Source: United States Air Force
In a historic first, the U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and Royal Air Force collaborated to rapidly improve global combat capability while gathering critical test data for future acquisition of the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development
Ministers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
My European partners and I would have preferred not to have to convene this Security Council meeting on Ukraine, but Russia’s high-intensity war of aggression continues to ravage Ukraine, as reiterated by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, with drastic humanitarian consequences in violation of international law and in violation of the Charter of the United Nations: our Charter.
How did this happen?
It started with the aspirations of the Ukrainian people to freedom and democracy, which Russia sought to repress in the 2014 Maidan Uprising.
Ten years ago, a fragile ceasefire was agreed in Minsk. It was violated twenty times.
Three years ago, Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, a unilateral, brutal, unjustifiable war of aggression that must end now. A war that was not a defensive war, and that was not inevitable. A war that was not justified, and continues to be unjustifiable. It is quite simply the expression of an overt revisionist plan.
Ladies and gentlemen,
On 24 February this year, the Security Council adopted an American resolution, Resolution 2774, and I wish to cite it as a reminder: “the Security Council […] implores a swift end to the conflict”.
What has Ukraine done since 24 February?
On 9 March, Ukraine accepted the principle of a total and unconditional ceasefire, in accordance with Resolution 2774, showing its good faith and sincere desire to move towards peace.
And what has Russia done since 24 February and the adoption of Resolution 2774?
It has continued its war crimes and crimes against humanity by striking infrastructures and targeting civilians, women and children, and humanitarian workers.
While it is totally violating international law, Russia would have us believe that is in within its right and that it may lay claim to the Ukrainian territories in the name of the principle of self-determination. But it is a diversion; it is false. What is true is that Russia is violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Russia is attacking its neighbour, and in this war of aggression, it is violating international law and international humanitarian law. Everyone can see that, and everyone knows it.
And today, the only obstacle now to the ceasefire, the only obstacle to the implementation of Resolution 2774 adopted by the Council on 24 February, is Vladimir Putin.
So why oppose the implementation of this resolution in this way?
Vladimir Putin’s Russia most likely wants to push Ukraine to surrender. But France, like many other members of this Council, is opposed to this, and will continue to oppose it.
First, because it is a security challenge for Europe and France, which Russia seeks to destabilize.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, France has already been targeted.
Since the beginning of the conflict, our country, a supporter of Ukraine, has been targeted by Russian cyber attacks originating in the Russian military intelligence services, GRU, carried out by threat actor APT28. They targeted a dozen French entities including public services, enterprises, and sports organizations involved in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We condemn these cyber attacks in the strongest terms. They are unworthy of a permanent member of the Security Council and contrary to the framework set by the United Nations. They must cease immediately.
But if France, like other members of this Council, is opposed to any form of surrender by Ukraine, it is not only for the sake of Europe’s and France’s security, it is also for the sake of global peace and security. Because such an outcome in this war would enshrine the concept of “might is right”, and inevitably lead the world into a frenetic arms race, and most certainly proliferation.
I believe that quite simply we must return to some of the elementary principles of our Charter, which I would once again like to cite to refresh the memories of all members of this Council. In Chapter I, Article 2, Paragraph 4, it states that: “States shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations (…)”.
So let’s get back to simple principles: aggressors must not be rewarded at the victim’s expense; borders are intangible; and States, no matter which, are sovereign.
I therefore call on President Putin to say to him:
Cease fire!
Cease fire!
Cease fire!
That is when peace will become possible again.
A just and true peace.
A peace that complies with the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
A peace that respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Ukraine.
We can succeed.
That is why, while commending the mediation efforts undertaken by the United States of America and at the highest level, France wants this Council to unanimously demand a total, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and by that I mean that weapons be laid down.
Thank you.
Statement by the Minister for Europe and Foreign affairs, Jean Noel Barrot
Dear Secretary-General,
Ministers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I wanted to make the debate on the Middle East a focus of the French Presidency of the Security Council.
The anti-Semitic massacres on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing military conflagration have upended the region.
As we are speaking here today, Gaza has been devastated by war, Lebanon is struggling to recover, Syria is engaged in a fragile and uncertain transition, and Iran is pursuing its dangerous race towards nuclear weapons. This spiral of destabilization must not lead us to a situation that cannot be undone. That is why we must work together to find a path to peace and security for all.
Our first priority is to stop the hostilities and end the suffering of civilian populations.
In Lebanon, in close cooperation with our American partners, we managed to achieve a ceasefire agreement five months ago. Its implementation still needs to be fine-tuned, but it has brought about peace. It is crucial and must be upheld.
In Gaza, war rages on. The fact that the ceasefire has been broken and Israel has resumed its military strikes should alarm us all. It is a huge step backwards for the Palestinian civilian population, for the Israeli hostages and their loved ones, and for the security of the entire region. Negotiations urgently need to resume and bring about a lasting ceasefire. We support mediators’ efforts to achieve that.
This ceasefire must bring about the unconditional and immediate release of all the hostages being held arbitrarily by Hamas. I would like to take a moment to mention before this Council our fellow Frenchman, Ofer Kalderon, who was released after 484 days in captivity. I would also like to pay homage to the memory of another fellow Frenchman, Ohad Yahalomi, taken hostage on 7 October, arbitrarily held and murdered in Gaza. He has left behind a widow and three innocent children.
The ceasefire must also bring about deliveries of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, as all humanitarian aid has been blocked for two months. I was able to see this for myself when I visited the Egyptian border and I testify before you that this situation is unacceptable. Because since the end of March, Israeli bombings have killed more than 1,300 people, including many civilians, women and children. And these military strikes have also killed humanitarian workers and UN staff members. The tremendous suffering of the civilian populations in Gaza has to stop. I call on Israel to remove all obstacles so that massive amounts of humanitarian aid can finally be delivered to Gaza.
France is fully doing its part to address this humanitarian emergency. Since 2023, we have contributed €250 million in humanitarian aid to civilian populations. A portion of this aid was distributed via UNRWA and France supports UNRWA’s action and efforts of committed reform. In close cooperation with our regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, we have also directly provided healthcare, food and shelter for people living in Gaza who are victims of the war.
Our second priority is to help the territories ravaged by conflicts to recover.
The International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty held in Paris on 24 October 2024 raised more than $1 billion. This aid went to the population and security forces. The new authorities have begun reform and reconstruction efforts that we support. When the time is right, we will hold an international conference in support of Lebanon’s economic recovery in Paris. The role of the United Nations throughout this process will be key.
Lebanon needs to recover its sovereignty – its full sovereignty. We call on Israeli forces that are still in Lebanon to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory so that the Lebanese Armed Forces can be redeployed there. It is up to them to ensure the security and sovereignty of the State, assisted by UNIFIL and the supervision mechanism in which France participates alongside the United States, and which includes the United Nations. France is continuing its efforts with determination to ensure the full implementation of Council’s Resolution 1701.
In Syria, a historic transition process has begun since Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship was overthrown. France is prepared to provide support. With its European partners, it has started to lift the first sanctions under certain conditions. The transition process must respect and protect the rights of all Syrians, regardless of their ethnic background, religion or gender. It must also ensure effective and determined action to counter terrorism. I will say this before the United Nations General Assembly: the terrible crimes committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime must not be forgotten. The UN has an important role to play against impunity and in Syria’s reconstruction.
In Gaza, we will support our Arab partners’ efforts to build a robust and credible framework for the “day after”. This framework should enable the reconstruction, governance and security of the enclave. But these efforts can only produce their effects if they are carried out from a political standpoint.
That is why our third priority is to work on political solutions ensuring a just and lasting peace
There is only one solution to achieve a political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: it is the two-state solution, the only solution that can ensure peace and security over the long term for both Israelis and Palestinians.
This solution is now being threatened by the increasing settlement building in the West Bank, by the violence of extremist settlers, by the desire to weaken the Palestinian Authority and by discourse on an annexation and forced displacement of the population.
Amid faits accomplis on the ground, the prospect of a Palestinian State has to be protected. That is why France is holding an international conference on the implementation of the two-state solution with Saudi Arabia here in New York in June. Our aim is clear: to advance the recognition of Palestine and the normalization of relations with Israel. That is how we will successfully ensure Israel’s security and regional integration, while responding to the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians to have a State. This roadmap for the effective implementation of the two-state solution also involves disarming Hamas, defining a credible governance from which it will be excluded, and reforming the Palestinian Authority. The UN and its agencies must have a full role in this process.
Also, we are not toning down our efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the challenge related to the headlong pursuit of Iran’s nuclear programme. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi explained the situation clearly yesterday during our meeting on non-proliferation.
Amid destabilizing interference, we have to continue to work on reinforcing the sovereignty of the States in the region.
Having just visited Iraq, I would like to stress how much headway this country is making. Destroyed recently by conflicts and power plays, it is now on the sidelines of regional tensions. Iraq has resumed its role as a hub for balance and stabilization. The third Baghdad Conference, which will be held at the end of 2025, testifies to this. It will provide an opportunity to work on regional cooperation and security, countering the fragmentation and confrontation approach at work today.
Secretary-General,
Ladies and gentlemen,
France is working for peace and sovereignty; without them nothing is possible. We are deeply committed to the Middle East for historic and geographic reasons. Today, everyone’s security and stability depend on this region. We are therefore determined to build a path to peace there, for you and with you.
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
Remains from six Commonwealth soldiers who fought in World War 1, none of them identifiable by name, have been laid to rest in France.
The bearer party from 4RLC carry the coffin to the graveside at Loos British Cemetery (Crown Copyright)
The men were commemorated in two burial ceremonies this week:
On 29 April, remains from four unknown Commonwealth soldiers were buried at the Commonweath War Graves Commission (CWGC) Ovillers Military Cemetery.
On 30 April, two unknown Commonwealth soldiers were buried at CWGC Loos British Cemetery Extension
All services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’. The services were supported by serving soldiers from Abingdon-based 4 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps.
The burial party was composed of soldiers from 4RLC and a bugler from The Band and Bugles of The Rifles (Crown Copyright)
The soldiers buried at CWGC Ovillers Military Cemetery were discovered in fields near Fricourt, in the Somme region of France – whilst this land was fought over extensively during several phases of the war, these men are most likely casualties of the Battle of the Somme, 1916.
Two soldiers from 4RLC lay wreaths at the graveside in Ovillers Military Cemetery (Crown Copyright)
The soldiers buried at CWGC Loos British Cemetery Extension were recovered from Tilloy-les-Mofflaines and Loos-en-Gohelle – both in the Pas de Calais region of France. The man found at Tilloy most likely died during the Battle of Arras in 1917, whereas the man found at Loos was most likely killed either during the Battle of Loos in 1915, or the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918.
Due to the extensive fighting in the recovery areas by multiple battalions of different regiments over a long period, the list of those missing is extensive. Though the General Service buttons and ammunition found alongside the remains indicate the men were of Commonwealth origin and unlikely to be officers, no artefacts could identify individuals. With no way to distinguish these men from the thousands recorded there as missing, they were buried as unknown soldiers, known unto God.
Alexia Clark, MOD War Detective said:
Whilst it is disappointing that we have been unable to name these men, they have been afforded a dignified and respectful military burial to honour their sacrifice. Their memory will be kept alive by visitors to the cemeteries, and by those of us here to witness their burials.
Reverend Joseph Roberts, Chaplain to 4 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps said:
It is a huge privilege to officiate at these burial services, even though these soldiers are unknown to us, they are forever known, named and loved by God. As they are laid to rest alongside their comrades who too made the ultimate sacrifice, for the freedoms and liberties of our way of life, it is therefore only right and proper to bury them, with the honour, respect and dignity that they are owed. May they rest in eternal peace.
Head of Commemorations at the CWGC, Dr James Wallis, said:
We are deeply honoured to have these soldiers laid to rest at our cemeteries in France, after they tragically lost their lives more than a century ago. Although their names remain unknown, their graves will be cared for by us, in perpetuity.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
With the help of DASA funding, ISS Aerospace developed a 600kg heavy-lift unmanned aerial system (UAS) capable of carrying 250kg payloads
On naval vessels around the world, the same time-consuming scene plays out daily: crew members transfer supplies between ships or from ship to shore using small boats, manual labour, and helicopter support. This process can be slow, resource-intensive, and vulnerable to disruption from weather conditions.
Now picture a different scenario: an unmanned aerial system takes flight from a ship, automatically lands on a waiting pallet of supplies, autonomously secures its load without human intervention, and lifts off – delivering cargo to shore in a fraction of the traditional time – and then – heads back to the ship for more supplies.
With the help of DASA funding, this vision of automated logistics is becoming reality thanks to Newbury-based ISS Aerospace and their revolutionary heavy-lift drone system, funded through DASA’s Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP).
Funded by DASA: ISS Aerospace UAS Flight Test
ISS Aerospace’s system represents a significant leap forward in unmanned aerial capabilities. At 600kg total weight, it can carry a remarkable 250kg payload – equivalent to two fully-equipped soldiers – with flight times currently at 35-40 minutes.
“The innovation is three-pronged,” explains Ryan Kempley, CEO, and founder of ISS Aerospace. “First, it is a super heavy-lift UAS, which itself is quite unique. Second, we’ve brought across our heritage of super reliable, super safe systems. Third, and the main reason DTEP funded this project was because of our unique turbine power plant that powers the system”.
The innovation’s standout feature is its hybrid turbine generator power system. Rather than relying on traditional battery packs that require complex and frequent recharging infrastructure, ISS Aerospace developed a system that uses efficient aviation fuel.
The hybrid turbine generator power system
“Our UASs fly around at 100 to 120 kilowatts, so they need a lot of power,” Kempley explains. “You can buy auxiliary power unit (APU) turbine generators off the shelf, but they’re extremely expensive – in the hundreds of thousands of pounds – and very heavy, around 100+ kilos.”
ISS’s solution repackages high-end micro gas turbines with hybrid battery technology to create their own 100-kilowatt generator at a fraction of the cost and weight of conventional systems.
Creating this power system required solving complex engineering challenges. The team developed sophisticated control systems to maintain perfect balance between turbine power generation and battery usage.
“If we charge the battery too fast, problems happen. If we deplete the battery too fast, problems happen,” notes Kempley. “But we came out with something that essentially means if all the turbines die, we still keep flying. If the battery dies and the turbines are running, we still keep flying. If one or two turbines die, we still keep flying. It’s very robust in terms of resilience.”
This level of reliability is crucial for military logistics operations where failure could compromise mission-critical supplies.
The system already outperforms competitors in its class, but ISS has identified further enhancements. “We’ve already identified a new supporting turbine that takes us up to around 3-3.5 hours of flight,” Kempley notes.
In the competitive landscape of heavy-lift drones, ISS has positioned itself in a unique category. Below their 250-300kg payload capability sits systems carrying 60-100kg, while above them are much larger single-rotor helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft that are around the size of shipping containers.
The potential military applications are significant, particularly for naval logistics. The system can be used for last-mile ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore transport, where Kempley notes “90% of stores between ships or even on last-mile logistics are below 150 kilos.”
Further enhancing its capabilities, ISS recently won another MOD contract under Project Morrigan to develop a universal payload release mechanism, allowing the drone to automatically pick up and deliver cargo without human intervention.
“You just land on top of your package on the deck and then take off again. You’re done. There’s no unloading or loading,” explains Kempley. “When you get to that stage, it’s many multiples quicker than current methods.”
For ISS Aerospace, DASA’s DTEP funding was transformative. Founded ten years ago, the company has evolved from a small commercial business into a growing enterprise with 14 staff, projected to reach 22 by year’s end – all through organic growth.
“Developing that kind of turbine system and UAS is costly – raw materials alone are a couple hundred thousand pounds, plus hundreds of hours of man-time,” Kempley emphasises. “As a small company, we could never have afforded to just go out and decide to develop this UAS. It would have been impossible without DTEP.”
DTEP’s emphasis on commercialisation and post-project success has been particularly valuable for the SME. “There’s a lot more emphasis on commercialisation, what we’re going to do afterwards and how we’re going to make it successful”, Kempley notes.
Funded back in September 2023, this represents the first completed DASA DTEP project, highlighting the programme’s ability to bring innovative concepts to reality quickly.
The project recently culminated in successful test flights of the UAS, proving the design, and gaining valuable in-flight data, with a further demonstration planned to showcase the complete system to stakeholders. Next steps also include cosmetic additions to the platform, such as a cowling (a removable engine cover) and testing and improvement to the control and power systems before the V1 system is rolled out to end users later in 2025.
The ISS Aerospace team with the UAS
For a company that began in commercial applications before gradually expanding into defence, DASA’s support has been instrumental in enabling growth and technological advancement. ISS now balances its business with approximately 60-70% defence work and 30-40% commercial applications.
As drones continue revolutionising military logistics, ISS Aerospace’s innovation stands to transform how supplies move between ships and shore – making operations faster, more efficient, and ultimately more effective in supporting forces on the ground.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Xi encourages youth to actively shoulder responsibilities in advancing Chinese modernization
BEIJING, April 30 — An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on encouraging young people in the new era to bravely take on responsibilities in advancing Chinese modernization, will be published on Thursday.
The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s ninth issue of Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.
The article highlights the role of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) in rallying young people as broadly as possible to contribute to building a strong nation and achieving national rejuvenation.
It underscores the importance of strengthening the ideals and convictions of the younger generation. The CYLC is encouraged to organize and mobilize youth to take an active role in China’s modernization efforts.
Young people should serve as pioneers and vital forces in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, rural revitalization, green development, social services, and national defense, the article notes.
The article also calls on Party organizations at all levels to strengthen their leadership in youth-related work and to support the CYLC in fulfilling its missions creatively.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PESA, a US based software company with decades of experience providing Government, Defense, and Commercial video solutions, announces the availability of significant capability enhancements in support of Mission, Cybersecurity, Modernization and Cost Control. PESA’s Secura video capabilities are centered on a modern and flexible software platform allowing clients to address their mission critical needs independent of architecture (e.g. on premise, private cloud, public cloud) leveraging commercial non-proprietary hardware with peace of mind that the high bar of DOD security standards is being met.
Secura allows enterprises across Defense and National Security to integrate cost effective video and data distribution as a critical asset into their existing network including cloud, cross domain, secured edge, zero trust, and AI mission goals. Secura provides the “eyes and ears” for Command and Control (C2) Centers, Combat Information Centers (CIC), C5ISR, Field C2 Centers, Operations Centers, Border, Test Ranges, Drones and Secure Edge for DoD Intelligence, Civilian Government agencies and Commercial organizations. Secura ensures information to and from intelligent applications including AI and ML is available securely anytime, anywhere.
“The requirement to support cybersecure enhanced live video, independent of network capability solves real world problems and the need has never been greater. The current installations of legacy, proprietary, and “castle/moat” unencrypted video systems cannot meet the mission nor DoD cyber mandates. PESA Secura is the platform that delivers the future mission now,” stated Brian Thrasher, President.
Secura’s DoDIN certified advanced capabilities differentiate it from all other MVDS category products by delivering data (keyboard, mouse, CAC, other), multiple codecs, and unified control to name just a few. The latest release 5.3 includes the only solution providing multiple video codecs to support all types of networks; from high bandwidth to low bandwidth impaired wireless. New DVR record and playback capabilities as well as the integration of PESA SDI Fusion Routers into an independent NIST Fips140-3 cryptography control plane facilitates the seamless shift from legacy to modernization.
About PESA
PESA is located in Huntsville (“Rocket City”), Alabama, with 100% of SW written by US citizens conforms to the Buy American Act and CMMC. All PESA products are supported by our industry-recognized services and support team. For more information, please see www.pesa.com or contact info@pesa.com or call us at 1-800-323-PESA (1-800-323-7372).
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Patty Murray (D-WA), joined by Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), introduced bipartisan legislation that would designate April as the “Month of the Military Child,” celebrating and honoring the commitment, service and sacrifices made by the 1.6 million children in military families.
“Military service is a family affair, including the sons and daughters of our servicemembers. There are not enough words to acknowledge the costs and sacrifices, like countless moves and long separations during deployments, that they bear,” said Boozman. “I am proud to come together in a bipartisan way to recognize every military child and express our gratitude for selflessly sharing their parents with the noble cause of defending our nation.”
“I know first-hand that when your parent is in the military, it is a commitment the entire family makes to this country. Military children deserve to be celebrated and acknowledged for the heroic commitments they make to their families in service,” said Murray. “I will always be a voice for Washington state’s servicemembers and their families, and I am proud to partner with Senator Boozman to recognize military children for the sacrifices they make every single day for their families’ service to our country.”
“Military children show incredible resilience as they navigate the unique challenges of military life,” said Hoeven. “From frequent moves to long deployments, they stand strong beside their families with courage. Their sacrifices often go unseen, but their service to our nation deserves to be celebrated.”
“When someone chooses to serve our nation in uniform, their entire family joins in the sacrifice. Military children have to move around frequently, change schools multiple times, and spend special occasions without a parent,” said Rosen. “They deserve our gratitude and recognition, which is why I’m proud to help introduce this resolution to designate April as the Month of the Military Child.”
Boozman is the son of an Air Force Master Sergeant who served in World War II and Korea. He learned at an early age about the sacrifices by men and women in uniform, as well as the unique challenges military families face. As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he is committed to enhancing the quality of life for both veterans and their families.
Earlier this year, Boozman and Murray introduced the Helping Heroes Act, which would support the families of disabled veterans, including children who take on caregiving roles. This bill recognizes the work done by the approximately 2.3 million children under the age of 18 living in a household with a disabled veteran and seeks to provide critical support and assistance to these children in accessing local, state and federal resources.
Click here for full text of the legislation.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Washington, D.C., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MissionSquare Retirement is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom McAndrews as Chief Legal Officer (CLO), reporting to the firm’s chief executive officer and president, Andre Robinson. In his expanded role, McAndrews will oversee MissionSquare’s Corporate Affairs Department, including Legal, Compliance, Government Affairs, Research, and Risk Management.
“I am thrilled that Tom will take on this expanded role as CLO for our organization,” said Robinson. “Tom’s leadership and dedication to our vision as a company have been instrumental to our growth over the years and will undoubtedly contribute to our continued success as we move forward. This is an exciting next chapter for Tom and our entire team, and I look forward to being on this journey together.”
McAndrews has been an integral part of the MissionSquare team for over 16 years. He first joined the firm’s legal department in 2008, where he served as vice president, securities counsel. Since joining MissionSquare, McAndrews has worked on various issues related to broker-dealer, investment adviser, and investment company regulation, and his leadership has been instrumental in strengthening MissionSquare’s compliance framework and navigating complex legal matters.
Before joining MissionSquare, McAndrews held the position of counsel with O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, where he represented clients in securities-related enforcement proceedings before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. He also provided regulatory counseling to his clients regarding compliance with federal securities laws and self-regulatory organization rules. In addition, he has previously held roles with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
McAndrews earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a doctorate of law from The George Washington University Law School. He served as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy and is based in Washington, D.C.
MissionSquare remains focused on its mission to help all plan participants retire well, which continues to drive and define the company today. The firm continues to introduce new tools and resources to help individuals and their families build retirement security.
About MissionSquare Retirement
Since its founding in 1972, MissionSquare Retirement has been dedicated to simplifying the path to retirement security for public service employees. As a mission-based financial services company, we manage and administer over $72.0 billion in assets.* Our commitment to delivering results-oriented retirement plans, education, investments, and personalized advice sets us apart. Explore how we enable public service workers to build a secure financial future. For more information, visit www.missionsq.org or follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.
*As of Dec. 31, 2024. Includes 457(b) plans, 401(a) plans, 403(b) plans, Retirement Health Savings plans, Employer Investment Program plans, affiliated IRAs, and investment-only assets.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By David Oygenblik, Ph.D. Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
From drones delivering medical supplies to digital assistants performing everyday tasks, AI-powered systems are becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life. The creators of these innovations promise transformative benefits. For some people, mainstream applications such as ChatGPT and Claude can seem like magic. But these systems are not magical, nor are they foolproof – they can and do regularly fail to work as intended.
AI systems can malfunction due to technical design flaws or biased training data. They can also suffer from vulnerabilities in their code, which can be exploited by malicious hackers. Isolating the cause of an AI failure is imperative for fixing the system.
But AI systems are typically opaque, even to their creators. The challenge is how to investigate AI systems after they fail or fall victim to attack. There are techniques for inspecting AI systems, but they require access to the AI system’s internal data. This access is not guaranteed, especially to forensic investigators called in to determine the cause of a proprietary AI system failure, making investigation impossible.
We are computer scientists who study digital forensics. Our team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has built a system, AI Psychiatry, or AIP, that can recreate the scenario in which an AI failed in order to determine what went wrong. The system addresses the challenges of AI forensics by recovering and “reanimating” a suspect AI model so it can be systematically tested.
Imagine a self-driving car veers off the road for no easily discernible reason and then crashes. Logs and sensor data might suggest that a faulty camera caused the AI to misinterpret a road sign as a command to swerve. After a mission-critical failure such as an autonomous vehicle crash, investigators need to determine exactly what caused the error.
Was the crash triggered by a malicious attack on the AI? In this hypothetical case, the camera’s faultiness could be the result of a security vulnerability or bug in its software that was exploited by a hacker. If investigators find such a vulnerability, they have to determine whether that caused the crash. But making that determination is no small feat.
Although there are forensic methods for recovering some evidence from failures of drones, autonomous vehicles and other so-called cyber-physical systems, none can capture the clues required to fully investigate the AI in that system. Advanced AIs can even update their decision-making – and consequently the clues – continuously, making it impossible to investigate the most up-to-date models with existing methods.
AI Psychiatry applies a series of forensic algorithms to isolate the data behind the AI system’s decision-making. These pieces are then reassembled into a functional model that performs identically to the original model. Investigators can “reanimate” the AI in a controlled environment and test it with malicious inputs to see whether it exhibits harmful or hidden behaviors.
AI Psychiatry takes in as input a memory image, a snapshot of the bits and bytes loaded when the AI was operational. The memory image at the time of the crash in the autonomous vehicle scenario holds crucial clues about the internal state and decision-making processes of the AI controlling the vehicle. With AI Psychiatry, investigators can now lift the exact AI model from memory, dissect its bits and bytes, and load the model into a secure environment for testing.
Our team tested AI Psychiatry on 30 AI models, 24 of which were intentionally “backdoored” to produce incorrect outcomes under specific triggers. The system was successfully able to recover, rehost and test every model, including models commonly used in real-world scenarios such as street sign recognition in autonomous vehicles.
Thus far, our tests suggest that AI Psychiatry can effectively solve the digital mystery behind a failure such as an autonomous car crash that previously would have left more questions than answers. And if it does not find a vulnerability in the car’s AI system, AI Psychiatry allows investigators to rule out the AI and look for other causes such as a faulty camera.
AI Psychiatry’s main algorithm is generic: It focuses on the universal components that all AI models must have to make decisions. This makes our approach readily extendable to any AI models that use popular AI development frameworks. Anyone working to investigate a possible AI failure can use our system to assess a model without prior knowledge of its exact architecture.
Whether the AI is a bot that makes product recommendations or a system that guides autonomous drone fleets, AI Psychiatry can recover and rehost the AI for analysis. AI Psychiatry is entirely open source for any investigator to use.
AI Psychiatry can also serve as a valuable tool for conducting audits on AI systems before problems arise. With government agencies from law enforcement to child protective services integrating AI systems into their workflows, AI audits are becoming an increasingly common oversight requirement at the state level. With a tool like AI Psychiatry in hand, auditors can apply a consistent forensic methodology across diverse AI platforms and deployments.
In the long run, this will pay meaningful dividends both for the creators of AI systems and everyone affected by the tasks they perform.
Brendan Saltaformaggio’s research group receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors and collaborators.
David Oygenblik does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Forensics tool ‘reanimates’ the ‘brains’ of AIs that fail in order to understand what went wrong – https://theconversation.com/forensics-tool-reanimates-the-brains-of-ais-that-fail-in-order-to-understand-what-went-wrong-247769
Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Foreign Arms Sales Task Force held the second in a series of roundtables featuring defense industry perspectives on reforming and improving America’s foreign arms sales process.
As part of the bipartisan engagement, members heard from industry representatives from the Aerospace Industries Association and National Defense Industrial Association on the regulatory and bureaucratic challenges U.S. companies face in arming our allies and partners with American-made equipment and technology at the pace of war.
During his opening remarks, Task Force Chairman Ryan Zinke (R-MT) underscored the urgency with which Congress must act to ensure that the foreign arms sales process to meet the demands of the future and highlighted the bipartisan approach the task force is taking to ensure much-needed legislative reforms get across the finish line.
The roundtable provided a forum for candid, detailed discussions between industry insiders and Task Force members on the red-tape American companies face day-in and day-out because of outdated regulations and cumbersome approval processes across the interagency.
The panelists also underscored the crucial role foreign arms sales play in ensuring the United States continues to maintain the world’s leading defense industrial base amid increasing global competition.
The Task Force, which is being led by Chairman Zinke and Ranking Member Madeleine Dean (D-PA), will propose overdue reforms aimed at eliminating bureaucratic hurdles that encumber the current foreign arms sales process.
The legislation put forward by the Task Force will build upon executive actions announced by President Trump earlier this month to reform and improve the foreign defense sales process.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Task Force Chairman Zinke pledged to work closely with the Trump administration to codify these much-needed reforms into law and improve the U.S. defense industrial base, eliminate red-tape in the arms sales process, and improve interoperability and efficiency with our foreign partners.
###
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
RESTON, Va., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Science Applications International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC) – a mission integrator for delivering advanced technology solutions to the government – announced today that it has established a strategic partnership with Bluescape® – a collaborative operations platform – to bring a commercially-developed, unlimited virtual workspace to the Department of Defense (DoD), space, intelligence and civilian agencies. The innovative alliance delivers Bluescape’s best-in-class, dual-use technology for today’s critical national security missions to SAIC’s vast ecosystem.
Through the alliance, SAIC will seamlessly integrate Bluescape’s government-compliant unlimited virtual workspace to securely bring data, individuals and applications together for knowledge sharing, visual planning, data analysis and effective mission coordination. The platform is authorized to operate at FedRAMP Moderate+ and by the DoD at IL4/IL5 for CUI data – empowering dispersed teams to share, organize, and interact with critical intel for accelerated decision advantage and response times.
More than just a collaboration tool, Bluescape is a trusted, secure and scalable collaborative operations platform that creates a common operating picture by unifying teams and information streams, providing a centralized, visual workspace for real-time collaboration, information sharing and decision-making. It provides a highly secure, virtual workspace for exchanging information, integrating mission applications and producing content jointly. Bluescape is a commercial platform that enables warfighters and decision-makers to deliver mission outcomes. It can be used across enterprise IT systems, operational forces and interagency or mission partners.
“Today’s warfighters and intelligence community decision-makers face a myriad of complex national security challenges that continually reinforce the imperative need for advanced, secure and efficient solutions,” said Bob Ritchie, SAIC Chief Technology Officer. “Combining Bluescape’s secure and collaborative insight platform with SAIC’s mission-oriented commercial delivery provides the adaptability, speed and decision advantage our government customers require.”
“Bluescape enhances every aspect of mission command and coordinated response. It can accommodate large-scale government organizations and the ability to onboard thousands of users simultaneously,” explained Norm Litterini, Vice President of Public Sector Channels and Partners for Bluescape. “It eliminates the “place problem” that can be a challenge in mission partner environments and across dispersed workforces.”
Bluescape workspaces are persistent and repeatable, so the information and actions taken remain intact after a meeting concludes, providing an automatic record of how decisions were made to jump-start future project work. The platform also allows for the use of existing processes and tools under one secure environment – eliminating the need for a complete overhaul and delay in operations.
About SAIC
SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500 mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.
We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.
Media Contact
Caralyn Duke
Caralyn.duke@saic.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this release contain or are based on “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guidance,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Legal Proceedings” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC’s expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others.
About Bluescape
Bluescape is the mission-ready visual workplace. Bluescape empowers distributed teams with easy-to-use tools to bring agility to complex processes—eliminating miscommunications, missed deadlines, and wasted time. Available as both FedRAMP authorized cloud solution and air-gapped software, Bluescape is built for the security needs of the public sector. Customers include Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. Bluescape is headquartered in Chicago, IL. For more information on how Bluescape drives innovation and transformation in government and commercial organizations, visit bluescape.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Josette Oder Moynihan
Josette.moynihan@bluescape.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
OSS to deliver 80 best-in-class high performance servers and field-programmable gate array systems designed for a mobile intelligence platform
Record $6.5 million contract reflects the Company’s multi-year growth strategy that is focused on establishing production platform positions
ESCONDIDO, Calif., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS or the Company) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in rugged Enterprise Class compute for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and sensor processing at the edge, today announced a $6.5 million contract from a leading defense and technology solutions company. OSS expects shipments to commence in 2025 and contribute to revenue throughout the year.
Under the terms of the contract, OSS will deliver 80 high performance servers and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) systems engineered for mobile, tactical military environments. The platform will be built around the Company’s 3U SDS rugged servers and 4UP PCIe expansion systems. OSS’ equipment is a key element in a U.S. Department of Defense program that is collecting sensor information, providing users with AI generated real-time analysis, and storing the collected data, all in a tactical environment.
The contract is the third program win over the past eight months with this customer, embedding the Company’s Enterprise Class compute and storage products deeper into next-generation U.S. Department of Defense initiatives.
“OSS is pleased to have been selected by a leading defense and technology solutions company to support a new mobile intelligence platform. This record contract reflects the first large-scale success of our growth strategy, confirms we believe we are on track to achieve our guidance and is indicative of the growing demand for our Enterprise Class compute and storage products that are specifically designed to operate on the edge and in tactical military environments. Additional development and platform opportunities are underway with this customer, which we believe will support our sales growth in 2025 and beyond,” stated OSS President and CEO, Mike Knowles.
About One Stop Systems
One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.
OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.
OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.
As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.
OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
OSS cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by OSS or its partners that any of its plans or expectations will be achieved, including but not limited to the potential and/or the results of this contract, program or future programs with defense contractors and the U.S. Department of Defense, any potential or actual revenue derived from the agreements, the future adoption of technologies or applications, and the expansion of the Company’s offerings and/or relationship with different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Media Contacts:
Robert Kalebaugh
One Stop Systems, Inc.
Tel (858) 518-6154
Email contact
Investor Relations:
Andrew Berger
Managing Director
SM Berger & Company, Inc.
Tel (216) 464-6400
Email contact
Source: US Army (video statements)
About the U.S. Army:
The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.
Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L
Connect with the U.S. Army online:
Web: https://www.army.mil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Shorts #Army
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
April 30, 2025
“[I]nstead of following through on his promise [to lower costs], Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption.”
“That’s 100 corrupt acts in 100 days. Americans deserve accountability. We need to fight back—all of us.”
Video of Speech (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. – On the 100th day of this Trump administration, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) read 100 reports of corruption from President Trump’s term so far into the Congressional record.
Senator Warren pointed to all the ways President Trump, his family, and associates like Elon Musk have used the presidency to enrich themselves, give favors to donors, and made it more difficult to hold him accountable for corruption.
Transcript: “One Hundred Days, One Hundred Acts of Corruption”U.S. Senate FloorApril 29, 2025
As Prepared for Delivery
Senator Elizabeth Warren: So here we are: one hundred days; one hundred acts of corruption.
Today, I’m reading into the congressional record 100 reports of corruption from Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. When he ran for office, Trump promised repeatedly that he would lower costs “on day 1.” But instead of following through on his promise, Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption.
So, count with me: In just one hundred days, Donald Trump, his family, and his Administration have:
Turned the White House into a Tesla dealership.
Fired independent commissioners at the FTC.
Punished former officials who opposed his 2020 election lies.
Paid for the White House Easter Egg roll by soliciting corporate sponsors who have business pending with the government.
Helped Trump’s son set up a club — pay $500,000 for access to Trump’s cabinet.
Declared that there would be NO tariff exceptions. Then permitted Apple’s CEO “behind the scenes” access — and poof, iPhone tariffs were cut.
Created an opening for insider trading by reportedly giving Wall Street exclusive information about trade talks.
Hosted million-dollar dinners between Big Pharma CEOs and their regulator RFK Jr.
Launched crypto memecoin right before inauguration to make millions of dollars, then increased the value of those coins by signing executive orders making crypto a priority.
Launched a meme coin for Melania, too.
Promised his “rich-as-hell” donors a giant tax handout, and is working to deliver.
Weakened rules insulating government workers from politics.
Limited corporate foreign bribery investigations.
Halted enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act.
Offered a private dinner with Trump himself—and a special tour of the White House—for the top 220 holders of his memecoin, permitting Trump and his family to profit both from the run up in the value of the coin AND the increase in trading on the Trump platform.
Accepted $40 million for First Lady Melania’s documentary from Jeff Bezos – way above the market rate.
Pointed to Bezos’s multi-million-dollar documentary payment as a model, when Warner Bros. asked Trump’s team how to improve its own relationship with the White House.
Struck a deal with Amazon to stream Trump’s old show The Apprentice, which will mean more money for Trump as Amazon seeks tax breaks and other federal benefits.
Coercing law firms to offer almost $1 billion in free legal work in an arrangement that experts say could run afoul of anti-bribery laws.
Started undermining Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices after Big Pharma companies gave millions to Trump’s inauguration.
Filed a meritless lawsuit against 60 Minutes and launched a baseless FCC investigation.
Tried to get the AP to bend the knee and kicked them out of the White House briefing room when they refused.
Hired Defense Secretary Hegseth’s younger brother to serve in a key role.
Hired a longtime former partner of Don Jr. to serve as Ambassador to Greece.
Nominated Jared Kushner’s father to serve as Ambassador to France.
Selected Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law to serve as an adviser.
Appointed an oil and gas executive to lead the Department of Energy.
Selected a Chief of Staff who was a big-time lobbyist for clients like tobacco and mining companies.
Named officials who had recently lobbied for oil and chemical giants to help write E-P-A rules.
Appointed Mehmet Oz, who has close ties to Medicare Advantage insurers, to lead CMS to set payment rates and otherwise help out Medicare Advantage insurers.
Appointed John Phelan, a major donor with no military or government experience, to lead the Navy and hand out Navy construction contracts.
Appointed Pam Bondi, a former lobbyist for a federal detention contractor, to lead the DOJ.
Announced the DOJ would stop prioritizing enforcement of restrictions on foreign lobbyists, under the leadership of Bondi, who herself is a former foreign lobbyist for Qatar.
Appointed Howard Lutnick, who has billions invested in companies accused of illegally facilitating crypto money laundering, to lead the Commerce Department.
Appointed Marty Makary, the former executive of a company selling weight-loss drugs, to lead the FDA, which would regulate his company.
Appointed Sean Duffy, who lobbied for the airline industry, to Transportation Secretary.
Tapped Pete Hegseth, whose wife owns stock in large defense contractors, to lead the Defense Department.
Tapped Doug Burgum — who made money from leasing land to Big Oil — to lead the Interior Department.
Nominated a Big Oil lobbyist to run the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Nominated as IRS head Billy Long, an aggressive salesman for a fraud-riddled tax credit, who received donations after being nominated to clear old campaign debts.
Tapped Paul Atkins, a former crypto lobbyist, to lead the SEC.
Appointed a former tax lobbyist, to lead tax policy.
Appointed RFK Jr., who planned to get paid for anti-vax lawsuits while heading up HHS.
Appointed a top Pentagon official who led a firm investing in defense contractors and has directed D-O-D to outsource as much as it can.
Appointed someone who lobbied to privatize Medicare to lead OMB’s healthcare budget.
Installed Steve Davis to effectively lead DOGE while also leading a Musk company.
Installed another DOGE leader to control Treasury’s payment system while still holding down his day job as a software CEO.
Handed power over crypto policy to a White House crypto czar who leads a venture capital firm that heavily invests in crypto.
Selected a border czar who led a firm that got tens of millions of dollars of federal contracts for homeland security companies.
Appointed Treasury Secretary Bessent who is gutting the IRS so that it can’t audit rich tax cheats — he’s a tax-dodging mega-millionaire.
Pardoned Rod Blagojevich, former Illinois governor convicted for corruption, after his vocal support for Trump.
Pardoned January 6 insurrectionists who tried to overturn an election he lost.
Pardoned a Trump loyalist found guilty of wire fraud.
Pardoned the son of a longtime Republican donor.
Pardoned a corporation that had been fined $100 million for money laundering.
Launched his own stablecoin while preparing to sign legislation that will help the stablecoin and let him oversee it.
Sold merch with presidential branding.
Disbanded DOJ’s crypto unit after business talks between Binance and a Trump-backed crypto company ramped up.
Halted SEC enforcement actions against crypto companies that enriched Trump.
Met with crypto executives who are asking Treasury to back off of oversight of their companies — all while exploring a deal to list a Trump-linked crypto company’s new stablecoin.
Maintained financial ties between Trump officials and Trump’s media company. That includes: FBI Director Kash Patel who was gifted a huge award of Trump media company stock.
Nominated Attorney General Bondi who owned $2 million in DJT shares.
Paid the Education Secretary almost $1 million in Trump Media company shares.
Intelligence Board nominees who have millions in Trump Media company shares.
Selected a Special Envoy to the Middle East who wants to develop real estate in Gaza while running his own real estate firm.
Appointed an FBI Director who consulted for the Qatari government.
Picked that FBI Director even though he also received millions from a Cayman Island holding company with ties to China.
Decided to cancel the Direct File program, which will help the bottom line of Intuit, which gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
Took its largest inauguration donation from a poultry company under DOJ scrutiny. After the donation, the SEC approved its parent company for the New York Stock Exchange.
Dropped a probe into sexual misconduct allegations against Trump’s Education Secretary’s husband.
Hosted dozens of foreign, federal, and state officials at Mar-a-Lago, helping enrich Trump.
Hosted a GOP retreat at another one of Trump’s resorts.
Circumvented the normal contracting process to pick a company with close ties to Trump’s former campaign manager.
Awarded a $30 million ICE contract to Trump insider Peter Thiel.
Continued developing new Trump properties overseas, including in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Hatched a plan for the State Department to pay Tesla $400 million dollars.
Accepted a $4 million inauguration donation from a GOP megadonor and nominated him as UK ambassador the same day.
And Donald Trump took actions that could advance the personal interests of his co-president Elon Musk:
Fired EEOC leaders investigating and suing Tesla.
Illegally fired the NLRB Chair, which filed a complaint against SpaceX.
Gutted CFPB staff and fired the Director after they investigated complaints against Musk’s companies.
Gutted the Department of Labor office investigating Tesla and Space X.
Fired the USAID Inspector General, who launched a probe into satellite terminals made by Musk’s Starlink.
Targeted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration staff who were reportedly, quote, a “thorn in Tesla’s side.”
Said Musk would self-police his conflicts of interest. Yeah right…
Pressured the Administrator of the FAA, which fined Musk’s SpaceX, to resign .
Permitted Musk to keep his financial disclosure hidden. I’ve got a new bill to fix that!
Allowed Musk’s Starlink to start working with the FAA after Musk criticized the FAA’s air traffic telecom system.
Made Musk’s SpaceX the frontrunner for a new lucrative Golden Dome contract.
Stood by Musk when his X executives told an advertising firm to increase ad revenue — threatening that Musk could interfere with a pending merger.
Permitted Musk to join Trump’s interview with the Air Force secretary nominee while SpaceX held billions of dollars in contracts with the Air Force.
Permitted the National Transportation Safety Board to share news related to the airplane crashes in Washington and Philadelphia only on Musk-owned X.
Permitted the Social Security Administration to only share important public communication on X.
Dropped DOJ’s anti-discrimination complaint against Musk’s SpaceX.
Fired FDA staffers reviewing Elon Musk’s Neuralink clinical trial applications.
And for our closing six moves that make every bit of this corruption even harder to root out, Trump got rid of cops on the beat:
Fired 18 Inspectors General who make sure the federal agencies follow the law.
Fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel who protects whistleblowers and makes sure that civil service laws are fired.
Fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics who watches to see that the President and his Administration follow the laws on conflicts of interest, bribery and other ethics issues.
Fired DOJ prosecutors who worked on January 6th investigations.
Sidelined DOJ’s office that reviews the legality of executive orders.
Gutted DOJ’s office that prosecutes misconduct by public officials.
That’s 100 corrupt acts in 100 days. Americans deserve accountability. We need to fight back—all of us.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Deputy Prime Minister assessed the educational infrastructure of the region and spoke with students.
At the Mariupol State University named after A.I. Kuindzhi (MSU named after A.I. Kuindzhi), Dmitry Chernyshenko talked to the participants of the project “University Shifts”, which allows the younger generation to consciously choose a profession and a university at an early age. Over three years, the project has involved more than 44 thousand children from the regions of Russia. The children told about their personal experience of participating in the project.
“It’s great that you communicate with your peers, broaden your horizons. At the same time, you have a very clearly structured method of thinking and values. And you can, like Danko with a burning heart, follow your mission, lead and inspire,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the progress of restoration work and the university infrastructure. In particular, the university has a youth laboratory – the Laboratory of Media Literacy and Media Research. The Deputy Prime Minister handed over a certificate for the purchase of a video studio to its representatives.
Also, a multifunctional sports ground was opened at Kuindzhi Moscow State University. It was built in six months and, along with other sports grounds of the university, became part of the sports cluster – they are being created on the initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science as part of the program for the socio-economic development of the reunited entities.
The new site has four locations: a mini-football field, a volleyball and basketball court, an area for passing the standards of the All-Russian physical education and sports complex “Ready for Labor and Defense”, and an area with multifunctional exercise machines.
The Azov Marine Institute (AMI), a branch of the Sevastopol State University, trains specialists for the maritime industry. Currently, it is the only specialized higher education institution on the shores of the Azov Sea. In the future, it is planned to launch secondary specialized education programs and advanced training courses for already working maritime specialists. To ensure that the training is as practice-oriented as possible, several thematic classrooms were equipped with mock-ups, models, and other training elements during the recently completed repairs.
The Deputy Prime Minister handed over a certificate for the acquisition of a vehicle to the institute’s management and assessed the university’s infrastructure and equipment, including training and sports simulators – AMI is now one of the most modern training bases for future sailors in Russia. Among the professional simulators are bridge and engine room simulators, a separate large-scale complex for practicing actions in emergency situations on ships.
During the visit, Dmitry Chernyshenko visited the Mariupol Construction Specialized College, one of the flagships of secondary vocational education in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The educational institution is part of the educational and production cluster “Construction Industry”. As part of the federal project “Professionalism” of the national project “Youth and Children”, students master promising specialties and gain practical experience, which they demonstrated to the Deputy Prime Minister.
“The most important thing is that the working specialties that you teach are based on the most modern technologies that you actually use in technological processes. For this, you need materials and teachers,” he told the college staff.
In the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Mariupol, Dmitry Chernyshenko discussed work issues with Metropolitan Vladimir of Donetsk and Mariupol. The main topic was the key areas of upcoming construction and restoration work. In addition, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, the pupils of the children’s Sunday school read poems and performed Easter hymns.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –
SPECIAL REPORT: By Michelle Fahy
The Australian counter-drone weapons system seen at a weapons demonstration in Israel recently is actually just one of a few that were sold by the Canberra-based company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) and sent through its wholly-owned US subsidiary to Israel, Declassified Australia can reveal.
It was the ABC who broke the news of the EOS weapons system being provided for the demonstration trial. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continued to insist, as he has since the war in Gaza began, that Australia does not sell weapons to Israel.
However the weapon displayed wasn’t just provided on loan for the demonstration – the weapon has been “sold” to the Israelis. Declassified Australia can reveal that EOS, by its own admission, sold more than one of its R400 weapons systems to the Israelis prior to the demonstration.
An EOS company presentation, titled “2024 Full Year Results”, describes a “potential new customer” for the R400 weapon in the “Middle East” (page 36). The presentation, prepared for EOS shareholders and lodged with the Australian Stock Exchange, is dated 25 February 2025.
EOS describes this potential new customer for its R400 as a “Preliminary” stage opportunity, valued at less-than-A$100 million, and states that more than one weapon was sold:
“Sample products sold, demo held, discussions underway.” [Emphasis added]
The company also points out a sense of urgency with the potential sale:
“Potential to accelerate due to operational requirements.”
In another section of the report (page 16), EOS reports a single entry in the “Preliminary” stage of a potential sale of R400 weapons, with the “Bid being prepared or submitted”.
EOS states (page 36) the “estimated opportunity size” of the sale is up to “$100 million”. At a unit price per system of A$1.55 million that potential contract is enough to purchase 60 of the R400 counter-drone system.
Under the heading “Notable Demonstrations” (page 15), EOS refers to “Counter Drone evaluation testing with New Customer”, held in January 2025, with an accompanying photograph of its R400 counter-drone cannon with five senior Israeli defence leaders posing beside it at the testing site.
EOS itself has revealed that the new customer is clearly Israel.
EOS states it had “supported a local prime [a major local weapons company] to demonstrate counter-drone capabilities in a high profile local demonstration”. EOS states that its R400 weapon system had “performed extremely well, earning high praise from the organisers.”
The location of the demonstration of the Australian weapon is verified as being in Israel’s southern Negev Desert by a 5 February press release about the weapon testing, released by Israel’s Ministry of Defence. [Note: Since publication of this article, the Press Release has been taken down from the Israeli Defense Ministry website, but is still available here, for now.]
An Israel Defense Force photograph included with the press release, is the same photo of the R400 weapon and Israeli officials, as published in the EOS document. Israel’s Ministry of Defence also posted this video of the final demonstration event, with a firing of the EOS R400 weapons system appearing at 01:06.
In the photograph standing behind the Australian company’s weapon are four senior Israeli defence officials, together with an Israeli defence industry CEO.
Countering drone attacks
EOS’ powerful R400 remote weapons system has a 2km range and is renowned for its lethality and precision in targeting. Using a sophisticated gimbal, its accuracy is maintained even when the system is mounted and used atop a moving vehicle. The weapon can be seen in use on a moving vehicle here in this video clip.
The EOS R400 is not solely a counter-drone weapons system. It can be configured to fire weapons ranging from machine guns, to 30mm cannons, automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and 70mm rockets, meaning it can be used against multiple types of targets in addition to drones — including people, buildings, armoured vehicles, and tanks.
The R400 Slinger variation is marketed by EOS as a system designed solely to counter modern drone threats with a single, lethal shot.
The Australian company’s customer in Israel is noted in the EOS company document as being an Israeli “local prime” arms manufacturer. Both Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems participated in the demonstration trials, each demonstrating a Counter Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) that incorporated a 30mm cannon.
EOS sees a big future for the R400 and its suite of remote weapons systems. The EOS 2024 Financial Report was lodged with ASX on 25 February 2025. In the “Market Overview”section, it discusses weapons contracts signed in 2024, and notes (page 8) that:
“[EOS] Defence Systems is in active discussions and contract negotiations for the provision of RWS [Remote Weapons Systems] and related components with other potential customers.”
“Assuming the evaluation of these systems progresses positively, EOS would hope to move to sell larger, commercial quantities to these customers.”
Australia obliged to act on defence transfers
In October 2024, the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory reported on the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) findings that Israel may be committing “genocide”.
As reported by Kellie Tranter in Declassified Australia in November, the Australian government’s international legal responsibilities extend to investigating and regulating individuals and corporate entities who act in and from Australia to support the legally proscribed conduct of the Israeli State.
The Commission stated:
“Thus, the Commission recommends that any State engaged in such transfer or trade to Israel shall cease its transfer or trade until the State is satisfied that the goods and technology subject to the transfer or trade are not contributing to maintaining the unlawful occupation or to the commission of war crimes or genocide and thereafter throughout any period when the State is not so satisfied.” [Emphasis added]
The UN Commission makes clear what trade it refers to:
“On the issue of arms and military transfer and trade relating to Israel’s military capability, States have a duty to conduct a due diligence review of all transfer and trade agreements with Israel, including but not limited to equipment, weapons, munitions, parts, components, dual use items and technology, to determine whether the goods or technology subject to the transfer or trade contribute to maintaining the unlawful occupation or are used to commit violations of international law.” [Emphasis added]
If the government becomes aware of an impending military transfer of weapons or technology defined above, to Israel – as the stated intentions of EOS reported here make clear – it is obliged to investigate and if necessary intervene to halt the transfer:
“This includes both preexisting agreements and future transfers to Israel. States are obliged to demonstrate that any transfer or trade relating to military capability is not being used by Israel to maintain the unlawful occupation or commit violations of international law.” [Emphasis added]
Words are not enough
The Australian government and the Defence Department have continued their obfuscation of Australia’s weapons trade with Israel, as Declassified Australia has been reporting repeatedly.
ABC television has reported how the government continues to insist no weapons or ammunition had been supplied “directly to Israel” since its latest genocidal war on Gaza began. The addition of the word “directly” is a notable change to the government’s wording, since this EOS news emerged.
In response to the ABC report, Prime Minister Albanese said: “We do not sell arms to Israel . . . We looked into this matter and the company has confirmed with the Department of Defence that the particular system was not exported from Australia. Australia does not export arms to Israel.”
Declassified Australia has previously reported on the Albanese Government’s repeated and misleading use of the phrase “to Israel”. Arms companies are known for exporting their weaponry, or parts and components thereof, via third party countries in an attempt to cover their tracks.
A defence industry source told the ABC the Australian-made components of the EOS R400 remote weapons system were assembled at the company’s wholly-owned US subsidiary in Alabama USA, before being shipped to Israel without an Australian export approval.
Military exports, including ammunition, munitions, parts and components, do not need to travel ‘directly’ to Israel to be prohibited under the Arms Trade Treaty.
Governments are required to find out where their weapons will, or may, end up and then make responsible decisions that comply with the treaty. A government must consider and assess the potential ‘end users’ of its military exports.
A UN expert panel has issued repeated demands that States and companies cease all arms transfers to Israel or risk complicity in international crimes, possibly including genocide. It stated:
“An end to transfers must include indirect transfers through intermediary countries that could ultimately be used by Israeli forces, particularly in the ongoing attacks on Gaza.…” [Emphasis added.]
Greens’ defence spokesperson, Senator David Shoebridge, has said, “What we might be seeing here is the impact of what’s called AUKUS Pillar 2, the removal of any controls for the passage of weapons between Australia and the United States, and then Australia permitting the United States to send Australian weapons anywhere”.
Not the first time
EOS has a history of supplying its remote weapons systems to military regimes accused of extensive war crimes.
During the catastrophic Yemen war which started in 2014, despite significant evidence of war crimes, EOS sold its weapons systems to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. EOS enjoyed the full support of the Turnbull coalition government and its defence industry minister Christopher Pyne.
In early 2019, ABC TV reported, Saudi Arabia awarded Australian weapons manufacturer EOS a contract to supply it with 500 of its R400 Remote Weapons Systems.
The company has also benefited from the government-industry ‘revolving door’. Former chief of army, Peter Leahy, was on the EOS board from 2009 until late 2022, encompassing the period of the Yemen war. He served as the company’s chair from mid-2021 until his departure.
The two longest-serving current members of the EOS board are former chief of air force, Geoff Brown (joined 2016) and former Labor senator for the ACT, Kate Lundy (joined 2018).
The release of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report in 2023 raised serious concerns about EOS and its Saudi Arabian arms deals.
HRW’s report revealed that hundreds, possibly thousands, of unarmed migrants and asylum-seekers had been killed at the Yemen-Saudi border in the 15 months between March 2022 and June 2023, allegedly by Saudi officers.
Human Rights Watch says it identified on Google Earth what looks like “a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle” near a Saudi border guard posts north of the Yemeni refugee trail in January 1, 2023.
The vehicle has what appears to be “a heavy machine gun mounted in a turret on its roof”. This description closely matches the military equipment that Australia sold to Saudi Arabia a few years earlier.
Declassified Australia put a number of questions to EOS, the Department of Defence, and the offices of the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, and the Foreign Minister. None responded to our questions on this matter.
Michelle Fahy is an independent writer and researcher, specialising in the examination of connections between the weapons industry and government, and has written in various independent publications. She is on X @FahyMichelle, and on Substack at UndueInfluence.substack.com. This article has been republished from Declassified Australia with permission.
This article was first published on Café Pacific.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
“VNIKTIneftekhimoborudovaniye” (part of the scientific and design block of “Rosneft”) took part in the landscaping of the slope of Mamayev Kurgan, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Employees of the Volgograd institute prepared the territory of the future alley and planted 80 silver maple seedlings.
One of the symbols of the Victory and the price paid for it by the Soviet people is the unconquered Stalingrad and the world-famous memorial complex “To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” on Mamayev Kurgan. Paying tribute to all the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the participants of the event honored the memory of the fallen soldiers in the Hall of Military Glory.
For many years, the institute’s staff has been engaged in the improvement and landscaping of the memorial complex’s territory; the very first seedlings were planted back in 1967, the year the monument ensemble was opened.
The memory of such events is passed down from generation to generation: the first landing was attended by employees whose children, continuing the dynasty of workers and established traditions, participate in commemorative events today.
To honor the memory of the fallen Heroes is a great honor for every Rosneft employee. We remember! We are proud!
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 30, 2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 30 APR 2025 1:33PM by PIB Delhi
Lt Gen JP Mathew relinquished the appointment of the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) on April 30, 2025 upon the culmination of nearly four decades in service. On the day of his superannuation, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial, New Delhi and paid homage to the fallen heroes. He was also accorded a ceremonial Tri-Service Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns.
The General Officer had been holding the appointment of CISC since April 2023, promoting jointness and synergy among the three Services. Lt Gen Mathew has made significant contributions in the expansion of Defence Cyber Agency and Defence Space Agency towards achieving credible capability in these critical domains. He also encouraged deeper collaboration with the Indian defence industry and academia, reflecting the Government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision. From steering major reforms and reviewing the curriculum in the Defence Service Staff College of Defence Management, Military Institute of Technology and National Defence Academy to encouraging participation of women, he was instrumental in enhancing diversity and inclusion in the Armed Forces.
In order to maintain defence cooperation with neighbouring countries and promote regional stability & security, Lt Gen Mathew represented the Indian Armed Forces in various fora. In addition, he was instrumental in enhancing the Armed Forces’ Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief capabilities.
Commissioned into the Punjab Regiment in December 1985, the General Officer became the Colonel of the Regiment on January 09, 2022. For his illustrious services, he was conferred with Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
***
VK/SR/SS
(Release ID: 2125415) Visitor Counter : 95
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 30 APR 2025 1:05PM by PIB Delhi
In the run-up to Independence Day Ceremony 2025 (IDC-2025), the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with My Gov, will conduct a national-level ‘Competition for Design of Formation on Gyanpath’ from May 01st to 15th, 2025. The competition aims to instill patriotic spirit and foster creative expression among the youth and citizens across India. Participants will have to conceptualise and design a formation to be created by cadets of National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme volunteers, and school children, along with an appropriate backdrop, that will be showcased during the IDC 2025 at Gyanpath, Red Fort, Delhi. Individuals can refer to the previous years’ designs for ideas. For more information, please visit the site: https://www.mygov.in/
Salient Features of the Competition:
· The top three winning entries will receive a cash prize of ₹10,000/- each.
· The top 250 participants, along with one companion each (guardian/spouse/relative), will receive e-invitations to witness the IDC 2025 at Red Fort.
· All participants will be awarded an online Certificate of Participation issued by MyGov.
Terms & Conditions
a) Participants to the competition must be a Citizen of India.
b) An individual can participate only one time.
c) Entries should be in JPG/PDF/any other format whether hand designed or computerised as per the requirement of MyGov portal. If the reference of any image/logo has been taken in the preparation of Design for competition, participant is required to upload the referred image along with the final design.
d) Use of any unfair/spurious means/ malpractices including but not limited to impersonation, double participation etc. during the participation in the competition, will result in rejection of participation.
e) No copyright image should be used and an undertaking regarding the same to be furnished. Non-furnishing of the same will render the selection null and void. Furthermore, the organizers of the competition or any agency acting on their behalf reserves all rights in this regard.
f) One mobile number & one email ID cannot be used by more than one participant for one competition/quiz during IDC-2025.
g) Ministry of Defence will only issue an e-invitation for the event and all the expenses related to travel, lodging, food etc. to attend the IDC-2025 will be borne by the individual himself/herself.
h) Employees, directly or indirectly connected with organizing the competition, are not eligible to participate in the competition. This ineligibility also applies to their immediate family members.
i) Winners will be announced on the basis of screening of the entries by a designated Screening Committee in Ministry of Defence.
j) Designs furnished by any participant may be used by Ministry of Defence partially or fully for the purpose of design of Gyanpath at Red Fort. Any claim for the copyright of the designs submitted during the ibid competition will not be made by the participants at any span of time.
*****
VK/SR/KB
(Release ID: 2125411) Visitor Counter : 8
Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry
30 April 2025
One of the most significant moments in world history will be commemorated in Derry next month with a special event to mark 80 years since the surrender of the Battle of the Atlantic, and the end of a fierce struggle to protect vital shipping lines that claimed over 100,000 lives during World War II.
While the world reflects on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the occasion will be marked locally by looking back on the city’s role, and the moment when Derry made the headlines across the globe. On May 14th 1945, the world looked on as the first eight German U-boats surrendered to Admiral Sir Max Horton at Lisahally and the German crew were marched through Ebrington Square, where there was relief and jubilation that the prolonged conflict had come to an end.
On May 17th BOA80 in Ebrington Square will recreate scenes from the bustling international base of the 1940’s, as living history characters bring the historic surrender of the Nazi U-Boat fleet and the conclusion of World War II to life. There will also be live music and entertainment reflecting the huge cultural transformation of the time.
The event is organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, looking back at a historic era when Derry was a major strategic command centre in the fight for control of the Atlantic Sea Routes. Lisahally was used for repairing and refuelling the Allied warships and served as one of the main escort bases for the northwest approaches. The collections on display and themes on the day will form part of a major gallery in the upcoming DNA Museum, and the event will be held just outside the buildings where DNA will be located.
Looking ahead to the BOA25 event, Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr said it was an opportunity to reflect on what was a pivotal moment in history. “Derry is a city steeped in history and often we forget its strategic importance during World War II, although in terms of global significance it played a huge role. The billeting of Allied servicemen here during that time also had a major cultural influence here in the city, where people mingled with the US and Canadian forces.
“There was much celebration when eventually the surrender was announced. At a time when we’re sadly all too aware of the devastating impacts of war, it’s important that we take lessons from the past and reflect on the importance of following alternative pathways towards peaceful resolution and diplomacy.”
Council’s Head of Culture, Aeidin McCarter, said the programme would recreate a sense of the historic significance of the occasion. “We want to give people a snapshot of the era by reenacting some of the events of the day, and the atmosphere of celebration as the city was freed from the shadow of the war. Through our living history characters we will retell the story and give people a glimpse of 1945 Derry through the music and fashion from the day.
“In the days before the event the Tower Museum team will also deliver a series of WII workshops for schools to raise awareness of the historic events and also the city’s vital role in bringing the conflict to an end. It will be an opportunity for people to view some of the Museum Service’s WWII collections and to step back in time to 1945 Derry as local people prepared to embrace peace after the turmoil of life during the war. Our team are excited to share the progress for the new DNA Museum on the day also.”
In advance of the event, on May 13th from 10.30am – 12.30pm, Strathfoyle Library will host a special talk by local historians Pearse Henderson and David Jenkins to help set the scene, focusing on the impact of the surrender on the people living in the local area. People are encouraged to bring along artefacts from the time to help capture personal stories and memories of the historic time.
On the day itself, enjoy live performances of the music of the roaring 40’s and see how the fashion of the time began to reflect the international influence of the troops. Military vehicles including a replica spitfire will set the scene for the historic reenactments throughout he afternoon.
May 17th is also National Drawing Day, and local artist Chris Walker will be on site at Ebrington to help visitors capture the day in a series of live sketching sessions. Chris will focus on some of the historic buildings, bridges and sculptures across Ebrington Square, helping budding artists learn to sketch, understand composition and pick up some tips. Bookings are not required and all materials will be provided.
BOA80 will begin at 12noon – entry is free and all are welcome
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
US Congress passes NDAA 2025 with enhanced Taiwan security cooperation
Date：2024-12-20
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs
December 20, 2024
No. 464
The US House of Representatives and Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (NDAA 2025) on December 11 and 18, respectively. The act includes a Taiwan security cooperation initiative, the establishment of a Taiwan-US military trauma care program, and other new provisions. Among other supportive measures for Taiwan, the act encourages the United States to work with European countries to strengthen relations with Taiwan and back efforts to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities. It also calls for enhanced defense industrial cooperation with Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely thanks the US Congress for continuing to demonstrate staunch support for Taiwan-US security cooperation and Taiwan’s security through legislation. The NDAA 2025 will pass into law once it is signed by President Joe Biden.
MOFA will continue to stay in close contact with the US Congress and administration to jointly deepen the cordial partnership between Taiwan and the United States and to ensure a free, open, peaceful, and stable Indo-Pacific. (E)
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
Issued by: on
JINHAE NAVAL BASE, Republic of Korea (April 10, 2025) Navy Diver 3rd Class Anthony Briggs, center, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, receives a gear check from Navy Diver 1st Class Ernest Smith before conducting a simulated salvage mission alongside a Republic of Korea navy diver, left, during a joint dive and salvage exercise in the harbor of Jinhae Naval Base, Republic of Korea, April 10, 2025. Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 sustains the U.S. Navy’s maritime forces and is responsible for all diving and salvage operations in the Western Pacific in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings)
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2025 22:26 |
| Photo ID: | 8971783 |
| VIRIN: | 250410-N-YV347-1299 |
| Resolution: | 7998×5332 |
| Size: | 14.13 MB |
| Location: | JINHAE, KR |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 conducts dive training with the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit during SALVEX Korea 2025 [Image 17 of 17], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
Issued by: on
SINGAPORE—Capt. Robert R. Williams, outgoing commander, Military Sealift Command Far East, gets piped aboard during a change of command ceremony at the Singapore Naval Installation in Sembawang, April 30, 2025. (Photo by MC2 Jordan Jennings)
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 02:09 |
| Photo ID: | 9003795 |
| VIRIN: | 250430-N-YV347-1002 |
| Resolution: | 4778×7167 |
| Size: | 22.47 MB |
| Location: | SG |
| Web Views: | 3 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Military Sealift Command Changes Commanders in Far East [Image 3 of 3], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 30, 1945, several banners and flags of various units of the Red Army were installed over the Reichstag building in Berlin. But the Banner of Victory is considered to be a specially made cloth of the 150th Rifle Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree, Idritskaya Division of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. In accordance with Russian law, this banner is a symbol of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and a state relic.
The Reichstag had also long had a more symbolic meaning in 1945. After the National Socialist German Workers’ Party came to power in Germany in 1933 and the building was set on fire, government meetings were no longer held there, and the plenary hall was not even repaired. In 1941, the windows were walled up, the basements became a bomb shelter, and anti-aircraft guns were installed in the corner towers. Nevertheless, for the Germans, the building remained one of the symbols of statehood. And the Soviet troops needed the final goal of their victorious campaign in the form of a real object. With the approval of Joseph Stalin, the Reichstag building was chosen as such a goal.
Given the circumstances, the Reichstag was defended by elite SS units, not only Germans, but also Swedes, Norwegians, and Latvians. And the building was stormed by the most experienced Red Army guards. Due to the ferocity of the battles and the contradictory reports, it is difficult to reliably determine who was the first to raise the flag over the Reichstag. In addition to the nine flags specially made for this purpose, many went into battle with homemade flags. According to various sources, there were from 20 to 40 of them. Recently, it has been accepted that on the afternoon of April 30, the fighters of the 150th Rifle Division, Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and Private Grigory Bulatov, were in the lead. Later, two more flags were raised. Noticing this, the Germans began shelling the building and, having broken the glass dome, managed to destroy all three flags.
Late in the evening of April 30 (already May 1 Moscow time), Junior Lieutenant Meliton Kantaria and Private Mikhail Egorov from the same 150th Rifle Division managed to install the banner on the eastern facade of the building, where it could not be reached by enemy artillery. It was this flag that became the Victory Banner. On May 2, after the capitulation of the Berlin garrison, the same soldiers were ordered to move the banner to the dome of the Reichstag. A few days later, for the sake of safety, the banner was removed, and on June 20 it was transported by plane to Moscow, where it was transferred for permanent storage to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces.
Thus, both the actual and symbolic victory over Germany was achieved at the very beginning of May. All that remained was to confirm it legally.
#Scientific regiment
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/30/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
NOUMEA, New Caledonia — Soldiers from the 322nd Civil Affairs Brigade’s functional specialty team, part of the crisis response team for Exercise Croix du Sud 2025, toured Tontouta Air Base on April 24, 2025, alongside Australian and Fijian military and civilian partners. The visit, about 50 kilometers northwest of Noumea, focused on sharing capabilities, strengthening interoperability and building partnerships.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
NAVAL STATION LEOVIGILDO GANTIOQUI, Philippines — U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, alongside Philippine Airmen with 960th Air and Missile Defense Group, concluded one of six Combined Joint All-Domain Operations (CJADO) events during Exercise Balikatan 25, April 27, 2025.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
The exhibition presents the stories of people who directly participated in military actions or were engaged in scientific activities and made a tangible contribution to the victory of the people of the Soviet Union over fascist Germany. In total, the exhibition contains 126 portraits. Until May 23, the exhibition can be seen in the second-floor passage between the first and third blocks of the NSU Academic Building (1 Pirogova St.).
— Of course, there are academicians here. For example, Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrentyev, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the Lenin and State (Stalin) Prizes. He received some of these awards for his scientific contribution to the people’s victory. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, Second Class, and five Orders of Lenin. His research and the cumulative shells he developed played a major role and influenced the outcome of the Battle of Kursk in 1943. Among the veterans, those people who made a significant contribution, there are many researchers. For example, Aleksey Andreyevich Lyapunov, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was a very young lieutenant when, during offensive battles in the area of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, he made an adjustment for magnetic deviation in the artillery calculation, which ensured the success of the artillery preparation, — said Lidiya Vorobtsova, Director of the NSU History Museum.
Another participant in the war was Samson Semenovich Kutateladze, an academician, founder of one of the leading scientific schools in thermal physics and hydrodynamics. He was at the front from August 1941 to May 1945. The legendary rector of NSU Spartak Timofeevich Belyaev, an academician, professor, has many awards, he went through the entire war and was demobilized with the rank of junior lieutenant.
The exhibition presents stories not only of outstanding scientists and academicians, but also of those people who worked and taught at NSU. For example, Angelina Ivanovna Kuzmina is a linguist and participant in the Great Patriotic War.
— I personally remember her very well. When I was studying at the Humanities Department, in the late 1970s — early 1980s, Angelina Ivanovna taught us German. She went through almost the entire war from the spring of 1942 until its end. She was a telegraph operator, a radio operator, and a communications platoon commander, and also worked as a translator during this period. She was a unique person, a candidate of philological sciences, an associate professor at our university. A very charming and positive-minded woman, — recalls Lidiya Vorobtsova.
Luiza Stefanovna Bocharova is a candidate of economic sciences, a senior lecturer, and later an associate professor of the political economy department of our university. She worked in counterintelligence at the headquarters of the 2nd Air Army of the Southwestern Front, and later the 1st Ukrainian Front.
The exhibition also features a portrait and history of Lev Yakovlevich Savelyev, a professor at the NSU Department of Higher Mathematics and a participant in the Great Patriotic War. Lev Yakovlevich was born in 1929 in Odessa. At the age of 14, he volunteered for the Red Army, and in a short period of time, he received the qualification of “3rd class radio operator-telegraphist” and the military rank of “corporal” at radio operator courses. After demobilization in August 1945, Lev Yakovlevich continued his studies at school, and two years later he became a student at the Mathematics Department of Moscow State University. After graduating from Moscow State University, he came to Novosibirsk, where NSU had just opened. He taught courses in mathematical and functional analysis, probability theory and mathematical statistics, random processes, and many others.
We can literally talk for a very long time about each “hero” of the exhibition, because each one made their own contribution to the Victory.
— I think that students, teachers, and staff will be very pleased to see and read about the people who are presented at the exhibition. In addition, we have two special pages on the website of the NSU History Museum. One is also dedicated to the participants of the Great Patriotic War, and the second page is called “War Participants Remember,” that is, these are memories of the war years. You can always go to the website of our museum and get to know them. The heroes of these stories describe their time and how they, still very young guys, many just after finishing school, went to war. Some left universities, some just graduated from university and went to the front at that time. Recently, we had an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the oldest professors of the Humanities Institute, then the Humanities Faculty, Varlen Lvovich Soskin. In the exposition, we presented more extensive information about the period when he was at war. Overall, we have war photographs of about half of the war participants, so there is something to look at and appreciate, to be proud of those people who taught and worked at our university, and those thanks to whom we are now celebrating this wonderful holiday, Victory Day, – summed up Lidiya Vorobtsova.
The exhibition materials were collected from several sources. These include materials from the NSU History Museum, personal files from the NSU archive, written memoirs of combatants, and photographs of the “Victory Relay” that took place in 2010. At one time, for the 30th anniversary of the Victory in 1975, a large stand was displayed on the wall near the Maltsevskaya Auditorium, which is located in the main, historical building of NSU, where about 70 war veterans were presented. The NSU History Museum supplemented this information over time. In addition to the materials from the 1970-80s exhibitions, the Museum staff analyzed reference publications for the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory, which also mention the stories of Siberian front-line soldiers. The NSU Social Management Department, which works directly with WWII veterans, helped to fill in some personal stories and also display them along with the portraits at the exhibition.
Today’s exhibition presents the most complete information on the majority of those people who are associated with Novosibirsk State University and the Siberian Branch of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences and who are direct participants in the Great Patriotic War or contributed to the Victory through their scientific work.
In addition to portraits and stories of NSU employees, teachers and scientists, the exhibition features a digital panel with documents from the Novosibirsk Regional Archives, which are dedicated to the heroism of Siberians during the Great Patriotic War. The demonstration was organized by Andrey Vladimirovich Dmitriev, head of the Department of Russian History at the NSU Humanities Institute. The exhibition includes three expositions:
“Breakthrough Division”
The exhibition is dedicated to the combat path of the 133rd Rifle Division, later the 18th Guards Division, formed before 1941 in Novosibirsk and taking part in many battles of the Great Patriotic War. This division fought on the Kalinin Front in the autumn of 1941 and in the winter of 1941-1942 during the Battle of Moscow, participated in battles near Rzhev, in Belarus and the Baltics, and ended its journey on the territory of East Prussia.
“Novosibirsk residents to the front”
The exhibition presents materials related to the history of the 150th Rifle, then 22nd Guards Siberian Volunteer Division, created in Novosibirsk in the summer of 1942. Those people whose names are given to the streets of our city fought and died in its ranks: Mikhail Perevozchikov, Boris Bogatkov, Olga Zhilina.
“Novosibirsk – a city of labor valor”
The exhibition contains systematized data on the contribution of our fellow countrymen who remained in the rear to achieving Victory. Among them, one can highlight the collection of funds and voluntary donations, the production of weapons, the procurement of food and much more. All this data was collected and prepared by Novosibirsk historians and archivists to justify assigning Novosibirsk the title of “City of Labor Valor” in 2020.
The exhibit files contain electronic copies of original archival documents, a number of unique photographs, text explanations and illustrative materials. The Novosibirsk Regional Archives exhibition will continue to work until May 12.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the festival program enabled community members and visitors to experience and explore many heritage places.
“Greater Bendigo has a rich and diverse range of heritage places and open spaces that collectively illustrate the region’s history.” Cr Metcalf said.
“The festival program brings heritage to life including exclusive access to all kinds of special historical places from miners cottages to the former Gas Works site.”
National Trust Bendigo & District Branch President Peter Cox OAM said the annual Heritage Festival was an opportunity for people of all ages to celebrate the region’s heritage in many different ways.
“At the Heritage Festival, you can hear stories of the unusual and unknown from amazing experts and guides. With tours, talks, workshops and special events, there’s something for curious minds of all ages,” Mr Cox said.
“It is not often that people get the chance to gain access to incredible places and it’s a sneak peek not to be missed so I encourage you to browse the program and register for events.”
Other highlights from the festival program for Greater Bendigo include:
For the full program, visit:
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (April 29, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), today reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, legislation that will restore critical protections to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—the nation’s largest national wildlife refuge—by designating the Coastal Plain ecosystem as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. This legislation would permanently halt any new oil and gas leasing, exploration, development, and drilling on the Coastal Plain, and would safeguard the subsistence rights of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples who depend upon the Arctic Refuge.
“Trump’s reopening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas is another attempt to revive his old and failed promise of a fictional financial windfall from leasing the Refuge—all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The urgency to protect the wilderness of the Coastal Plain and the Refuge more broadly and reaffirm the sovereignty of Arctic Indigenous peoples is paramount—my Arctic Refuge Protection Act would do just that,” said Senator Markey. “We must put a law on the books to affirm these lands are not for sale and defend the Arctic landscape—a sacred home for Indigenous peoples, including the Gwich’in and Inupait—from Trump’s disastrous business plan.”
“What we choose to protect says everything about who we are. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is too special to destroy, and we have a responsibility to keep it that way,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “The Refuge is one of the last truly wild places left on the planet — home to caribou herds, polar bears, migratory birds, and breathtaking landscapes. But it’s more than that. It’s about standing with the Gwich’in people, who’ve spent generations protecting this land, living with the caribou herds, and preserving a way of life that predates the fossil fuel industry by thousands of years and continues to this day. Now, President Trump wants to turn the Arctic Refuge into a corporate cash grab, a place where oil companies could frack up the tundra while trampling tribal sovereignty and leaving Americans with nothing but spills and broken promises. This land belongs to the American people and to the Gwich’in, not to Big Oil.”
“Protecting the Arctic Refuge is not only an environmental imperative—it’s a strategic one. This land holds immense ecological value, cultural significance, and climate importance. Reckless development would endanger wildlife, violate Indigenous rights, and yield little economic return. As Co-Chair of the World Wildlife, Oceanic, Environmental and Biodiversity Caucus, I’m proud to support this legislation to protect one of America’s last wild frontiers—because conservation is not a cost, it’s a long-term investment in our security, economy, and planet,” said Representative Fitzpatrick.
“The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a pristine, million-year-old ecosystem unlike anything else we have in the United States, which is why it should be permanently protected,” said Senator Cantwell. “The future of the Arctic is in tourism, and with new sea routes opening up the real value of this land is conservation, not exploitation.”
“The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of our country’s most unique and beautiful areas of land. We must work with our indigenous communities to protect our wildlife, and the environment put at risk by oil and gas development in this spectacular refuge. Rather than catering to the interests of the oil companies, we must focus our efforts on diversifying our energy sources with renewable energy and prevent further harm to the environment,” said Senator Schiff.
“We commend our congressional champions for taking a stand to protect one of America’s last great wild places. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain is not only a sanctuary for wildlife—it is sacred land for the Gwich’in and a symbol of our nation’s commitment to conservation. Selling off this land for oil and gas is not only destructive, it’s bad economics. The last Arctic Refuge lease sale was a failure, proving there is no real demand—only a handout to billion-dollar corporations at the expense of taxpayers. This legislation is a crucial step in permanently protecting this irreplaceable landscape from exploitation. Now, more than ever, Congress must prioritize our public lands and Indigenous rights by restoring protections to the Arctic Refuge and ensuring this land remains unexploited for generations to come,” said Kristen Miller, Executive Director, Alaska Wilderness League.
“We applaud the leadership of Sen. Markey and Reps. Huffman and Fitzpatrick for reintroducing the Arctic Refuge Protection Act,” said Mary Glaves, Alaska Coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “For hunters and anglers, the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain is the birth place of wild pursuits of caribou, waterfowl, and iconic fish species including Dolly Varden and Arctic Char. The abysmal interest in both the 2020 and 2025 lease sales demonstrates the bad economics of drilling in the Arctic Refuge. The wetlands and rivers weave together one of the last truly wild landscapes that are essential for the North American heritage of hunting and fishing and subsistence for local Alaskan communities. The Arctic Refuge is a national treasure that should be protected as such through a wilderness designation.”
“The Arctic Refuge is no place for drilling. It is a sanctuary for caribou, musk oxen, polar bears, wolves, and other wildlife. The Arctic Refuge Protection Act is a clear acknowledgment of that fact. Even the biggest players in the oil industry recognized that drilling in the Refuge was an absurd proposition when they failed to show up for recent lease sales,” said Alexandra Adams, Chief Policy Advocacy Officer at NRDC. “This bill would end an ongoing threat to this treasured place by forever barring industrialization of the Refuge.”
Background
The Arctic Refuge is one of the last truly wild places left in America. The Coastal Plain is the calving ground of the Porcupine caribou herd, the source of the Indigenous Gwich’in people’s way of life and subsistence for generations. It also provides a critical denning habitat for threatened Southern Beaufort Sea populations of polar bears. Oil and gas exploration, seismic testing, and all of the infrastructure that comes with oil drilling – from roads to pipelines to pumpjacks – would threaten polar bears in their dens, disrupt caribou and bird migration patterns, and result in significant and irreversible harm to the unique Arctic Refuge habitat and the Indigenous communities who depend on it.
For the Gwich’in people, who refer to the Coastal Plain as “Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit” or the Sacred Place Where Life Begins, this land is more than wildlife habitat. It is cultural identity, food security, and a foundation for traditions that span millennia into the current day. The caribou herd is central to their traditions and survival, and industrial development in the region threatens not just an ecosystem, but an entire way of life. The Gwich’in, which span across Alaska and Canada, have been united in their opposition to drilling in the Refuge for decades and have called on the federal government to uphold its trust responsibilities and protect these lands permanently.
Developing the Refuge’s unproven oil and gas reserves would also pose a serious danger to the climate, locking in decades of emissions in a region already warming four times faster than the global average.
For decades, the Refuge’s coastal plain has been targeted for highly speculative oil and gas drilling. In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act established an oil and gas leasing program along with a requirement that the Department of the Interior conduct two lease sales in the coastal plain before the end of 2024. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate at the time, these lease sales would result in $1.82 billion in revenue over 10 years. Seven years later, those projections have proven wildly inaccurate.
The first lease sale brought in only $14.4 million in bids on 11 tracts, a far cry from the nearly $2 billion in estimated revenue. Major oil companies didn’t participate in the sale, and most major financial institutions have pledged not to finance drilling there. The most recent lease sale in January of this year generated no interest. Despite the lack of interest or activity, the risk of development and drilling in the Arctic Refuge remains.
On his first day in office, President Trump restarted the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program and reinstated seven leases from the state development corporation, which were previously canceled by the Biden administration. Congressional Republicans may once again use oil and gas leasing to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, despite its catastrophic failure to raise revenue in 2017.
The Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
The House bill is cosponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Madeline Dean (D-Pa.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), George Latimer (D-N.Y.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).
The bill was endorsed by National Audubon Society, Gwich’in Steering Committee, Alaska Wilderness League, Trustees for Alaska, The Wilderness Society, League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, World Wildlife Fund, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environment America.
Covering period of Wednesday 30th – Friday 2 May – Stormy conditions starting to impact New Zealand today will bring strong damaging winds, heavy rain and choppy seas over the next few days to various parts of the country. MetService has issued numerous Severe Weather Warnings and Watches.
North Island
Widespread rain is currently affecting many parts of the North Island, with some areas experiencing heavy downpours. These conditions are forecast to become more persistent and spread further across the island by this afternoon (Wednesday).
• A Orange Heavy Rain Warning is in place east of Bay of Plenty, from 10am today valid until 3pm tomorrow.
• Heavy Rain Watches have been issued for Bay of Plenty and Southern Wairarapa until Wednesday evening. Wellington is also on Watch from 6pm Wednesday until 3pm Friday.
• Strong to gale-force winds are expected along the Wairarapa and Wellington coastlines, generating rough seas and wave heights of up to 7 metres on Thursday afternoon and a Heavy Swell Warning has been issued.
• Strong Wind Watch for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, and north of Hamilton in Waikato, from 7am to noon Thursday.
Conditions in Wellington over the next day and a half will be something to keep a close eye on, as a combination of wet weather, very strong southerly winds, and large waves are expected.
The winds are of particular interest. While Wellingtonians are no strangers to blustery days, this event stands out due to the unusually strong southerlies, with gusts of 130 km/h possible. This means that trees and structures that may be accustomed to very strong winds from the north may be more vulnerable to strong winds from the south, making them more prone to damage. These winds will also be whipping up large waves, which may impact travel along coastal roads on Thursday.
South Island
• An Orange Heavy Rain Warning for the Kaikōura Coast and ranges plus areas of Canterbury north of Timaru, easing from 6pm Thursday.
• Orange Road Snowfall Warnings for Porters, Arthur’s, Lewis and Lindis Pass are in force into Thursday.
• An Orange Heavy Snow Warning for Canterbury High Country, south of the Rangitata River, in place from 9pm tonight (Wednesday) through to 9am on Thursday.
• Yellow Strong Wind Watches for Buller, Grey, Westland, Nelson Lakes Districts (from noon today), and the Marlborough Sounds (from 6pm today through Thursday afternoon).
The South Island is currently experiencing cloudy and wet conditions, with more rain forecast through to Thursday. For the eastern South Island, this could be a significant weather event, with large amounts of rainfall expected between today and Friday. For regions under Orange Heavy Rain Warnings, possible impacts include areas of flooding, slips, and hazardous driving conditions.
MetService meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube says, With the hazardous weather conditions approaching, we strongly encourage all New Zealanders to stay informed by regularly checking the MetService app or website, as well as updates from local Civil Defence and council channels.”
Friday looks to be a better day, with rain easing in most areas across the country. However, eastern parts of the North Island and the north-eastern South Island may still experience heavy rain and strong winds.
The good news is that by Saturday, more settled conditions are expected to return to most regions, although some areas may still see isolated showers.
Please keep up to date with the most current information from MetService at http://bit.ly/metservicenz