1) year old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, such as a video Rotolo distributed on or about February 28, 2025.  Rotolo also received visual depictions of minors as young as less than one (1) year old engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including a video he received on or about November 16, 2024.  Finally, Rotolo sent Victim 2 messages threatening that he would send sexually explicit content Victim 2 had previously sent him, to Victim 2’s friends and family, unless Victim 2 continued to send Rotolo sexually explicit visual depictions.

    Rotolo faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen (15) years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years as to each of Counts 1 and 2.  He faces a mandatory minimum of five (5) years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years as to each of Counts 3 and 4.  He faces up to two (2) years in prison as to Count 5.  Rotolo further faces at least five years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, for each count. He may also be required to register as a sex offender.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

                                                                           *   *   *

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart and Paxos Form Strategic Partnership to Drive USDG Adoption

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  BitMart, the premium global digital asset trading platform, today announces its strategic partnership with Paxos and the Global Dollar Network to integrate Global Dollar (USDG) into its platform, expanding the reach of USDG to BitMart’s 10 million userbase. This collaboration marks a pivotal step in BitMart’s ongoing efforts to expand access to trusted, stable, and enterprise-grade digital assets, reinforcing the commitment to stablecoin adoption across global markets.

    A global partnership driven by Anchorage Digital, Bullish, Galaxy Digital, Kraken, Nuvei, Paxos, and Robinhood, the Global Dollar Network (GDN) is forged with the common goal of increasing stablecoin adoption and expanding real world use cases. The GDN, powered by USDG, is a distributed network consisting of market leaders working together to build a stablecoin-enabled, accessible financial system. USDG is a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd., under the supervision of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and is compliant with MAS’s upcoming stablecoin framework.

    As part of this new partnership, BitMart enables users to purchase USDG directly on its platform, with USDG trading pairs already available. This partnership provides BitMart users with enhanced trading flexibility and access to USDG as a trusted stablecoin for various transactions, further contributing to the growing utility of stablecoins in the digital asset space.

    “We are thrilled to join forces with Paxos and the Global Dollar Network to bring a trusted, U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin to our users,” said Tiffany, VP of Operations at BitMart. “This partnership enables us to enhance BitMart’s offerings, making stablecoins like USDG a core component of our trading platform, and accelerating the adoption of stablecoin-powered solutions worldwide.”

    Ronak, Head of Product at Paxos, shared his perspective on the collaboration:

    “Partnering with BitMart is a significant step towards furthering the global adoption of USDG and advancing the use of stablecoins in the market. By integrating USDG into their platform, BitMart is providing users with a seamless and trusted way to interact with U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, creating more opportunities for real-world usage and expanding the utility of stablecoins.”

    In addition to the USDG integration, BitMart is also preparing a broader marketing and operational campaign to support this launch. This includes a zero trading fee promotion for USDG trading pair and a staking/savings program for users looking to leverage USDG for rewards. These campaigns are aimed at driving further engagement and providing value to users within the stablecoin ecosystem.

    For more details on USDG and its terms of use, please visit: https://www.paxos.com/terms-and-conditions/stablecoin-terms-conditions 

    About BitMart
    BitMart is the premier global digital asset trading platform. With millions of users worldwide and ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, it currently offers 1,700+ trading pairs with competitive trading fees. Constantly evolving and growing, BitMart is interested in crypto’s potential to drive innovation and promote financial inclusion. To learn more about BitMart, visit their Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    About Paxos
    Paxos is the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure and tokenization platform. Its products serve as the foundation for a new, open financial system that operates faster and more efficiently. Paxos partners with leading global enterprises to tokenize, custody, and trade assets. Its blockchain solutions are used by global leaders like PayPal, Interactive Brokers, Mastercard, Mercado Libre, and Nubank. Paxos is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYDFS and is the issuer of several digital assets, including PayPal USD (PYUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP), and Pax Gold (PAXG). Paxos International, an affiliate company, is the regulated issuer of the stablecoin Lift Dollar (USDL), and Paxos Singapore is the issuer of Global Dollar (USDG), powering the Global Dollar Network (GDN). Learn more at Paxos.

    About Global Dollar (USDG)
    Global Dollar (USDG) is a trusted U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd., which is subject to prudential oversight by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. USDG powers the Global Dollar Network, an enterprise-grade network of market leaders accelerating stablecoin adoption. For more information, visit Global Dollar.

    Disclaimer:
    Due to regulations and internal policies, the access to BitMart services is currently not available for users from the following countries and areas: Balkans, Cuba, Crimea, Iran, Liberia, North Korea, Syria, the State of New York, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) or Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), and Netherlands.

    Use of BitMart services is entirely at your own risk. All crypto investments, including earnings, are highly speculative in nature and involve substantial risk of loss. Past, hypothetical, or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

    The value of digital currencies can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk in buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal, or tax advice.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. and Royal Moroccan Armed Forces Launch African Lion 25 in Morocco

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    AFRICOM logo PNG_release thumbnail.png

    U.S. and Royal Moroccan Armed forces officially began the Morocco portion of African Lion 25, the largest annual joint military exercise on the African continent, with training events beginning this week across multiple regions of the Kingdom of Morocco.

    African Lion 25 (AL25) demonstrates the enduring strategic military partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States. The exercise features joint operations involving ground, air, and combined staff components, designed to strengthen regional security, promote interoperability, and build readiness across allied and partner forces.

    “Exercise African Lion 25 exemplifies the robust and enduring defense partnership between the United States and Morocco, showcasing our shared commitment to regional stability and security,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Seward Matwick, the defense attaché for U.S. Embassy Rabat. “Through this joint effort, we enhance our operational readiness and strengthen the bonds of cooperation with our Moroccan counterparts and other participating nations.”

    This year’s Morocco-based activities include field training exercises (FTX), a planning exercise (PLANEX), and live-fire drills, along with humanitarian and academic exchanges focused on enhancing multinational coordination and operational effectiveness. The Kingdom of Morocco is hosting the largest concentration of activities for this iteration of African Lion, reaffirming its role as a cornerstone of regional security cooperation.

    AL25 further deepens the U.S.-Morocco defense partnership through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The Utah National Guard—Morocco’s official state partner since 2003— will play a direct role in the humanitarian civic assistance exchange during this year’s exercise.

    AL25 serves as a practical demonstration of U.S. Africa Command’s (USAFRICOM) ability to project power across Africa. From strategic airlift to sustainment operations, the exercise tests and validates the Army’s expeditionary logistics network. 

    African Lion demonstrates our ability to project combat power across Africa,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Hannah K. Williams, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) G4 exercise chief. “The strategic lift, reception, and onward movement of forces and materiel required to support this exercise not only highlight our logistical capabilities, but also our commitment to global readiness. We don’t just move—we position ourselves to respond rapidly and decisively alongside our partners.”

    “Our logistics teams and Moroccan counterparts have developed a seamless working rhythm over the years,” added U.S. Army Maj. Jonathan F. Alvis, SETAF-AF logistics planner for AL25 in Morocco. “Exercises like African Lion show that we don’t just plan together, we solve problems together, under pressure and in real time.”

    Participating nations include Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Israel, Kenya, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

    “Morocco is a strategic partner that for the last 21 years has been the primary host for Exercise African Lion, their steadfast support, multinational inclusion, and unwavering support make the exercise successful year after year. They remain a vital and trusted partner in our shared pursuit of stability and security in the region,” said Eldridge Browne, Chief of Exercises for SETAF-AF. “African Lion showcases how we train, deploy, and operate together as a combined and joint all domain force.”

    AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, will take place from April 14 to May 23, 2025. Led by USAFRICOM with over 10,000 troops from more than 50 nations, including seven NATO allies, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. The exercise aims to bolster military readiness, enhance lethality, and foster stronger partnerships, ultimately improving joint capabilities in complex multi-domain environments to enable participating forces to deploy, fight, and win.

    For media inquiries or to request interviews or embed opportunities, contact:

    SETAF-AF Public Affairs: setaf_mediarelations@army.mil

    DVIDS Feature Page: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/AfricanLionEx

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The High Representative issued a statement on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2025/774 implementing Decision 2011/235/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump heads to the Gulf aiming to bolster trade ties – but side talks on Tehran, Gaza could drive a wedge between US and Israel

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

    President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman attend the G20 Summit in Japan in 2019. Eliot Blondet/AFP via Getty Images

    President Donald Trump will sit down with the Saudi crown prince and Emirati and Qatari leaders on May 14, 2025, in what is being heavily touted as a high-stakes summit. Not invited, and watching warily, will be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Like many other members of his right-wing coalition, Netanyahu appeared delighted at the election of Trump as U.S. president in November, believing that the Republican’s Middle East policies would undoubtedly favor Israeli interests and be coordinated closely with Netanyahu himself.

    But it hasn’t quite played out that way. Of course, Washington remains – certainly in official communications – Israel’s strongest global ally and chief supplier of arms. But Trump is promoting a Middle East policy that is, at times, distinctly at odds with the interests of Netanyahu and his government.

    In fact, in pushing for an Iran nuclear deal – a surprise reversal from Trump’s first administration – Trump is undermining long-held Netanyahu positions. Such is the level of alarm in Israeli right-wing circles that rumors have been circulating of Trump announcing unilateral U.S. support for a Palestinian state ahead of the Riyadh visit – something that would represent a clear departure for Washington.

    As a historian of Israel and the broader Middle East, I recognize that in key ways Trump’s agenda in Riyadh represents a continuation of the U.S. policies, notably in pursuing security relationships with Arab Gulf monarchies – something Israel has long accepted if not openly supported. But in the process, the trip could also put significant daylight between Trump and Netanyahu.

    Trump’s official agenda

    The four-day trip to the Gulf, Trump’s first policy-driven foreign visit since being elected president, is on the surface more about developing economic and security ties between the U.S. and traditional allies in the Persian Gulf.

    Trump is expected to cement trade deals worth tens of billions of dollars between the U.S. and Arab Gulf States, including unprecedented arms purchases, Gulf investments in the U.S. and even the floated Qatari gift of a palatial 747 intended for use as Air Force One.

    There is also the possibility of a security alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

    So far, so good for Israel’s government. Prior to the Oct. 7 attacks, Israel was already in the process of forging closer ties to the Gulf states, with deals and diplomatic relations established with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain through the Abraham Accords that the Trump administration itself facilitated in September 2020. A potential normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia was also in the offing.

    Dealing with Tehran

    But central to the agenda this week in Riyadh will be issues where Trump and Netanyahu are increasingly not on the same page. And that starts with Iran.

    While the country won’t be represented, Iran will feature heavily at Trump’s summit, as it coincides with the U.S. administration’s ongoing diplomatic talks with Tehran over its nuclear program. Those negotiations have now concluded four rounds. And despite clear challenges, American and Iranian delegations continue to project optimism about the possibility of reaching a deal.

    The approach marks a change of course for Trump, who in 2018 abandoned a similar deal to the one he is now largely looking to forge. It also suggests the U.S. is currently opposed to the idea of direct armed confrontation with Iran, against Netanayhu’s clear preference.

    Diplomacy with Tehran is also favored by Gulf states as a way of containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Even Saudi Arabia – Tehran’s long-term regional rival that, like Israel, opposed the Obama-era Iran nuclear diplomacy – is increasingly looking for a more cautious engagement with Iran. In April, the Saudi defense minister visited Tehran ahead of the recent U.S.-Iranian negotiations.

    Netanyahu has built his political career on the looming threat from a nuclearized Iran and the necessity to nip this threat in the bud. He unsuccessfully tried to undermine President Barack Obama’s initial efforts to reach an agreement with Iran – resulting in 2015’s Iran nuclear deal. But Netanyahu had more luck with Obama’s successor, helping convince Trump to withdraw from the agreement in 2018.

    So Trump’s about-turn on Iran talks has irked Netanyahu – not only because it happened, but because it happened so publicly. In April, the U.S. president called Netanyahu to the White House and openly embarrassed him by stating that Washington is pursuing diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.

    Split over Yemen

    A clear indication of the potential tension between the Trump administration and the Israeli government can be seen in the ongoing skirmishes involving the U.S., Israel and the Houthis in Yemen.

    After the Houthis fired a missile at the Tel Aviv airport on May 4 – leading to its closure and the cancellation of multiple international flights – Israel struck back, devastating an airport and other facilities in Yemen’s capital.

    But just a few hours after the Israeli attack, Trump announced that the U.S. would not strike the Houthis anymore, as they had “surrendered” to his demands and agreed not to block passage of U.S. ships in the Red Sea.

    It became clear that Israel was not involved in this new understanding between the U.S. and the Houthis. Trump’s statement was also notable in its timing, and could be taken as an effort to calm the region in preparation of his trip to Saudi Arabia. The fact that it might help smooth talks with Iran too – Tehran being the Houthis’ main sponsor – was likely a factor as well.

    Timing is also relevant in Israel’s latest attack on Yemeni ports. They took place on May 11 – the eve of Trump setting off for his visit to Saudi Arabia. In so doing, Netanyahu may be sending a signal not only to the Houthis but also to the U.S. and Iran. Continuing to attack the Houthis might make nuclear talks more difficult.

    Bibi’s political survival-first approach

    Critical observers of Netanyahu have long argued that he prioritizes continued war in Gaza over regional calm for the sake of holding together his far-right coalition, members of which desire full control of the Gaza Strip and de-facto annexation of the West Bank.

    Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns of the Iran nuclear threat at the United Nations in 2012.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    This, many political commentators have argued, is the main reason why Netanyahu backed off from the last stage of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in March – something which would have required the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.

    Since the collapse of the ceasefire, Israel’s army has mobilized in preparation for a renewed Gaza assault, scheduled to start after the end of Trump’s trip to the Gulf.

    With members of the Netanayhu government openly supporting the permanent occupation of the strip and declaring that bringing back the remaining Israeli hostages is no longer a top priority, it seems clear to me that deescalation is not on Netanyahu’s agenda.

    Trump himself has noted recently both the alarming state of the hostages and the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Now, in addition to the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, the U.S. is also engaged in negotiations with Hamas over ceasefire and aid – ignoring Netanyahu in the process.

    The bottom dollar

    Current U.S. policy in the region may all be serving a greater aim for Trump: to secure billions of dollars of Gulf money for the American economy and, some have said, himself. But to achieve that requires a stable Middle East, and continued war in Gaza and Iran inching closer to nuclear capabilities might disrupt that goal.

    Of course, a diplomatic agreement over Tehran’s nuclear plans is still some way off. And Trump’s foreign policy is notably prone to abrupt turns. But whether guided by a dealmaker’s instincts to pursue trade and economic deals with wealthy Gulf states, or by a genuine – and related – desire to stabilize the region, his administration is increasingly pursuing policies that go against the interests of the current Israeli government.

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

    – ref. Trump heads to the Gulf aiming to bolster trade ties – but side talks on Tehran, Gaza could drive a wedge between US and Israel – https://theconversation.com/trump-heads-to-the-gulf-aiming-to-bolster-trade-ties-but-side-talks-on-tehran-gaza-could-drive-a-wedge-between-us-and-israel-256371

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Integration processes in international trade and logistics discussed at conference in HSE

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    In the context of decoupling, Russia has become a center of attraction for Eurasian integration processes and can play a unifying role in the new multipolar world. This was discussed by participants and guests of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Dimensions of Eurasian Integration: Transport and Logistics, Energy and Food Security”, which was held Institute of State and Municipal Administration (IGMU) HSE University.

    The conference was attended by leaders of the domestic corporate sector, Russian and foreign industry experts and representatives of the diplomatic corps of friendly countries of the Arab East. Among the participating organizations were Russian Railways and Russian Railways Logistics, Russian Agricultural Bank, Renaissance Insurance, RusHydro and the Resource Group of Agricultural Enterprises, Sber and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage of the Sultanate of Oman, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Commission, and the International Research Institute for Management Problems.

    Director of the Irkutsk State Medical University of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Andrey Zhulin noted that it is now important to listen to and hear professionals in the field of public administration and public-private partnership. “This will allow us to analyze successful practices in the field of integration processes during a period of fundamental changes in international trade and logistics,” he emphasized.

    It is important that the conference is taking place at the Higher School of Economics. Over the past 30 years, it is the HSE, according to the director of the Irkutsk State Medical University, that has proven its importance for the national economy and has become a kind of assembly point for integration and management meanings.

    Russia is attracting the attention of politicians and market players with increasing intensity, noted in turn the director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the Irkutsk State Medical University of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, member of the Russian-Omani Business Council under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCI) Marat Zembatov. “Our country is called upon to play a unique unifying role – both as the center of gravity of Eurasia, and as a state-civilization with its own special economic and cultural structure, and as the center of the transport and logistics framework of the Eurasian economic space in the broad sense,” the expert said.

    He recalled that earlier in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In the coming days, the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran will come into force, and the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and this country has already been ratified. It is Moscow that is becoming the center of attraction for integration processes and the center for the formation of new integration meanings.

    During the expert discussion, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Yemen Ahmed Salem Al-Waheishi congratulated those gathered on the upcoming anniversary – the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and noted the invariably creative role of Russia in strengthening stability and ensuring food security in the Global South and Global East.

    The use of modern transport, logistics and digital technologies to ensure the growth of foreign trade, including in the direction of the Arab East, North and East Africa, according to the ambassador, have become key factors in the successful implementation of Russia’s unifying role in organizing the use of international transport corridors.

    Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Russian Federation Salum Hossam Eddin, who delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of Ambassador Ahmed Abdulrahman Al-Saati, stated that friendly relations between Russia and the countries of the Arab East will receive an additional boost this year: already in June, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Kingdom of Bahrain will be presented to participants as an honorary guest country.

    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 Asia-Pac: Speech by CE at “Partnering for Success – Hong Kong as a ‘Super Connector’ and ‘Super Value-adder’” High-level Business Luncheon in Qatar (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the “Partnering for Success – Hong Kong as a ‘Super Connector’ and ‘Super Value-adder’” High-level Business Luncheon in Qatar today (May 12):

    Honourable Ambassador Cao Xiaolin (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Qatar), Your Excellency Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari (Minister of Finance of Qatar), Your Excellency Mohammed (Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, Mr Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Malki), Your Excellency Sheikh Khalifa (Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani), Your Excellency Sheikh Ali (Chief Executive Officer of Investment Promotion Agency Qatar, Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani), Your Excellency Sheikh Faisal (Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends from Qatar, 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: BOS Secures Orders for Two New Robotic Packing and Palletizing Systems from Food Manufacturing Customers in Israel

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RISHON LE ZION, Israel, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd. (“BOS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BOSC), an integrator of supply chain technologies, is pleased to announce that it has secured new orders from two food manufacturing customers for automated end-of-line systems.

    The orders, which will be installed at manufacturing sites in Israel and represent a combined value of approximately $270,000, are the result of close collaboration between BOS’s RFID and Intelligent Robotics divisions to provide a fully integrated solution.

    The systems leverage BOS’s expertise in end-of-line automation for critical yet repetitive tasks such as automatic carton erection, robotic enabled printing and attaching of labels, automatic box sealing and robotic arm palletizing of boxes for bulk shipment.

    Eyal Cohen, CEO of BOS, stated, “End-of-line processes are a major bottleneck in production and often involve extensive manual labor. Automating these processes is crucial as manufacturers seek to increase capacity and reliability, especially in regions where workforce availability may be limited.

    “Each of these orders is from a customer with multiple sites, which we hope will lead to additional opportunities to implement these same end-of-line solutions to enhance operating efficiency and reduce costs in their other facilities.”

    BOS will report its first quarter 2025 results on May 29, 2025.

    About BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd.

    BOS integrates cutting-edge technologies to streamline and enhance supply chain operations across three specialized divisions:

    • Intelligent Robotics Division: Automates industrial and logistics inventory processes through advanced robotics technologies, improving efficiency and precision.
    • RFID Division: Optimizes inventory management with state-of-the-art solutions for marking and tracking, ensuring real-time visibility and control.
    • Supply Chain Division: Integrates franchised components directly into customer products, meeting their evolving needs for developing innovative solutions.

    For more information on BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd., visit boscom.com

    Safe Harbor Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    The forward-looking statements contained herein reflect management’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of BOS. These risk factors and uncertainties include, amongst others, the dependency of sales being generated from one or few major customers, changes in trade policies and tariffs, the uncertainty of BOS being able to maintain current gross profit margins, inability to keep up with or ahead of technology and to succeed in a highly competitive industry, inability to maintain marketing and distribution arrangements and to expand our overseas markets, uncertainty with respect to the prospects of legal claims against BOS, the effect of exchange rate fluctuations, general worldwide economic conditions, the effect of the war against the Hamas and other parties in the region, the continued availability of financing for working capital purposes and to refinance outstanding indebtedness; and additional risks and uncertainties detailed in BOS’ periodic reports and registration statements filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. BOS undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

    For additional information, contact:

    Matt Kreps, Managing Director
    Darrow Associates
    +1-214-597-8200
    mkreps@darrowir.com

    Eyal Cohen, CEO
    +972-542525925
    eyalc@boscom.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d18ba59c-1adf-4773-911b-bae9456c2a5b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From defenders to skeptics: The sharp decline in young Americans’ support for free speech

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jacob Mchangama, Research Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech, Vanderbilt University

    Support among young people for allowing controversial or offensive speech has dropped sharply. J Studios/Getty Images

    For much of the 20th century, young Americans were seen as free speech’s fiercest defenders. But now, young Americans are growing more skeptical of free speech.

    According to a March 2025 report by The Future of Free Speech, a nonpartisan think tank where I am executive director, support among 18- to 34-year-olds for allowing controversial or offensive speech has dropped sharply in recent years.

    In 2021, 71% of young Americans said people should be allowed to insult the U.S. flag, which is a key indicator of support for free speech, no matter how distasteful. By 2024, that number had fallen to just 43% – a 28-point drop. Support for pro‑LGBTQ+ speech declined by 20 percentage points, and tolerance for speech that offends religious beliefs fell by 14 points.

    This drop contributed to the U.S. having the third-largest decline in free speech support among the 33 countries that The Future of Free Speech surveyed – behind only Japan and Israel.

    Why has this support diminished so dramatically?

    Shift from past generations

    In the 1960s, college students led what was called the free speech movement, demanding the right to speak freely about political matters on campus, often clashing with older, more censorious generations.

    Sociologist Jean Twenge has tracked changes in attitudes using data from the General Social Survey, a biennial survey conducted by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.

    Since the 1970s, this survey has asked Americans whether controversial figures – racists, communists and anti-religionists – should be allowed to speak. Support for such rights generally increased from the Greatest Generation, born between 1900-1924, to Gen X, born between 1965-1979.

    But Gen Z, those born between 1995-2004, has reversed that trend. Despite the fact that the Cold War, which pitted the communist Soviet Union and its allies against the democratic West, ended more than three decades ago, even support for the free speech rights of communists has declined.

    Political drift and cultural realignment

    At the same time, some data suggests that young Americans may be drifting rightward politically.

    A Harvard Institute of Politics poll in late 2024 found that men ages 18–24 now identify as slightly more conservative than those ages 25–29. Another Gallup survey showed that Gen Z teens are twice as likely as millennials to describe themselves as more conservative than their parents were at the same age.

    This shift may help explain changes in speech attitudes.

    Today’s young Americans may be less likely to instinctively defend speech aligned with liberal or progressive causes. For example, support among 18- to 29-year-olds for same-sex marriage, generally considered a liberal or progressive cause, fell from 79% in 2018 to 71% in 2022, according to Pew Research.

    Attitudes toward hate speech

    The Future of Free Speech study found that younger Americans are especially hesitant to defend speech that offends minority groups.

    Only 47% of those ages 18 to 34 said such speech should be allowed, compared with 70% of those over 55.

    Similarly, tolerance for religiously offensive speech was 57% among younger respondents, down from 71% in 2021.

    This concern over harmful or bigoted speech is not new. A 2015 Pew survey found that 40% of millennials believed the government should be able to prevent offensive speech about minorities.

    More recently, a 2024 report by the nonpartisan free speech advocacy group FIRE found that 70% of U.S. college students supported disinviting speakers perceived as bigoted. Over a quarter said violence could be acceptable to stop campus speech in some cases.

    Broader implications

    Why does this matter?

    The First Amendment protects unpopular speech. It does not just shield offensive ideas, but it safeguards movements that once seemed fringe. Whether it’s civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights or anti-war protests, history shows that ideas seen as dangerous or radical in one era often become widely accepted in another.

    Today’s younger Americans will soon shape policies in universities, media, government, tech and the public square. If a growing share believes speech should be regulated to prevent offense, that could signal a shift in how free speech is interpreted and enforced in American institutions.

    To be sure, support for free speech in principle remains strong. The Future of Free Speech report found that 89% of Americans said people should be allowed to criticize government policy. But tolerance for more provocative or offensive speech appears to be eroding, especially among young people.

    This raises questions about whether these changes reflect a life-stage effect − will today’s young people become more speech-tolerant as they age? Or are we seeing a deeper generational shift?

    The data suggests Americans across all generations still value free speech. But for younger Americans, especially, that support seems increasingly conditional.

    Jacob Mchangama receives funding from The John Templeton Foundation. He is affiliated with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

    – ref. From defenders to skeptics: The sharp decline in young Americans’ support for free speech – https://theconversation.com/from-defenders-to-skeptics-the-sharp-decline-in-young-americans-support-for-free-speech-254953

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PSNA says broadcast ruling a warning to NZ news media to be wary of ‘Israeli propaganda’

    Asia Pacific Report

    A decision by the Broadcasting Standards Authority to uphold a complaint against a 1News broadcast last November is a warning to news media, says the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

    The authority ruled that a TVNZ news item on violence in Amsterdam in the Netherlands breached BSA rules.

    1News described violence in the streets of Amsterdam on November 7 and 8 following a soccer match as “disturbing” and ‘antisemitic’ and stated the graphic video of beatings were Maccabi Tel Aviv fans under attack just for being Jewish.

    Videographers who took the footage which 1News had used, complained to their news agencies that this description was wrong. The violence had been perpetrated by the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans against those they suspected of being Arab or supporters of Palestine.

    The visiting Israelis were the attackers — not the victims, said the PSNA statement, as widely reported by global media correcting initial reports.

    Before the match these same Maccabi fans had gathered in large groups to chant “Death to Arabs” — a racist genocidal chant which if used with the races reversed (“Arabs” replaced by Jews”) “would have been rightly condemned in purple prose by Western news media such as TVNZ”, said PSNA co-chair John Minto in the statement.

    “But no such sympathy for Palestinians or Arabs,” he added.

    Requested broadcast correction
    PSNA said in its statement that it had immediately requested that TVNZ broadcast a correction. TVNZ refused, though admitting they had got the story wrong.

    PSNA then referred a complaint to the BSA which upheld the complaint as failing to meet the accuracy standard.

    Minto said in the statement that the BSA decision should be seen as a warning to news media to be aware that Israel was using “fabricated charges of antisemitism, to justify and divert attention from its genocide in Gaza and silence its critics”.

    “Just because [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and the then US President Joe Biden made statements turning Amsterdam attackers into victims, doesn’t mean TVNZ news should automatically parrot them,” Minto said.

    “That’s effectively what the BSA concluded.”


    Framing violence: How Israel shaped the narrative and the impact on Dutch politics   Video: Al Jazeera

    Minto also pointed to what he called a recent fabricated hysteria about antisemitism in Sydney, which the New South Wales police found to be completely based on hoaxes by a criminal gang.

    “In the US, Trump is using the same charge as an excuse to close down university courses and expel anyone who protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza,” Minto said.

    “Of course, we strongly condemn the real antisemitism of anti-Jewish, Nazi-type Islamophobic groups,” Minto says.

    Call for media ‘self education’
    “It should be easy for professional reporters and editors to tell the difference between criticism of Israeli apartheid, ethnic cleansing and violence on one hand, and on the other hand Nazis and their fellow travellers who condemn Jews because they are Jews.

    “The BSA is, in effect, demanding the news media educate themselves.”

    In a half-hour report on 16 November 2024 headlined “Media bias, inaccuracy and the violence in Amsterdam”, Al Jazeera’s global mediawatch programme The Listening Post said “one night of violence revealed … Western media’s failings on Israel and Palestine”.

    “In the wake of an ugly eruption of violence on the streets of Amsterdam, the media coverage of the story [was] put under the microscope with editors scrambling to revise headlines, rework narratives, and reframe video content.”

    In an investigative documentary, The Full Report, on 22 January 2025, Al Jazeera’s Dutch correspondent Step Vaessen reported how Israel had framed the violence, shaped the narrative, manipulated the global media, and impacted on Dutch politics.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Hamas announces decision to release hostage with dual citizenship

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    GAZA, May 12 (Xinhua) — The Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of the Hamas movement, said Monday it would release Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli citizen, who is being held in the Gaza Strip.

    A spokesman for the group, Abu Obeida, said in a brief statement that the decision had been made by the group’s leadership, without providing further details about the release.

    A senior Hamas official and head of the group’s negotiating team, Khalil al-Haya, said on Sunday that the group would release E. Alexander as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire and reopen border crossings for humanitarian aid.

    He said Hamas had been in contact with the US administration in recent days and had shown a “positive attitude” toward mediation efforts.

    The decision by Hamas came nearly a month after the movement said it had lost contact with the group guarding E. Alexander following Israeli strikes on their location.

    E. Alexander was captured on October 7, 2023. He is believed to be the last living American hostage held in Gaza. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Netanyahu’s occupation plan for Gaza means more suffering for Palestinians and less security for Israel

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Julie M. Norman, Senior Associate Fellow on the Middle East at RUSI; Associate Professor in Politics & International Relations, UCL

    Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared on May 5 that his government intends to intensify military operations and indefinitely reoccupy Gaza. The announcement has dashed hopes for a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

    The plan, which was unanimously approved by Israel’s security cabinet, includes displacing Gaza’s 2.1 million inhabitants to a single “humanitarian area” on less than a quarter of Gaza’s territory. This will result in Palestinians leaving “in great numbers to third countries”, said Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

    It is tempting to view the plan as another move by Netanyahu to placate the hard-right members of his coalition. It can also be viewed as a pressure tactic on Hamas – a threat to force the militant group to agree to a short-term ceasefire ahead of the visit of the US president, Donald Trump, to the Middle East from May 13.

    However, Netanyahu’s announcement is much more than rhetorical sabre-rattling. Israel’s recent operations in Gaza indicate that the plan should be taken literally and seriously. Since March, when the war in Gaza resumed following a temporary ceasefire, Israel has declared about 70% of the enclave either a military “red zone” or under evacuation.

    The new plan affirms what many have long feared: that expanding territorial control is not merely a short-term military tactic but a long-term occupation. In my view, this will only bring more suffering for Palestinians, less security for Israel, and more instability to the region.

    The humanitarian crisis in Gaza cannot be overstated. Many observers have described the current situation as the worst of any time during the past 18 months.

    The flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza has been politicised and widely criticised throughout the war, often slowing to a trickle. However, at least some aid trucks were allowed to pass into the Strip from late October 2023, shortly after the war began. This was followed by a surge of aid during the ceasefire in January and February 2025.

    But no food, fuel or medicines have entered Gaza since early March. This has led to near-famine conditions and the breakdown of the few remaining healthcare services.

    Israel’s proposed plan would forcibly move Gazans, nearly all of whom have already been displaced multiple times, into militarised “sterile zones” in the south. Humanitarian aid would be managed there by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and private US companies.

    UN agencies and international NGOs operating in Gaza have rejected this plan as contravening humanitarian principles. They have likened it to “de facto internment conditions”.

    Complicating Israeli security

    Deteriorating humanitarian conditions, combined with further displacement, will only create more security challenges for Israel. Entrenched occupation fuels armed resistance and further mobilises insurgency.

    The US saw this following its 2003 invasion of Iraq, which resulted in over 8,000 US military personnel and contractors being killed. Israel has repeatedly faced the rise of armed militant groups in response to prolonged military occupations in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.

    Hamas has already dismissed further ceasefire talks in the wake of the new plan, and the group is seemingly having no trouble recruiting new members to its military wing. This has ensured a costly deployment for IDF ground troops.

    It goes without saying that Hamas should release all of the remaining hostages – and should have done so long ago. But Hamas now sees little incentive to do so when Israeli ministers are calling for what appears to be the complete destruction of Gaza, with or without a hostage release.

    A renewed occupation of Gaza will also further complicate regional dynamics. Arab states that have promised billions of dollars for Gaza’s reconstruction, alongside a credible plan for a two-state solution, will balk at subsidising Israeli military control.

    The stalled US-backed normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which has long been sought both by the Trump and Biden administrations, will probably be pushed even further back. It may even be abandoned entirely if Israel retrenches in Gaza.

    And any US involvement in Israel’s new Gaza plan could complicate negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has already accused Netanyahu of dragging the US into a “disaster” in the Middle East by “attempting to brazenly dictate” what Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran.

    But perhaps most importantly, the reoccupation of Gaza – coupled with incursions, annexations and settlement expansion in the West Bank – communicates in no uncertain terms that the Israeli government is torpedoing any pathway to a two-state solution.

    This has long been clear to Palestinians and many onlookers. Most realists accepted that any moves towards Palestinian self-determination would be non-starters in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks on southern Israel.

    However, Israel’s friends in the international community, especially in Europe, have been holding on to the hope that Israel would eventually come back to the two-state framework. This latest plan calls their bluff.

    France and the UK are already in discussion about possibly recognising Palestine as a state at a conference in June. The UK has long preferred recognition as part of a peace process towards two states, rather than a symbolic gesture.

    But a retrenched “capture” of Gaza, combined with another massive civilian displacement, may speed up serious consideration of this recognition – while there is still Palestinian territory left to recognise.

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

    – ref. Netanyahu’s occupation plan for Gaza means more suffering for Palestinians and less security for Israel – https://theconversation.com/netanyahus-occupation-plan-for-gaza-means-more-suffering-for-palestinians-and-less-security-for-israel-256254

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Beamr Issues Q1-2025 CEO Letter to Shareholders: Experiencing Rising Demand for Our Technology Across Key Verticals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    In Q1 2025, Beamr expanded sales pipelines amid growing traction from large-scale prospects, engaged in major industry events, and continued innovation in cloud and product offerings

    Herzliya, Israel, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beamr Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today issued a Letter to Shareholders from Sharon Carmel, Chief Executive Officer.

    Dear Shareholders:

    I am pleased to share with you our Q1-2025 activities, progress, and other recent updates, including the expansion of our sales initiatives, supported by growing traction from large-scale prospective customers, participation in leading industry events where we engaged with hundreds of attendees, and continued advancement of our strategic partnerships.

    Q1 2025 Highlights  – Capitalizing on Market Validation:

    Scaling Our Sales Pipelines

    Beamr’s value proposition continues to gain traction across verticals where video is central to business activity and its usage is growing rapidly. Our technology addresses critical challenges associated with large-scale video workflows, including storage, networking, and operational efficiency. These challenges are particularly acute in markets such as media and entertainment, user-generated content, and machine learning sectors, including internet-of-things and autonomous vehicles.

    During Q1 2025 and into early Q2 2025, Beamr expanded its sales team by adding two U.S.-based sales managers to strengthen outreach and responsiveness in our key geographic market. The company’s executives and sales directors conducted more than 130 face-to-face meetings with existing and prospective customers, as well as strategic partners. A significant portion of these meetings took place at three premier industry events: ACM Mile-High-Video 2025, NVIDIA GTC 2025, and the NAB Show 2025. During these engagements, Beamr showcased its high-quality, high-performance, GPU-accelerated video solutions, enabling efficient AI-powered video enhancements. 

    In the coming months, we aim to build on the expanding sales pipeline and growing industry recognition. We anticipate significant revenue growth in 2025, driven by the momentum established in customer and prospect engagements and continued implementation of our go-to-market strategy.

    Amazon Web Services – ISV Accelerate

    In Q1 2025, Beamr joined the AWS ISV Accelerate program, a global co-sell initiative for Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners, offering key benefits to drive visibility and co-selling opportunities. As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) in the program, Beamr demonstrates strong alignment with AWS’s go-to-market strategies and initiatives. Beamr had progressed from listing on AWS Marketplace to becoming an ISV Accelerate Member in just three months.

    AI Video Webinar

    In January 2025, Beamr hosted a webinar titled: “The Future of AI Video – From Infrastructure to Experience”. The webinar featured Richard Kerris, VP of Media and Entertainment at NVIDIA, Jeffrey Schick, VP Strategic Client Engagement Media and Entertainment at Oracle and myself. 

    Participating in Premier Industry Events

    ACM Mile-High-Video 2025

    In February 2025, I delivered a keynote speech at the ACM Mile-High-Video 2025 conference, held in Denver, Colorado, titled “Is the future of video processing destined for GPU.” The conference is a flagship video formats and streaming event that is geared towards practicing engineers in areas related to media compression and streaming. 

    NVIDIA GTC 2025

    In March 2025, I presented a session showcasing how AI algorithms reshape video quality and usability and improve the efficiency of video workflows, at NVIDIA GTC in San Jose, California. The session attracted more than 430 attendees.

    Beamr CEO Sharon Carmel presenting at NVIDIA GTC 

    NAB Show 2025

    In April, 2025, Beamr participated in the NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada where we presented our solution for scalable, high-quality video content upgrade to the advanced AV1 codec. Our offering, paired with a simple, competitive pricing plan, addresses key adoption barriers to AV1, and received the NAB Show Product of the Year award. As part of the event, I delivered a presentation at the AWS theater and participated in a panel at the Oracle streaming summit. 

    Beamr’s AV1 solution wins the NAB Show Product of the Year award

    In February 2025, Beamr presented at the A.G.P.’s Virtual Technology Conference, and in March 2025 participated in the Loop Capital Markets 2025 Investor Conference. This month, we will participate in the Ladenburg Thalmann Technology Innovation Expo in New York and participate virtually in the Needham Technology, Media & Consumer 1×1 Conference.

    In January 2025, I was interviewed for the Wall Street Resource Podcast (Listen to the full interview here), after an interview at Nasdaq as part of their Amplify Spotlight interview series in December 2024 (Watch the full interview here).

                                  
    Developing the Beamr Cloud and Product Offering

    In recent months, we enhanced our SaaS, Beamr Cloud, with new capabilities addressing evolving needs of customers and prospects, including:

    • Increasing subjective and objective video quality.
    • A competitive, flexible pricing model with tiered, minutes-based plans that support video business growth, offered alongside storage-based pricing tailored to companies with heavy video usage.
    • A “Playground” designed to provide new users with an engaging and intuitive experience for evaluating Beamr’s services.

    Beamr GPU-accelerated, high-quality, and scalable video solutions extend beyond Beamr Cloud to include offerings on our partner cloud platforms, AWS and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), private cloud and enterprise-tailored deployments with improved security and privacy, and on-premises deployments.

    Strengthening the Beamr Team

    To support our expanding research and development, sales and marketing initiatives, we hired six new team members across our offices in Herzliya, Serbia and the US, during Q1 2025 and early Q2 2025. New hires include engineers, a product growth lead, and directors of sales.
        
    Financial highlights*

    During the three month period ended March 31, 2025, we generated approximately $0.63M in revenue, compared with $0.41M in the three months ended March 31, 2024, representing a 55% year over year increase, which was primarily attributable to the earlier recognition of a significant legacy license renewal in Q1-2025 that was previously renewed in Q2-2024. Our balance sheet remains strong with $15.2M of cash and cash equivalents, as of March 31, 2025.
        
    The first quarter of 2025 marked a strong start to the year, with multiple opportunities to present our vision and showcase our technology and solutions to hundreds of professionals and executives in the video industry across multiple verticals. We continue to see growing interest in our offerings, highlighting both rising demand and expanding market validation. Notably, we believe that increased engagement from larger industry players signals a promising outlook for the company’s business development in the months ahead. We remain focused on implementing our vision and believe that Beamr will continue to capitalize on the significant validation that we have been creating as we convert prospects in the sales funnel into significant revenue growth in the coming quarters.

    Respectfully,

    Sharon Carmel
    Chief Executive Officer, Beamr Imaging Ltd.

    About Beamr

    Beamr (Nasdaq: BMR) is a world leader in content-adaptive video optimization, trusted by top media companies, including Netflix and Paramount. Beamr’s perceptual optimization technology (CABR) is backed by 53 patents and an Emmy® Award for Technology and Engineering winner. The innovative technology reduces video file size by up to 50% while guaranteeing quality.

    Beamr Cloud is a high-performance, GPU-accelerated video optimization and modernization service designed for businesses and video professionals across diverse industries. It is conveniently available to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) customers. Beamr Cloud enables high-performance, cost-effective video modernization to advanced formats, such as AV1, and efficient AI-powered enhancements.

    For more details, please visit www.beamr.com or the investors’ website www.investors.beamr.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about Beamr’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property or product and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition, including its expectations for significant revenue growth in 2025. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

    Investor Contact:
    investorrelations@beamr.com

    * This unaudited preliminary financial information regarding our revenues for the three months and quarter ended March 31, 2025, is based upon our estimates and subject to completion of our quarter-end financial results. Moreover, this financial information has been prepared solely on the basis of currently available information by, and is the responsibility of, management. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not audited, reviewed or performed any procedures with respect to such preliminary estimates or the accounting treatment thereof and does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. This preliminary financial information is not a comprehensive statement of our financial results for this period.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gilat Expands and Adds to its ESA Antenna Portfolio with a Successful Test Flight of ESR-2030Ku on Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Network

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PETAH TIKVA, Israel, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, announced today the successful completion of a series of test flights featuring its ESR-2030Ku electronically steered antenna (ESA). Conducted in collaboration with Gogo, which will be the exclusive distributor of the antenna for the business aviation and defense markets, the tests demonstrated outstanding performance of the ESA on the OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network.

    The ESR-2030Ku—designed for mobility and engineered for efficiency—delivered full-duplex connectivity with throughput of 195 Mbps downlink and 32 Mbps uplink. The terminal remained stable and reliable throughout the tests, even in demanding performance scenarios.

    “We are extremely pleased with the results of these flight tests,” said Hagay Katz, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Gilat. “With the superior performance of the ESR-2030Ku, we are expanding our portfolio of market-leading electronically steered antennas, which now includes both the ESR-2030Ku and the Stellar Blu Sidewinder. This achievement positions Gilat to capitalize on the fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar market for LEO-based ESA solutions in the Defense and In-Flight Connectivity sectors.”

    The ESR-2030Ku is a unique compact and low-power full-duplex aero ESA built for the OneWeb network. Production hardware delivery to support customer STCs is expected later in 2025.

    About Gilat

    Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT) is a leading global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. With over 35 years of experience, we develop and deliver deep technology solutions for satellite, ground, and new space connectivity, offering next-generation solutions and services for critical connectivity across commercial and defense applications. We believe in the right of all people to be connected and are united in our resolution to provide communication solutions to all reaches of the world.

    Together with our wholly owned subsidiaries—Gilat Wavestream, Gilat DataPath, and Gilat Stellar Blu—we offer integrated, high-value solutions supporting multi-orbit constellations, Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS), and Software-Defined Satellites (SDS) via our Commercial and Defense Divisions. Our comprehensive portfolio is comprised of a cloud-based platform and modems; high-performance satellite terminals; advanced Satellite On-the-Move (SOTM) antennas and ESAs; highly efficient, high-power Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) and Block Upconverters (BUC) and includes integrated ground systems for commercial and defense markets, field services, network management software, and cybersecurity services.

    Gilat’s products and tailored solutions support multiple applications including government and defense, IFC and mobility, broadband access, cellular backhaul, enterprise, aerospace, broadcast, and critical infrastructure clients all while meeting the most stringent service level requirements. For more information, please visit: http://www.gilat.com

    Certain statements made herein that are not historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Gilat to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, inability to maintain market acceptance to Gilat’s products, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, rapid changes in the market for Gilat’s products, loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, inability to manage growth and expansion, loss of key OEM partners, inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, inability to protect the Company’s proprietary technology and risks associated with Gilat’s international operations and its location in Israel, including those related to the terrorist attacks by Hamas, and the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah. For additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties associated with Gilat’s business, reference is made to Gilat’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

    Contact:

    Gilat Satellite Networks
    Hagay Katz, Chief Product and Marketing Officer
    hagayk@gilat.com

    Alliance Advisors:

    GilatIR@allianceadvisors.com
    Phone: +1 212 838 3777

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Otago academics plan declaration on Palestine to ‘face daily horrors’

    Asia Pacific Report

    A group of New Zealand academics at Otago University have drawn up a “Declaration on Palestine” against genocide, apartheid and scholasticide of Palestinians by Israel that has illegally occupied their indigenous lands for more than seven decades.

    The document, which had already drawn more than 300 signatures from staff, students and alumni by the weekend, will be formally adopted at a congress of the Otago Staff for Justice in Palestine (OSJP) group on Thursday.

    “At a time when our universities, our public institutions and our political leaders are silent in the face of the daily horrors we are shown from illegally-occupied Palestine, this declaration is an act of solidarity with our Palestinian whānau,” declared Professor Richard Jackson from Te Ao O Rongomaraeroa — The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.

    “It expresses the brutal truth of what is currently taking place in Palestine, as well as our commitment to international law and human rights, and our social responsibilities as academics.

    “We hope the declaration will be an inspiration to others and a call to action at a moment when the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is accelerating at an alarming rate.”

    Scholars and students at the university had expressed concern that they did not want to be teaching or learning about the Palestinian genocide in future courses on the history of the Palestinian people, Professor Jackson said.

    Nor did they want to feel ashamed when they were asked what they did while the genocide was taking place.

    ‘Collective moral courage’
    “Signing up to the declaration represents an act of individual and collective moral courage, and a public commitment to working to end the genocide.”

    In an interview with the Otago Daily Times published at the weekend, Professor Jackson said boycotting academic ties with Israel was among the measures included in a declaration.

    The declaration commits its signatories to an academic boycott as part of the wider Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanction (BDS) campaign “until such time as Palestinians enjoy freedom from genocide, apartheid and scholasticide”, they had national self-determination and full and complete enjoyment of human rights, as codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    The declaration says that given the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled there is a “plausible” case that Israel has been committing genocide, and that all states that are signatory to the Genocide Convention must take all necessary measures to prevent acts of genocide, the signatories commit themselves to an academic boycott.

    BDS is a campaign, begun in 2005, to promote economic, social and cultural boycotts of the Israeli government, Israeli companies and companies that support Israel, in an effort to end the occupation of Palestinian territories and win equal rights for Palestinian citizens within Israel.

    It draws inspiration from South African anti-apartheid campaigns and the United States civil rights movement.

    The full text of the declaration:

    The Otago Declaration on the Situation in Palestine

    We, the staff, students and graduates, being members of the University of Otago, make the following declaration.

    We fully and completely recognise that:
    – The Palestinian people have a right under international law to national self-determination;
    – The Palestinians have the right to security and the full enjoyment of all human and social rights as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

    And furthermore that:
    – Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinian nation, according to experts, official bodies, international lawyers and human rights organisations;
    – Israel operates a system of apartheid in the territories it controls, and denies the full expression and enjoyment of human rights to Palestinians, according to international courts, human rights organisations, legal and academic experts;
    – Israel is committing scholasticide, thereby denying Palestinians their right to education;

    We recognise that:
    – Given the International Court of Justice has ruled that there is a plausible case that Israel has been committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, that all states that are signatory to the Genocide Convention, which includes Aotearoa New Zealand, have a responsibility to take all necessary measures to prevent acts of genocide;

    We also acknowledge that as members of a public institution with educational responsibilities:
    – We hold a legal and ethical responsibility to act as critic and conscience of society, both individually as members of the University and collectively as a social institution;
    – We have a responsibility to follow international law and norms and to act in an ethical manner in our personal and professional endeavours;
    – We hold an ethical responsibility to act in solidarity with oppressed and disadvantaged people, including those who struggle against settler colonial regimes or discriminatory apartheid systems and the harmful long-term effects of colonisation;
    – We owe a responsibility to fellow educators who are victimised by apartheid and scholasticide;

    Therefore, we, the under-signed, do solemnly commit ourselves to:
    – Uphold the practices, standards and ethics of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign in terms of investment and procurement as called for by Palestinian civil society and international legal bodies; until such time as Palestinians enjoy freedom from genocide, apartheid and scholasticide, national self-determination and full and complete enjoyment of human rights, as codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    – Adopt as part of the BDS campaign an Academic Boycott, as called for by Palestinian civil society and international legal bodies; until such time as Palestinians enjoy freedom from genocide, apartheid and scholasticide, national self-determination and full and complete enjoyment of human rights, as codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    • The Otago Declaration congress meeting will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 12 noon at the Museum Lawn, Dunedin.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cultural Marathon at the Polytechnic: Foreign Students Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Preparatory Faculty

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    In honor of the 60th anniversary of the preparatory faculty of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, a series of events dedicated to the history and culture of our country were held for foreign students.

    20 best students from Angola, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Yemen, China, Myanmar, Palestine, Turkmenistan and Turkey went to a three-day cultural and educational intensive course “Polytechnic in History and Culture” at the Kholomki estate. The guys immersed themselves in the atmosphere of Russian estate life in a historical complex associated with the name of the first director of the Polytechnic – Prince Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin.

    The participants not only learned about the life of the prince and the fate of his estate, but also visited Gagarin’s grave in the village of Belskoye Ustye, paying tribute to the memory of the university’s founder.

    This brought us even closer together! Thank you for the opportunity to relax, find friends and celebrate the faculty anniversary, – shared Mustafa Rozyev from Turkmenistan.

    The educational program was prepared by teachers of the Higher School of International Educational Programs (HSIEEP). There were team-building trainings, quizzes on Russian history and modern culture, and a volleyball match, where international student teams competed with teachers. Indian student Gupta Purvi remembered volleyball the most: It was fun and adventurous, and the teachers were as passionate as we were.

    Jonathan Abel from Indonesia admitted that he especially enjoyed the night songs around the campfire under the starry sky: The teachers sang so beautifully that even those who did not know the words joined in with the melodies.

    Yemeni student Al-Falah Naif expressed his delight poetically: Nature whispered its secrets to us… These days will become a page in my future novel.

    Before returning to St. Petersburg, the group honored the memory of the victims of Nazism at the Dulag 100 memorial near Porkhov, where a transit camp was located during the war. The children were reminded that this year Russia solemnly celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    Another group of students from Mexico, China, Turkmenistan, France, Thailand and Slovakia visited the State Museum of the History of Religion. They began their journey with the halls of Christian symbols, where guides gave detailed information about ancient icons, church utensils and the history of Orthodoxy in Russia. Rare exhibits, such as a reconstruction of a 17th-century altar with preserved frescoes, attracted special attention. In the Catholicism department, the participants learned about the connection between European religious traditions and Russian culture.

    Students from Turkmenistan particularly noted the halls dedicated to Islam.

    It’s unexpected to see familiar religious symbols in Russia, it brings us even closer together,” shared Matyakub Yusupov.

    The events not only strengthened intercultural ties, but also became a bridge between the past and present of the Polytechnic University, reminding us of its rich heritage, and helped to form a sense of belonging to the cultural heritage. The organizers are confident that such projects help foreign students to understand Russia more deeply and feel part of a large university family.

    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 Europe: Written question – Statements by the President of Azerbaijan on achieving international recognition of the pseudo-state through the Organization of Turkic States – E-001683/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001683/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Loucas Fourlas (PPE)

    In a recent video from an international forum entitled ‘Facing the New World Order’, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expresses clear support for the pseudo-state in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus. He argues that international recognition of this illegal arrangement will be achieved through the support of the Organization of Turkic States. These statements are serious cause for concern, as they run counter to international law, UN Security Council resolutions and the standing positions of the European Union on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU Member State.

    In light of the above, can the Commission say:

    • 1.How does it assess President Aliyev’s statements in the light of EU-Azerbaijan relations?
    • 2.Does it intend to demand formal explanations from the Azerbaijani authorities?

    Submitted: 28.4.2025

    Last updated: 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Plenary round-up – May I 2025 – 08-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Highlights of the May I 2025 plenary session included the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, and Parliament statements on freedom, democracy and security as Europe’s heritage. Parliament also observed a minute of silence in memory of the late Pope Francis. Members held several debates on Council and Commission statements: on European Union support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine; a unified EU response to unjustified US trade measures; and preparation of the EU-UK summit. Debates also followed statements by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, on protecting Greenland’s right to decide its own future and maintain the rules-based world order, and an urgent assessment of the applicability of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba. A debate also took place on President Erdoğan’s illegal visit to the occupied areas of Cyprus. Members also debated Council and Commission statements on the resilience and interconnection of energy grid infrastructure in the EU; high retail food prices; Malta’s ‘golden passport’ scheme; the fine against TikTok and citizens’ rights on social media platforms; EU action on treating and preventing diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular neurological diseases and measles.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Visits Turkey

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    ANKARA, May 12 (Xinhua) — Xiao Jie, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, led a delegation to visit Turkey from May 8 to 11.

    During the visit, Xiao Jie held talks with Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş and Vice Speaker Bekir Bozdag, and also met with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz.

    Xiao Jie noted that bilateral relations have been developing steadily under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, and cooperation in various fields is in full swing.

    He stressed that China is willing to work with Turkey to implement the consensus reached by the heads of the two states, strengthen inter-parliamentary exchanges, deepen political trust and promote cooperation for the long-term development of China-Turkey relations.

    The vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee also briefed the Turkish side on China’s latest political and economic achievements, including the results of the 3rd Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee) and the 3rd Session of the 14th NPC.

    Turkish officials praised the friendly relations between the two countries and expressed appreciation for China’s development achievements, stressing that Türkiye attaches great importance to developing relations with China in the current international situation.

    Turkish officials reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle and expressed their willingness to expand high-level and legislative exchanges with China, deepen practical cooperation, and promote bilateral relations to a new level. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • India and UAE deepen cybersecurity collaboration at GISEC Global 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Data Security Council of India (DSCI) hosted the second edition of the Indo-UAE Cybersecurity Exchange in Dubai, reinforcing bilateral cooperation in the digital security domain. Organized in partnership with CIO Klub, the event took place alongside GISEC Global 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre and brought together key figures from the cybersecurity and technology sectors of both countries.

    The India Pavilion at GISEC, established by DSCI, featured over 15 Indian companies presenting advanced solutions in threat intelligence, data privacy, application security, Security Operations Centers, and quantum technologies. The initiative aimed to foster linkages and partnerships among solution providers, user organizations, and innovators from the Indian cybersecurity ecosystem and their counterparts in the UAE.

    B.G. Krishnan, Consul (Economic, Trade, Commerce & Education) at the Consulate General of India in Dubai, underlined the urgency of global cybersecurity challenges. “The world is at a critical juncture from cybersecurity, privacy, and critical technology perspectives,” he noted. “Rapidly evolving threats, technological advancements, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping the global and national landscapes, impacting businesses, society, and critical sectors.”

    Atul Kumar, Director of DSCI, highlighted the strategic importance of Indo-UAE cooperation in the digital space. “As India and the United Arab Emirates strengthen their strategic partnership, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical area for collaboration,” he said. “With both nations digitizing rapidly and depending heavily on secure digital infrastructure, there is significant scope to jointly nurture resilient cybersecurity ecosystems.”

    The exchange served as a platform for discussions on cyber resilience, leadership development, and technology innovation. DSCI reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement with UAE stakeholders, aiming to advance cybersecurity cooperation in the face of increasingly complex digital threats.India’s dynamic presence and its growing engagement with regional cybersecurity ecosystems at GISEC Global 2025 reaffirm its role as a key contributor in shaping the future of global cyber resilience. The three day GISEC 2025 will conclude on may 8th.