NewzIntel.com

Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra Hospital celebrates a golden milestone

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Canberra Hospital has provided health care to the Canberra community for 50 years.

    This week the Canberra Hospital celebrates 50 years providing health care to the Canberra community.

    The Canberra Hospital, originally known as Woden Valley Hospital, officially opened on 24 September 1973 and since then has transformed into the largest general hospital in the ACT and surrounding NSW region.

    This milestone offers an important opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has worked at the hospital over the last 50 years.

    Cathie Stoffell is one of those staff members. She began training as a student nurse at the Royal Canberra Hospital in January 1972.

    She had finished high school just two months before.

    “I was 17. Students were required to live-in then, and I remember my brother and father were allowed to come up to the room, but there were no males allowed,” she said.

    “There was just one man in our course. He was paving new ground at the time. Other male nurses followed, of course.”

    The three-year course moved at a cracking pace. “We were apprentices, really. We had six weeks of training – injecting oranges and lifting ‘Mrs Bedford’, the dummy, onto the bedpan. From there we were launched onto various wards and were straight into it,” Cathie said.

    It was a confronting start for a teenager, and Cathie recalls her first experience of a patient’s death, when a young girl died from leukemia.

    “We would debrief amongst ourselves, I suppose. There was nothing formal. It was a regimented sort of atmosphere. There were always bedpans you could be scrubbing so we just got on with it.”

    Overall, though, Cathie recalls having “a ball”, getting up to all kinds of “shenanigans” with her fellow students.

    “We used to find the leftover meals and eat them in the linen cupboard,” she said.

    Starting at the then-Woden Valley Hospital was quite exciting, and Cathie remembers the newness of it all.

    In 1973 when the Canberra Hospital opened its doors, things looked pretty different.

    The hospital had 36 beds and served a population of around 172,000 with about 175 staff members.

    Fifty years on, the Canberra Hospital has over 650 beds and is the only tertiary hospital between Sydney and Melbourne, caring for a population of more than 650,000 people from the ACT and surrounding region, with thousands of staff on the campus at any time of the day or night.

    With the new Critical Services Building opening next year, the hospital will offer more emergency, surgical and critical care, with a brand-new emergency department, more operating theatres and more intensive care beds.

    Cathie’s early training held her in excellent stead for many other opportunities, and she has nursed all over the world.

    It also helped her form a close-knit group of friends, all of whom stayed in nursing careers.

    They have a group chat on Messenger and celebrated a 50-year reunion recently.

    Like Canberra Hospital, nursing has changed over the years. There are no more starched aprons and pleated hats, and technology plays a much greater role for all staff.

    Having worked everywhere from the UK to Saudi Arabia, Cathie loves Canberra and continues to nurse here.

    “I remember on day one of our training, they asked us if anyone had changed their minds and three people left,” she said.

    Having had such a full career over five decades, Cathie is pleased she stayed.

    Cathie at her graduation

    Cathie Stoffell today

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: French, German, British FMs call for immediate return to ceasefire in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Britain (the E3) called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday.

    “The resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza marks a dramatic step backward for the people of Gaza, the hostages, their families and the entire region,” the ministers said in a joint statement released late evening, calling on “all parties to re-engage with negotiations to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full and becomes permanent.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint statement from the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK (E3) on Gaza

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Joint statement from the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK (E3) on Gaza

    The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and the UK (the E3) call for immediate return to a ceasefire

    Joint statement on behalf of the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK (E3):

    The resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza marks a dramatic step backward for the people of Gaza, the hostages, their families and the entire region. We are appalled by the civilian casualties and urgently call for an immediate return to a ceasefire.

    We call on all parties to re-engage with negotiations to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full and becomes permanent. This must include Hamas releasing the hostages that they have cruelly detained and persistently refuse to release.

    All Israelis and Palestinians have a right to peace and security. We call on all those with influence over Hamas to use that influence to ensure no further attacks against Israel. We are clear that Hamas must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore. However, this conflict cannot be resolved through military means.  A return to fighting will only result in the deaths of more Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages.

    More bloodshed is in no-one’s interest. Israel should fully respect international law and allow the flow of aid immediately. Civilians should be protected and not be cut off from essential aid or assistance. We call on Israel to restore humanitarian access, including water and electricity, and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with international humanitarian law.

    We are deeply shocked by the deadly incident affecting a UNOPS building in Gaza, which has killed one UN employee and injured several others. Amongst the victims were European citizens. UN personnel and its premises should be protected and never be a target. There must be a full investigation into what happened.

    A long-lasting ceasefire is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, federal partner investigation results in 2 men convicted, 1 extradited from Guatemala for role in 2022 San Antonio alien smuggling mass casualty incident 

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — Two men were convicted by a federal jury March 18 for their roles in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured. A third man allegedly involved in the same fatal smuggling incident was extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face justice in the case. This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the assistance of various federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas.

    Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, also known as Cholo, Chuequito, and Negro and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, also known as El Don and Don Gon were found guilty by a jury for their roles in the mass casualty alien smuggling event.

    Following extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of a Guatemala-based alien smuggling organization was extradited to the United States to face trial for his alleged role in the San Antonio mass casualty incident.

    “These convictions and extradition represent the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting the leaders, organizers, and key facilitators of alien smuggling networks that bring people illegally — at significant risk to life — into the United States,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is a powerful example of the crucial work of Joint Task Force Alpha, which has been enhanced and empowered to go after cartels and transnational criminal organizations and to eliminate the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking.”

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Orduna-Torres, and Gonzalez-Ortega conspired with others as part of an alien smuggling organization that loaded approximately 66 aliens into a tractor trailer, which lacked functioning air conditioning, and drove the aliens north across the U.S.-Mexico border and on a Texas interstate. On June 27, 2022, as the temperature rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, according to the evidence presented at trial, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased. The defendants conspired with others to facilitate the travel of the aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, charging the aliens and their families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 USD for the perilous journey.

    Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. For both counts resulting in death, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison at their sentencing on June 27. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    “The extradition of Miranda-Orozco to U.S. custody is a major step in the takedown of a large and complex human smuggling organization he is alleged to be a part of,” said acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Just as we’ve shown throughout the trial of Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega, we will continue to prosecute this case aggressively — seeking justice for those who have perished and holding accountable those who illegally value profit over human life.”

    “ICE aggressively targets human smugglers, no matter where they operate or how far they think they can hide,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “These verdicts reflect the scope and depth of our human smuggling investigations. From country of origin to final destination, our special agents have worked tirelessly to track these criminals down and dismantle their entire smuggling network. One by one we are seeing the consequences of human smuggling as the justice system prevails.”

    Miranda-Orozco conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States, charging the families approximately $12,000 to $15,000 USD for the deadly journey. Miranda-Orozco is alleged to be responsible for smuggling three migrants who perished in the tractor trailer.

    In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. Miranda-Orozco was indicted under seal in the Western District of Texas, and his indictment was unsealed after he was arrested. Miranda-Orozco made his initial appearance March 17 in Federal District Court in San Antonio and was arraigned on the indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death, three counts of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, and one count of aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.

    ICE HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. ICE HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, provided crucial assistance in this matter.

    The case against Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas. The case against Miranda-Orozco is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s HRSP Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

    Learn more about ICE HSI San Antonio’s mission to increase public safety in South Texas communities on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.

    The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, FOLLOWING HISTORIC PENSION FIX LAW HE PASSED, ANNOUNCES HUDSON VALLEY IBEW UNION TO RECEIVE $45+ MILLION TO RESTORE AT-RISK PENSIONS FOR 850 UNION WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    NY’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1783, Representing Hundreds Of Electrical Workers, Who – Without Action – After A Lifetime Of Hard Work Would Have No Pension Benefits Remaining By 2030

    As Schumer’s First Major Act As Majority Leader, He Secured Pension Fix So Union Members Could Get Hard-Earned Pensions & Relief They Need And Earned

    Schumer: Hudson Valley IBEW Union Workers & Families Can Breathe Sigh Of Relief With The Restored Pensions They Rightfully Earned

    U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today announced that, after years of advocacy to secure relief for ailing multiemployer pension plans for union workers, New York’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1783 Fund covering electrical workers in the Hudson Valley will receive an approximately $45.9 million pension-fix from the Schumer-led American Rescue Plan. The federal relief will restore full pension benefits for approximately 850 union workers and their families.

    “Today, I am saying a promise made is a promise kept to hard-working union families at risk of losing their pensions through no fault of their own – at more than $45 million for 850 IBEW workers across the Hudson Valley and New York. These are the Hudson Valley union electricians who repair machinery and toil in the warehouses that drive our economy forward. They worked hard, played by the rules, and paid into pension plans that were at risk of being drastically cut or even completely disappearing,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m very proud to deliver over $45 million in federal relief to help hundreds of union construction workers ensure their hard-earned pension benefits and the retirement security they provide remain intact for many years into the future and ensure they can retire after a lifetime of hard work. I made sure as my first act as Majority Leader to pass the American Rescue Plan with a key provision to deliver the pension relief to our union brothers and sisters and their families they have desperately needed and earned. New York is and will forever be a union town and I always will work with my union brothers and sisters to deliver the benefits they deserve.”

    “One of the most concerning issues that will impact every American, not just Union members, is the inability to have retirement security. Until now, I have not seen a politician accomplish anything toward solving the massive and unrecognized retirement crisis that most Americans face. Our lives should not be that we work until we are too sick or drop dead at work because we cannot afford to retire. Unlike the 401k retirement plans that routinely get wiped out by market shifts, defined benefit pension plans promise a guaranteed future. But, the hardworking people who relied on those guarantees were nearly left destitute. Let’s all be thankful that Majority Leader Senator Schumer led the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act into successful passage through the American Rescue Plan. It has been the only meaningful accomplishment toward resolving the retirement crisis in some meaningful way in my past 25 years as a labor advocate,” said IBEW 1430 Local President Jordan El-Hag, which also includes IBEW Local 1783 workers following its merger in 1988.

    Tom Carey, President of the AFL-CIO Westchester Central Putnam Labor Body said, “Hardworking union workers contribute to our communities every day, trusting that the pensions they have earned will be available to them when they retire. When these pension plans faced jeopardy following the 2008 recession, many workers and retirees began to worry about their ability to achieve a dignified retirement. Thanks to Senator Schumer, who led the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act into successful passage through the American Rescue Plan, union workers, retirees, and their families can rest assured that the benefits they earned will be available to them in full for as long as they need them. Once again, Senator Schumer shows organized labor that we have a true friend in Washington.”

    Schumer said the Armonk-based IBEW Local 1783 Fund, which covers approximately 850 workers in the communications, electrical manufacturing, professional technical and clerical, and warehouse and supply industries, will receive approximately $45.9 million in special financial assistance. The IBEW plan was projected to become insolvent and run out of money in 2030. Without the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program funded through the American Rescue Plan, the Local 1783 IBEW Plan would have been required to reduce participants’ benefits to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) guarantee levels upon plan insolvency, which is roughly 25% below the benefits payable under the terms of the plan. That means, if not for the SFA Program, participants in the plan would have seen their monthly pension benefits reduced by roughly 25%. The SFA Program will enable the plan to continue to pay retirement benefits without reduction for many years into the future.

    Schumer fought to include the Butch Lewis Act in the American Rescue Plan – securing pension solvency in his very first major bill as majority leader. Before the American Rescue Plan over 200 multiemployer plans were on pace to become insolvent in the near term, risking benefits for millions of workers and their families. The law created the Special Financial Assistance program administered by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to protect benefits for millions of workers, reverse harsh pension cuts, and put existing plans on a path to solvency through 2051. To date, the program has provided billions in federal assistance to support thousands of construction industry workers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Duluth Climbing Coach Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DULUTH, Minn. – Lucas Matthew Kramer, a Duluth man, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. He also was ordered to pay restitution to his victims and a $7,500 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018. 

    “Few crimes are as heinous as the sexual exploitation of minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to prioritize charging predators who hold positions of trust in our community.  Coaches, daycare providers, and others in positions of trust who prey on children will face federal justice.”  

    “The sentencing of Lucas Mathew Kramer concludes a successful investigation focused on those who seek to exploit our children. HSI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who target our young people,” said ICE HSI Saint Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and stand by our commitment to protecting our communities and securing our homeland.”

    According to court documents, on September 23, 2022, law enforcement received a tip that an online individual with the username “northernboy35” had used the Kik messenger application to upload 19 videos of child pornography to the internet. Less than a week later, the same username uploaded five additional child pornography videos to the internet. Law enforcement quickly determined that the uploaded files originated from Duluth, Minnesota, and linked the email and IP address for the “nothernboy35” moniker directly to Lucas Mathew Kramer, 45, a longtime collegiate climbing coach. 

    Law enforcement proceeded to execute a search warrant at Kramer’s residence and discovered that he had knowingly possessed over 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on numerous electronic devices. His CSAM collection included the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children—some as young as toddlers—and included videos depicting children being physically forced into sexual compliance. Kramer admitted that he downloaded and traded his CSAM collection with others on the internet. Law enforcement also discovered evidence of sexually explicit chats between Kramer and self-identified prepubescent minors, where he engaged the self-identified minors in sexually explicit conversations and encouraged them to take and send nude images of themselves.    

    Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on October 11, 2024. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on March 19, 2024. When handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked that Kramer’s conduct was “deeply troubling” and that his collection of CSAM materials “reflected depravity” and showed a “callous indifference” to the humanity of his victims.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Duluth Police Department. “The Duluth Police Department appreciates its partnership with Homeland Security Investigations in holding this offender accountable to the highest standards,” commented Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Announces Receipt of Nasdaq Deficiency Notice

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, Canada, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an automotive software company that provides patented disruptive AI-powered low-level sensor fusion and perception software technology, LeddarVision™, today announced that it has received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common shares for the 30 consecutive business day period from February 4, 2025 through March 18, 2025, the Company did not meet the minimum bid price of US$1.00 per share required for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Listing Requirement”). The letter also indicated that the Company will be afforded a period of 180 calendar days to regain compliance.

    The Company intends to actively monitor the closing bid price of its common shares and will evaluate available options to regain compliance with the Listing Requirement. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with such Listing Requirement or maintain compliance with any of the other Nasdaq Capital Market continued listing requirements.

    The letter has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common shares, which will continue to be listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LDTC,” subject to the Company’s compliance with the other continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market.

    The foregoing also should be read in conjunction with the disclosures set forth in the Company’s Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile on the date hereof, and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended September 30, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile on December 26, 2024, including the disclosures set forth under “Item 3.D – Key Information – Risk Factors” contained therein.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 170 patent applications (87 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: (i) our ability to continue to maintain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards following our transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market; (ii) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (iii) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (iv) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (v) our ability to successfully commercialize our product offering at scale, whether through the collaboration agreement with Texas Instruments, a collaboration with a Tier 2 supplier or otherwise; (vi) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (vii) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (viii) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (ix) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (x) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xi) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiii) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Chris Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, LeddarTech Holdings Inc.
    Tel.: + 1-514-427-0858, chris.stewart@leddartech.com

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Louisville Middle School Teacher Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – A former middle school teacher in Louisville, Kentucky was sentenced today to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for multiple child pornography charges. 

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

    “I commend the FBI’s outstanding work during the investigation of this case and that of AUSA McKiness for his tireless effort in prosecuting it,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Combatting the sexual exploitation of our children is a priority of this office and working with our law enforcement partners we will continue to identify, arrest, and aggressively prosecute those who victimize our most vulnerable citizens.”   

    “Jordan Fautz chose to abuse his position of trust by egregiously violating the privacy of innocent children. His sentencing marks a critical step in our efforts to combat the exploitation of children,” said Special Agent in Charge Stansbury. “With the emergence of offenders using cutting-edge technology to inflict harm and pain on one of our most vulnerable populations, law enforcement will exhaust all of its available resources and expertise to ensure those who choose to abuse children in any way face justice.”

    According to court documents, Jordan Fautz, 40, was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for three counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of distribution of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, one count of production of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, and one count of possession of child pornography. Fautz used an online chatting application to distribute child sexual abuse material to an undercover law enforcement officer. Fautz also produced and distributed photoshopped images depicting minors’ faces on the bodies of people engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Fautz also possessed material depicting child sexual abuse on his computers and cell phone.

    Fautz was also ordered to pay $28,130 in restitution to victims.

    There is no parole in the federal system.     

    This case was investigated by the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

    ### 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 17 Previously Removed Defendants – Including Convicted Felons – Charged with Being Illegal Aliens Found in U.S. After Removal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors in the last week filed charges against 17 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed, the Justice Department announced today.    

    Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include assault with bodily injury. One of the defendants is suspected of murder while another was arrested on suspicion of committing assault with intent to rape.

    The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

    Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below with information contained in court documents.

    • Jescar Amarzca-Olgiuen, 51, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Amarzca was charged after he was arrested in Orange County on March 19 as a suspect in the 2023 murder of a man who died from multiple gunshot wounds. His criminal history includes a felony conviction in 2013 in San Diego federal court for fraud and misuse of visas and permits, for which he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
    • Marvin Campos Cerna, 29, of El Salvador, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Campos was charged after he was arrested in West Hollywood on March 7 for allegedly committing assault with intent to rape, false imprisonment, sodomy, and kidnapping. Prior to this arrest, Campos was convicted in 2014 for assault with bodily injury, for which he was sentenced to six years in California state prison.
    • Victor Navarro-Cota, 23, and Tereso Guadalupe Martinez-Reyes, 20, both of Mexico, were arrested near Barstow on March 13 while driving a black Chevrolet Suburban filled with 478 pairs of Nike Jordan 6 Rings shoes, which retail for approximately $170 per pair, totaling $81,260. Both Martinez-Reyes and Navarro-Cota were in the U.S. illegally and each previously was deported in February 2025. Navarro-Cota’s arraignment is scheduled for April 22. Martinez-Reyes’ arraignment is scheduled for April 1.

    Criminal complaints contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.

    The criminal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and the General Crimes Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Silvaco Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvaco Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVCO) (“Silvaco” or the “Company”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation, today announced that Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Benton, has resigned, effective April 11, 2025, to pursue a new career opportunity  outside of the semiconductor design industry. Mr. Benton will assist the Company to ensure a successful transition of his responsibilities prior to his departure. His resignation is not the result of any disagreement regarding the Company’s operations, accounting, or other policies or practices.

    Effective upon Mr. Benton’s resignation, Dr. Babak Taheri, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will assume the roles of principal financial officer and principal accounting officer on an interim basis. Keith Tainsky, who leads the Company’s Financial Planning and Analysis function, will report directly to Dr. Taheri as Interim Chief Financial Officer upon Mr. Benton’s departure. Mr. Tainsky has held CFO and finance leadership positions at public and private companies in the semiconductor industry, including Exar Corporation and Amkor Technology. He joined Silvaco in 2023 and has been instrumental in the Company’s financial and business functions, including strategic planning, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. In addition, Sherry Lin, Corporate Controller, will report directly to Dr. Taheri. She joined Silvaco in November 2023 and has been instrumental in leading the Company’s accounting and public company reporting function, preparation of periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and establishing the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

    Silvaco has begun the process of engaging a search firm to assist in identifying Mr. Benton’s replacement.

    “On behalf of our employees and Board of Directors, I want to thank Ryan for his leadership and contributions to the financial management and strategic direction of the Company. We wish him much success in his future endeavors,” said Silvaco CEO Babak Taheri. “I have the utmost confidence in Keith’s ability to lead our finance organization and ensure a seamless transition. Keith’s experience and deep understanding of our financial operations will be instrumental as we enter a new chapter for the company.”

    “It has been a privilege to serve on Silvaco’s leadership team, and I am proud of our accomplishments,” said Mr. Benton. “The dedicated team at Silvaco is well-positioned to continue executing on its strategic vision to create shareholder value.”

    In addition to announcing the Chief Financial Officer transition, the Company today reaffirmed its previously disclosed guidance for the first quarter and full year fiscal 2025, as provided in the Company’s press release issued on March 5, 2025. The Company expects to report first quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 7, 2025.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains forward-looking statements based on Silvaco’s current expectations. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “project”, “will”, and similar phrases as they relate to Silvaco are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views and assumptions of Silvaco and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations.

    These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to, statements regarding our future operating results, financial position, and guidance, our business strategy and plans, our objectives for future operations, our development or delivery of new or enhanced products, and anticipated results of those products for our customers, our competitive positioning, projected costs, technological capabilities, and plans, and macroeconomic trends.

    A variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the following: (a) market conditions; (b) anticipated trends, challenges and growth in our business and the markets in which we operate; (c) our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis; (d) the size and growth potential of the markets for our software solutions, and our ability to serve those markets; (e) our expectations regarding competition in our existing and new markets; (f) the level of demand in our customers’ end markets; (g) regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; (h) changes in trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs; (i) proposed new software solutions, services or developments; (j) our ability to attract and retain key management personnel; (k) our customer relationships and our ability to retain and expand our customer relationships; (l) our ability to diversify our customer base and develop relationships in new markets; (m) the strategies, prospects, plans, expectations, and objectives of management for future operations; (n) public health crises, pandemics, and epidemics and their effects on our business and our customers’ businesses; (o) the impact of the current conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas and the ongoing trade disputes among the United States and China on our business, financial condition or prospects, including extreme volatility in the global capital markets making debt or equity financing more difficult to obtain, more costly or more dilutive, delays and disruptions of the global supply chains and the business activities of our suppliers, distributors, customers and other business partners; (p) changes in general economic or business conditions or economic or demographic trends in the United States and foreign countries including changes in tariffs, interest rates and inflation; (q) our ability to raise additional capital; (r) our ability to accurately forecast demand for our software solutions; (s) our expectations regarding the outcome of any ongoing litigation; (t) our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act and as a smaller reporting company under the Exchange Act; (u) our expectations regarding our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce intellectual property protection for our technology; (v) our status as a controlled company; (w) our use of the net proceeds from our initial public offering, and (x) our ability to successfully integrate, retain key personnel, and realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Cadence’s PPC product line.

    It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Accordingly, you should not rely on any of the forward-looking statements. Additional information relating to the uncertainty affecting the Silvaco’s business is contained in Silvaco’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of Silvaco’s website at http://investors.silvaco.com/. These forward-looking statements represent Silvaco’s expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and Silvaco disclaims any obligations to update or alter these forward-looking statements in the future, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    About Silvaco

    Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. Learn more at silvaco.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Greg McNiff
    investors@silvaco.com

    Media Contact:
    Farhad Hayat
    press@silvaco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Speakers Warn of ‘Gazafication’ of West Bank, Urge Israel to End Illegal Settlements, Occupation

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Israeli West Bank Operations Aimed at Dismantling Iran’s Terror Networks, Says Delegate

    Speakers in the Security Council today warned of the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and its “Gazafication” amid Israel’s ongoing counter-terrorism operations, which its representative described as efforts to dismantle Iran’s terror networks.

    “The relentless expansion of Israeli settlements is dramatically altering the landscape and demographics of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, presenting an existential threat to the prospect of a contiguous, viable, independent Palestinian State,” said Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim.  Presenting the latest Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) — a measure calling on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” — she pointed out that settlement activity has nevertheless continued at a high rate, with Israeli planning authorities advancing or approving approximately 10,600 housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem.

    Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures accelerated across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, she continued, reporting that Israeli authorities demolished 460 structures and displaced 576 people, including 287 children and 149 women, because they did not possess Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain.  Meanwhile, “alarming levels” of violence continued, with 123 Palestinians, including 6 women and 19 children, killed amidst Israeli forces’ air strikes, operations, armed exchanges and other incidents, she said, adding:  “Most Palestinians were killed in the context of Israeli operations in Area A, including during exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians.”

    Israel’s largest operation in the occupied West Bank since 2002 began on 21 January and has since expanded across the northern West Bank in what Israeli authorities described as a counter-terrorism operation, displacing 40,000 people, she continued.  On 9 February, Israeli operations expanded into Nur Shams Camp in Tulkarem where Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian women, one of whom was pregnant, she said, adding that two Palestinian children were killed by Israeli soldiers in incidents in Jenin and Hebron on 21 February, bringing the total number of children killed to eight across the occupied West Bank since the operation began.  Detailing other developments in the occupied West Bank, including widespread movement restrictions, the arrest of 1,711 Palestinians, settler-related violence in 11 Palestinian towns and villages, and Palestinian attacks against Israelis, she called on both parties to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric, which has, unfortunately continued.

    Echoing the Secretary-General’s observations on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016), she drew attention to the emptying out of refugee camps in the northern West Bank during Israeli operations.  She also voiced concern that any long-term presence of Israeli security forces in the camps would further undermine the Palestinian Authority and contravene Israel’s obligation to end its unlawful continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice.

    Clear Response Needed at International Conference in June

    “Israel’s goal has always been maximum Palestinian land with minimum Palestinians,” said the Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, adding:  “Instead of ending its occupation, it is attempting to end the occupied people.”  Pointing to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the “most massive ethnic-cleansing campaign since 1967” in the northern West Bank, displacing 40,000 Palestinians in weeks, he underscored the need for accountability, emphasizing:  “Confronted with this unprecedented Israeli escalation, there must be an unprecedented escalation of international measures in response.”

    Voicing concern that Israel aims to entrench its occupation, rather than reverse or end it, he spotlighted the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in June, hoping it would be a platform for mobilization and action.  “Israel’s intentions have never been clearer.  The international response needs to be equally clear,” he emphasized, calling for “unprecedented decisions by States” to change the course of history.

    Israel’s delegate, denouncing “morally obscene” remarks equating Israeli hostages with Palestinian terrorists “legally arrested by Israel”, said his country had “no choice” but to act decisively, considering Hamas’ rejection of the offer to release the remaining hostages for a continued ceasefire.  It has struck targets with precision, eliminating “arch-terrorists” such as Mahmoud Abu Watfa, head of Hamas’ internal security forces and Issam al-Daalis, head of Hamas’ Government in Gaza.  The group has a choice:  “Come back to the table and negotiate or wait and watch as its leadership falls one by one.”

    His country’s operations in “Judea and Samaria” intend to break down Iran’s terror networks there, he continued, citing 2,000 attempted terror attacks originating there over 11 months.  The Palestinian Authority left the job of “taking care of the terror cells” in [refugee] camps in Jenin and Tulkarm to his country, he said, stressing that terrorists will be given no sanctuary, in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Yemen or Iran.

    United States Dismisses Passage of Resolution 2334 (2016) as ‘Mistake’

    The United States’ delegate, characterizing the passage of the Council resolution 2334 (2016) as “a mistake”, called on the UN Secretary-General to join the United States in putting pressure on Hamas.  Just as Hamas could end the war by releasing the hostages, Iran “could chose to join the community of nations by ending its support for terrorist proxy groups and providing transparency on its nuclear programme”, she added, reiterating her Government’s support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinian Authority Security Forces in rooting out extremists in Jenin and Tulkarm.  “The future of the Middle East must look different.  Fresh thinking is needed for a better tomorrow,” she added.

    France’s representative, however, stated that the reason evoked by Israel to justify its new massive bombardments does not hold water, and delays in the hostages’ release cannot justify the punishment of the entire people.  Noting that settlements in the West Bank are becoming more violent, with active participation of Israeli security forces, he reiterated that France opposes any annexation in the West Bank or Gaza.  To that end, his Government has been working with all countries to find a mechanism and to use ceasefire as a starting point for resuming dialogue.

    Pakistan’s representative warned that “daily military raids, settler violence and illegal land annexations are part of a systematic effort to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people in the West Bank,” he said.  The Security Council, and the world community, cannot sit back and watch this ongoing ethnic cleansing.  “A failure to halt this brutal war will unleash the worst instinct of powerful and predatory States,” he said, urging the elected Council members to initiate measures to end “this cruel war”.  Somalia’s delegate called on States to present a united front against forced demographic changes, displacement from Palestinian communities or attempts to annex territories in either Gaza or the West Bank, a point echoed by China’s delegate, who urged Israel to “abandon its obsession with the use of force”.

    Unchecked Settlements Darken Prospect of Palestine’s Statehood

    Many speakers echoed alarm over the threat posed by unchecked settlement activities in the West Bank to the prospects for Palestinian statehood, with the representative of Denmark, Council President for March, who spoke in her national capacity, stating that such developments “rob Palestinians of their land, [and] push them into isolated enclaves, making it virtually impossible to form a connected and viable land for a future Palestinian State”.  Any unilateral attempt to change the geography of the occupied Palestinian territories is unacceptable, she said, stating that some settlements come about through settler violence.  She added:  “We have the frameworks.  What is needed is full implementation of resolution 2334 (2016).”

    “We have been witnessing what many are calling the Gazafication of the West Bank,” echoed Slovenia’s delegate, noting that, not only dights, but also dynamics “remind us of Gaza”.  “The one radical solution is a real peace,” he said, calling for the end of occupation and return of displaced persons.  Pages of history already written, including those contained in the reports of accountability mechanisms, must be a wake-up call for a new chapter to take place, he added.

    Greece’s representative, calling the Arab plan for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction “a constructive proposal”, deplored the increase of settlement activity in the West Bank, a concern echoed by the representative of the Republic of Korea, who called the ongoing violence and vandalism by Israeli settlers unacceptable.

    On that, the representative of the United Kingdom highlighted three rounds of sanctions on violent settlers and their supporters imposed by his country to bring accountability for abuses of human rights, in the absence of sufficient Israeli action.  “The level of restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank are crippling,” he observed, underscoring the importance of ensuring that religious freedoms are respected, especially during Ramadan.

    Many speakers emphasized the urgent need for progress towards a political solution, including the delegates of Guyana and Panama, with the latter stating that, in the future, Gaza — free from extremist groups, together with the West Bank and East Jerusalem — can be integrated into a territorial and political structure.  Sierra Leone’s representative, also calling for the political process to be revitalized, expressed hope for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, guided by the proposal tabled by the League of Arab States in Egypt.

    Noting that the West Bank “risks repeating the Gaza scenario”, the representative of the Russian Federation underscored that what is happening in the West Bank is a “good illustration” that there is no alternative to political solutions.  Israel’s settlement actions are aimed to undermine a two-State solution, he said, adding that, while Israel is using “crude force” to ensure their security, he said it is not surprising that the radical forces are popular among regular Palestinians.  The only sensible alternative is for Israel to return to negotiations, he noted, stating that the Council can and should play a role in this process.

    Algeria’s delegate said that the Israeli occupying Power’s objective in the West Bank is clear:  total sovereignty over it.  Their modus operandi is also well-known:  killing, forced demolition, displacement, dispossession and settlement.  Over 40,000 people have been forcibly displaced in the past two months in the West Bank.  Striking a note of urgency, he asked:  “When will we rise to the level of our obligations and impose respect and implementation for our collective decision to establish a Palestinian State with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital?”

    Rounding out the meeting, the representative of Jordan recalled that the Arab League summit held in Cairo at the beginning of the month confirmed the bloc’s rejection of any attempt to displace the Palestinian people from their occupied lands, and approved the Gaza Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan presented by Egypt.  This is a comprehensive Arab plan, based on joint Egyptian-Palestinian efforts, to organize an international conference on recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, in cooperation with the UN, he said.  Deploring the dangerous escalation in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, marked by recurrent military incursions into Palestinian towns, population displacements and home demolitions, he called on the Council and the international community to address these violations.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

    **Guest

    Alright.  Good afternoon, everyone.  As you know, tomorrow [22 March] is World Water Day.  I will be joined here shortly by Bhanu Neupane, the Process Coordinator for the UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] World Water Development Report, who will talk to you about the report.

    **Secretary-General’s Travel

    The Secretary-General is about to leave Brussels. Earlier today, he was in Leuven, where he accepted an honorary doctorate given to the United Nations by the universities KU Leuven and UC Louvain.  In his remarks, Mr. [António] Guterres said that by bestowing this honour, the universities are sending a message of support for the mission of the United Nations — a message of solidarity to all those working to make it real — and a message of inspiration for us to keep up the fight.

    He said the universities’ 600th anniversary coincides with a moment of reflection for the United Nations, which marks its own eightieth anniversary as an organization at the epicentre of multilateralism.  Standing here in Europe, the Secretary-General added, we know this same commitment to multilateralism is the beating heart of the European Union – a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to the world’s most vulnerable people, and proof that isolationism is an illusion, never a solution.

    Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Secretary-General renewed his appeal for the ceasefire to be restored, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.  His full remarks have been shared with you.

    This afternoon, the Secretary-General also had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever.  I believe the readout of this meeting had just been made available. The Secretary-General will be back in the office on Monday morning.

    **Security Council

    Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim, briefed the Security Council this morning on Israel and Palestine, and she said that hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. She strongly condemned the reported ill-treatment of hostages, as well as the fact that there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages may be subjected to sexual violence and abuse.

    Ms. Kaag unequivocally condemned the widespread killing and injury of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, she said.  She mourned the UN staff killed in Gaza and strongly condemned the killing of all humanitarian personnel and called for the full investigation of all such incidents.

    The Special Coordinator reiterated her call for a sustained ceasefire and urged the parties to redouble efforts to end human suffering. She rejected the forced displacement of the Palestinian population from any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which would constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.  Ms. Kaag added that the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank is deeply troubling.  Alongside the rising death toll, Palestine refugee camps in the northern West Bank are being emptied and are sustaining massive infrastructure damage during Israeli operations.

    **Occupied Palestinian Territory

    Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that as hostilities continue across the Strip, the Israeli closure of all crossings for incoming cargo has entered its twentieth day — the longest shutdown since 7 October 2023.  As a reminder, the crossings were also completely closed for two weeks starting on that date.  This latest closure is having a devastating impact on people already facing catastrophic conditions.  Each passing day further erodes the progress made by the UN and our humanitarian partners during the first six weeks of the ceasefire.

    Beyond the depletion of stocks, OCHA warns that humanitarian operations are now being severely hampered by hostilities.  Civilians, including aid workers, and civilian assets have come under attack.  The UN is seeking concrete assurances for the safety of our staff and operations in Gaza, following the killing of six UN personnel and injury of several others this week, including in the attack on a clearly designated UN compound.  As Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said Wednesday, we demand answers on their behalf and for those who continue the work.

    As attacks continue across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, OCHA warns that the steady flow of trauma injuries is putting even more pressure on an already shattered healthcare system.  Our humanitarian partners estimate that more than 120,000 Palestinians have been displaced once again this week, driven by intensified attacks and new Israeli evacuation orders across the Gaza Strip.  That’s about 6 per cent of the surviving population.  A new evacuation order covering areas in northern Gaza was also issued today, following reports of rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups.

    And turning to the West Bank, OCHA has just released the findings of a rapid survey of movement obstacles across the occupied territory. It recorded nearly 850 checkpoints, gates and other physical obstacles — the highest number documented in any of the 16 surveys OCHA has conducted over the past two decades. In just the past three months, three dozen new movement obstacles have been established — most of them following the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire in mid-January.  Road gates account for a third of all obstacles — and most of them are frequently kept closed.

    Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), noted that today marks 60 days since Israeli began its military operations in Jenin Camp in the West Bank.  He said that such large-scale, militarized operations cannot become the new norm in the West Bank.  This trend of escalating violence — which started even before 7 October 2023 — must be reversed.  OCHA adds that it has received just over 4 per cent of the roughly $4 billion required to meet vast needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory — in the West Bank and Gaza — this year.

    **Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that clashes continue in parts of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.  In North Kivu Province, fighting continued yesterday in several areas of Walikale Territory, damaging a humanitarian partner’s logistics base and other civilian infrastructure.  We and humanitarian organizations in the area have relocated staff to Kisangani, in the neighbouring Province of Tshopo.

    In South Kivu, people from Burembo and Fizi-Centre have fled fighting among armed groups in several waves since 5 March.  And in Ituri, clashes in the town of Fataki yesterday continued to displace people.  Since 18 March, many humanitarian partners have suspended their activities there due to the ongoing insecurity.  OCHA reiterates that all parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in military operations.

    **Sudan

    Turning to Sudan:  Today, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has condemned in the strongest terms the looting of vital humanitarian supplies from Al Bashair Hospital in Jabal Awlia in Khartoum.  These supplies are intended to support malnourished children and provide critical healthcare to mothers and newborns.

    The Al Bashir Hospital is one of the last functioning medical facilities in Jabal Awlia.  UNICEF had managed to deliver these critical supplies on 20 December 2024, marking the first successful humanitarian shipment to Jabal Awlia in over 18 months.  The looting of these supplies will compound an already dire humanitarian catastrophe for children and families in the area.  We reiterate our urgent call for an unimpeded humanitarian access to reach children and families in need and we call for the protection of hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in line with international humanitarian law.

    **South Sudan

    Our peacekeeping colleagues in South Sudan have an update on the intensive diplomacy that is under way in the country.  The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, is working with international and regional partners, including Heads of States, the African Union and others, to try and de-escalate tensions and stop the aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Upper Nile State, which could spill over into wider conflict.

    Mr. Haysom is also engaging with influential national partners to promote a peaceful resolution.  He is urging the parties to adhere to the ceasefire and peace agreement, and to resolve tensions through dialogue rather than military confrontation. Mr. Haysom stresses that the already troubled region cannot afford another war.  And in fact, on Monday, our guest will be Nicholas Haysom.  He will join us virtually to brief on the situation in South Sudan.

    **Ukraine

    Today in Ukraine, authorities and our humanitarian partners confirmed that hostilities across multiple regions killed a dozen civilians and injured many others, with widespread damage to homes.  In Odesa, a large-scale drone attack injured children and damaged shops, warehouses and vehicles.  Most casualties were reported in the Donetsk region, while in the Kharkiv region, local authorities report intensified hostilities and disrupted electricity in Kupiansk town and neighbouring villages.

    Yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned an attack in the central Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi, in which children were among many civilians injured.  Apartment buildings were also damaged.  Mr. Schmale stressed that international humanitarian law is clear:  Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.

    Amid relentless hostilities, evacuations from high-risk areas continue, with scores of people leaving front-line areas each day.  Humanitarians are supporting the most vulnerable — especially families with children and people with limited mobility — through medical evacuations, psychosocial support and basic items.  Most evacuees have remained within their home regions, while some have been relocated to central and western Ukraine.

    OCHA reports that in the first two months of the year, seven humanitarian staff were injured in six separate incidents near the front line. Attacks also damaged humanitarian assets and facilities in the Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolai, and Sloviansk regions, further hampering the response.

    **Haiti

    Turning to Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the recent United States funding freeze is having a devastating impact on the overall HIV response, including treatment and prevention.  The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) says that, as a result of the freeze, most pre-exposure prophylaxis services, also known as PrEP — which are key to reducing HIV infections — had to be suspended, affecting 80 per cent of interventions.

    The National HIV Programme estimates that at least 35,000 people living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral treatment are being affected by the freeze on USAID-funded health services.  The Programme also foresees an increase between 30 and 50 per cent in new HIV infections in the absence of prevention activities.  HIV/AIDS affects an estimated 140,000 people in Haiti.

    The health sector, as part of the broader humanitarian response, needs $43.5 million to address the urgent needs for healthcare services and support to vulnerable people in Haiti.  The Government, World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS are exploring alternatives to ensure that health services can continue.

    **International Days

    Today we have multiple International Days.  It’s the Day of Days, as we call it.  Starting off with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  In a message, the Secretary-General says that the poison of racism continues to infect our world.  He urges everybody, including business leadership, civil society and ordinary people to take a stand against racism in all its forms.

    Today is also the International Day of Nowruz.  In his message, Mr. Guterres says that Nowruz celebrates new beginnings and the arrival of spring.

    Today is World Down Syndrome Day.  People with Down syndrome need support to live and be included in the community, like everyone else.

    Today is also World Poetry Day.  On this Day, we celebrate one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity.

    And moving on to environment-related days.  Today is the World Day for Glaciers, and coincidentally, this year was declared the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.

    And if that’s not enough, today is also the International Day of Forests, and the theme this year is “Forests and Food”.

    And tomorrow is World Water Day and the theme this year is glacier preservation.  Our guests will be here to talk more about this, but I just want to mention that in his message, the Secretary-General said that glaciers may be shrinking, but we cannot shrink from our responsibilities.

    And Sunday is World Meteorological Day and the theme is “Closing the early warning gap together”.  So, those are all the days; anything before we go to our guest?  Yes, Edie.

    **Questions and Answers

    Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the Israeli Defence Minister’s announcement ordering an increase in an intensified military operation in Gaza?

    Deputy Spokesman:  This is completely contrary to what the Secretary-General has been calling for days.  And even today, in Belgium, and in the previous days, he’s said repeatedly that what we need is to get back to a ceasefire.  In what I just read at the first part of this briefing, it’s clear that all of our efforts to help the people of Gaza are at a standstill as long as this goes on.  There are millions of people who need for this to end now.

    Question:  On Sudan, with the Government forces claiming they’re back in the Presidential Palace in Khartoum and other areas, is Mr. [Ramtane] Lamamra going to make any kind of a fresh effort to bring both sides together for peace talks?

    Deputy Spokesman:  Yeah.  On that, regarding Mr. Lamamra’s efforts, he continues to engage the parties with the aim of bringing them closer to a peaceful resolution.  He’s intensifying consultations with the parties and other key stakeholders on modalities to strengthen the protection of civilians and to deescalate the conflict.  A sustainable resolution to this devastating conflict can only be achieved through an inclusive political process.  And from the Secretary-General’s side, I can say that he, the Secretary-General, renews his appeal for the parties to immediately cease the fighting and take steps towards the lasting peace that the people in Sudan demand.  Benno?

    Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  There has been quite a number of stories of people that were either denied entrance to the United States recently or have been arrested and deported or tried to being deported.  I want to focus on these last cases.  In many cases, they were not based on actual crimes, but the authorities said the people were parts of protests that they deemed as antisemitic or dangerous for the United States’ security.  Do you have any comment on this ongoing situation in the United States?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I think it’s important that all of the basic rules in terms of dealing with entrants into the United States, including migrants, including refugees and others, follow the accepted norms of international law.  And part of what you’re saying is that there are many cases where people were moved without sufficient due process, and it’s important that everyone’s due process rights be respected.

    Question:  Do you see that there is an implication for free speech in the United States, especially when we see the Columbia [University] protest and other university protests last year?  Does the UN have an opinion or a standpoint if pro-Palestinian protests are also antisemitic protests at the same time?  This is how the US Government obviously portrays it right now.

    Deputy Spokesman:  Well, certainly for us, it’s important that freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly be protected.  So, obviously, if there are expressions of racial hatred, of actual antisemitism, those are things that authorities need to respond to. But, that shouldn’t impede the rights of people to conduct peaceful protest.  Yes, Denis?

    Question:  So, there are reports that head of UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), Rebeca Grynspan, will head to Moscow.  So, when will she go to Moscow, and what is her programme in here?

    Deputy Spokesman:  Yes, I can confirm that Rebeca Grynspan and her team will have their next consultation in Moscow on 24 March. That’s part of regular consultations to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the UN and the Russian Federation on food security.

    Question:  So, will she discuss alleviating sanctions from Russian fertilizers — so, easing the access of Russian fertilizers to world markets?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I think I’ll wait for the discussions to take place before we provide more details.  But, like I said, it’ll concern the various aspects of the memorandum of understanding.  Yes, please?

    Question:  Thank you.  Do you have any updates on the condition of the UN staff who were wounded in Gaza and their whereabouts?  Thank you.

    Deputy Spokesman:  They’re receiving hospital assistance.  As you know, there were five people who were injured. One of them was lightly injured; two of them, I believe, have ever remained in intensive care, and their condition is being monitored.  And we hope that they will all recover.

    Question:  Could you help with the nationality of the two who remain in intensive care, please?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I believe we’ll provide those details further down.  The hiring organization, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), I believe is in touch with the respective Governments and family members at this stage.  Benny, I think you have a question online, and then we’ll go to Ephrem.  Are you there?  Are you there?

    Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  The ban on UNRWA, it’s been a few weeks now since it entered into effect.  How would you say it is being felt on the ground so far?

    Deputy Spokesman:  It’s affected the ability of UNRWA staff to move in and out in terms of getting visas for UNRWA personnel.  But, to the extent that UNRWA is capable of going about its work, including in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA continues to go about its work.  And Benny, are you online?

    Question:  I have a question, Farhan.  Can you hear me?

    Deputy Spokesman:  I can hear you.

    Question:  Should I go ahead?  Farhan, I want to ask you about the Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza, which was built by Türkiye, and it was actually operated by local authorities as a cancer treatment centre.  You may have seen images online.  It was completely blown up by Israel.  And Israel argued that it was used being used by Hamas.  But, in fact, you may recall that after 7 October [2023], there are also many images that showed Israel deploying many military vehicles around the hospital.  So, I would just like to ask you, why is there no mention of this in your briefing today?  I mean, have we become so accustomed to Israel blowing up hospitals that we don’t need to bring it up?  And does the Secretary-General have a reaction to this hospital being blown up?  Thank you.

    Deputy Spokesman:  Yes.  On that, we certainly are against any of the attacks on medical infrastructure.  All attacks against medical infrastructure by any of the parties is a violation of international humanitarian law, and we stand opposed to this.  And we have reported, as you know, regularly on the fact that all of the hospitals in Gaza have sustained at least some damage over the course of this conflict, and that is an intolerable situation for the suffering population.  And with that, let me go to our guest.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Middle East crisis spirals amid mounting civilian deaths, aid blockade

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    The Israel-Palestine conflict is descending further into violence, with mounting civilian casualties in the West Bank and a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the UN’s top envoy for the region warned on Friday.

    Sigrid Kaag, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (ad interim) briefed the Security Council on the latest report relating to resolution 2334 (2016), which calls for an immediate halt to Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    She detailed continued violations, escalating military operations and rising attacks against civilians, including deadly assaults by both Palestinian militants and Israeli forces.

    Between 7 December 2024 and 13 March this year, at least 3,897 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health, and 59 Israeli hostages are still being held captive by Hamas and other groups, according to Israeli sources.

    In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations during the same period led to the deaths of 123 Palestinians, while 10 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks. Women and children were among the victims on both sides.

    Israeli settler violence also continued to displace Palestinian communities.

    “The Secretary-General is alarmed by the lethal attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, including sometimes in the proximity and with the support of Israeli security forces, as well as by Palestinians against Israelis,” Ms. Kaag said.

    “All perpetrators must be held accountable,” she stressed.

    Settlement expansion continues

    She also reported that Israeli planning authorities advanced or approved about 10,600 housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures also accelerated in the region.

    “Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, Israeli authorities demolished, seized, sealed or forced people to demolish 460 structures, displacing 576 people, including 287 children and 149 women,” Ms. Kaag said.

    Israel’s aid blockade of Gaza

    Ms. Kaag further reported that the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to remain dire.

    Though 57,000 metric tons of food aid were delivered in the first month of the ceasefire, Israel halted all humanitarian and commercial supply entries on 2 March, worsening food, water and medical shortages.

    At least 600,000 Gazans now lack access to clean water after Israel cut power to a desalination plant.

    In addition, between 12,000 and 14,000 people, including over 4,500 children, require urgent medical evacuation, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

    Echoing the Secretary-General’s call for the urgent resumption of negotiations to reinstate a ceasefire, Ms. Kaag also underscored the need for unimpeded humanitarian access across the Gaza Strip and for the immediate and unconditional release of remaining hostages.

    Two-State solution

    Concluding her briefing, Ms. Kaag reiterated the UN chief’s call to establish a political framework that outlines tangible, irreversible and time-bound steps to be taken by Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

    “The occupation must end as rapidly as possible,” she said, stating that a viable two-State solution – Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part, living side-by-side in peace and security, “is long overdue”.

    “The United Nations will continue to support all efforts towards that goal.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New MBA Residential series focuses on supply chains The latest trends in global supply chains will be the focus of a three day event hosted by the University of Aberdeen Business School this summer.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    The latest trends in global supply chains will be the focus of a three day event hosted by the University of Aberdeen Business School this summer.
    From exploring the use of AI and Blockchain, understanding supply vessel logistics and establishing new supply chains in emerging markets; through to raising awareness of the environmental, social and governance requirements in value chain planning, the event is part a new MBA Residential series.
    Supported by the Development Trust Student Experience Fund, it will bring together MBA students from Aberdeen, Qatar and those studying online for a comprehensive programme of lectures and on-site industry visits.
    In addition to visiting the National Decommissioning Centre, ANM Group and Peterhead Port Authority, delegates will hear from speakers including Rex Gu, Global Head of Finance, Contract Logistics and E-Commerce Logistics at A.P. Moller – Maersk; Alan Buhamba, Executive Assistant to the Minister of Energy in the Government of Uganda; Cyril Bruce-Cathline, New Business Management for Europe and Africa at Fugro; and Yingli Wu,  Managing Director (China) at Wrist Ship Supply. They will also be joined by Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

    This event provides a unique opportunity for students across the MBA cohort to network, engage and enhance their understanding of supply chain resilience directly from industry.” John Storm, Director of MBA Programmes at the Business School

    “In today’s interconnected world, supply chain resilience is not just a strategic advantage but a necessity,” said John Storm, Director of MBA Programmes at the Business School and event moderator.
    “The challenges of geopolitical instability, resource scarcity and technological integration demand agile and adaptable networks. Yet, these very challenges also present opportunities for innovation, sustainability, and enhanced collaboration, paving the way for more resilient and efficient global supply chains.
    “This event provides a unique opportunity for students across the MBA cohort to network, engage and enhance their understanding of supply chain resilience directly from industry.”
    Supply Chain Resilience in the Age of ESG takes place at the University of Aberdeen’s King’s College campus from 4-6 June 2025. Free to attend, register to express your interest here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Joly speaks with Minister Riad Malki of the Palestinian Authority

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 14, 2023 – Amman, Jordan – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today spoke on the phone with His Excellency Dr. Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Palestinian Authority.

    Minister Joly expressed Canada’s grave concern with the humanitarian situation in Gaza and its devastating impact on Palestinian civilians. She condemned Hamas, which does not represent the Palestinian people. She extended her condolences for the Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives and reiterated that all parties must respect international humanitarian law. The Minister highlighted Canada’s recent initial announcement of $10 million in humanitarian funding to help address the urgent needs of civilians.

    The ministers discussed the importance of establishing a humanitarian corridor in Gaza as soon as possible as well as the need for the international community to work together to address the dire humanitarian situation. They agreed that the protection of civilians is paramount.

    Minister Joly and Minister Malki committed to remain in close contact as the situation evolves.

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Joly meets with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 17, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, was pleased to meet yesterday with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who is visiting Canada from October 16 to 17, 2023.

    Minister Joly and the High Commissioner discussed the overall state of human rights around the world and Canada’s role within the international human rights system. Minister Joly took this opportunity to raise several pressing human rights situations of concern to Canada.

    The Minister and the High Commissioner also discussed the issues of polarization and pushback on human rights, particularly those of women and girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

    Minister Joly reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights both at home and abroad, including continued engagement with the United Nations human rights system and support for the critical role of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Minister Joly emphasized Canada’s continued commitment to the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of Canada, and to the human rights system at large, as demonstrated by Canada’s candidacy for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council for the 2028 to 2030 term.

    Minister Joly underscored Canada’s unequivocal condemnation of the brutal terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel. She also expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasized the necessity of immediate and unimpeded access of humanitarian assistance. Canada stands firmly with the Israeli and Palestinian peoples in their right to live in peace and security, with dignity and without fear.

    Minister Joly and the High Commissioner agreed to continue working together to address the increasingly challenging situation of human rights around the world.

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Eastern European Organized Crime Leaders Convicted of Murder for Hire Targeting U.S.-Based Journalist on Behalf of Iranian Government

    Source: US State of California

    Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

    A federal jury returned guilty verdicts yesterday on all five counts in the superseding indictment against Rafat Amirov, also known as Farkhaddin Mirzoev, Pᴎᴍ, and Rome, 46, of Iran; and Polad Omarov, also known as Araz Aliyev, Polad Qaqa, and Haci Qaqa, 40, of Georgia. The defendants were convicted of murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering charges, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. Amirov and Omarov are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.

    “The Iranian regime’s brazen plot to silence and murder Americans will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This verdict underscores the Department’s commitment to finding and holding accountable those who threaten our citizens and our freedoms. With the great work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we are now one step closer to justice.”

    “For years, the Government of Iran has attempted to silence an outspoken Iranian journalist, author, activist and critic of their regime through any means necessary, including harassment, violence, intimidation, and even attempted murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “Chillingly, the plot to murder this Iranian dissident culminated over 6,000 miles from Iran, on U.S. soil, right here in New York, when a hitman with an AK-47 camped outside her home to kill her. I commend the career prosecutors of this office, and our law enforcement partners at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division for their tireless work in bringing these defendants to justice. This verdict should send a clear message around the world: if you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

    “The defendants participated in a brazen plot to kill an Iranian American dissident in New York who criticized the regime in Iran,” said Acting Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners their plan failed. This verdict demonstrates the FBI will not tolerate Iran’s attempts to threaten, silence, or harm American citizens.”

    According to court documents, Amirov and Omarov were high-ranking members of an Eastern European organized crime group (the Organization) who worked with other members of the Organization to attempt to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Alinejad has previously been the target of plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses around the world. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.

    After these brazen efforts to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. failed, the IRGC turned to Amirov and Omarov to locate, surveil, and murder her. Beginning in approximately July 2022, Amirov sent targeting information—which he had received directly from IRGC officials in Iran—about Alinejad to Omarov. In turn, Omarov communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Alinejad and murder her. In turn, Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad’s residence to Omarov, who shared these materials with Amirov and the IRGC officials who orchestrated the plot in Iran. Amirov and Omarov then arranged for a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev, who used a portion of this payment to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and at least 66 rounds of ammunition; as Mehdiyev boasted in electronic communications, a “war machine” he could use to kill Alinejad.

    In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her. Mehdiyev sent reports of his surveillance to Omarov, who passed them to Amirov. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to Omarov from Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, Omarov told Amirov that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent Omarov a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading “we are ready.” Amirov sent an image of the interior of Alinejad’s home to Omarov to be forwarded to Mehdiyev, writing “this is the house where she stays.”  As Omarov continued to update Amirov about Mehdiyev’s readiness, Amirov cautioned Omarov “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev subsequently drove from where he was surveilling the residence, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

    After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, Omarov contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev.

    Amirov and Omarov were convicted on five counts: murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison (Count Three); attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison (Count Five).

    The FBI New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force are investigating the case, with assistance from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic for their assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal specialist Owen Foley and Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK opposes any attempt to forcibly annex land in Gaza or expand settlements in the West Bank: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The UK opposes any attempt to forcibly annex land in Gaza or expand settlements in the West Bank: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

    We welcome this opportunity to discuss the evolving situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 

    First, I’ll address recent developments in Gaza.  

    This week saw more bloodshed return to the Gaza strip.

    It is appalling that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed following Israeli strikes since 18 March.

    We strongly oppose Israel’s resumption of hostilities. 

    Escalation and endless violence is in nobody’s interests.   

    We are outraged that a UN compound in Gaza was hit on Wednesday morning. 

    Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. 

    There must be a full investigation into what happened. 

    We urge all parties to return to dialogue and to implement the ceasefire agreement in full. 

    This must include the return of the 59 hostages who have been cruelly held by Hamas for over 500 days.

    As we said in the Council yesterday, Hamas must be held accountable for their depraved actions. 

    We also call on Israel to immediately restore humanitarian access and electricity to Gaza.

    Refusing to do so risks breaching international humanitarian law. 

    Second, President, we must look to the future and redouble our efforts to secure long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians. 

    This means a credible plan to allow Palestinians in Gaza to return home and rebuild their lives, with Hamas removed from power. 

    To be clear, we oppose any attempt to forcibly annex land in Gaza.

    We welcome the Arab initiative of a recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza and we urge all parties to engage constructively with it.

    Sustainable peace also means addressing worrying developments in the West Bank. 

    We are seriously concerned by the scale of the Israeli miliary operation in the West Bank and the displacement of nearly 40,000 Palestinian refugees. 

    We recognise Israel’s right to self defence, but civilians must be protected, and Israel must ensure its operations are proportionate to the threat posed.    

    Israel must halt settlements which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.  

    Violent settlers must be held to account.

    The UK has introduced three rounds of sanctions on violent settlers and their supporters to bring accountability for abuses of human rights, in the absence of sufficient Israeli action. 

    We will consider all further options.  

    Reports of the killing of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including children, are abhorrent. 

    The IDF must take all precautions to prevent civilian deaths, and must investigate civilian deaths thoroughly and demonstrate full accountability to the law.    

    The level of restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank are crippling. 

    These only fuel further instability. 

    It is important, especially during the month of Ramadan, that religious freedoms are respected.  

    Restrictive visa and registration processes are also deeply concerning. 

    Israel must ensure the UN, including UNRWA, can provide essential humanitarian and service delivery in a safe and secure environment.   

    President, seventeen months on from the dreadful attacks of 7 October, we urge all parties to implement the ceasefire agreement in full and to work towards a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State. 

    This is the best way to deliver a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Honoring New York’s Rich, Diverse History

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced recommendations by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation to add 20 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The nominations include Marcus Garvey Park in New York City, an octagon house in Columbiaville, a Jewish cemetery in Buffalo and the Colgate-Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester.

    “New York’s historic places tell the stories of where people have authored the enduring legacy we cherish,” Governor Hochul said. “With these nominations, we commit ourselves to protecting that legacy and to sharing these wondrous monuments of human achievement with future generations. By recognizing these sites, we honor the diverse communities and rich history that make New York extraordinary.”

    State and National Register listing can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

    New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, “In New York, we’re committed to recognizing our diverse history and expanding the official record of places of significance. With each slate of nominations, we increase our knowledge of our past and help ensure access to resources to preserve these places for the future. When properties are listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places, they become eligible for various public preservation programs and incentives, such as matching state grants and federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits. Our future is worth a strong investment in our past and we are proud to advance this work.”

    New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation Daniel Mackay said, “At the Division for Historic Preservation, we are dedicated to researching and documenting complete histories, to expanding the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and to connecting communities with the resources they need to help preserve and promote these unique assets. Listing in the registers is the first step in connecting property owners with resources that will help them steward this shared history.”

    New York State continues to lead the nation in the use of historic tax credits, with $7.17 billion in total rehabilitation costs from 2018-2024. Since 2009, the historic tax credit program has stimulated over $16.4 billion in project expenditures in New York State, creating significant investment and new jobs. According to a report, between 2018-2022, the  credits in New York State generated 72,918 jobs and over $1.47 billion in local, state and federal taxes.

    The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archaeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are more than 128,000 historic properties throughout the state listed in the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

    Once recommendations are approved by the Commissioner, who serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, the properties are listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed by the National Park Service and, once approved, entered in the National Register.  More information, with photos of the nominations, is available on the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website.

    New York City

    Church of St. Edward the Martyr, New York County – The Church of St. Edward the Martyr is a complex of religious buildings that includes an 1887 church (with additions in 1902 and 1903), a parish house and rectory (housed in a 1902 row building) and a 1961 community center. The church is an example of Late Gothic Revival style religious architecture in East Harlem and New York City and is the earliest representative example in Harlem of the Anglo-Catholic architectural program adopted by some Episcopal congregations. The establishment of the church coincided with the rapid development of Harlem during the 1880s and was funded by prominent Manhattan Episcopalians, including John Jacob Astor and “Commodore” Elbridge T. Gerry. The rapid growth of the congregation and generous funding allowed the church to fully embrace Anglo-Catholic worship with the construction of a grand Gothic-inspired reredos and ornate woodwork designed by J. & R. Lamb, under the supervision of Charles Lamb, whose studio was among the most prominent decorating firms of the period. The church’s simple, steep-gabled façade, its stained-glass windows and its central entrance all typify a modest, yet carefully planned, Late Gothic Revival style religious building.

    Corsi Houses, New York County – Corsi Houses, a public housing complex in East Harlem constructed in 1973, is one of a group of mid-20th century government-funded senior housing complexes in Harlem developed by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). It represents the expansion of federal affordable housing programs to construct apartments specifically designed for seniors under the Housing Act of 1956 and later expanded under housing acts in 1961 and 1965. Corsi Houses is also one of a small set of public housing developments built in collaboration with a local settlement house, the LaGuardia Memorial House, which had served the neighborhood since 1898. LaGuardia Memorial House initiated Corsi Houses, thus ensuring direct community participation, and built on land formerly occupied by the settlement house as part of an attempt to integrate it into the surrounding neighborhood. The project was initiated in 1961, but numerous interruptions (including struggles over financing and design approval) delayed its opening to 1973. Although Corsi Houses continues to fulfill its purpose of combining affordable elderly housing with community support programs in East Harlem, the long struggle to complete construction reveals the tension between well-intentioned programs, community desires, politics and economic realities

    Marcus Garvey Park, New York County – For almost 200 years, the 20-acre public green space now called Marcus Garvey Park has been a place of refuge and cultural expression for Harlem residents. It’s among Manhattan’s oldest parks, predating Central Park by over twenty years. The relative scarcity of parks in this part of Manhattan heightened its importance as a community resource worth defending and advocating for, as local groups have done for decades. Marcus Garvey Park largely retains its 1930s landscape built by laborers employed through the Works Progress Administration and designed by Aymar Embury II and Gilmore Clarke, who worked under Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. The most defining feature of their plan, the massive terrace atop the mount, known as the Acropolis, is wholly intact. The park’s redevelopment in this period was more than an aesthetic change. It introduced equipment and facilities that supported child-centered play, reflecting changing trends in public recreation. The park is located on a physical and cultural nexus – at the historic dividing line between African American Central Harlem and Spanish East Harlem. This reality gave events held here deep symbolic meaning, especially the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. This multi-genre, multi-ethnic musical showcase was designed to celebrate Harlem but also directly addressed national issues of civil rights, social justice and Black identity. The 1970 recreation center and amphitheater complex and the 1971 pool represent the community’s crusade to bring more recreational facilities to their neighborhood. In 1973 the park was renamed in honor of the late Black Nationalist leader, Marcus Garvey, recognizing Black heritage and pride in Harlem as well as the importance of the park in the Black community. The Marcus Garvey Park National Register nomination was supported, in part, by an Underrepresented Communities grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

    Morris Park Senior Citizens Home, New York County – Built in in 1963, the Morris Park Senior Citizens Home is a remarkable example of a church-led senior housing project developed under the direct loan program of the Community Facilities Administration, a part of the US Housing and Home Finance Agency. This program targeted housing specifically for the elderly at below market rate; it also allowed faith-based communities to lead these developments. Churches had long been providers of social services, however, in response to the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, religious organizations, particularly urban Black churches, were inspired to pursue housing, feeling it was their responsibility to impact the socio-political landscape of the city. The Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of the largest Black churches in New York City, welcomed the opportunity to develop housing for citizens in its community. Famed pastors Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Oberia D. Dempsey established the Morris Park Senior Citizens Housing Council to lead the development. The partners undertook this project in reaction to the perceived shortfalls of the public housing produced by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which was blamed for driving families out, demolishing tenements and brownstones and constructing high-rise towers and superblocks in their place. The Morris Park Senior Citizens Home provided ninety-seven housing units for senior citizens, most of whom were Black, in Harlem.

    Stuyvesant Gardens I, Kings County – Stuyvesant Gardens I is a public housing complex in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was one of New York City’s largest Black communities in the early 1900s. Many residents lived in former row houses and – in spite of racially motivated redlining practices – the neighborhood was characterized by a high rate of homeownership. Decades of disinvestment, however, led to the mounting perception of Bedford-Stuyvesant as an area in need of assistance. In the mid-1960s, the neighborhood’s network of community groups organized a coordinated opposition to the city’s proposals to clear the area via demolition. Stuyvesant Gardens I was the culmination of years of dialogue between the Bedford-Stuyvesant community and local government officials. Designed by E.N. Turano and completed in 1972 for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), it is an example of a public housing complex developed under the Model Cities program—a government initiative to improve the physical condition of urban neighborhoods that maximized community involvement in the planning process and minimized displacement of existing residents. The design of Stuyvesant Gardens I responded to the community’s wishes in a couple of notable ways: it has a “vest pocket” site plan, spread across portions of two city blocks; and it is low-rise, standing only four-stories tall and closely matching the scale of adjacent row houses. Its low-rise design was intended to address the criticisms of the tower-in-the-park model that was ubiquitous for public housing developments in post-war New York City.

    Long Island

    Lynbrook Public Library, Nassau County – Built in the village of Lynbrook in 1929, Lynbrook Public Library is an example of early twentieth century institutional architecture that reflects the ideals of the Public Library Movement. Designed by architect Hugh Tallant, a graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and well known for his work in theatre design, the library embodies the Neoclassical Revival style with its symmetrical design, monumental presence and classical details, including carved depictions of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. Tallant, who partnered with Henry B. Herts to design major projects like the New Amsterdam Theatre and Lyceum Theatre, brought his experience designing grand, decorative architecture to the library. The building’s design, featuring a formal entrance, large windows and a bright and open reading room underscore its role as an enduring educational and cultural resource for the community.

    Mid-Hudson

    Charles D. & Elizabeth Lantry House, Ulster County – Located in the city of Kingston, the Charles D. & Elizabeth Lantry House is an excellent example of the Queen Anne-style. The rectangular, two-and-one-half-story wood frame building constructed ca. 1894 has asymmetrical gables, projecting bays, varied wall cladding and decorative woodwork. The historic interior of the Lantry House is defined by its original floor plan, original wood staircase with a carved floral newel post, historic windows and decorative woodwork. Charles D. and Elizabeth Lantry, the original homeowners, reflected the neighborhood’s historic middle-class homeownership and the use of architectural style to demonstrate social standing.

    Home for the Aged in Ulster County, Ulster County – The Home for the Aged in Ulster County was constructed in 1929 in response to the growing need for safe, comfortable accommodations for an increasing number of senior residents in the city of Kingston and the county at large. The Home is a strong example of Colonial Revival architecture – designed by local architect George E. Lowe – and is distinguished by its symmetrical design, prominent entrance pediment and use of cast stone ornamentation. Throughout much of its operation, the Home was at capacity – offering much needed housing that was supported through charitable donations, without direct financing from the city or state. It remained in operation in this capacity until 1974 when a new owner purchased the building and began operating it as a non-profit organization.

    Roosa House, Ulster County – The Roosa House in the hamlet of High Falls in the town of Marbletown dates to ca. 1790. It was first owned by Andries Roosa, a descendant of one of the region’s founding Dutch settlers, Aldert Heymans Roosa. The home is a notable example of late 1700s Dutch Colonial stone residence and exhibits the building materials and methods from the early development period of the Hudson River Valley. The house has additions from ca. 1810 and later, but its center block is a rare and well-preserved example of regional stone architecture in Marbletown during the late 1700s.

    Capital Region

    Hillsdale Hamlet Historic District Boundary Expansion, Columbia County – Originally listed in 2010, the Hillsdale Hamlet Historic District includes historic commercial and residential buildings in the town of Hillsdale dating from ca. 1790 to 1945. This boundary expansion adds the Hillsdale High House to the historic district, which was mistakenly left out of the original nomination. The Craftsman Bungalow style house was built in 1933 by local architect Roy Van Deusen and was made from materials salvaged from the nearby Hillsdale High School after it closed.

    Smith Octagon House, Columbia County – Constructed ca. 1860 and located in the hamlet of Columbiaville, the Smith Octagon House is a rare and early example of the octagon house-style promoted by phrenologist and reformer Orson S. Fowler. The home reflects the construction methods and styles described in Fowler’s 1849 book, A Home for All: or, A New, Cheap, Convenient, and Superior Mode of Building. Some of the designs espoused in Fowler’s book that were incorporated into the Smith Octagon House include ample natural light and ventilation from symmetrical fenestration and a cupola. The overall plan for the house aimed to reduce room corners, enhance circulation patterns and limit interior or exterior embellishments. The original Smith family who built and occupied the home until 1920 were millenarians and enthusiastic participants in the Spiritualist movement.

    St. George’s Lodge No 6, Masonic Temple and Club, Schenectady County –The oldest continuously operating masonic organization in Schenectady, St. George’s Lodge No. 6, Masonic Temple and Club traces its origins to the 1700s and was the largest and most prominent masonic order in the city during the 1900s. The Masonic Lodge and Club was located at 302 State Street from 1919 until the Masonic Association sold the building in 1992, spanning a time of significant change for masonic orders and traditions. The temple and “Masonic Club” hosted regular meetings of more than a dozen other masonic organizations, making the building a regional hub for the full range of masonic orders and traditions. The building is an excellent example of a sophisticated, high-style, designed masonic temple and lodge building type. After its extensive renovation in 1919, 302 State Street was transformed into a purpose-built masonic lodge of dramatic proportions and detail. The building retains excellent integrity and numerous features that link this resource strongly to the tradition and history of Freemasonry. Additionally, the design of the lodge room at the top level typifies the imagery and iconography of the masonic lodge tradition.

    Western New York

    Ahavas Achim Cemetery, Erie County – Ahavas Achim is a small congregational cemetery first established in 1917, which evolved over time to suit the needs of its multi-national membership. Its earliest graves commemorate Eastern and Central European Jews who immigrated to Buffalo from the 1890s through the 1920s who chose large, richly ornamented monuments to honor their ancestors and European heritage. These monuments also reflect the community’s economic success in the United States, in contrast to the political and social oppression they faced in Europe. This economic success is underscored by the cemetery’s impressive gateway and chapel, both designed in the Egyptian Revival style. Through the synthesis of national origin and customs, the movement of synagogues to progressively more affluent areas and the continual accretion of congregations, the Ahavas Achim Cemetery represents the oldest, extant, continuously used built resource associated with that congregation. As previous synagogue buildings were demolished or converted into churches, only the cemetery remains intact, representing the final resting place of Buffalo Jews for over a century. Its continual use creates a tangible connection to the congregation’s ancestors and represents the dynamics of immigration in the United States.

    Cattaraugus County Memorial and Historical Building, Cattaraugus County – In 1908, Cattaraugus County and a Citizens Committee commissioned the Memorial and Historical Building in Little Valley to commemorate the county’s centennial. It opened in 1914 to house “memorial relics and as a memorial to our soldiers and sailors who enlisted in the Civil War from this County.” The Historical Society operated the facility until the 1920s; then the building became the home to the Little Valley Library. In 1953, it opened to the public as the County Museum. Today the red brick building is the home of the Citizens Advocating Memorial Preservation.

    First Presbyterian Church, Chautauqua County – Designed by renowned architect Ralph Adams Cram, the First Presbyterian Church in Jamestown is one of only three of this master architect’s churches completed in the Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque style. Erected in 1926 this church is an outstanding example of traditional building techniques and craftsmanship. The three-aisle, brick and stone edifice features a five-story bell tower, polychromed roof trusses and stained-glass windows produced in the studios of Harry Wright Goodhue, Gabriel Loire and the firm of Otto Heinigke and Thorton Smith. The building is highly embellished with limestone details, including Classical moldings, dentils, cornices, scrolls and column capitals. Brick and limestone are used in combination to create decorative stripes and counterchange patterns on the surface of the walls. Blocks of limestone laid in an asymmetrical pattern and bas-reliefs of Christians symbols decorate the street-facing elevations.

    Central New York

    Syracuse Boys Club, Onondaga County – Born out of Progressive Era ideals about youth development and the rise of afterschool programs, the Boys Club of America established health services, technical skills and safe recreational space for the nation’s youth. In Syracuse, the need for community-based education and care was compounded by waves of immigration from Eastern Europe. After school programs often served the additional function of “Americanizing” new populations by offering a space to learn language and cultural values outside of the home. The Syracuse Boys Club is an excellent example of a Collegiate Gothic style building from the early 1900s. Designed by local architect Melvin King and built between 1922 and 1923, the architecture communicates the club’s dedication to its mission of education and social betterment and the high-style treatment and use of brick, stone and terra cotta on the façade conveys the building’s prominence within the community.

    Utica Mutual Insurance Company Office Building, Onondaga County –Designed by King & King, prominent local architects and the oldest architectural firm in New York State, the Utica Mutual Insurance Company Building in Syracuse is an exceptionally intact example of an International Style office building of the 1950s. Built as part of an expansion effort for the Utica Mutual Insurance Company in 1956, the building was modeled after the company’s modernist headquarters that was constructed outside of Utica only two years prior. King & King – who were also tenants of the building – demonstrated their fluency with the International Style and this was one of their earliest commissions in this style, which came to define their architectural practice in the midcentury. The building at 420 E. Genesee Street stands as a prototypical example of the firm’s early work in the style, as well as an example of the firm’s proficiency with the Corporate International Style. The firm constructed several prominent buildings in this style in Syracuse and was especially well-known for its dramatic curtain walls and impressive structural work.

    Finger Lakes

    Colgate-Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Monroe County – At the core of this hilltop campus in the city of Rochester sits an assembly of Collegiate Gothic buildings, complete with spires, oriel windows, leaded panes and ornate carvings. Nationally renowned architect James Gamble Rogers – best known for his designs for Yale University’s original residential colleges – conceived the campus’s original 1932 components and its pastoral setting was designed by local landscape architect, Alling DeForest. Another local architect Charles Carpenter added two Tudor Revival dormitories in 1936; final additions to the campus were two mid-century Modern dormitories. In 1928, the Colgate and Rochester seminaries merged and this campus became the center of local and national discourses around theology, social inclusion and civil rights for several decades. In response to increasing secularism after World War II, faculty and administration pioneered Christian ecumenism, as well as controversial new theologies, like the “death of God” ideas associated with Professor William Hamilton. They responded to 1960s social movements and sought to elevate the voices of groups traditionally marginalized by mainstream religious institutions by merging with the historically female Baptist Missionary Training Center in 1962; creating the Black Church Studies program in 1969; and merging with Crozer Theological Seminary – Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s alma mater – in 1970.

    Mohawk Valley

    Jefferson Historic District, Schoharie County – Located in the northern Catskills region in the town of Jefferson, the historic district consists of over one hundred resources at the intersection of historic travel routes. The district embodies a community settled mainly by people from New England, who brought with them a village plan set around a centralized green space with commercial, civic and religious buildings surrounding a square. The creamery trade – especially large-scale butter manufacturing around 1900 – led to a burst of economic prosperity for the area. The architectural styles and built environment in Jefferson represent its development from ca. 1805 through 1936, the year when the consolidated Jefferson Central School was built.

    Southern Tier

    Walter Coulter Homestead Farm, Delaware County – Located in the town of Bovina, the Walter Coulter Homestead Farm represents the development of a family farm over generations of descendants – starting with Water Coulter, the son of Lowland Scots who were forced to abandon their leased land in the Scottish Borders during the late 1700s. Four generations of the Coulter family operated and developed the farm until it was sold out of the family in 1948. The residence building is a highly intact wood frame house characteristic of the regional style in the early 1800s. A three-level barn and other outbuildings are representative of the move from several commodities produced on the farm to a focus on dairy by the early 1900s.

    The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 88 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit  parks.ny.gov, download the free  NY State Parks Explorer app  or call 518-474-0456. Connect with us on  Facebook,  Instagram,  X,  LinkedIn, the  OPRHP Blog  or via the  OPRHP Newsroom.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Kaltura Announces Stock Repurchase Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kaltura, Inc. (“Kaltura” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: KLTR), the Video Experience Cloud, today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a refreshed stock repurchase program for up to $15 million of the Company’s common stock.

    “Our renewed repurchase authorization underscores the Board’s continued confidence in our long-term strategy and its belief that our current share price continues to be undervalued relative to our long-term opportunity. We remain confident in our ability to continue to generate positive operating cash flow and are committed to strategically deploying capital where we believe it can generate shareholder value,” said Ron Yekutiel, Kaltura Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

    Under the repurchase program, the Company may make repurchases, from time to time, through open market purchases, block trades, in privately negotiated transactions, accelerated stock repurchase transactions, or by other means. Open market repurchases will be structured to occur in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including within the pricing and volume requirements of Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Company may also, from time to time, enter into Rule 10b5-1 plans to facilitate repurchases under this authorization. The volume, timing, and manner of any repurchases will be determined at the Company’s discretion, subject to general market conditions, as well as the Company’s management of capital, general business conditions, other investment opportunities, regulatory requirements and other factors. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any specific amount of common stock, has no time limit, and may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without notice at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Company currently expects to fund the repurchase program from existing cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and/or future cash flows.

    The Company is also reaffirming its first quarter 2025 and full year 2025 Subscription Revenue, Total Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance as was provided in the Company’s financial results press release for the fourth quarter and full year 2024, dated February 20, 2025.

    Financial Outlook:

    For the first quarter of 2025, Kaltura expects:

    • Subscription Revenue to grow by 5% – 7% year-over-year to between $43.4 million and $44.2 million.
    • Total Revenue to grow by 2% – 4% year-over-year to between $45.7 million and $46.5 million.
    • Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

    For the full year ending December 31, 2025, Kaltura expects:

    • Subscription Revenue to grow by 2%-3% year-over-year to between $170.4 million and $173.4 million.
    • Total Revenue to grow 1% – 2% year-over-year to between $179.9 million and $182.9 million.
    • Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $12.7 million to $14.7 million.

    The guidance provided above contains forward-looking statements and actual results may differ materially. Refer to “Forward-Looking Statements” below for information on the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net profit (loss) before financial expenses (income), net, provision for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization expenses, adjusted for the impact of certain non-cash and other items that we believe are not indicative of our core operating performance, such as non-cash stock-based compensation expenses, facility exit and transition costs, restructuring charges and other non-recurring operating expenses. Kaltura has not provided a quantitative reconciliation of forecasted Adjusted EBITDA to forecasted GAAP net loss within this press release because the Company is unable, without making unreasonable efforts, to calculate certain reconciling items with confidence. The reconciliation for Adjusted EBITDA includes but is not limited to the following items: stock-based compensation expenses, depreciation, amortization, financial expenses (income), net, provision for income tax, and other non-recurring operating expenses. These items, which could materially affect the computation of forward-looking GAAP net loss, are inherently uncertain and depend on various factors, some of which are outside of the Company’s control. The guidance above is based on the Company’s current expectations relating to the macro-economic climate trends.

    About Kaltura
    Kaltura’s mission is to create and power AI-infused hyper-personalized video experiences that boost customer and employee engagement and success. Kaltura’s Video Experience Cloud includes a platform for enterprise and TV content management and a wide array of Gen AI-infused video-first products, including Video Portals, LMS and CMS Video Extensions, Virtual Events and Webinars, Virtual Classrooms, and TV Streaming Applications. Kaltura engages millions of end-users at home, at work, and at school, boosting both customer and employee experiences, including marketing, sales, and customer success; teaching, learning, training and certification; communication and collaboration; and entertainment and monetization. For more information, visit  www.corp.kaltura.com. 

    Investor Contacts:
    Kaltura
    John Doherty
    Chief Financial Officer
    IR@Kaltura.com

    Sapphire Investor Relations
    Erica Mannion and Michael Funari
    +1 617 542 6180
    IR@Kaltura.com

    Media Contacts:
    Kaltura
    Nohar Zmora
    pr.team@kaltura.com

    Headline Media
    Raanan Loew
    raanan@headline.media
    +1 347 897 9276

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, statements regarding the methods, amount and timing of, and sources of funding for, repurchases under the stock repurchase program, and the Company’s financial performance, including the Company’s first quarter and full year 2025 financial guidance.

    In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “positioned,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on our historical performance and our current plans, estimates and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent our expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and we disclaim any obligation to update the forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations.

    Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the current volatile economic climate and its direct and indirect impact on our business and operations; political, economic, and military conditions in Israel and other geographies; our ability to retain our customers and meet demand; our ability to achieve and maintain profitability; the evolution of the markets for our offerings; our ability to keep pace with technological and competitive developments; risks associated with our use of certain artificial intelligence and machine learning models; our ability to maintain the interoperability of our offerings across devices, operating systems and third-party applications; risks associated with our Application Programming Interfaces, other components in our offerings and other intellectual property;; our ability to compete successfully against current and future competitors; our ability to increase customer revenue; risks related to our approach to revenue recognition; our potential exposure to cybersecurity threats; our compliance with data privacy and data protection laws; our ability to meet our contractual commitments; our reliance on third parties; our ability to retain our key personnel; risks related to our revenue mix and customer base; risks related to our international operations; risks related to potential acquisitions; our ability to generate or raise additional capital; and the other risks under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations page of our website at investors.kaltura.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Defending humanitarian aid in terms of national security obscures its real purpose

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chen Reis, Associate Clinical Professor, Director, Humanitarian Assistance Program, & Director, Human Rights MA, University of Denver

    A woman scoops up portions of wheat to be allocated to each waiting family after it was distributed in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia in 2021. AP Photo/Ben Curtis

    More than 305 million people require lifesaving humanitarian aid today. Most of them live in areas wracked by conflict, such as Sudan, Gaza, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    By many estimates, there is more need than ever for this assistance – and the need is growing. But humanitarian funding, which is primarily provided by governments, is declining. The Trump administration stopped disbursing nearly all U.S. humanitarian aid on Jan. 20, 2025. It made these cuts at a time when the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Belgium and other wealthy countries are slashing their own aid spending.

    Judges have ruled that the U.S. government must rehire aid workers and make overdue payments for aid already delivered by nongovernmental companies, international agencies and private contractors. While legal disputes wend through the courts, these cuts are already having disastrous consequences for people in Afghanistan, Sudan and other places facing crises.

    As scholars who study humanitarian aid, we are seeing not just a crisis of funding but also one that jeopardizes the credibility of the entire global system that provides this lifesaving assistance.

    When conflict breaks out or a disaster like an earthquake strikes, people require emergency medical care, temporary shelter, food and water. In countries where the government is unable or unwilling to provide these services, humanitarian organizations and international agencies step in to fill the gaps. Humanitarian aid is based on empathy and the recognition that everyone has a right to live with dignity.

    When discussing the impacts of its aid freeze and challenging the Trump administration’s misinformation about the U.S. Agency for International Development, many NGOs and experts on humanitarian assistance have not focused on empathy and rights.

    They have in their defense of the agency responsible until now for most of the foreign aid the U.S. provides instead relied on arguments that appeal to U.S. national security, soft power and economic interests.

    Sen. Chris Coons, a Connecticut Democrat, has warned that China will benefit from the U.S. aid cutoff.

    “Our biggest global competitor and adversary is delighted that we’ve handed them an opportunity to say to communities and countries around the world that we are not a reliable partner,” Coons said.

    By highlighting geopolitical, security and economic arguments for humanitarian aid, in our view, they risk further hurting the sector’s legitimacy.

    Protesters rally in support of USAID in Washington on Feb. 5, 2025.
    Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

    A ‘seismic shock’

    Tom Fletcher, who leads the United Nations’ humanitarian efforts, has called the Trump administration’s aid reduction “a seismic shock to the sector.” But the latest cuts are part of a longer-term trend.

    While needs have increased, humanitarian funding has been flat or declining for years, leaving millions of people who need food, health care, shelter and protection without the assistance they need.

    Every year, the U.N. assesses humanitarian need for the coming year and issues what amounts to a global budget request to meet those needs. Government donors commit funds toward that budget request, and those funds are then distributed to U.N. agencies and NGOs that implement humanitarian programming.

    Since 2016, the gap between funding requirements and funding commitments has grown. In 2024, the U.N. requested US$49.5 billion in humanitarian funding and received less than half, or $23.9 billion, with the U.S. contributing 41% of that amount.

    Until January 2025, the U.S. accounted for 35%-46% of total annual global humanitarian funding. The abrupt cutoff of funds has led to a scramble to pay for food for malnourished children in Sudan, health care for refugees from Myanmar, and maternal health services in Yemen.

    Without U.S. funding, the humanitarian work of the United Nations agencies and NGOs that deliver humanitarian aid in part funded by governments is in jeopardy.

    Because of the cuts, Catholic Relief Services and the International Rescue Committee, for example, have laid off staff and shuttered health clinics that prevent or treat infectious diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. They can no longer provide access to clean water and sanitation services or other lifesaving aid in many places where they work.

    Core principles violated

    Humanitarian groups have historically embraced a set of core principles that emphasize the alleviation of human suffering wherever it may occur while remaining independent, neutral and impartial.

    In conflict zones, these principles are essential for gaining access to people who need help. Aid workers build trust and acceptance by not picking sides in a conflict and providing aid based on need.

    Focusing on what benefits donor countries instead of what serves humanitarian needs in areas experiencing famine, disasters or conflicts is at odds with these principles. However, in January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that U.S. interests would decide how aid is allocated.

    “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions,” Rubio said. “Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”

    Since late January, the Trump administration has cut 83% of USAID’s programs, according to recent reports.

    Transactional arguments

    In March, the State Department sent a questionnaire to nongovernmental organizations and U.N. agencies asking how they will conform to President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy and distribute aid in alignment with foreign policy goals.

    Governments always consider their own interests as one factor when making decisions about humanitarian aid. But, we are concerned that humanitarian organizations and the public are not pushing back on these purely transactional arguments.

    Instead, some organizations seem to be falling in line.

    “This investment pays dividends by preventing humanitarian crises, containing disease outbreaks, and countering adversarial influence in vulnerable regions,” stated InterAction, an association of U.S.-based NGOs that distribute humanitarian aid and development assistance. “That’s why foreign aid has maintained decades of support across party lines — it is vital for U.S. security and international stability.”

    We also see in these comments signs that justifications for aid are changing.

    When former Secretary of State Colin Powell called nongovernmental organizations a “force multiplier” in 2001, it stirred controversy because he suggested that they were an extension of the government and a pillar of U.S. strategy. Even still, he acknowledged that NGOs required independence from government to do their essential work.

    An important choice

    Humanitarian organizations are grappling with the financial and operational consequences of their reliance on a small number of donor governments that have cut off or cut back aid. As they adjust to the new reality, we believe that they must make a choice.

    They can embrace the increasingly transactional agendas of the rich countries that have historically provided most humanitarian aid funding. Doing so may increase aid flows but compromise humanitarian neutrality and impartiality – potentially restricting their access to the places they need to go to do their work.

    Or they can focus on people affected by crises – as recipients of assistance and as agents of change. This option would likely mean operating on an even smaller budget at a time when needs are increasing.

    Either way, the decisions made today will have significant implications for the future of humanitarian action.

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

    – ref. Defending humanitarian aid in terms of national security obscures its real purpose – https://theconversation.com/defending-humanitarian-aid-in-terms-of-national-security-obscures-its-real-purpose-252246

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Immediate Action to Increase American Mineral Production

    Source: The White House

    INCREASING AMERICAN MINERAL PRODUCTION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to boost American mineral production, streamline permitting, and enhance national security.  

    • Agencies shall compile a list of all mineral production projects that have submitted a plan of operations, permit application, or any other approval request to that agency in order to expedite the review and advancement of those projects in coordination with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC).
      • Additional mineral production projects will be considered for FAST-41 status to streamline permitting.
    • New recommendations will be provided to Congress regarding treatment of waste rock, tailings, and mine waste disposal under the Mining Act of 1872.
    • The Secretary of the Interior will prioritize mineral production activities over other types of activities on Federal lands that hold critical mineral deposits.
      • The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Agriculture, and Secretary of the Interior shall identify additional sites that might be suitable for mineral production activities that can be permitted as soon as possible.
    • The Defense Production Act (DPA) will be used to expand domestic mineral production capacity.
    • Financing, loans, and investment support will be provided for new mineral production projects, including a dedicated critical minerals fund established through the United States International Development Finance Corporation in collaboration with the Department of Defense.
    • The Trump Administration will coordinate with private industry to ensure a stable and resilient domestic supply chain for critical materials, including critical minerals.
    • “Minerals” covered by the order include critical minerals, uranium, copper, potash, gold, and any other element, compound, or material as determined by the Chair of the NEDC, such as coal.

    SECURING AMERICA’S MINERAL FUTURE: President Trump is boosting domestic mineral production to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign minerals, enhance national security, and create jobs.

    • Demand for critical minerals has been dubbed the “gold rush of the 21st century” due to their importance in emerging technologies.
    • The United States currently imports a significant portion of its minerals from foreign countries, creating economic and security risks, despite possessing a vast supply of critical minerals.
      • The United States is 100% import-reliant on at least 15 critical minerals, and imports of nonfuel mineral commodities make up more than half of U.S. consumption.
      • U.S. capacity utilization for the metal mining industry has declined for years.
    • China, Iran, and Russia control large deposits of several minerals critical to the U.S., posing a national security risk.
      • 70% of U.S. imports of rare earths come from China.
    • A strong domestic mineral production industry would ensure U.S. companies can compete globally without overly relying on foreign supply chains.
    • Critical minerals are essential for U.S. military readiness, as they are key components in fighter jets, satellites, submarines, smart bombs, and missile guidance systems.

    PRIORITIZING U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY: President Trump is committed to ending American dependence on hostile foreign powers for critical minerals.

    • Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to make the U.S. “the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.”
    • President Trump also signed an Executive Order advancing the Ambler Access Project, a 211-mile industrial road through Northwest Alaska that enables commercial mining for copper, zinc and other materials.
    • This builds on actions President Trump took in his first term:
      • In 2017, President Trump implemented a Federal strategy to ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals.
      • In 2019, President Trump signed five Presidential Determinations finding that domestic production of rare earth elements and materials is essential to the national defense.
      • In 2020, President Trump declared a National Emergency to expand the domestic mining industry, support mining jobs, alleviate unnecessary permitting delays, and reduce our Nation’s dependence on China for critical minerals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Maris-Tech to Showcase Advanced 360° Situational Awareness and AI-Driven Video Solutions at MDEX 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Meet the Maris-Tech team at SIBAT Booth F3 and experience cutting-edge technology in tactical video and AI solutions

    Rehovot, Israel, March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Maris-Tech Ltd. (Nasdaq: MTEK, MTEKW) (“Maris-Tech” or the “Company”), a global leader in video and artificial intelligence (“AI”)-based edge computing technology, today announced that it will be participating in the Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX) 2025. The event will take place at the Macomb Sports & Expo Center, P -Building, Michigan, U.S., from April 8 to 10, 2025. Maris-Tech will exhibit at Booth F3 alongside SIBAT, Israel’s Ministry of Defense directorate for defense exports and international cooperation.

    Maris-Tech will showcase its advanced 360° situational awareness technology designed for Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). The Company will also present its latest AI-driven video intelligence and edge computing solutions, which are designed to deliver low-latency, high-performance capabilities for defense applications.

    The Maris-Tech U.S. sales team will be present at Booth F3, providing the opportunity for face-to-face meetings with investors, prospective customers, and defense industry leaders. Visitors will have the chance to experience Maris-Tech’s solutions firsthand and explore how the Company’s innovative AI and video intelligence technologies are driving the future of defense operations.

    “Participating in MDEX is a key step in Maris-Tech’s strategic expansion into the U.S. market,” said Israel Bar, Chief Executive Officer of Maris-Tech. “This event allows us to connect with U.S. customers and partners directly, demonstrate the value of our solutions and strengthen our presence in the defense sector.”

    About Maris-Tech Ltd.

    Maris-Tech is a global leader in video and AI-based edge computing technology, pioneering intelligent video transmission solutions that conquer complex encoding-decoding challenges. Our miniature, lightweight, and low-power products deliver high-performance capabilities, including raw data processing, seamless transfer, advanced image processing, and AI-driven analytics. Founded by Israeli technology sector veterans, Maris-Tech serves leading manufacturers worldwide in defense, aerospace, Intelligence gathering, homeland security (HLS), and communication industries. We’re pushing the boundaries of video transmission and edge computing, driving innovation in mission-critical applications across commercial and defense sectors.

    For more information, visit https://www.maris-tech.com/

    Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect”,” “may”, “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, the Company is using forward-looking statements when it is discussing: the Company’s expansion into the U.S. market, the value of the Company’s solutions and its ability to strengthen its presence in the defense sector. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our ability to successfully market our products and services, including in the United States; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024, and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Investor Relations:

    Nir Bussy, CFO
    Tel: +972-72-2424022
    Nir@maris-tech.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NDB Board of Directors 46th Meeting Concluded in Shanghai

    Source: New Development Bank

    On March 20, 2025, the Board of Directors (Board) of the New Development Bank (NDB) convened for its 46th Meeting at the Bank’s Headquarters in Shanghai, China.

    Pará Sanitation Development Project

    The Board of Directors approved a loan of up to USD 50.0 million to Brazil’s State of Pará, guaranteed by the Federative Republic of Brazil, for the Pará Sanitation Development Project (Projeto de Desenvolvimento de Saneamento do Pará – Etapa Lagos – PRODESAN LAGOS). By implementing a sewage collection and treatment network in neighbourhoods surrounding the water bodies serving as the main water source in Belém Metropolitan Region (BMR) and carrying out preventive and corrective environmental control actions, the Project aims to restore the water sources providing supply to the BMR. The Project will be co-financed by the NDB and FONPLATA Development Bank (FONPLATA), strengthening ongoing collaboration between the two institutions. The Project contributes to achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

    Operations

    The Board of Directors received a comprehensive update on the Bank’s robust and dynamic project pipeline. The Board was also briefed on project implementation, disbursement, ESG portfolio and project procurement in non-member countries.

    Treasury and Finance

    The Board of Directors was updated on the Bank’s funding activities, took note of the Annual Treasury Investment Portfolio Report for 2024, received a comprehensive analysis on the Bank’s loan book, and approved listing the Bank’s Euro Medium-Term Note Programme on the Nasdaq Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the Bank’s Fourth RMB Bond Programme.

    Membership Expansion

    The Board of Directors took note of the progress of membership expansion and provided its guidance for the next steps.

    Tenth Annual Meeting of the NDB Board of Governors

    The Board of Directors recommended that the Tenth Annual Meeting of the NDB Board of Governors be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 4-5, 2025.

    Committee Meetings

    The 34th Meeting of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and the 30th Meeting of the Budget, Human Resources and Compensation Committee were held on March 18, 2025, and March 19, 2025, respectively.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Ceremony marking the 600th Anniversary of the University of Leuven [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    ear Rector Magnificus, Chère Madame la Rectrice,
     
    Allow me to address you with the expression that in my country is reserved for the rectors of the university of the Coimbra, your sister university: Magnificus rectorus, magnificent rectors.
     
    Thank you for your warm welcome, your very kind words and this significant honour.
     
    I am proud to accept it on behalf of the United Nations and remembering the women and men of the UN all over the world.
     
    You will find them working everywhere and around the clock. 
     
    Building and keeping peace.
     
    Delivering lifesaving relief in the most desperate places on earth.
     
    Fighting poverty and standing up for the marginalized.
     
    Advancing human rights and the rule of law.
     
    And striving to realize the universal values that express the very best of the human spirit.
     
    By bestowing this honour at this consequential time, you are sending a clear message.
     
    A message of support for the noble mission of the United Nations —a message of solidarity to all those working to make it real – and a message of inspiration for us to keep up the fight.
     
    On behalf of the United Nations — thank you.
     
    Distinguished Guests, Dear Students, Ladies and Gentlemen,
     
    You honour the United Nations as we celebrate a remarkable milestone:
     
    The 600th anniversary of the University of Leuven, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning, today represented by the two universities that are together in this beautiful ceremony.
     
    Six centuries ago, scholars lit a flame of knowledge.
     
    Generation after generation have kept this flame alive.
     
    Through times of turmoil and triumph.
     
    In war and in peace.
     
    From the Renaissance to the information age.
     
    It is here at Leuven that Erasmus refined his humanist thought, teaching the world to see learning as a path to compassion and understanding.
     
    It was here that Mercator mastered cartography, revolutionizing navigation and the way we see our world — opening new horizons across continents.
     
    It was here that future Prime Minister and statesman August Beernaert began his intellectual journey that led to his bold vision of peace through arbitration, which was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1909.
     
    It was here that a young Georges Lemaître gazed at the stars and proposed what became the Big Bang theory — forever reshaping humanity’s understanding of the universe itself.
     
    And it was here that Dominique Pire, a humble Dominican friar, developed humanitarian principles that would earn him the Nobel Peace Prize for working with refugees and bringing hope to the forgotten.
     
    All of you are keeping this flame alive in the 21st century.
     
    Your scholars have helped lead the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — and the need for urgent climate action.
     
    Your universities played a pivotal role in launching the Global University Academy — supporting higher education for refugees worldwide.
     
    The Leuven Institute for Artificial Intelligence fosters knowledge-sharing and international partnerships on AI.
     
    Your startup incubators and technology transfer efforts transform innovative research into tangible benefits for humanity.
     
    And you are opening new doors to equality and justice through your Gender Equality Plan, and by actively participating in initiatives like the Belgian Women in Science Network to increase the number of female students and staff in science, technology, engineering and math.  
     
    This joint celebration — bringing together KU Leuven and UC Louvain — is yet another example of your spirit of common purpose and renewed partnership…
     
    One that shines a light towards a better, more equal future for all.
     
    Excellencies, dear friends,
     
    We need that light more than ever. 
     
    I am here today to deliver a simple and stark message:
     
    Multilateralism matters.
     
    But it is under attack like never before.
     
    We can and must overcome this threat together. 
     
    Now is the time.
     
    Your 600th anniversary coincides with a moment of reflection for the United Nations.
     
    2025 marks our 80th anniversary as an organization and as the epicenter of multilateralism.
     
    Our founding Charter embodies the world’s conviction that by working together and adhering to shared principles and values, we can solve global problems.   
     
    Standing here in Europe, we know this same commitment to multilateralism is the beating heart of your own European union.
     
    At home and around the world, Belgium and the European Union champion international cooperation, democracy, human rights and global solidarity.
     
    Over the decades, Belgium has brought to life its motto of “unity makes strength” — contributing troops to UN peacekeeping missions, advancing peacebuilding and supporting lifesaving relief around the world.
     
    Today, the European ideal stands as a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to the world’s most vulnerable people, and proof that isolationism is an illusion, never a solution.
     
    A strong and united Europe is not just essential for the continent.
     
    It is a fundamental pillar of a strong and effective United Nations.
     
    Around the globe, the European Union and the United Nations work hand-in-hand:
     
    Providing humanitarian aid to those in desperate need.
     
    Building peace in fragile states and strengthening democratic institutions.
     
    Defending human rights and dignity.
     
    Supporting sustainable development and climate action.
     
    And putting the spotlight on ending the scourge of domestic violence.
     
    But these and other investments in international cooperation are under threat.    
     
    Deadly conflicts are multiplying and deepening, exacting a devastating human toll.
     
    And a contagion of impunity is taking hold.
     
    Poverty, hunger and inequalities are growing — while the wealth of a handful of men eclipses that of half of humanity.
     
    The climate crisis is raging.
     
    Vulnerable countries are often locked out of decision-making rooms.
     
    Technology is outpacing our ability to protect people’s safety, rights and dignity.
     
    We see a dangerous rollback of fundamental freedoms.
     
    Women’s rights are under attack.
     
    Minorities, refugees and migrants are demonized.
     
    The voices of nationalism and isolationism are growing louder with a dangerous resurgence of strongarm politics.
     
    And donors are dramatically scaling-back humanitarian and development support — while defense budgets soar. 
     
    It would be the cruelest of ironies for the poor to be made to pay for the weapons of the rich. 
     
    Last week, I was in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh during the holy month of Ramadan on a mission of solidarity with Rohingya refugees, and with the Bangladeshi communities that so generously host them.
     
    The entire refugee population depends on humanitarian aid.
     
    But with looming cuts, Cox’s Bazar is fast-becoming ground zero of the funding crisis, with money for basic essentials like food, running out.
     
    And I am hopeful that what we are doing now with several donor countries will help us overcome this tragic situation, because without a reversal of these cuts in Cox’s Bazar and beyond — people will suffer and people will die.
     
    Dear friends,
     
    As the darkness spreads, we risk losing sight of Europe’s greatest gift to civilization — the Enlightenment.
     
    Everywhere we look, the fruits of the Enlightenment are being challenged by the voices of irrationality, ignorance and isolationism.
     
    Truth, science and knowledge are being questioned.
     
    Expertise and experience have somehow become liabilities. 
     
    And the multilateral values that the United Nations embodies — collaboration, solidarity, united action and human rights — are being undone by mistrust and geopolitical divisions.
     
    Excellencies, dear friends,
     
    Anniversaries are about more than looking to the past.
     
     At their best, they are about renewing for the future.
     
    And renewal sometimes means asking hard questions.
     
    Let’s be clear: The UN was never meant to be stuck in time. 
     
    The world has changed in fundamental ways — most notably the rise in economic influence and political power across the Global South.
     
    How, can we justify, today, a Security Council without permanent representation for Africa — home to one-quarter of humanity?
     
    How can we accept an unfair and dysfunctional global financial architecture that inadequately supports developing countries in their hour of need?
     
    How can we passively accept that the great promise of Artificial Intelligence might be won at the expense of handing over our humanity to algorithms?
     
    Renewal is the driving force of the Pact for the Future, agreed at the United Nations in September.
     
    And multilateralism must be the engine of this renewal.
     
    We need all countries working together — in solidarity — as we tackle the challenges facing our world. 
     
    In this spirit of renewal through multilateralism, I want to outline four areas where we can overcome today’s threats by standing as one and forging common solutions. 
     
    First — we must find common solutions for peace in our fragmented world.
     
    Around the world, peace is in short supply.
     
    Look no further than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — an open wound in Europe.  
     
    This brutal war is now in its fourth year and has claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions — including many who have found shelter here in Belgium — and challenged the very foundations of European security and international order.
     
    It is time for a just and lasting peace. But a just peace means that it must be based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions, including the respect for territorial integrity. 
     
    In Gaza, since the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on October 7, the ensuing Israeli military operations have unleashed an unprecedented level of death and destruction.
     
    I am outraged at this week’s Israeli attacks in Gaza, which killed hundreds of people.
     
    I was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of one of our UN staff members — and the wounding of five other UN personnel — when two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah were hit in strikes. 
     
    And appallingly another 5 UNRWA humanitarians were also killed this week, bringing the death toll to 284.
     
    The ceasefire had finally allowed some measure of relief to ease the horrendous suffering of Palestinians in Gaza — and relief to Israeli families finally welcoming home hostages after over a year of anguish and desperation.
     
    All of that has now been shattered.  
     
    Escalation is not the answer. 
     
    There is no military solution to this conflict.
     
    I strongly appeal for the ceasefire to be restored, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.
     
    Beyond ending this terrible war, we must lay the foundations for lasting peace — through immediate and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution — with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
     
    In the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a country whose tragic history resonates so strongly here in Belgium — renewed fighting, fueled by external interference and armed militias, has devastated communities and plunged the region into a deeper crisis, naturally aggravated by the presence of Rwandan troops, violating the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
     
    In Sudan, bloodshed, displacement and famine are engulfing the country. 
     
    The warring parties must take immediate action to protect civilians, uphold human rights, cease hostilities and forge peace.
     
    And domestic and international human rights monitoring and investigation mechanisms must be permitted to document what is happening on the ground.
     
    Beyond these and other conflicts, we need to reform the global security architecture.
     
    Drawing from proposals included in the New Agenda for Peace that we developed, the Pact for the Future calls for strengthening the machinery of peace by prioritizing the tools of prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.
     
    The changing nature of conflict calls for a review of our global peace operations; 
     
    Enhancing coordination with regional organizations;
     
    And the Pact includes also the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade, even if we are still very far from a world free of nuclear weapons.
     
    Dear friends,
     
    Second — we can overcome threats to multilateralism by finding common solutions to reduce inequalities and ensure financial justice for all.
     
    The Pact includes a call for a massive Stimulus to help countries invest in the Sustainable Development Goals.
     
    It also urges bold reforms of the international financial architecture, including expanding the voice and representation of developing countries in institutions.  
     
    We must also substantially increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks to make them bigger, bolder and better.
     
    And we must review the debt architecture to stop debt from bleeding countries dry.
     
    No country should have to choose between servicing their debt and serving their people.
     
    Our global economy also needs open, predictable and inclusive trade to spur broad-based prosperity and help developing countries to better link to global markets and supply chains.
     
    The Pact also reminds us of a basic truth: societies can only thrive when all women and girls enjoy their full rights.
     
    Investing in their education, economic empowerment, and social protection is not only fair — it is essential for a better future for all.
     
    Third — we can strengthen multilateralism for the future by finding common solutions for climate action before it is too late.
     
    The climate crisis is costing lives, livelihoods, and billions in damages.
     
    Record heatwaves scorch continents.
     
    2024 was the hottest year — in the hottest decade in history.
     
    Relentless storms ravage communities.
     
    Rising seas threaten coastlines — including here.
     
    And those least responsible are bearing the heaviest burden.
     
    If we are to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees — essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe — the science is clear:
     
    Global emissions must peak this year and rapidly decline afterwards.
     
    And we must recognize this challenge for what it is: a moment of enormous opportunity.
     
    The benefits of the clean energy transition are clear.
     
    Renewables renew economies. 
     
    They boost growth, lower energy bills, and help us all breathe easier with cleaner air.
     
    This year — in advance of the UN Climate Conference, or COP30, in Brazil — every country must submit new economy-wide national climate plans that align with the 1.5 degree limit and seize the benefits of clean energy.
     
    I am working closely with President Lula of Brazil to drive action by the biggest emitters.
     
    The United Nations is also helping nearly 100 developing countries to prepare their national climate action plans.
     
    And we will convene a special event to take stock of the plans of all countries, push for action to keep 1.5 within reach, and deliver climate justice.
     
    I urge Europe to keep leading the way.
     
    To set strong and ambitious emission reduction targets.
     
    And to put an end to the myth that fossil fuels are the future. 
     
    We must accelerate the renewables revolution which can lower emissions, boost energy security, create good jobs, and provide cheap and accessible power.
     
    Throughout, we must continue supporting developing and vulnerable nations, by making good on long-standing promises and delivering on climate finance across the board.
     
    Climate solidarity is a moral obligation — and a matter of survival for us all.
     
    Fourth and finally — we can overcome threats to multilateralism by making sure technology upholds human rights and dignity for all.
     
    The information age is unfolding at a dizzying scale and speed.
     
    Artificial Intelligence holds great promise.
     
    But today, those benefits remain concentrated in the hands of a privileged few. 
     
    And while some are racing ahead with record investments, most developing countries are left in the dark.
     
    Without guardrails, AI risks deepening geopolitical divides and inequalities;
     
    Enabling surveillance, amplifying disinformation, facilitating cyberattacks;
     
    And even making life-and-death decisions.
     
    Humans must always retain control — guided by international law, human rights and ethical principles.  
     
    Technology must serve humanity, not the other way around.
     
    That is the spirit of the Global Digital Compact also adopted at the United Nations last year.
     
    It calls for closing the digital divide, so all countries can benefit.
     
    It includes the first universal agreement on AI governance to bring every country to the table.
     
    It calls for an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI that promotes a common understanding of AI risks, benefits and capabilities.
     
    It proposes initiating a Global Dialogue on AI Governance — within the United Nations — to ensure that all countries have a voice in shaping common governance standards that help uphold human rights and prevent misuse.
     
    And it urges support for helping grow AI tools and skills in developing countries.
     
    I will soon present a report on innovative voluntary financing models and capacity-building initiatives to help all countries harness AI as a force for good.
     
    Excellencies, dear students,
     
    These are all ways that we can overcome the clear and present dangers to multilateralism in our time. 
     
    I am convinced that we can do it.
     
    Every generation faces moments of decisive choice.
     
    Yet none has possessed our tools, knowledge, and global awareness.
     
    Today, we are celebrating history.
     
    But history is also unfolding before our eyes — and I urge you to be on the frontlines for human dignity.
     
    Refuse indifference. Choose hope. Confront injustice. Defend truth.
     
    And for that you can draw, being inspired by the values these universities represent.
     
    Dear students, I ask you today to draw strength and inspiration from your universities’ history.
     
    Dear Rector Sels and Rector Smets,
     
    I wish to conclude by reinforcing your opening words.
     
    You recounted the powerful story of the University’s library — destroyed in 1914, and again in 1940.
     
    In the midst of two world wars — and the rubble of this very city — the global shock and outrage that followed the destruction of a library sent a clear and powerful message.
     
    These were not only attacks on books and manuscripts.
     
    These were attacks on history, science, reason, knowledge and art.
     
    These were attacks on the very hallmarks of humanity.
     
    These were attacks on our common soul.
     
    Twice the forces of ignorance tried to extinguish Leuven’s light of knowledge.
     
    And twice the world answered Leuven’s call — and helped you restore that light brighter than ever.
     
    Because in the aftermath of these attacks, we saw other aspects of humanity’s soul revealed and shining brightly. 
     
    We saw generosity, in countries providing funding to rebuild, and books to re-stock the library.
     
    We saw the power of collaboration, in countries standing with Belgium and with Leuven to resurrect this library not once, but twice.
     
    And yes, we saw humanity’s hunger for the eternal values that have guided your universities for 600 years — and the United Nations for 80 years.
     
    Generosity, solidarity, renewal.
     
    This is more than just your story — it is humanity’s story.
     
    It shows that no matter the challenge, we can face down threats.
     
    We can overcome obstacles.
     
    We can build stronger than before.
     
    And so, let us carry this legacy forward.
     
    And let’s keep building  — together.
     
    Happy 600th anniversary.
     
    And I thank you. Dank u. Merci.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Three experts on racial justice explain why reparations matter

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Experts from Africa and its global diasporas gathered in Berlin late last year to call on European governments to address their colonial past and ongoing impact.

    Here, human rights lawyer Melissa Hendrickse, journalist Gary Younge and academic Pumla Dineo Gqola talk about the long-lasting legacy of colonialism, how it’s affected them and the importance of reparations…

    Melissa Hendrickse

    Melissa is Amnesty International’s researcher and advisor on racial justice and international criminal law.

    Amnesty International’s Racial Justice team (from left to right) – Melissa Hendrickse, Rym Khadhraoui and Hashas Rage – recently attended the Dekoloniale Berlin Africa Conference, a decolonial counter-version of the 1884/5 Berlin Africa Conference 140 years ago.

    I was born in Cape Town in the early Nineties – in the midst of the negotiations to end apartheid. It was a turbulent time in South Africa’s history. After Chris Hani, an important figure in South Africa’s freedom struggle, was assassinated, it seemed that the political transition teetered on the brink of collapse. But the negotiations continued and, when I was two years old, South Africa held its first democratic elections.

    It was a better time to be growing up as a person of colour in South Africa, compared to my parents’ experience. There was a sense of hope and optimism. However, the legacy of apartheid didn’t just vanish – the country remained segregated and the inequality caused by centuries of colonialism, dispossession and exploitation has endured. I grew up in a predominantly white area. Most of my classmates were white and it was difficult navigating my own identity within spaces that were disconnected with the history of the country and the experience of the majority of South Africans.

    I went on to study law, inspired by the role that law can play in supporting struggles against racial injustice. After my Masters, I applied for a job at Amnesty, where I am now a researcher and advisor on racial justice and international criminal law. Rather than being an activist in the traditional sense, I see my contribution mostly through law and the legal analysis. Working on Amnesty’s groundbreaking report, which concluded that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians was an honour. The parallels between apartheid South Africa and the racial oppression of Palestinians profoundly resonate with me. As Nelson Mandela, once said: “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

    Within the racial justice team, I work on reparations for slavery and colonialism, having recently drafted Amnesty’s policy.  European colonialism and slavery built the world that we inhabit today. It is palpable all around us – from the borders that divide us to the languages we speak and the knowledge systems we are taught. The incredible wealth that was made by European states through slavery and colonialism has led to gross inequality that continues to mark the world order.

    There cannot be meaningful racial justice today without reckoning with this legacy and re-making the oppressive systems built by colonialism. While European states are starting to issue apologies, there’s still a resistance to take concrete measures and offer reparations. This is why Amnesty’s work on reparations is coming at an important historical moment. Our hope is that, by joining the global reparations movement, Amnesty can contribute to creating pressure on European states to respond with more than just platitudes to the growing calls for reparatory justice.

    Follow Melissa on X.

    Gary Younge

    Gary is a UK-based award-winning journalist, academic and podcaster.

    For journalist Gary Younge, the history of colonialism and slavery has always been of interest.

    I grew up in a town called Stevenage (in the UK), during the Seventies, after my family moved from Barbados. There were very few black people.

    In the Seventies you got a lot of casual racism from all kinds, teachers as well as people you lived near to. The same people who would be racist could be neighbourly. It wasn’t consistent. I grew up thinking I wasn’t British – and I didn’t want to be. In winter people would say, “I bet it’s not like this where you come from.”  There was an assumption that if you were Black, you weren’t British.

    It was partly these contradictions that inspired my activism. For me, activism was about being a free person – if you wanted your freedom you had to fight for it and for the freedom of others. For me, there wasn’t any other way to be in the world. My family were very political – my mum, my brothers – and I became obsessed with the notion of freedom and what it means to be free at a very young age.

    The history of colonialism and slavery has always interested me. We have grown up in countries in Europe that have decapitated their history in a peculiar way. There’s an aphorism explaining post-colonial immigration that says, “We are here because you were there. If you didn’t know you were there, how do you know why I am here?”

    It’s not possible to understand where we are as a country or where I am as a person or why our racial politics are what they are unless there is an engagement with colonialism. None of it makes sense. And it’s far from over yet. We’re still dealing with it.

    Britain has only known itself as a non-racial democracy recently. There’s a level of implausible deniability that these European countries can have about where they have been and what they have done – they pose as enlightened liberal democracies and everyone buys into that. However, if you look behind the curtain, you’ll find all the blood sloshing around, along with the occasional kick back such as when Britain gives back the Chagos islands.

    Reparations remain important because the impact of slavery and colonialism is still evident. We can see it in trade links, migration patterns, poverty and other inequalities, both globally and nationally. The principal of reparations has already been established. We saw it after the First World War, after the Second World War, after the Holocaust and beyond. So, the question is then why should people of African descent, who were enslaved, and the descendants of the colonised be omitted from that narrative?

    Find out more about Gary’s podcast.

    Pumla Dineo Gqola

    Pumla is a South African academic, award-winning writer and feminist.

    Pumla Dineo Gqola is an academic who grew up in South Africa.

    I grew up in South Africa, during the Seventies and Eighties, as apartheid was tightening its reign. It was complicated and difficult.

    Yet it was a time of diversifying activism. I grew up surrounded by Black academics and I knew I wanted to be an academic myself. My family’s politics were left leaning and my father taught at a historic Black university. It was foundational to who I would become.

    I’m now a professor, a feminist writer and I am a post-colonialist by training. We often think about colonialism as something that’s finished, but we are still living in its long aftermath. We live in a world shaped by colonial logic and the systems that organize our world have come from its very powers. For example, where people migrate from and to neatly maps on to histories created under colonial power, while low-income countries are most likely to be former colonies. So, while formal colonialism is over, many of the ideas of how the globe is organized and who can move where, how, why and when map comfortably with those divisions – and that’s why they are so difficult to undo.

    I recently attend the event Dekoloniale Berlin alongside a number of racial justice experts. These festivals are important for a variety of reasons. They provide an opportunity to go beyond diplomatic performance, while the conversations around debt, human rights and reparations, even at the level of art and culture, the conversation of coloniality, is one that shows every aspect of how the EU is a power block. 

    Going forward, I want to see a significant shift in the negotiation of states inside and outside of the EU – and whatever that looks like needs to move beyond diplomacy, while conversations about reparations need to be serious and must move out of the realm of superficiality. 

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    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Joint Fiji forces tackle civil strife, flash flood crisis and rebels in exercise

    Asia Pacific Report

    A joint operation between the Fiji Police Force, Republic of Fiji Military Force (RFMF), Territorial Force Brigade, Fiji Navy and National Fire Authority was staged this week to “modernise” responses to emergencies.

    Called “Exercise Genesis”, the joint operation is believed to be the first of its kind in Fiji to “test combat readiness” and preparedness for facing civil unrest, counterinsurgency and humanitarian assistance scenarios.

    It took place over three days and was modelled on challenges faced by a “fictitious island grappling with rising unemployment, poverty and crime”.

    The exercise was described as based on three models, operated on successive days.

    The block 1 scenario tackled internal security, addressing civil unrest, law enforcement challenges and crowd control operations.

    Block 2 involved humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and coordinating emergency response efforts with government agencies.

    Block 3 on the last day dealt with a “mid-level counterinsurgency”, engaging in stabilising the crisis, and “neutralising” a threat.

    Flash flood scenario
    On the second day, a “composite” company with the assistance of the Fiji Navy successfully evacuated victims from a scenario-based flash flood at Doroko village (Waila) to Nausori Town.

    “The flood victims were given first aid at the village before being evacuated to an evacuation centre in Syria Park,” said the Territorial Brigade’s Facebook page.

    “The flood victims were further examined by the medical team at Syria Park.”

    Fiji police confront protesters during the Operation Genesis exercise in Fiji this week. Image: RFMF screenshot APR

    On the final day, Thursday, Exercise Genesis culminated in a pre-dawn attack by the troops on a “rebel hideout”.

    According to the Facebook page, the “hideout” had been discovered following the deployment of a joint tracker team and the K9 unit from the Fiji Corrections Service.

    “Through rigorous training and realistic scenarios, the [RFMF Territorial Brigade] continues to refine its combat proficiency, adaptability, and mission effectiveness,” said a brigade statement.

    Mock protesters in the Operation Genesis security services exercise in Fiji this week. Image: RFMF screenshot APR

    It said that the exercise was “ensuring that [the brigade] remains a versatile and responsive force, capable of safeguarding national security and contributing to regional stability.”

    However, a critic said: “Anyone who is serious about reducing crime would offer a real alternative to austerity, poverty and alienation. Invest in young people and communities.”

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Egypt discovers 3000-year-old military leader’s tomb

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    An Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered a tomb of a military leader from the reign of King Ramses III (around 1184 BC-1153 BC), the second king of the 20th Dynasty, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Thursday.

    A group of mass and individual graves from the Greco-Roman Period (around 332 BC-640 AD) and Late Period of ancient Egypt (around 747 BC-332 BC) were also discovered, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the discovery was made during the mission’s work in the Maskhouta area of Ismailia Governorate, northeast of Egypt.

    Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the discovery demonstrates the military importance of the site in protecting the country’s eastern borders during the New Kingdom, according to the statement.

    Some of the artifacts found inside the military commander’s tomb, including bronze tools, arrowheads, and the remains of a scepter, revealed the importance of their owner, who held a high-ranking military position, Khaled said.

    The tomb, built of mud brick, consists of a main burial chamber and three other chambers.

    A gold ring bearing the cartouche of King Ramses III, a collection of beads and stones of various shapes and colors, and a small ivory box were also found.

    The mission also discovered a collection of alabaster vessels, all in good condition and decorated with engravings, including two cartouches of King Horemheb (around 1323-1295 BC), one of the most important leaders and warrior kings during the 18th Dynasty. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Activist News – Protest against Winston Peters’ policy of appeasement towards genocidal Israel – PSNA

    Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

    Palestine Solidarity supporters will protest New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ “the real state of the nation” public meeting in Ōtautahi/Christchurch this Sunday from 1pm at the Christchurch Town Hall (the NZ First meeting for Peters begins at 2pm)

    While New Zealanders call for sanctions on Israel for genocide, Mr Peters continues to look the other way.

    As we said in a media release yesterday Mr Peters has repeatedly failed to:

    ·         Express any concern for the Palestinians killed by Israel since Israel ended the ceasefire (at least 436 killed – including 183 children as well as nearly 200 during the ‘ceasefire’)

    ·         Condemn Israel for this industrial-scale carnage, which the International Court of Justice found more than a year ago to be a case of ‘plausible genocide’.

    ·         Condemn Israel for ending the ceasefire (It was Israel alone which refused to begin negotiations on stage two of the ceasefire agreement which was to lead to a permanent Israeli ceasefire and withdrawal from all of Gaza)

    ·         Condemn Israel for its blockade on food, water, fuel, electricity, and medical supplies getting into Gaza – a war crime by any measure of humanity.

    “Mr Peters talks about the ‘incomprehensible human suffering over the past year and half’ but there is no mystery about this suffering” John Minto says.

    “It stems from a brutal miliary occupation declared illegal last year by the International Court of Justice.”

    “Mr. Peters pretends this is a conflict between two equal sides.  But there is no balance when one side is carrying out mass slaughter and the other is fighting for survival.”

    Mr Peters seems to think he is being clever in not condemning Israel as a way of avoiding offending the US but New Zealanders want and expect more from our government. We want principled action which will gain the respect of countries the world over rather than cowardly appeasement.

    The protest will be calling on the government to “Sanction Israel for Genocide!”

    John Minto
    Co National Chair
    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Govt’s continued lack of action on Gaza condemned

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked.

    “How many more people, how many more children must die before the New Zealand Government acts rather than talks?” Labour foreign affairs spokesperson David Parker said.

    “Beyond words, Christopher Luxon’s Government has taken no action. It is just about a year since the Minister of Foreign Affairs said it was a question of ‘when, not if’ New Zealand would recognise Palestine. Neither that nor any other substantial response has ensued.

    “Labour has been calling for stronger action from the Government on Israel’s invasion of Gaza, including intervening in South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, and the creation of a special visa for family members of New Zealanders fleeing Gaza. We have also called for an end to all government procurement from companies operating in the Occupied Territories, and for sanctioning individuals acting in breach of international law.

    “New Zealand has long supported the UN view that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal. Back in 2016 the then-National Government co-sponsored a successful Security Council resolution that Israel’s settlements in the Occupied Territories were illegal. This makes the inaction by the current National Government even harder to understand.

    “The inconsistent application of international law undermines compliance with it. It is time this National-led Government to some positive action beyond mere words to stand up for what is right,” David Parker said.

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News –