Category: Military Intelligence

MIL-Evening Report: What was HMNZS Manawanui doing before it sank? Calls for greater transparency

By Susana Leiataua, RNZ National presenter

There are calls for greater transparency about what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it sank in Samoa last October — including whether the New Zealand warship was performing specific security for King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The Manawanui grounded on the reef off the south coast of Upolu in bad weather on 5 October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. Its 75 crew and passengers were safely rescued.

The Court of Inquiry’s final report released on 4 April 2025 found human error and a long list of “deficiencies” grounded the $100 million vessel on the Tafitoala Reef, south of Upolu, where it caught fire and sank.

Equipment including weapons and ammunition continue to be removed from the vessel as its future hangs in the balance.

The Court of Inquiry’s report explains the Royal New Zealand Navy was asked by “CHOGM Command” to conduct “a hydrographic survey of the area in the vicinity of Sinalei whilst en route to Samoa”.

When it grounded on the Tafitoala Reef, the ship was following orders received from Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand. The report incorrectly calls it the “Sinalei Reef”.

Sinalei is the name of the resort which hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla for CHOGM — the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting — which began in Samoa 19 days after the Manawanui sank from 25-26 October 2024. The Royals arrived two days before CHOGM began.

Support of CHOGM
Speaking at the release of the court’s final report, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding described the Manawanui’s activity on the south coast of Upolu.

“So the operation was done in support of CHOGM — a very high-profile security activity on behalf of a nation, so it wasn’t just a peacetime operation,” he said.

“It was done in what we call rapid environmental assessment so we were going in and undertaking something that we had to do a quick turnaround of that information so it wasn’t a deliberate high grade survey. It was a rapid environmental assessment so it does come with additional complexity and it did have an operational outcome. It’s just, um you know, we we are operating in complex environments.

“It doesn’t say that we did everything right and that’s what the report indicates and we just need to get after fixing those mistakes and improving.”

Sinalei Resort . . . where the royal couple were hosted. Image: Dominic Godfrey/RNZ Pacific

The report explained the Manawanui was tasked with “conducting the Sinalei survey task” “to survey a defined area of uncharted waters.” But Pacific security fellow at Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University Iati Iati questions what is meant by “in support of the upcoming CHOGM”.

“All we’ve been told in the report is that it was to support CHOGM. What that means is unclear. I think that needs to be explained. I think it also needs to be explained to the Samoan people, who initiated this.

“Whether it was just a New Zealand initiative. Whether it was done for CHOGM by the CHOGM committee or whether it was something that involved the Samoa government,” Iati said.

What-for questions
“So a lot of the, you know, who was behind this and the what-for questions haven’t been answered.”

Iati said CHOGM’s organising committee included representatives from Samoa as well as New Zealand.

“But who exactly initiated that additional task which I think is on paragraph 37 of the report after the ship had sailed, the extra task was then confirmed. Who initiated that I’m not sure and I think that needs to be explained. Why it was confirmed after the sailing that also needs to be explained.

“In terms of security, I guess the closest we can come to is the fact that you know King Charles was staying on that side and Sinalei Reef. It may have something to do with that but this is just really unclear at the moment and I think all those questions need to be addressed.”

The wreck of the Manawanui lies 2.1 nautical miles — 3.89km — from the white sandy beach of the presidential suite at Sinalei Resort where King Charles and Queen Camilla stayed during CHOGM.

Just over the fence from the Royals’ island residence, Royal New Zealand Navy divers were coming and going from the sunken vessel in the early days of their recovery operation, and now salvors and the navy continue to work from there.

AUT Law School professor Paul Myburgh said the nature of the work the Manawanui was carrying out when it ran aground on the reef has implications for determining compensation for people impacted by its sinking.

Sovereign immunity
“Historically, if it was a naval vessel that was the end of the story. You could never be sued in normal courts about anything that happened on board a naval vessel. But nowadays, of course, governmental vessels are often involved in commercial activity as well,” he said.

“So we now have what we call the restrictive theory of sovereign immunity which states that if you are involved in commercial or ordinary activity that is non-governmental you are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts, so this is why I’ve been wanting to get to the bottom of exactly what they were doing.

“Who instructed whom and that sort of thing. And it seems to me that in line with the findings of the report all of this seems to have been done on a very adhoc basis.”

RNZ first asked the New Zealand Defence Force detailed questions on Friday, April 11, but it declined to respond.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: WRAIR-Africa protects force health at Justified Accord ‘25

Source: United States Army

From left to right: Col. Gerald Kellar, Maj. John Eads, and Maj. Luis Pow Sang collect waste water from sewers at the Counter Insurgency, Terrorism, and Stability Operations Center during Exercise Justified Accord. (Photo Credit: Courtesy ) VIEW ORIGINAL

Back to

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)

NAIROBI, Kenya – The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research – Africa conducted disease surveillance in support of Justified Accord 2025 from Feb. 10–21, in Kenya.

Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. The 2025 iteration involved more than 1,500 participants from 20 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. The exercise is designed to strengthen multinational cooperation as well as regional security.

WRAIR-Africa supported the exercise by identifying pathogens in the environment and coordinating with medical personnel to ensure appropriate protective measures. The team conducted daily vector surveillance, collecting mosquitos, sandflies and ticks for pathogen testing, as well as analyzing wastewater samples.

Maj. Eads and his team identify larvae of the Anopheles mosquito, the vector for malaria parasites, near the Justified Accord cantonment area. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

During the exercise, WRAIR-Africa identified nine major pathogen threats including the bacteria that causes Q fever, the bacteria that causes epidemic typhus, jingman tick virus, and norovirus. The findings were shared with Role 1 medical assets and health protection personnel to mitigate risks to participating service members.

“By telling the force health protection (FHP) and health service support (HSS) personnel that the pathogen is in the environment, you can keep the soldiers safe,” said Maj. John Eads, Chief of Entomology at WRAIR-Africa. “Something like norovirus is a particular threat–that’s the pathogen that takes out cruise ships all the time because of how easily it spreads. Identifying it before it spreads is essential to getting preventative measure in place and keeping service members healthy.”

Maj. Eads reviews tick specimens collected by the WRAIR-Africa Entomology team. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

WRAIR-Africa’s role in the exercise was essential to protecting force health, but it also provides a second major benefit: an opportunity to learn.

In addition to surveillance, WRAIR-Africa used the exercise as an opportunity to assess support needs for large-scale combat operations. This included evaluating the effectiveness of tools such as rapid diagnostic tests that don’t require cold-chain storage, which can be limited in austere environments.

Maj. Luis Pow Sang, Military Chief of Microbiology, performs initial validation and testing of BioFire film array for use in real-time exercise support. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

“Participation in Justified Accord embeds us with the warfighter so we can see where there are gaps,” said Eads. “During and after the exercise, we ask: what products are necessary in large-scale combat operations? It’s an opportunity to determine how WRAIR-Africa can further support force health protection and Health Service Support.”

Following the exercise, WRAIR-Africa compiled a report to inform future surveillance operations and refine its support strategies for forward-deployed environments.

About Justified Accord

Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and hosted in Kenya, Djibouti and Rwanda, this year’s exercise will incorporate personnel and units from 23 nations and five observer countries. This multinational exercise builds readiness for the U.S. joint force, prepares regional partners for UN and AU mandated missions, and increases multinational interoperability in support of humanitarian assistance, disaster response and crisis response.

Justified Accord content can be found on the official Justified Accord DVIDS feature page.

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

Follow SETAF-AF on:

Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Students of the State University of Management held a seminar for the Day of United Actions in Memory of the Genocide of the Soviet People

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On April 17, 2025, a seminar dedicated to the Day of United Actions in Memory of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People by the Nazis and their Collaborators during the Great Patriotic War was held at the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management.

This memorable date is celebrated throughout the country on April 19. It was on April 19, 1943 that the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued “On measures of punishment for German-fascist villains guilty of murder and torture of the Soviet civilian population and captured Red Army soldiers, for spies, traitors to the homeland from among Soviet citizens and for their accomplices.” This decree became the legal basis for investigative actions to establish the crimes of the Nazis against citizens of the Soviet Union.

The Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of the Crimes of the Nazi Invaders collected 250,000 testimonies about the occupiers’ crimes and compiled 56,000 reports on them. It was calculated that the enemy destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, burned more than 70,000 villages, and destroyed about 6 million buildings, thus depriving 25 million people of shelter. The damage to the national economy of the USSR amounted to 679 billion rubles.

Today it is especially important to preserve the memory of the victims of that war, in order to prevent the development of neo-fascism. For this purpose, the IFE held a thematic seminar in the form of reports by first-year students on the eve of the memorable date. A total of nine reports were made at the seminar.

The first of them was dedicated to the unofficial symbol of fascist atrocities against the civilian population – the village of Khatyn, burned down along with all its inhabitants. In her report “Khatyn: An Unhealed Wound of the Belarusian Land”, student Alla Korobkova spoke about the terrible events of the spring of 1943. Each time, talking about the tragedy of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, the students also recalled modern events, because exactly 81 years after the Khatyn tragedy, on March 22, 2024, a terrible terrorist attack occurred in the Crocus City Hall.

The echo of modern times was also heard in the report by Elizaveta Kotova and Diana Popova, “The Feat of Youth in the Fight against Genocide of the Peoples of the USSR.” In their report, the girls told about the feat of the Young Guard. Krasnodon, where the guys lived and fought the fascists, is still in the frontline zone today. Diana Popova noted after the seminar: “The event dedicated to the victims of genocide makes us think about the heroism and responsibility of the Soviet people. Its unity and endurance should still find a response in the hearts of people and especially the younger generation.”

Mikhail Semakov Mikhail in his report “Babi Yar Concentration Camp: Symbol of Nazi Terror in the Occupied Territory of the USSR” spoke about the terrible tragedy of 1941, when the Nazis and local collaborators shot about 150 thousand people, with more than 30 thousand people killed in the first two days of mass shootings.

Anna Feshchenko and Anna Evtyukhina in their report drew attention to the living conditions of civilians in the occupied lands: hunger, terror and deprivation. During the discussion of the report, the children recalled the Salaspils children’s concentration camp – a blood factory, where about 3,500 liters of blood were pumped out of children kept in inhumane conditions over three years.

In addition to stories about the atrocities of the fascists, the children noted the fortitude and heroism of the Soviet people. Thus, Nikolai Stroyev in his report “Resistance and Survival: How Soviet Citizens Fought Genocide During the Great Patriotic War” noted the fact that genocide did not break the Soviet people, but on the contrary, raised them to fight the invaders.

Dmitry Kamchatov and Diana Mikhailova spoke about the trial of fascist ideologists at the Nuremberg Trials. Diana Mikhailova noted: “The students conveyed important historical information with dignity, awakening deep respect for the past. The event left a strong impression and emphasized the need to preserve the memory of tragic events.”

The seminar continues the series of events held by the IEF for the 80th anniversary of the Victory. Students noted the importance of the meetings. Dmitry Kamchatov said: “Events of a social and educational nature are in demand more than ever. The very fact of holding such meetings shows the involvement of students in cultural programs. During today’s meeting, speakers and listeners mastered important material on the topic. It is worth noting the active participation of the IEF Directorate in the discussion and coverage of this topic in the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland.”

Let us recall that last week we celebrated the Day of Liberation of Prisoners of Nazi Concentration Camps.

The crimes committed by the fascist occupiers have no statute of limitations, and we have no right to forget them.

#Scientific regiment

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025

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.

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Beijing Intl Film Festival to mark World Anti-Fascist War victory

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

The 15th Beijing International Film Festival is set to feature a special screening program commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

(Clockwise from top left) Stills from “The Zone of Interest,” “The Thin Red Line,” “Above the Drowning Sea,” “The Burmese Harp,” “Downfall,” and “Shoah,” which will be presented during the 15th Beijing International Film Festival. [Images courtesy of the BJIFF Organizing Committee]

The screenings are part of this year’s Beijing Film Panorama, an annual program that showcases nostalgic classics, new releases and films not previously screened in China. The event is popular with both fans and industry professionals.

The first ticket sold during Monday’s presale was for Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” (2023), which won the Academy Award for best international feature at the 2024 Oscars. The film explores themes of complicity through its depiction of a Nazi officer’s family living next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The film is part of the special “Cinema and Peace” program at the festival. “As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, we are launching this themed program. Spanning generations, these films ring the bell of world peace through cinema,” said Lin Siwei, deputy head of the China Film Archive, deputy director of the China Film Art Research Center, and deputy secretary-general of the BJIFF Organizing Committee.

Twelve films will be screened, including several rarely seen in China that have been newly restored in 4K. Among them is Leopold Lindtberg’s “The Last Chance” (1945), which won both the international peace award and best feature film at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. The film follows an American and a British soldier who escape from a Nazi train in wartime Italy and lead a group of refugees to Switzerland. The Swiss Embassy in China provided copyright and archival support for the screening.

Claude Lanzmann’s “Shoah” (1985), the landmark 9.5-hour Holocaust documentary, is featured in the program and will screen alongside the Asian premiere of Guillaume Ribot’s 2025 documentary “All I Had Was Nothingness,” which examines Lanzmann’s commitment to creating “Shoah.”

Other notable films in the lineup include Terrence Malick’s Golden Bear-winning “The Thin Red Line” (1998), adapted from James Jones’ novel about the World War II Guadalcanal campaign; Oliver Hirschbiegel’s “Downfall” (2004), which chronicles Hitler’s final days through the perspective of his secretary Traudl Junge; Kon Ichikawa’s “The Burmese Harp” (1956), about a Japanese soldier who becomes a Buddhist monk after the war; and Larisa Shepitko’s “Wings” (1966), a portrait of a Soviet World War II pilot.

The selection also features Sam Peckinpah’s “Cross of Iron” (1977), Kazuo Hara’s documentary “The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On” (1987), and Luuk Bouwman’s 2024 documentary “The Propagandist.”

The program includes “Above the Drowning Sea” (2017), a documentary by Rene Balcer and Nicola Zavaglia about Jewish refugees who found sanctuary in Shanghai during World War II. The film highlights the role of Chinese diplomat Ho Feng Shan, who defied the Nazis and his own government to provide visas to refugees. Told from the perspectives of both the refugees and the Chinese people who sheltered them, the documentary offers a reflection on solidarity in times of crisis.

The Beijing International Film Festival will run from April 18 to 26, featuring a range of activities, including forums, masterclasses, film pitching sessions and the Tiantan Award.

This year’s Beijing Film Panorama will present 18 thematic sections, showcasing nearly 300 international films across about 900 screenings at 33 venues in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Venues include commercial theaters, arthouse cinemas and various cultural spaces.

Other main screening segments include a centennial tribute to director Robert Altman, along with films by Jiri Menzel, Andrei Tarkovsky and the late David Lynch.

MIL OSI China News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Addresses Nevada State Legislature at State Capitol Outlining Her Work to Deliver for Nevadans, Oppose Harmful Actions Threatening to Raise Costs & Cut Medicaid

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
CARSON CITY, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) delivered remarks to the Nevada State Legislature detailing how she is working to deliver for hardworking Nevada families, including by fighting back against cost-raising tariffs and cuts to Medicaid to give tax breaks to the wealthy. Senator Rosen also reiterated her commitment to finding areas to work with Republicans to take meaningful action to lower costs and improve the lives of hardworking Nevadans.
Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s remarks:
Since the last time I spoke here, a lot has changed in Washington.
But there’s something that hasn’t changed, and will not change. And it’s my commitment to always put Nevada first.
I’ve built a record as one of the most bipartisan, independent, and effective U.S. Senators because I focus on getting things done for our state. Agree where you can and fight where you must.
No matter who’s in the White House or who’s in control of Congress, I will do everything I can to deliver for Nevada families who work hard every day. They count on me and they count on all of you.
And as I said, as some of you know, my motto has always been: Agree where you can, fight where you must.
[…]
Nevadans are practical and pragmatic and they want solutions…They want stability… They want us to work together to tackle rising costs, create better paying jobs, and protect the freedoms and opportunities that define our state.
And I can tell you what they don’t want. They don’t want the reckless actions this new Administration is taking: Funding Cuts. Mass Firings. Economic chaos.
These actions have put millions of dollars that our state depends on, that all of you are depending on as you do our budgets, putting it all at risk. Every single bit of it.
These actions have led to many Nevadans losing their jobs. They are jeopardizing the jobs of veterans who were hired by the federal government to help and serve our veterans, our local communities.
[…]
This is no way to run a country. It’s no way to treat the men and women who risked their lives to protect our freedoms.
We should be doing everything we can to honor their service, recognize their sacrifice, and make sure they can access every benefit that is owed to them, that they earned. We sit here free, able to do what we do because they put their lives on the line. And I want those calls to be answered at the Veterans Hotline, and I know you all do too.
Earlier this year, I helped introduce bipartisan bills to help veterans access their VA benefits more easily, and to increase veterans’ awareness of things like the VA Home Loan Program.
For those who were injured while fighting to protect all of us, the least we can do is ensure they all have full benefits.
Current red tape is preventing more than 50,000 combat-injured veteran retirees from receiving both their retirement pay through the Department of Defense and their disability payments through the VA.
That’s wrong. They earned it, they deserve it, and I helped introduce a bill with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, because veterans come from all over this great country, to fix and repeal the offsets that are currently in place. I’m proud of that bill and hope that we can pass it.
Now at a time when families are seeing their budgets tighten, I’m working across party lines to eliminate taxes on military retirement pay so our veterans can keep more of their money.
Military families aren’t the only ones being squeezed by higher prices. Because when costs go up, they hurt all Nevadans.
This is why Nevadans I’ve talked to are worried about the Trump tariffs.
These tariffs – they’re essentially a national sales tax – are going to raise the cost of everything you buy: your groceries, your gas, your medications, not to mention construction materials, which will make housing even MORE expensive. Interest rates go up, prices go up, everything goes up and up.
This is the complete opposite of what I believe we should be doing right now. We should be finding ways – every way we can – to lower costs.
It’s why I took action to help stop the Kroger-Albertsons mega-merger that would’ve raised those grocery prices for Nevada families.
It’s why I introduced bipartisan legislation to lower housing costs by helping to train and grow our housing construction workforce – because houses don’t build themselves – and I’ve introduced a bill to crack down on corporations who buy up housing and jack up prices for families.
It’s also why I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to help lower the costs of child care and provide some relief for working families.
And just last week, I helped introduce legislation to provide those hardworking Nevada families with a much-needed tax cut, and expand the Child Tax Credit.
This is in addition to the bipartisan bill I helped introduce to eliminate taxes on tips, and allow working families to keep more of their paychecks.
I’m doing all of this because we should be providing relief for our Nevada families, for people who work hard and play by the rules, and we shouldn’t be giving more tax breaks to billionaires who frankly don’t need the money.
[…]
And that’s exactly why I’m fighting back.
I recently helped pass legislation overturning Trump’s tariffs on Canada, which is Nevada’s largest trading partner. That was bipartisan legislation we voted to pass, by the way.
I also helped introduce a bill to require the United States International Trade Commission to investigate how Trump’s recent tariffs will impact the American people, and make that information public.
And I am leading the charge in the Senate in making sure the Administration knows how destructive its tariffs are for small businesses.
[…]
I know many in this room know just how important, how critical Medicaid is. It makes up a sizable portion of our state budget, and we stand to lose more than half billion dollars if Medicaid is cut.
It’s more than just funding. It’s a lifeline for families. It’s a lifeline for moms and for children. I’ll talk about my special guest in a moment. This is more than a number. It’s more than a number they’re cutting. These are our families, our friends, our neighbors. And attempts to cut this important lifeline for children is going to put more than 300,000 children in Nevada at risk of losing their only source of health care coverage.
Nevada children like Levi, Levi is my guest, along with his really incredible mother Allyson Marchus.
They are here tonight because Medicaid has made a difference in their lives. And with their permission, I’m going to share just a little bit of Levi’s story because sometimes we look at budgets and there’s numbers you’re trying to balance and make all of this work, but there’s people behind every one of those numbers.
When Levi was just three years old, Allyson noticed a strange mole behind his ear.
So she thought she was just going to go to the doctor, like all of us who are parents here, you just go to the doctor, it’s just a little thing, you’ve got a bug bite. Simple doctor’s visit. But every parent’s worst fear was realized when a biopsy came back positive for melanoma — not just a person who’s been in the sun their whole life, that happens when you’re three years old, skin cancer – he had to have further tests, and his cancer spread.
Levi and Allyson have had to jump through hoop after hoop in order to implement a care plan — treatments, and medications, and surgery, and radiation – they had to repeatedly travel out of state to get special pediatric care, you have to go to hospitals where they know how to take care of young children.
[…]
No family should have to go through this, but Allyson never gave up. She and Levi have shown awe-inspiring strength and resilience every step of the way – they refused to quit fighting this awful disease.
And, the one thing that they didn’t have to worry about on this journey was how they were going to pay for that care, how are they going to get to the doctor, how are they going to go to these treatments, how are they going to be cared for, because they had Medicaid. So thanks to Medicaid she was able to be there for her son.
[Medicaid] made sure they had not one expense while dealing with some of the worst moments any parent can go through. Not one out-of-pocket expense. It took that burden, that one extra stress right off their back.
Today, Levi is five years old, and we are glad to say that he is in remission. It’s a pretty good thing. Of course he’s going to continue to be watched and cared for, but it’s a success story. It’s a success story because she had Medicaid.
This is why Medicaid matters. Not just for Levi and his family, but for all the Levis and all the families in Nevada and across the country, story after story after story, this is just one of them. I’m sure many of you in this room can tell stories like this as well.
Medicaid has made the difference in their lives. It covered medical care, it covered travel expenses, just like it did for Allyson and Levi.
It is literally a lifeline. All of these children, every one of them, have a name, have a family, and I want everyone in Nevada and in America to see these kids and see these families and know their names before they cut that budget.
So it’s shameful and immoral, I believe, that Republicans want to cut this program just to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.
[..]
And while all of you in this legislature work to expand health care access in rural communities and tackle our doctor shortage, I want to tell you that in the Senate I’m doing the same thing. I have multiple bills to help bringmore nurses, doctors, and dentists to underserved areas. […] So I’ll tell you about a couple of bills I have, I know I’m going to partner with you on some of them, and they’re all bipartisan.
The first one is called the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act. It’s going to take the long overdue step of revising the graduate medical education process to increase the likelihood of states with physician shortages – like we are – to get more medical residency slots. We don’t have enough slots to take care of the people we have. So we’re going to fight to do that.
These bills are all bipartisan. Why? Because we’re not the only state who has a physician shortage. So we find our friends across the aisle, agree where you can and fight where you must. This is what we agree on. So I have a bipartisan bill called the REDI Act. It’s going to help increase the number of doctors and dentists – we never can forget the dentists because dental care is important too – in Nevada’s underserved areas by allowing them to defer their student loan payments without interest until they complete their residencies and internships. So they can go serve some of our rural communities, it’s hard for them to get dentists and doctors out there. We know this. This is a benefit. Everybody benefits.
My bipartisan SPARC Act, which I introduced just last week, will help increase the number of medical specialists in rural communities.
And finally, my Train More Nurses Act. We’ve been lucky in the past few years, we’ve been able to fund programs in our community colleges and universities to build out our nursing training. We’re about 4,000 nurses short, like I said. But we need nurse educators to train the new nurses. So the Train More Nurses Act does just that, makes new nurse educators. It passed the Senate unanimously last Congress, and we’re going to get it through again, and that’s going to help us address Nevada’s nursing shortage because we have all the space, but if we don’t have all the teachers, you all know it’s for nothing. So we’re hoping to get that through.
So much to do there. Health care, housing. We have to complement the efforts we work on together to improve access to tackle our housing crisis by creating new legislation to help small home builders, small local home builders, access financing to build new affordable housing.
[…]
Nevadans chose each and every one of you here for a reason, and they are counting on all of us together to support each other and support success in our state. It doesn’t always mean you agree on everything – find the things you agree on and do those. People are counting on us. They sent us here to find the places we agree – do that. Don’t let it stop you.
There is a lot to fight about in Washington, but there are a lot of places for agreement too, especially right here in Carson City.
I just really want to leave you all with a call to action and something that in my eight years now in the United States Congress I’ve really been using every day, and it has shown in my work that I’m proud of. The call to action is to find places to work together to deliver for the Nevada families, for our home, for the Nevada we care about.
I’m not asking anyone to compromise your values. What I’m asking you to do is value compromise. Find the places where you can agree and do that because babies are counting on you, seniors are counting on you, the vets are counting on you. Twelve things on the to-do list; you can find six. Do them. People will applaud you for that. You can argue about the other six, but trust me, they will send you back here and be proud, and they will tell you how proud that makes them to see you do that. You don’t have to compromise your values, just value compromise where you can agree. People are counting on all of us to lead. They’re looking to us in these tough times. […]
It’s not easy. It takes energy. It takes passion. It takes commitment. It takes care. Something I know every person in this room has or you wouldn’t have fought to be here. You could all be doing something else but you chose to come here and do this.
So in Nevada, we are not just Democrats or Republicans—we are Nevadans first. In this room especially, we are Nevadans first.
So I want us to think about moving forward together – with common purpose, shared values, and that unshakable commitment to build a stronger, more prosperous, and just a better Nevada for all of us. For the Levis, for our parents and grandparents, and all the kids in the future. I’m so grateful to have you all as partners and to be here today and speak to all of you. Thank you for your work.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Israeli strikes kill at least 39 in Gaza

Source: China State Council Information Office

People gather at a shelter after an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, on April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

At least 39 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to the Gaza-based civil defense.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the civil defense, told Xinhua the Israeli attacks targeted several locations, including shelter tents, schools repurposed as refugee camps, and residential homes. Women and children were among the casualties, he said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck a command and control center in Jabalia and, over the past 48 hours, had targeted more than 110 locations across Gaza.

“Among the targets struck were terrorist cells, military compounds used by Hamas, and additional militant infrastructure,” the IDF said in a separate statement.

Gaza’s health authorities said 40 bodies and 73 wounded individuals were brought to hospitals across the enclave in the past 24 hours. The total number of Palestinians killed since Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18 has risen to 1,691, they added, bringing the overall death toll since the conflict began in October 2023 to 51,065.

Separately, a Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank died after being transferred to an Israeli hospital, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said in a joint statement.

Musab Adili, 20, from the city of Nablus, died Wednesday night at Soroka Medical Center. The cause of death was not disclosed. Adili was arrested by Israeli authorities in March and sentenced to one year and one month in prison, the statement said.

He is the 64th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israeli custody since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the statement, including at least 40 detainees from the Gaza Strip.

MIL OSI China News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: 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 12 of 17]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

JINHAE NAVAL BASE, Republic of Korea (April 10, 2025) U.S. Navy Diver 3rd Class Anthony Briggs, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, prepares to conduct a simulated salvage mission with a Republic of Korea navy diver 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: 8971780

VIRIN: 250410-N-YV347-1252

Resolution: 7998×5332

Size: 15.2 MB

Location: JINHAE, KR

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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

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 and the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit conclude SALVEX Korea 2025 [Image 1 of 3]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

JINHAE NAVAL BASE, Republic of Korea (April 11, 2025) U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nick Blankshine, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, presents a commemorative gift from Hawaii—where MDSU 1 is stationed—to Republic of Korea navy Cmdr. Young Nam Park during a joint dive and salvage exercise at Jinhae Naval Base, Republic of Korea, April 11, 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: 04.11.2025

Date Posted: 04.18.2025 01:49

Photo ID: 8981203

VIRIN: 250411-N-YV347-1043

Resolution: 6618×4412

Size: 15.25 MB

Location: JINHAE, KR

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Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 and the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit conclude SALVEX Korea 2025

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: 3d MLR Deploys NMESIS to Philippines for Exercise Balikatan 25

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

NORTHERN LUZON, Philippines — Following the announcement by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during his visit to Manila on March 28, U.S. Marines with 3d Marine Littoral Regiment deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System to the Philippines in support of Exercise Balikatan 25. This marks the inaugural deployment of the newly fielded Marine Corps weapon system to the Philippines and serves as a major milestone for the continuously developing U.S.-Philippines Alliance.

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Airmen, aircraft deploy in support of first Bomber Task Force mission to Japan

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — A Bomber Task Force deployment of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer aircraft, Airmen and support equipment from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arrived at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 15, 2025, to support Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with Allies, partners, and joint forces and strategic deterrence missions to reinforce regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murkowski and Colleagues Urge Trump to Reinstate Collective Bargaining Rights for Federal Workers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
04.17.25
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today urged President Donald Trump to reinstate federal workers’ collective bargaining rights after he issued an executive order to end collective bargaining at several federal agencies. The order strips more than 1,000,000 federal workers across the country of their collective bargaining rights.
“The presence of collective bargaining rights has created a more stable and productive workforce and has allowed the federal government to better meet the needs of our constituents,” the bipartisan group of senators wrote to the president. “Further, sudden changes to labor-management relations are disruptive to the work of the federal workforce and will result in the loss of valuable federal workers with knowledge and skills critical to completing their respective agency’s missions.”
The senators continued, “We share your goal of streamlining federal operations and enhancing government efficiency, but believe that the March 27th EO impedes, rather than advances, efforts to make the federal government more efficient. Therefore, we respectfully request that you reconsider your executive order and restore federal workers’ collective bargaining rights.”
The full text of the letter is below and available here.
Dear Mr. President:
We write regarding your March 27th Executive Order titled “Exclusions from Federal Labor Management Relations Programs.”
As you know, the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute and the Foreign Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (individually and collectively, the FSLMRS) formalized federal labor relations and provided federal workers with the power to organize labor organizations and collectively bargain with federal agencies. These statutes were created, in part, to reduce labor strife, improve agencies’ recruitment and retention efforts, and make the federal government writ large a better, more productive, and more efficient organization.
Under the FSLMRS, the President has conditional authority to exclude certain federal agencies or subdivisions from its requirements. The use of this authority has two requirements: the President must determine that “the agency or subdivision has as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work” and that “the provisions of this chapter cannot be applied to that agency or subdivision in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.”
Broadly, unions have long been able to exist in national security agencies. For example, Department of Defense civilian federal workers have had the right to collectively bargain since 1978 with success for both the department and its workers without negative impacts on national security. In many federal agencies, collective bargaining has served to strengthen and advance the mission of the agency by providing a structured channel for communication and addressing employee concerns. The presence of collective bargaining rights has created a more stable and productive workforce and has allowed the federal government to better meet the needs of our constituents. Further, sudden changes to labor management relations are disruptive to the work of the federal workforce and will result in the loss of valuable federal workers with knowledge and skills critical to completing their respective agency’s missions.
We share your goal of streamlining federal operations and enhancing government efficiency, but believe that the March 27th EO impedes, rather than advances, efforts to make the federal government more efficient. Therefore, we respectfully request that you reconsider your executive order and restore federal workers’ collective bargaining rights.
Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homes fit for heroes: Raft of news measures to improve military family housing
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Homes fit for heroes: Raft of news measures to improve military family housing

Living conditions for families in military housing will be transformed under a new Consumer Charter, as Defence Secretary John Healey promised to “stop the rot” in military housing.
Defence Secretary John Healey visits military housing

New Consumer Charter for families in military homes, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

Measures will include higher move-in standards, more reliable repairs, renovation of the worst homes, and a named housing officer for every family – all in place before the one-year anniversary of 36,000 military homes being brought back into public ownership.

Pledge comes alongside the announcement of an independent, expert team appointed to help deliver a rapid Defence Housing Strategy – with work already underway.

The Charter will be part of a new Defence Housing Strategy, to be published later this year, which will set out further plans to improve the standard of service family homes across the country.

Under the Charter, basic consumer rights, from essential property information and predictable property standards, to access to a robust complaints system, will be rapidly introduced. These will be underpinned by new, published satisfaction figures, putting forces families front and centre.

The wider Defence Housing Strategy – overseen by the Defence Secretary and the Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns – will also turbocharge the development of surplus military land, creating opportunities for Armed Forces homeownership. It will further support the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

It follows the Government’s landmark deal, completed in January, to bring back 36,000 military homes into public ownership, reversing a 1996 sale described by the Public Accounts Committee as “disastrous”, and saving the taxpayer £600,000 per day by eliminating rental payments to a private company.

The announcement follows the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to deliver “homes for heroes” and means that under this government, support will be there for veterans at risk of homelessness. This included removing local connection tests for veterans seeking social housing, meaning as of November, veterans will have access to the housing support they need.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:

Our Armed Forces serve with extraordinary dedication and courage to keep us safe. It is only right that they and their families live in the homes they deserve.

For too long, military families have endured substandard housing without the basic consumer rights that any of us should expect in our homes. That must end and our new Consumer Charter will begin to stop the rot and put families at the heart of that transformation.

We cannot turn around years of failure on forces housing overnight, but by bringing 36,000 military homes back into public ownership, we’ve already taken greater control and are working at pace to drive up standards. This is about providing homes fit for the heroes who serve our nation, and I’m determined to deliver the decent, affordable housing that our forces families have every right to expect.

The new Consumer Charter will include the following commitments:

A strengthened move-in standard so families can have confidence that the home they are moving into will be ready on time and will be clean and functional.

Improved, clearer information for families ahead of a move, including photographs and floor plans of all homes when a family applies for housing.

More reliable repairs, including an undertaking to complete urgent repairs within a set timeline consistent with Awaab’s Law, and a new online portal for service personnel to manage repairs.

Raising the minimum standard of forces family housing with a new programme of works targeted at the worst homes, with up to 1,000 refurbished as a downpayment on the broader programme of renewal to be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy.

Better and clearer communication for families, including a named housing officer for every service family who they can contact for specific housing related queries.

A new, simpler complaints process that will shorten the process to two stages in line with industry best practice, so that service personnel and families have a quicker resolution, backed up by the new Armed Forces Commissioner.

Modernising policies to allow more freedom for families to make improvements, giving them a greater sense of pride in their homes.

These improvements will be in place by the one-year anniversary of the announcement to buy back military homes last December, with final detail to be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy following consultation with military personnel and their families.

Many of the commitments in the Charter will be achieved by driving better performance – and better value for the taxpayer – from existing suppliers of maintenance and support for service family housing.

The new standards will be underpinned by new published customer satisfaction measures and enhanced accountability so families can have confidence in the improvements being made. This will sit alongside an independently conducted stock survey, as recommended by the Kerslake review of military housing which was published last year.

The Defence Housing Strategy will be driven by an independent review team whose members have been announced today, and which will be chaired by former Member of Parliament and housing expert Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, drawing on expertise from industry and forces families.

In the meantime, the Defence Secretary and the Minister for Veterans and People have instructed the MOD to immediately plan improvements for the new Consumer Charter, as part of a short-term action plan to enhance the family homes after years of neglect.

Natalie Elphicke Ross, Chair of the Defence Housing Strategy Review said:

Our pride in our armed forces must include pride in our military homes. Delivering better housing, boosting home ownership opportunities for service personnel and improving the experiences of service families will be at the heart of our work.

David Brewer, Chief Operating Officer of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said:

We are dedicated to making changes that will bring real improvements to the lives of families living in military homes and the plans set out in the new charter are an important step towards doing this.

The advisory team, announced today, brings together an exceptional group of individuals, who through their expertise and experience will help ensure our housing strategy maximises benefits, not just to families living in military homes, but to communities and industry more widely.

Antony Cotton MBE said:

Our Armed Forces community are the backbone of our society, so improving the standard of service family housing is essential if we are to continue to retain and recruit the soldiers, sailors and aviators that protect us selflessly, every day. I welcome this consumer charter as a starting point to give our military families an improved service, and homes they deserve.

Background

The members appointed to the Defence Housing Strategy review team are:

Chair, Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE, Director and Head of Housing at The Housing & Finance Institute. Previously Natalie chaired the New Homes Quality Board on standards and redress for customers of new build homes, co-chaired the Elphicke-House Report 2015 on the role of local authorities in housing supply and served as an expert adviser on the development of the national strategy for estate regeneration. A former law firm partner specialising in housing finance, Natalie’s experience includes advising central and local governments, lenders, developers and housing associations on financing, structuring and delivering homes across all tenures.

Bill Yardley, Chair of McCarthy Stone Shared Ownership Limited. Bill serves as Chair of a regulated residential development company and is a Non- Executive Director at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, in the Houses of Parliament and at the Surrey Property Group Limited. He has previously worked at board level in the public and private sectors in residential development, regulated housing, property investment, education and the NHS and has been a public member of Network Rail and chaired a charity. Bill has also served as a Crown Representative and on the Government Construction Board.

Cat Calder, Housing Specialist, Army Families Federation. Cat is a housing professional with over 13 years of experience advocating for improved living conditions for families in military accommodation. She has held key positions within the Army Families Federation and has direct experience of military housing, having previously lived in service family accommodation for a number of years.

Nigel Holland, former Divisional Chair, Taylor Wimpey and Non-Executive Director of The Riverside Group. Formerly a Divisional Chair of Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential developers. Nigel is also a Non-Executive Director of The Riverside Group, a major provider of affordable housing, care and support services in England and Scotland, with more than 75,000 homes in management. He has a wealth of experience in the homebuilding industry, leading large-scale developments in the UK and overseas.

Alex Notay, Chair and Commissioner, Radix Big Tent Housing Commission. Alexandra is an internationally recognised expert on housing, placemaking and ESG. She has 20 years’ strategic advisory and investment experience across four continents and in August 2024 took over as Chair of the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission. Until July 2024 she was Placemaking and Investment Director at Thriving Investments, the fund and asset management arm of Places for People Group, overseeing a UK-wide residential strategy.

James Hall, Housing and Land, Greater London Authority. James has over a decade’s experience in housing and development, working with the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He worked extensively on strategy, policy and communications in Westminster and Whitehall, and most recently worked at the Greater London Authority on housing policy and delivery.

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Published 18 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Iranian National Indicted for Operating Online Marketplace Offering Fentanyl, Other Drugs, and Money Laundering Services

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has charged Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the creator and operator of Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace designed to enable users to buy and sell illegal drugs and other illicit goods and criminal cyber-services, such as obtaining stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies, and computer malware.

According to the indictment, Parsarad, 36, of Tehran, Iran, launched Nemesis Market in or around March 2021. Nemesis Market operated on the dark web, a network that uses The Onion Router (TOR) to encrypt traffic and hide users’ Internet Protocol (IP) address. At its peak, Nemesis Market had over 150,000 users and more than 1,100 vendor accounts registered worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders, including more than 60,000 orders in 2022 and more than 250,000 orders in 2023. Of these, more than 55,000 orders were categorized as stimulants, which included sub-categories for methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), and other controlled substances. More than 17,000 orders were categorized as opioids, which included sub-categories for fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. All of the substances covertly purchased by the government and marketed on Nemesis as “isotonitazene,” “M30s” (purporting to be oxycodone), and “Percs” (purporting to be Percocet) were confirmed by laboratory reports to be mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance and/or acetylfentanyl, heroin, and/or protonitazene, each a Schedule I controlled substance.

“The allegations in this indictment span over four hundred thousand transactions involving fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and a wide range of contraband made accessible on the darknet for more than three years,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through cooperation with German and Lithuanian partners, the alleged administrator of this marketplace has been charged, servers and other infrastructure have been seized, and dangerous drugs and other contraband have been stopped from entering the United States. This case demonstrates the Department’s tireless commitment to protecting U.S. communities from the harms caused by fentanyl and darknet marketplaces and pursuing accountability for those who would endanger our communities no matter where they are located.”

“Anyone who tries to profit from the sale of illegal drugs – whether it’s on the streets or online – will face consequences. Whether you sell or help others sell these dangerous drugs, you will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “I want to acknowledge the excellent investigative work of our federal agency partners here in Ohio who helped us to bring the charges in this case. Together, we remain committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and our streets free from illegal narcotics.”

“This indictment, made possible by the assistance of our German and Lithuanian allies, underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Nemesis Market, through the darknet, was a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity that not only fueled the drug epidemic, but also a multitude of illegal acts with the capacity to harm our citizens and destroy our communities. The FBI stands firm in its commitment to identify and investigate unlawful individuals and dismantle their networks operating with criminal intent.”

Parsarad is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances in the Northern District of Ohio and elsewhere. In addition, Parsarad is also charged with money laundering conspiracy for both using proceeds to promote illegal drug dealing and for offering money laundering services through Nemesis Market by mixing cryptocurrencies used to pay for goods and services to obscure their origins. Nemesis users were not allowed to conduct transactions in official, government-backed currencies.

On March 20, 2024, U.S. law enforcement, in cooperation with German and Lithuanian authorities, seized Nemesis Market and stemmed the flow of these drugs into the United States and elsewhere. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Parsarad for his role as the administrator of Nemesis Market. According to OFAC, Nemesis Market facilitated the sale of nearly $30 million worth of drugs between 2021 and 2024.

If convicted, Parsarad faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life.

The FBI Cleveland Division is investigating the case with assistance from the DEA and IRS-CI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and District of Massachusetts.

This case was investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance provided by law enforcement partners in the British Virgin Islands, Germany, Lithuania, and Türkiye.

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

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — How to build a beach: Pohoiki growth over the years

Source: US Geological Survey

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Today’s article was written by University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo staff Meghann Decker and Lis Gallant, along with students Susan Richfield and Lichen Forster.

Satellite image showing changes in the Pohoiki area on the Island of Hawaiʻi. The pre-2018 coastline is shown in white, extent of the first and second phase of growth in blue (about 1 year after the end of the 2018 eruption), and the current active phase as seen in the satellite image from March 2024. Satellite image from GoogleEarth. A cross-section schematic of the beach in Second Bay, as seen in ground penetrating radar data. The orange arrow in each of the images and the cross-section represents a length of approximately 500 ft (152 meters).

Pohoiki, which means ‘little depression,’ has been an important ocean access point for people in the District of Puna. Before 2018, this area was a rocky coastline of Kīlauea lava flows emplaced 750–1,500 years ago. The boat ramp was constructed in 1963 and the breakwater in 1979, both by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

The beach at Pohoiki grew rapidly in the year following the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea and it has continued to evolve since then. The boat ramp was cut off from the ocean, and local warm springs formed in several low-lying areas.

The material that makes the beach at Pohoiki has a distinct black color and bumpy texture. It originally formed as molten lava poured into the ocean cooled and shattered into sand- to block-sized fragments. These fragments were then ground down even further by wave action and redistributed by the longshore current.

A longshore current flows parallel to the shore within the zone of breaking waves. They develop when waves approach a beach at an angle and can push sediments along the coastline. The typical longshore current on the east side of the Island of Hawai‘i transports material from the 2018 lava flows north of the beach and deposits it at Pohoiki. The first area of sediment accumulation in 2018 was around the boat ramp and breakwater.

The beach profile at Pohoiki has also experienced changes due to seasonal ocean swells. Overall, this has resulted in a bigger beach spanning further south into areas known as Second Bay and Third Bay. However, during the summer months, south swells disrupt the longshore current and move material from Third Bay to Second Bay. This results in steepening of the main beach face at Second Bay.

This seasonal reworking of sediment forms internal dune structures at Second Bay. Dune structures are landforms composed of wind- or water-driven particles that typically take the form of mounds, ridges, or hills. They can be found in coastal areas, deserts, and anywhere with large amounts of loose sediment and strong winds. Specifically, coastal dune structures form when wind and waves transport material from the beach inland, causing it to accumulate. Students from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo recently conducted a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of the beach in Second Bay to study these internal features.

GPR is a technique that uses small radar pulses to detect objects and changes beneath the ground. When these pulses are transmitted into the ground, they encounter obstacles and reflect back towards the surface, where they are captured by a receiving antenna. GPR uses low-frequency radio waves no more powerful or harmful than those picked up by household radios.

The GPR survey showed that much of the beach growth was the result of migrating dunes. The first phase was dominated by primary dune structures built from the finer grained material created when the 2018 lava flows entered the ocean. This process of beach growth—called progradation—rapidly resulted in the filling in of Second bay and the accumulation of a beach face. Progradation is the process of a shoreline, delta, or fan growing towards the ocean over time.

The second phase of beach growth is characterized by continued progradation and sediment accumulation. The dune structures from this phase display cross-bedding. Cross-beds are formed as dunes migrate from erosion and redeposition of sediment. The first phase dunes also have cross beds, but at a higher angle; this tells us that the growth of the beach during the first phase was faster and more energetic than growth during the second phase.

The currently active phase of growth at the beach is characterized by stabilization of low-angle dune formation above sea-level that is affected by tide changes.

This GPR data represents what the beach looks like at one moment in time. With dredging to restore access to Pohoiki boat ramp planned for later this year, the shape and structure of the beach will continue to evolve.

Volcano Activity Updates

Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

The summit eruption at Kīlauea volcano that began in Halemaʻumaʻu crater on December 23 continued over the past week. Episode 18 began the evening of April 16, when lava overflowed from the north vent; the continuous lava fountaining phase of episode 18 is most likely to start between today and this weekend. Since the end of episode 17, the summit region has showed inflation suggesting another episode is possible. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

One earthquake was reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.3 earthquake 9 km (5 mi) NE of Pāhala at 33 km (20 mi) depth on April 12 at 7:13 a.m. HST.

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Signs Bills into Law Supporting Military-Connected Families and Children With Disabilities; Supporting Colorado for All
Source: US State of Colorado

DENVER – Today, Governor Polis, joined by Lt. Governor Primavera, signed SB25-073– Military-Connected Children With Disabilities, sponsored by Senators Larry Liston and Janice Marchman, and Representatives Rebecca Keltie and Matthew Martinez. The bill helps ensure that military-connected children with disabilities in Colorado are guaranteed access to their existing education program upon enrollment in a Colorado school, and prior to the start of their first day.

“In Colorado, we recognize the sacrifices our military families make every day to keep our country safe, and that is why we are committed to ensuring military-connected families and their children, no matter their ability, receive the support needed to thrive. Thank you to the bill sponsors for your work on this important legislation that helps take care of our heroes and their children,” said Governor Polis.

“Colorado is proud to support military families, and this bill will help ease the burden of school transitions for military-connected children with disabilities,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “By providing clarity and continuity, we’re helping ensure these students can stay on track and feel supported from day one at a new school. We are committed to supporting our military-connected children as they help ensure their parents and guardians can focus on the mission.”

Earlier this week, Lt. Governor Primavera joined military families and children in Aurora to highlight Month of the Military Child, and celebrate Edna and John W. Mosley P-8 as a Purple Star School award recipient, recognizing the school for outstanding support for military-connected students and their families.

Governor Polis also signed in ceremony HB25-1109 – Gender Identity Certificate of Death, sponsored by Representatives Karen McCormick and Kyle Brown, and Senators Mike Weissman and Katie Wallace. The bill requires that death certificates reflect a person’s preferred gender.

“In Colorado, we are committed to building a Colorado For All where everyone can thrive, no matter who they are or how they identify. Colorado is, and will continue to be a state that protects and welcomes the LGBTQ community, and I am grateful to be signing a bill that ensures the wishes of our loved ones are respected, even in death,” said Governor Polis.

Governor Polis signed the following bills into law administratively:
- HB25-1137 – Adopt a Shelter Pet Account Community Cats, sponsored by Representatives Mandy Lindsay and Elizabeth Velasco, and Senator Faith Winter
- SB25-188 – Fiscal Year 2025-26 Legislative Appropriation Bill, sponsored by Senators James Coleman and Robert Rodriguez, and Representatives Julie McCluskie and Monica Duran
- SB25-171 – Sunset Commodity Metals Theft Task Force, sponsored by Senators Nick Hinrichsen, and Representatives Matt Soper and Chad Clifford
- SB25-060 – Repeated Phone Calls Obstruction of Government Operations, sponsored by Senators Marc Catlin and Dylan Roberts, and Representatives Chad Clifford and Ryan Armagost
- HB25-1007 – Paratransit Services, sponsored by Representatives Meg Froelich and Alex Valdez, and Senators Faith Winter and Cleave Simpson
- HB25-1179 – Auto Insurance Coverage Child Restraint System, sponsored by Representatives Yara Zokaie and Lisa Feret, and Senators Lindsey Daugherty and Iman Jodeh
- HB25-1085 – Public Hospital Boards of Trustees, sponsored by Representatives Meghan Lukens and Dusty Johnson, and Senators Dylan Roberts and Rod Pelton
- HB25-1059 – Food Waste Reduction in Public Schools, sponsored by Representatives Ron Weinberg and Lisa Feret, and Senators Janice Rich and Janice Marchman
- HB25-1205 – Implement Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plans, sponsored by Representatives Julie McCluskie and Kyle Brown, and Senators Judy Amabile and Dylan Roberts
- HB25-1203 – Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat, sponsored by Representatives Ty Winter and Karen McCormick, and Senators Rod Pelton and Kyle Mullica. Read the signing statement here.
- SB25-062 – Failure to Appear Charges in Municipal Court, sponsored by Senators Nick Hinrichsen and Mike Weissman, and Representatives Michael Carter and Lindsay Gilchrist. Read the signing statement here.
Governor Polis vetoed the following bill:

###

MIL OSI USA News –
April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Iranian National Indicted for Operating Online Marketplace Offering Fentanyl and Money Laundering Services

Source: US State of California

A federal grand jury has charged Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace for illegal drugs and criminal cyber-services, such as stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies, and computer malware.

According to the indictment, Parsarad, 36, of Tehran, launched Nemesis Market on the dark web in March 2021. At its peak, Nemesis Market had over 150,000 users and more than 1,100 vendor accounts registered worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders. Of these, more than 55,000 orders were categorized as orders for stimulants, including methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine), and other controlled substances. An additional 17,000 orders were categorized as orders for opioids, including fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. Certain substances covertly purchased by the government from Nemesis were confirmed by laboratory reports to be mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and/or acetylfentanyl, heroin, and/or protonitazene, each a Schedule I controlled substance.

“The allegations in this indictment span over four hundred thousand transactions involving fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and a wide range of contraband made accessible on the darknet for more than three years,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through cooperation with German and Lithuanian partners, the alleged administrator of this marketplace has been charged, servers and other infrastructure have been seized, and dangerous drugs and other contraband have been stopped from entering the United States. This case demonstrates the Department’s tireless commitment to protecting U.S. communities from the harms caused by fentanyl and darknet marketplaces and pursuing accountability for those who would endanger our communities no matter where they are located.”

“Anyone who tries to profit from the sale of illegal drugs – whether it’s on the streets or online – will face consequences. Whether you sell or help others sell these dangerous drugs, you will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “I want to acknowledge the excellent investigative work of our federal agency partners here in Ohio who helped us to bring the charges in this case. Together, we remain committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and our streets free from illegal narcotics.”

“This indictment, made possible by the assistance of our German and Lithuanian allies, underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Nemesis Market, through the darknet, was a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity that not only fueled the drug epidemic, but also a multitude of illegal acts with the capacity to harm our citizens and destroy our communities. The FBI stands firm in its commitment to identify and investigate unlawful individuals and dismantle their networks operating with criminal intent.”

Parsarad is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances in the Northern District of Ohio and elsewhere. In addition, Parsarad is also charged with money laundering conspiracy for both using proceeds to promote illegal drug dealing and for offering money laundering services through Nemesis Market by mixing cryptocurrencies used to pay for goods and services to obscure their origins. Nemesis users were not allowed to conduct transactions in official, government-backed currencies.

On March 20, 2024, U.S. law enforcement, in cooperation with German and Lithuanian authorities, seized Nemesis Market and blocked the flow of these drugs into the United States and elsewhere. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Parsarad for his role as the administrator of Nemesis Market. According to OFAC, Nemesis Market facilitated the sale of nearly $30 million worth of drugs between 2021 and 2024.

If convicted, Parsarad faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life.

The FBI Cleveland Division is investigating the case with assistance from the DEA and IRS-CI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust provided significant assistance.

Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and District of Massachusetts.

This case was investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance provided by law enforcement partners in the British Virgin Islands, Germany, Lithuania, and Türkiye.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) was established by Proclamation 8336 of January 6, 2009 (Establishment of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument), and then further expanded by Proclamation 9173 of September 25, 2014 (Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument Expansion). Under these monument proclamations, over 400,000 square miles in the Pacific Ocean were appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, leasing, or other disposition under the public land laws for care and management by the Federal Government.The PRIMNM was established to protect and preserve the lands and marine environment around Wake, Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands; Johnston and Palmyra Atolls; Kingman Reef; and the historic and scientific objects therein. These objects include fish, birds, marine mammals, coral, and the general biodiversity of the ecosystems encompassed by the PRIMNM.As part of the management of the PRIMNM, commercial fishing is currently prohibited within its boundaries. As explained herein, following further consideration of the nature of the objects identified in Proclamations 8336 and 9173 and the protection of those objects already provided by relevant law, I find that appropriately managed commercial fishing would not put the objects of scientific and historic interest that the PRIMNM protects at risk.With respect to fish in particular, fisheries in the region are effectively managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. Management of the PRIMNM is doing little to guard fish populations against overfishing as tunas and other pelagic species found within the boundaries of the PRIMNM are migratory in nature, and do not permanently reside within the PRIMNM.As a result of the prohibitions on commercial fishing, American fishing fleets have lost access to nearly half of the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Islands. This has driven American fishermen to fish further offshore in international waters to compete against poorly regulated and highly subsidized foreign fleets. This disadvantages honest United States commercial fishermen and is detrimental for United States territories like American Samoa, whose private sector economy is over 80 percent dependent on the fishing industry.Proclamations 8336 and 9173 do not list recreational fishing as a threat to local fish populations within the PRIMNM. A host of Federal protections exist under current laws and agency management designations to protect the area’s natural resources, vulnerable marine species, and unique habitats, such as coral and seamount ecosystems.These laws include the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Endangered Species Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712), the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), the Refuge Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 460k et seq.), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Oil Pollution Act) (33 U.S.C. 2701et seq.), and Title I of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (Ocean Dumping Act), 33 U.S.C. 1401 et seq. For example, the Endangered Species Act generally prohibits the taking of listed fish and wildlife species, and also generally ensures that Federal actions, including fisheries management, are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any such species nor adversely modify designated critical habitats. Numerous other statutes, including the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and the Ocean Dumping Act, address both land-based and ocean-based sources of pollution and help ensure that water quality conditions support the conservation values of the Pacific Remote Island ecosystems.Therefore, I find that appropriately managed commercial fishing would not put objects of scientific and historic interest within the PRIMNM at risk.After further consideration of the nature of the objects identified in Proclamations 8336 and 9173 and the protection of those objects already provided by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and other relevant laws, I find that a prohibition on commercial fishing is not, at this time, necessary for the proper care and management of the PRIMNM or the objects of historic or scientific interest therein.NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (Antiquities Act), hereby proclaim that:(a) All language under the section entitled “Management of the Marine National Monument” in Proclamation 9173 is deleted and replaced with the following:“Nothing in this proclamation shall change the management of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument as specified in Proclamation 8336. The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall have primary responsibility for management of the Monument Expansion pursuant to applicable legal authorities. The Secretary of Commerce, through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall within the Monument Expansion have primary responsibility with respect to fishery-related activities regulated pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and any other applicable legal authorities. The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior shall not allow or permit any appropriation, injury, destruction, or removal of any object of the Monument Expansion except as provided for by this proclamation as modified by the Proclamation of April 17, 2025 (Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific).Between 50 to 200 nautical miles from the landward boundaries of the Monument, the Secretary of Commerce shall not prohibit commercial fishing within the boundaries of the Monument and the Monument Expansion in those areas where the Monument and Monument Expansion is coterminous with the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States. The implementation of any regulation of commercial fishing within the Monument and the Monument Expansion shall be done in coordination with the Secretary of Defense. Only United States flagged vessels shall be allowed to commercially fish within the boundaries of the Monument and the Monument Expansion, except that permits may be issued to foreign flagged vessels to transship fish harvested by United States fishermen.The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior shall take appropriate action pursuant to their respective authorities under the Antiquities Act; the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and such other authorities as may be available to implement this proclamation, to regulate fisheries, and to ensure proper care and management of the Monument Expansion.The United States shall continue to preserve the freedom of the seas (i.e., all of the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law and enjoyed by all nations, including the conduct of military activities, exercises, and surveys in or over the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States), and to protect the training, readiness, and global mobility of the United States Armed Forces as United States national interests that are essential to the peace and prosperity of civilized nations.The Secretary of Defense shall continue to manage Wake Island and Johnston Atoll as specified in Proclamation 8336.”.(b) The Secretary of Commerce, through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall expeditiously publish new proposed rules in the Federal Register to amend or repeal all burdensome regulations that restrict commercial fishing in the PRIMNM.Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to revoke, modify, or affect any withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation, other than the one created by Proclamations 8336 and 9173.Nothing in this proclamation shall change the management of the areas designated and reserved by Proclamations 8336 and 9173, except as explicitly provided in this proclamation.If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thisseventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Iranian National Indicted for Operating Online Marketplace Offering Fentanyl and Money Laundering Services

Source: United States Department of Justice

A federal grand jury has charged Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace for illegal drugs and criminal cyber-services, such as stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies, and computer malware.

According to the indictment, Parsarad, 36, of Tehran, launched Nemesis Market on the dark web in March 2021. At its peak, Nemesis Market had over 150,000 users and more than 1,100 vendor accounts registered worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders. Of these, more than 55,000 orders were categorized as orders for stimulants, including methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine), and other controlled substances. An additional 17,000 orders were categorized as orders for opioids, including fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. Certain substances covertly purchased by the government from Nemesis were confirmed by laboratory reports to be mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and/or acetylfentanyl, heroin, and/or protonitazene, each a Schedule I controlled substance.

“The allegations in this indictment span over four hundred thousand transactions involving fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and a wide range of contraband made accessible on the darknet for more than three years,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through cooperation with German and Lithuanian partners, the alleged administrator of this marketplace has been charged, servers and other infrastructure have been seized, and dangerous drugs and other contraband have been stopped from entering the United States. This case demonstrates the Department’s tireless commitment to protecting U.S. communities from the harms caused by fentanyl and darknet marketplaces and pursuing accountability for those who would endanger our communities no matter where they are located.”

“Anyone who tries to profit from the sale of illegal drugs – whether it’s on the streets or online – will face consequences. Whether you sell or help others sell these dangerous drugs, you will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “I want to acknowledge the excellent investigative work of our federal agency partners here in Ohio who helped us to bring the charges in this case. Together, we remain committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and our streets free from illegal narcotics.”

“This indictment, made possible by the assistance of our German and Lithuanian allies, underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Nemesis Market, through the darknet, was a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity that not only fueled the drug epidemic, but also a multitude of illegal acts with the capacity to harm our citizens and destroy our communities. The FBI stands firm in its commitment to identify and investigate unlawful individuals and dismantle their networks operating with criminal intent.”

Parsarad is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances in the Northern District of Ohio and elsewhere. In addition, Parsarad is also charged with money laundering conspiracy for both using proceeds to promote illegal drug dealing and for offering money laundering services through Nemesis Market by mixing cryptocurrencies used to pay for goods and services to obscure their origins. Nemesis users were not allowed to conduct transactions in official, government-backed currencies.

On March 20, 2024, U.S. law enforcement, in cooperation with German and Lithuanian authorities, seized Nemesis Market and blocked the flow of these drugs into the United States and elsewhere. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Parsarad for his role as the administrator of Nemesis Market. According to OFAC, Nemesis Market facilitated the sale of nearly $30 million worth of drugs between 2021 and 2024.

If convicted, Parsarad faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life.

The FBI Cleveland Division is investigating the case with assistance from the DEA and IRS-CI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust provided significant assistance.

Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and District of Massachusetts.

This case was investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance provided by law enforcement partners in the British Virgin Islands, Germany, Lithuania, and Türkiye.

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

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The region is developing steadily – Yuri Trutnev on the rate of socio-economic growth of the Magadan Region

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the issue of socio-economic development of the Magadan Region

April 17, 2025

Awarding of the public and business prize “Star of the Far East”

April 17, 2025

Yuri Trutnev inspected the recreational complex on Zavyalova Island

April 17, 2025

Yuri Trutnev inspected the recreational complex on Zavyalova Island

April 17, 2025

Yuri Trutnev at the Military Training Center at SVGU

April 17, 2025

Previous news Next news

Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the issue of socio-economic development of the Magadan Region

Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the issue of socio-economic development of the Magadan Region.

“The region is developing steadily. Investments in fixed assets have grown by 3%. This is not the best indicator in the Far East, but there is positive dynamics. The industrial production index has grown by 5.9%, which is already quite a high indicator. Magadan Region confidently ranks second in the Far East in terms of wages. The growth rate of average monthly wages in 2024 was 114.8% compared to 2023. Consolidated budget revenues in 2024 increased by 30%. This is also a good result, which allows us to do a lot of useful things,” Yuri Trutnev opened the meeting.

The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that the Russian Government continues to work to create conditions for comfortable living for people in the region. “A number of social facilities have been built and reconstructed in the region as part of the presidential unified subsidy. Thanks to the Far Eastern Mortgage program, 2,460 families have improved their housing conditions. More than 2,600 people in the region have received a Far Eastern hectare. On the instructions of the President of Russia, the master plan for the urban district of Magadan is being implemented. The plan provides for infrastructure measures totaling 159 billion rubles. The Government is working to ensure that master plans are financed on time and in full,” he said.

Magadan Region Governor Sergey Nosov reported on the dynamics of the region’s socio-economic development. The region’s income grew by 143.6%. It was due to the price situation on the precious metals market and the growth of gold production. A record of 54 tons of gold production was achieved. The second stage of the plant at the Pavlik deposit reached its design capacity. As a result of the introduction of the flotation shop by Polyus, the metal recovery rate at the Natalkinskoye deposit was increased. Large investors in the field of mineral extraction are entering the region.

Energy development issues were discussed. 30 investment projects with a total maximum capacity of energy receiving devices of 490.85 MW are planned for technological connection from 2025.

Issues of support for the fishing industry were considered. In particular, in order to restore coastal fisheries, as part of the implementation of the instructions of the Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the restoration of the Magadan sea fishing port continues through the implementation of the project “Magadan Sea Logistics Center”.

The agenda included issues of improving the quality of tourist services. This year, the opening of the first stage of the tourist center on Zavyalova Island is expected. The boutique hotel “Territory” has been built. The balneological resort “Talaya” is getting ready to open. The construction of a four-star hotel has begun. The construction of a sea tourist center continues.

Yuri Trutnev drew the attention of those present to the introduction of new measures to support investors. The State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill on the creation of a priority development area in the region. “We hope that the result of creating a priority development area will be the development of shipbuilding and ship repair, logistics, tourism, and servicing of mining equipment,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

On the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the implementation of the Magadan master plan continues. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us to implement the master plans approved by the Russian President. The amounts of funds that are planned to be invested in the construction of new social infrastructure, engineering infrastructure, have never been invested in the Far East. These are really very large amounts of funds. We must ensure thorough implementation of the plans. Ensure that all the money comes to the right place, that all the projects are completed,” emphasized Yuri Trutnev.

The implementation of the Magadan master plan began in 2019. Within the framework of the master plan, 24 objects were commissioned. The most significant of them was the FOK “Presidential”. Since 2023, the master plan has been implemented within the framework of the long-term comprehensive development plan approved by the order of the Government of Russia. During this time, five objects have been commissioned. The largest of them is the airport terminal complex of Magadan airport, it began operating in December 2024. At the end of the year, a building of the polytechnic college, which had stood unfinished in the city center for more than 30 years, was also opened. An engineering school was commissioned. The Okhotsky Briz boarding house for the elderly and disabled began operating. A cultural development center was opened. A building of the martial arts school was erected with extra-budgetary funds. The improvement of the left bank of the Dukcha River has been completed, a children’s playground is being equipped in the Dukcha Park. This year, the fourth stage of Mayak Park is planned to be commissioned – a cultural and social center and a fountain.

In 2025, four facilities are planned to be commissioned within the framework of the infrastructure menu, three of which are being built using the Far Eastern concession mechanism, including a multidisciplinary rehabilitation center for 50 people. According to the head of the region, Sergei Nosov, the work will continue in all sectors. “There can be no trifles here. The tasks have been set. The result of this meeting were very specific instructions on the issues that were voiced by people directly working on this land. The solution of the tasks set will allow us to improve the work, indicators, including revenues to the regional budget,” he noted.

“There is a lot of work. Some of the issues are related to the work of federal ministries. We just need to solve the problems together with the region. I can only say one thing. We have no right to work carelessly. I would like to emphasize that the region is working purposefully, honestly and trying to achieve results,” Yuri Trutnev summed up the meeting.

On the same day, the Deputy Prime Minister familiarized himself with the implementation of investment projects and visited a number of sites. In particular, he arrived at the military training center at SVGU, where he familiarized himself with the presentation of UAVs manufactured within the framework of the Patriotic priority development area, inspected the construction of a marine tourist center in Nagaev Bay, inspected a recreational complex on Zavyalova Island, visited a shooting sports site under construction in the Staraya Vesyolaya microdistrict, and talked with the management of the Rynda cultural and exhibition center, an independent art venue created to develop the artistic environment of the city and the region.

Yuri Trutnev also met with Natalia Sivakova, who became the winner of the “Everything for Victory” nomination of the seventh public and business award “Star of the Far East”. The award was given to the project of the school of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the OGUP “Aviation of Kolyma”, within the framework of which not only military personnel are trained, but also drones are assembled.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 18, 2025

MIL-OSI: WISeKey Releases 2024 Audited Financial Results and Outlines its 2025 Vision for Post Quantum Technology Convergence

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WISeKey Releases 2024 Audited Financial Results and Outlines its 2025 Vision for Post Quantum Technology Convergence

Schedules Conference Call and Webcast for Tuesday, April 22 at 10:00 am ET (4:00 pm CET)

Geneva, Switzerland – April 17, 2025 – Ad-Hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 of SIX Listing Rules – WISeKey International Holding Ltd (NASDAQ: WKEY / SIX: WIHN) (“WISeKey” or “the Company”), a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT technologies, today announced its audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024, and shared its strategic vision for 2025, a year expected to be defined by the convergence of foundational technologies and the emergence of Sovereign AI.

Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey, commented: “2024 has been a pivotal year for WISeKey. We ended the year with a very strong balance sheet, strategic technological milestones, and a clear roadmap to take advantage of new opportunities ahead. From launching 17 secure satellites in partnership with SpaceX and further advancing negotiations on our semiconductor personalization center strategy, to scaling our blockchain platforms and developing post-quantum chips, we have created a solid foundation across every layer of digital trust infrastructure.

We started 2025 on a very strong note and have now entered what I define as the ‘Year of WISeKey Convergence.’ This is more than a strategy, it is a paradigm shift. We are bringing together four foundational pillars: semiconductors, satellites, blockchain, and digital identity, into unified and interoperable ecosystems. This convergence allows us to offer end-to-end solutions where each component reinforces the other, enabling exponential innovation and resilience.

For instance, our post-quantum secure chips, developed by our semiconductor subsidiary SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), are now being embedded into WISeSat satellites to create a secure foundation for a decentralized IoT infrastructure. Blockchain and identity platforms like SEALCOIN and WISeID are being deployed to power autonomous, tamper-proof transactions between machines, satellites, and users. Combining this with our partnership with the Hedera distributed ledger, brings transparency and immutability to these transactions. Additionally, our work with the Swiss Army is proceeding with the testing of a secure smartphone and secure communications with our WISeSat Satellites.

This convergence approach positions WISeKey at the intersection of some of the most critical transformations of our time, such as quantum-resilient security, space-based connectivity, and the decentralized economy. We are not just adapting to the digital future, we are building it. For WISeKey, 2025 is expected to be a year of execution and scale, where our integrated business units aim to deliver tangible impact.”

FY 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

$90.6 million cash balance (as of December 31, 2024) alongside a much cleaner balance sheet.
$11.9 million FY 2024 revenue, down from $30.1 million in FY 2023, reflects an expected decrease as a result of a transitional year with semiconductors customers gradually shifting to our next-generation quantum-resistant solutions and delayed building inventory until the release alongside the impact of the excess inventory accumulation by customers in 2023.
$7.0 million investments in R&D for the development of new projects and technologies, including SEALSQ’s post-quantum chip, SEALCOIN, and our WISeSat next generation satellites.
First engineering samples of our new quantum resistant secure microcontroller delivered in Q4 2024, in line with our semiconductors’ R&D plan initiated in 2022. We are on target to make our QVault-TPM, the next generation of secure microcontrollers built by SEALSQ on our new Secure RISC-V CPU, available on the market in Q4 2025.
Signed a landmark agreement with the Swiss Army to co-develop advanced cybersecurity and space-based capabilities. The first new generation WISeSat satellite under this initiative was launched in January 2025.
$115 million pipeline of secured and pending business opportunities over the period from 2026 to 2028 as of April 15, 2025.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025

Strong Financial Foundation to Support Strategic Growth

WISeKey’s 2024 year-end solid cash position in excess of $90 million (predominantly secured via the over $80 million capital raised during 2024 by SEALSQ), alongside the availability of any additional financing should it be required, and its much cleaner balance sheet, place the Company in a very strong position to invest in high-growth areas such as post-quantum cybersecurity, next-generation semiconductors, satellite infrastructure, and blockchain-based ecosystems.

Despite certain sector-wide headwinds, the Company’s overall outlook remains robust with a pipeline of secured and pending business opportunities exceeding $115 million for the period from 2026 to 2028, supported by growing public sector and defense partnerships.

WISeKey anticipates strong growth in 2025, propelled by SEALSQ’s quantum-resistant technology developments and expanding IoT security demand. This growth is expected to be driven by the integration of chip revenue from new sources, an expansion in chip personalization services, additional revenue generated by WISeSat, and the consolidated revenue from our planned investments.

In our semiconductors vertical, SEALSQ has been the main revenue contributor in 2024 and in prior years. We anticipate that our new Quantum-Resistant chips will be available on the market in Q4 2025. WISeKey foresees generating substantial returns from the full-scale commercial deployment of this quantum resistant chip starting in 2026.

WISeKey has therefore taken several initiatives to develop new revenue streams and strengthen net results.

These initiatives include:

Quantix Edges: Semiconductor Personalization & Design Center in Spain

WISeKey and SEALSQ jointly, together with OdinS and TProtege, two Spanish companies with extensive experience in R&D&I (Research & Development & Innovation) worldwide and in the design and manufacturing of IoT devices and solutions, plan to establish in the Region of Murcia a “Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity and Microchips” under the financial umbrella of the Microelectronics and Semiconductors Plan (PERTE CHIP) initiated by Spain. The project called Quantix Edges is in the final stages of the approval process by SETT, the Spanish government’s entity responsible for funding under the PERTE budgets.

Consolidated revenue from acquisition opportunities

The potential IC’ALPS acquisition, if completed, would bolster SEALSQ’s Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) development, and further strengthen WISeKey’s portfolio of products.

WISeSat’s new generation satellites

Six more launches are planned during 2025 and 2026, with the next one currently scheduled for June 2025.

SEALCOIN’s TIoT commercial launch

Following on from the successful Proof of Concept carried out in Q1 2025, SEALCOIN is working to identify partners to perform other PoCs and further demonstrate its readiness for industrialization of its TIoT solution.

Quantum as a Service

In 2025, WISeKey advanced its commitment to quantum computing by investing in ColibriTD, a pioneering quantum technology company, aiming to integrate ColibriTD’s Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) platform into its Quantum Roadmap.

Scaled Up Global Footprint

WISeKey continues to strategically expand its global presence, secure key partnerships with renowned distributors and sales representatives in crucial markets. These alliances have strengthened WISeKey’s market position while fueling growth by leveraging each partner’s expertise and established networks.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS BY SUBSIDIARY

SEALSQ: Leadership in IoT and Post-Quantum Cryptography Era

SEALSQ advanced the Company’s mission to secure the connected world by focusing on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and IoT security. Through its QUASAR platform, SEALSQ developed quantum-resistant technologies to protect data against future quantum threats, aligning with global standards like those from NIST. SEALSQ’s future strategy is built around four key priorities:

1. Commercial Launch of Post-Quantum Chips

Commercial launch of two new post-quantum semiconductors, targeting IoT, PC, Tablets, and various industrial applications including medical, military and automotive sectors.
Expansion of chip fabrication partnerships to increase output for enterprise and government security solutions.
SEALSQ has set an ambitious five-year target to capture 20% of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) market, a goal supported by strong market engagement. By the end of 2024, SEALSQ had secured over 60 qualified leads and one Design-IN for its TPM products, which are slated for commercial launch in 2025.
Developing Quantum resistant ASIC (custom design secure chips) for specific large client needs.

2. Executing Targeted Acquisitions, Investments and Joint Ventures

Advanced and exclusive negotiations to acquire 100% of IC’ALPS; expected to be finalized in 2025.
As part of its global expansion strategy, SEALSQ is in final stage negotiations with Spanish authorities to establish an Outsourced Semiconductor Personalization and Test Center (OSPTC) in Spain. SEALSQ is exploring the development of similar OSPTCs in India, the United States, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
Planned continuing investment in startups engaged in quantum computing and AI initiatives as part of the SEALQUANTUM Initiative.

3. R&D and Strategic Investments in Post-Quantum Security

SEALSQ is investing in the final development, qualification, certification (Common Criteria EAL5+ and FIPS 140-3 Level 3) process and the Industrialization (Wafer Test, Final Test, Packaging, Key Injection) of its Quantum-Resistant TPM 2.0 chip with a commercial launch target date set for Q4 2025. We are in discussions with over 60 interested potential customers, including major electronics manufacturers.
Scaling the first TPM PQC chip in broader ASIC offer for addressing the Medical, Defense, and IoT market segments.
First deployment of SEALSQ’s Quantum Resistant IoT chips on the WISeSat picosatellite constellation, enhancing secure connectivity in remote regions.

4. Expanding Trust Services

Scaling managed PKI solutions for Matter IoT and enterprise security.
Expanding SSL/TLS and GSMA certificate offerings to reinforce global digital trust ecosystems.
Pushing adoption of INeS PKI Post quantum Cryptography latest features.

WISeSat: Expanding Secure Space Capabilities

WISeKey advanced its WISeSat.Space project, deploying low-earth-orbit picosatellites to provide secure IoT connectivity for remote applications. The Company continued to invest in this innovative satellite network, aiming to enhance global coverage for IoT ecosystems. With further deployments planned for 2025, WISeSat.Space is poised to address growing market demand for secure, satellite-based communication solutions, supporting critical infrastructure and underserved regions.

Strategic Partnership with Swiss Armed Forces in the Space Sector
In 2024, the WISeSat.Space division not only reinforced its strategic partnership with the Swiss Armed Forces in the space sector through the initiation of new projects, but it also formalized agreements with RUAG, the strategic integrator for the Swiss Armed Forces, for a national defence project focused on device-to-device communications.

European Low Earth Orbit Satellite Constellation
To date, WISeSat.Space has launched 17 mini-satellites with Space X into orbit through a strategic investment and partnership with FOSSA Systems, aimed at expanding its portfolio of space technology assets. Over the next 36 months, WISeSat.Space plans to deploy 88 next-generation satellites, following the January 2025 launch from California, which should significantly enhance global IoT connectivity and environmental monitoring capabilities, supporting applications such as climate change analysis, disaster response, and precision agriculture.

Pioneering Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Transactions from Space
In 2024, we took steps to launch a groundbreaking mission that harnesses WISeKey’s advanced security solutions in conjunction with the Hedera network to pioneer the exchange of SEALCOIN from space. Successfully tested in Q1 2025, this initiative marked the first-ever demonstration of secure digital cryptocurrency transactions conducted from orbit and established a proof-of-concept redefining boundaries of blockchain integration, a new era of space-based digital economies. Through this innovative endeavour, we reaffirmed our commitment to leading the development of digital currencies in an expanding technological landscape.

Blockchain Ecosystem: SEALCOIN and WISe.ART

SEALCOIN, WISeKey’s transactional IoT platform, made significant progress toward deploying decentralized digital identity solutions, leveraging blockchain to enable secure Web 3.0 transactions using our WISelD platform to incorporate Distributed Identity capabilities. With a development timeline set for key milestones in 2025, SEALCOIN aims to deliver scalable solutions for secure, trust-based interactions across digital networks, enhancing user control over identity and data.

WISe.ART advanced its blockchain-based ecosystem for digital art and NFTs, integrating Web 3.0 technologies to ensure secure authentication and tokenization, capitalizing on the digital collectibles market. The WISe.ART platform has been developed to serve galleries, museums, and collectors, backed by WISeKey’s root-of-trust and blockchain compatible certificates of authenticity.

WISeID: Empowering Private Digital Identity

WISeID, WISeKey’s flagship digital identity platform, introduced biometric authentication, self-sovereign identity (SSI), and post-quantum cryptographic protocols, making it one of the world’s most secure digital identity systems.

Complementing this, during 2024 WISeKey announced the ongoing development and planned launch of the SEALPhone, an ultra-secure smartphone designed with a privacy-by-design architecture. Currently in testing mode with several strategic clients, SEALPhone integrates WISeID and SEALCOIN, enabling secure communication, identity protection, and digital asset storage on a single hardware platform.

FILING OF 2024 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 20-F

WISeKey filed its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in the Form 20-F for the full year period ended December 31, 2024, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 17, 2025. The Form 20-F can be accessed by visiting the Company’s website at www.wisekey.com.
In addition, the Company’s stockholders may receive a hard copy of the Form 20-F, which includes complete audited financial statements, free of charge by contacting its Investor Relations Representative at lcati@equityny.com or +1 212 836-9611.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will host a conference call to review its results on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 10:00 am ET (4:00 pm CET). To join, please use the following dial-in numbers:

Toll-Free Dial-In Number: 877-445-9755
International Dial-In Number: 201-493-6744

The webcast of the call can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of WISeKey’s website at www.wisekey.com. An archived version of the call will also be made available.

ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL & OPERATIONAL DATA

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss) [as reported]

	12 months ended December 31,
USD’000, except earnings per share	2024		2023	2022

Net sales	11,875		30,918	23,814
Cost of sales	(7,104)		(15,754)	(13,588)
Depreciation of production assets	(478)		(420)	(132)
Gross profit	4,293		14,744	10,094

Other operating income	184		167	2,073
Research & development expenses	(7,026)		(4,398)	(3,862)
Selling & marketing expenses	(8,550)		(6,523)	(7,275)
General & administrative expenses	(16,324)		(17,290)	(11,466)
Total operating expenses	(31,716)		(28,044)	(20,530)
Operating loss	(27,423)		(13,300)	(10,436)

Non-operating income	1,629		2,374	3,937
Debt conversion expense	(32)		(562)	(827)
Interest and amortization of debt discount	(1,013)		(624)	(168)
Non-operating expenses	(2,018)		(3,107)	(5,551)
Loss before income tax expense	(28,857)		(15,219)	(13,045)

Income tax income / (expense)	(3,086)		(230)	3,238
Loss from continuing operations, net	(31,943)		(15,449)	(9,807)

Discontinued operations:
Net sales from discontinued operations	–		–	1,805
Cost of sales from discontinued operations	–		–	(978)
Total operating and non-operating expenses from discontinued operations	–		–	(5,274)
Income tax recovery from discontinued operations	–		–	25
Loss on disposal of a business, net of tax on disposal	–		–	(15,026)
Income / (loss) on discontinued operations	–		–	(19,448)

Net loss	(31,943)		(15,449)	(29,255)

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(18,497)		(89)	(1,780)
Net loss attributable to WISeKey International Holding Ltd	(13,446)		(15,360)	(27,475)

Earnings per Class A Share (USD)
Earnings per Class A Share from continuing operations
Basic		(0.92)	(0.50)	(0.44)
Diluted		(0.92)	(0.50)	(0.44)
Earnings per Class A Share from discontinued operations
Basic		–	–	(0.87)
Diluted		–	–	(0.87)

Earning per Class A Share attributable to WISeKey International Holding Ltd
Basic		(0.39)	(0.51)	(1.22)
Diluted		(0.39)	(0.51)	(1.22)

Earnings per Class B Share (USD)
Earnings per Class B Share from continuing operations
Basic	(9.17)	(5.01)	(4.36)
Diluted	(9.17)	(5.01)	(4.36)
Earnings per Class B Share from discontinued operations
Basic	–	–	(8.65)
Diluted	–	–	(8.65)

Earning per Class B Share attributable to WISeKey International Holding Ltd
Basic	(3.86)	(5.06)	(12.22)
Diluted	(3.86)	(5.06)	(12.22)

Other comprehensive income / (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	287	(842)	(1,434)
Reclassifications out of the OCI arising during period	–	–	1,156
Defined benefit pension plans:
Net gain (loss) arising during period	(1,206)	(1,151)	2,934
Other comprehensive income / (loss)	(919)	(1,993)	2,656
Comprehensive income / (loss)	(32,862)	(17,442)	(26,599)

Other comprehensive income / (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(28)	(99)	(964)
Other comprehensive income / (loss) attributable to WISeKey International Holding Ltd	(891)	(1,894)	3,620

Comprehensive income / (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(18,525)	(188)	(2,744)
Comprehensive income / (loss) attributable to WISeKey International Holding Ltd	(14,337)	(17,254)	(23,855)

The notes are an integral part of our consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Balance Sheets [as reported]

	As at December 31,	As at December 31,
USD’000	2024	2023

ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	90,600	15,311
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses	4,285	5,471
Notes receivable, current	13	63
Inventories	1,418	5,230
Prepaid expenses	1,364	1,290
Government assistance	2,247	1,718
Other current assets	573	1,008
Total current assets	100,500	30,091

Noncurrent assets
Notes receivable, noncurrent	32	–
Deferred income tax assets	–	3,077
Deferred tax credits	250	15
Property, plant and equipment net of accumulated depreciation	3,275	3,392
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	96	96
Operating lease right-of-use assets	1,502	2,052
Goodwill	8,317	8,317
Equity securities, at cost	455	486
Other noncurrent assets	261	275
Total noncurrent assets	14,188	17,710
TOTAL ASSETS	114,688	47,801

LIABILITIES
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable	13,496	12,863
Notes payable	5,900	4,085
Indebtedness to related parties, current	78	79
Convertible note payable, current	9	190
Deferred revenue, current	93	217
Current portion of obligations under operating lease liabilities	607	638
Income tax payable	2	4
Other current liabilities	1,135	832
Total current liabilities	21,320	18,908

Noncurrent liabilities
Bonds, mortgages and other long-term debt	102	1,820
Convertible note payable, noncurrent	–	1,519
Deferred revenue, noncurrent	21	24
Indebtedness to related parties, noncurrent	1,387	–
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent	853	1,443
Employee benefit plan obligation	3,877	3,001
Other noncurrent liabilities	4	2
Total noncurrent liabilities	6,244	7,809
TOTAL LIABILITIES	27,564	26,717

Commitments and contingent liabilities

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common stock – Class A	16	400
Par value – CHF 0.01 and CHF 0.25
Authorized – 2,000,880 and 2,000,880 shares
Issued and outstanding – 1,600,880 and 1,600,880 shares
Common stock – Class B	359	8,170
Par value – CHF 0.10 and CHF 2.50
Authorized – 6,194,267 and 6,194,267
Issued – 3,365,560 and 3,076,150
Outstanding – 3,309,052 and 2,954,097
Share subscription in progress	1	–
Treasury stock, at cost (56,508 and 122,053 shares held)	(502)	(691)
Additional paid-in capital	316,431	289,448
Accumulated other comprehensive income / (loss)	3,150	4,041
Accumulated deficit	(294,407)	(280,961)
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to WISeKey shareholders	25,048	20,407
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	62,076	677
Total shareholders’ equity	87,124	21,084
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	114,688	47,801

The notes are an integral part of our consolidated financial statements.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, after evaluating the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the 2024 annual report, identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting relating to an ineffective review control that was identified by the auditor. As a result, an adjustment was made to the additional paid-in capital and noncontrolling interest in the equity accounts by the Company prior to the issuance of the financial statements ended December 31, 2024, which did not impact upon the total equity. See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

About WISeKey
WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.

Disclaimer

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would” or similar words. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include WISeKey’s ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including a limited number of significant customers; market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; the growth of the post-quantum cryptography market; the adoption by developers and customers of quantum computing; the successful launch our post-quantum chips; our ability to sell post-quantum cryptography products to consumers; our ability to develop NIST-approved algorithms for our post-quantum semiconductor technologies; our ability to expand our chip personalization services; our ability to derive consolidated revenue from our planned investments; growth in our cybersecurity certificate and managed PKI services and acquisitions; our ability to expand our Semiconductor personalization and design facilities and semiconductor production; our ability to grow our U.S., Middle East and Asia-Pacific market presence; our ability to expand our Trust services; our development and tokenization of WISe.ART; our expansion of the WISeSat.Space project and the deployment of our next generation satellites; our proposed expansion into EMEA, North America and Asia; the deployment and commercialization of SEALCOIN and TIoT; the ongoing development and adopted of WISeID; and the risks discussed in WISeKey’s filings with the SEC. Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by WISeKey with the SEC.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

Press and Investor Contacts

WISeKey International Holding Ltd
Company Contact: Carlos Moreira
Chairman & CEO
Tel: +41 22 594 3000
info@wisekey.com

WISeKey Investor Relations (US)
The Equity Group Inc.
Lena Cati
Tel: +1 212 836-9611
lcati@equityny.com

The MIL Network –

April 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Warren County Man Charged for Possession Of Videos and Images of Child Sexual Abuse

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

TRENTON, N.J. – A Warren County man was charged with possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Marc Panchenko, 53, of Washington Township, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count complaint with possession of child pornography. He had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court and was ordered detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Following Panchenko’s release from federal custody in November 2023 for a prior offense, Panchenko was placed on supervised release and a monitoring software was installed on his cellular telephone to detect any images of child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”). On or about March 3, 2025, the software alerted the authorities to the existence of CSAM on Panchenko’s phone. A further examination of the contents of the phone revealed the presence of over 600 videos of varying length and over 12,000 digital photos, an ongoing review of which has revealed numerous images of CSAM, including images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct as further outlined in the complaint.

The charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, but due to his prior conviction on a similar charge, Panchenko is also facing a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. He is also facing a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force—Newark Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Washington Township Police Department, Warren County, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher M. Jones, and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jessica Cardone, with the investigation leading to the charge.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the Criminal Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

###

Defense counsel: Candace Hom, Esq.

MIL Security OSI –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Time for a Refill

Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

—————
F/A-18 Hornet @marines pilots participate in an aerial refuel exercise as part of a seven-week Weapons and Tactics Instructor course off the coast of Calif.
#dyk The first successful aerial refueling took place with two DH-4B aircrafts on June 27, 1923.

For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
—————
Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!

Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
Follow the DoD on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeptofDefense
Follow the DoD on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DeptofDefense
Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4tmbMR8GTw

MIL OSI Video –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Army Wickr: secure communications for mission success

Source: United States Army

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Army Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Enterprise Cloud Management Agency announced that Army Enterprise Wickr is now available to a wider audience, and that ECMA is now broadly accepting new user requests and is prioritizing requirements and mission needs.

The Army faces a critical juncture in its tactical messaging and collaboration capabilities. End users need an easy-to-use, lightweight and secure platform for seamless communications to support joint, multinational and interagency interoperability during exercises and operations. Without these capabilities, users often choose unauthorized consumer applications for operational communications – applications that present substantial security and compliance risks and are often in volitation of Army and DoD policy.

Army Wickr is an accredited, FedRAMP high, DoD IL5-authorized, cloud-native messaging and collaboration solution. It is managed and governed by ECMA in the cArmy landing zone and has been used in various pilot programs service-wide. Army Wickr retains operational security during planned exercises and emerging operations, and delivers end-to-end encryption for file sharing, video, chat, text and voice communications. The application provides enterprise-level data retention and administrative controls needed to meet recordkeeping requirements, manages user and device data remotely, and includes federation capabilities between networks.

The platform also seamlessly integrates with the Android Tactical Assault Kit, a geospatial infrastructure and situational awareness application that provides a real-time common operating picture of people and assets within a map-based view.

A key core capability inherent to the Army Wickr capability has been Wickr bot integrations. Wickr Bots are containerized code that provide agentic workflows to support customized activities. Currently, Army Wickr has deployed on-demand translation, data retention and broadcast bots to support various use cases. On the roadmap, ECMA is looking to integrate Army Wickr with enterprise cross-domain solution and cross-platform chat for interoperability with Army Vantage, Army Intelligence Data Platform, and MSS, and deployment of a custom bot for chat with generative artificial intelligence/ large language models.

Army Wickr has been effective in supporting interagency collaborations, multinational exercises and warfighting efforts, including Hurricane Helene, U.S. southern border support operations, and Dark Horizon in Japan.

ECMA continues to onboard new user requests on a rolling basis, contingent on mission priority. Organizations interested in implementing Army Wickr into their communications PACE plan can start onboarding users by sending a list of names and emails to usarmy.ecma.mbx.wickr-ops@army.mil.

Learn more about ECMA here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: South Sudan on the brink as peace deal falters, UN warns

Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

By Vibhu Mishra

South Sudan stands at a dangerous crossroads as rising political tensions threaten to derail a fragile peace deal, amid growing fears of renewed conflict in the world’s youngest nation, already buckling under a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for South Sudan, warned that a political standoff between President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar – the two principal signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement – has now degenerated into direct military confrontation.

Volatility is mounting amid reports of renewed mobilisation by the White Army militia and South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Upper Nile state, the alleged recruitment of children, and the deployment of Ugandan forces at the government’s request.

Misinformation, disinformation and hate speech are fuelling political and ethnic tensions.

“This situation is darkly reminiscent of the conflicts of 2013 and 2016, which cost over 400,000 lives,” Mr. Haysom said, briefing ambassadors in the Security Council.

“The overriding imperative now is to urgently avert a relapse into full-scale conflict, refocus efforts on accelerating the implementation of the Agreement, and advance the transition towards South Sudan’s first democratic elections.”

Spillover of war in Sudan

Mr. Haysom underscored the urgent need for collective effort by national and international stakeholders to secure a cessation of hostilities, preserve the Revitalized Peace Agreement and ensure an end to the continuous cycles of incomplete transitions.

The parties must resolve tensions through dialogue, build trust and confidence, refocus on the peace agreement and consensus-based decision making, and strongly commit not to return to war, he said.

“We need look no further than across the northern border to Sudan for a stark reminder of how quickly a country can descend into catastrophic conflict. This region cannot afford another crisis that could further destabilise an already fragile landscape,” he stressed.

UN pushes for dialogue

Mr. Haysom, who also heads the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), highlighted its diplomatic efforts alongside the African Union, the regional bloc IGAD, Pope Francis and others to urge restraint and restore dialogue.

He urged the Security Council to support steps to ease tensions, especially in the Nasir region of Upper Nile state; respect for the ceasefire; the release of detained officials; and encourage South Sudan’s leaders to put the interests of the people first.

UNMISS also remains engaged in supporting civic and political space, and rule of law, while also focusing on protection of civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance and monitoring human rights. However, it faces limitations – especially in the face of a broader conflict – such as access denials and operating constraints.

“UNMISS is a peacekeeping mission – not an army – and cannot be everywhere, all at once,” Mr. Haysom said.

Humanitarian fallout worsening

The political and security situation is unfolding against a backdrop of what the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called a “humanitarian nightmare in the making”.

Also briefing ambassadors, Edem Wosornu, OCHA Director of Operations, warned that conditions have dramatically deteriorated over the past eight months.Across South Sudan, over 9.3 million people – three-quarters of the population – require humanitarian assistance, about half of them are children

Since February, insecurity in Upper Nile has displaced 130,000 people, including thousands into Ethiopia as refugees. Hospitals have also been forced to shut down due to attacks and destruction, while nearly 7.7 million people are facing acute food insecurity.

The crisis is feared to worsen as the rainy season begins. Last year, severe flooding affected about 1.4 million people, displaced communities and disrupted food production, fuelling localised violence.

Break the cycle of violence

Despite ongoing relief efforts, both UN officials underscored that humanitarian aid cannot substitute for political will.

What is needed, they stressed, is urgent, sustained, and coordinated action – from national leaders, regional guarantors and the international community – to prevent the situation from spiralling.

“Another war is a risk South Sudan simply cannot afford, nor can the wider region,” Mr. Haysom said.

“The Revitalized Peace Agreement remains the only viable framework to break this cycle of violence in South Sudan.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: House Democrats Seek Immediate Termination of DOGE’s Unauthorized Use of AI Systems, Call Out Security Risks and Potential Criminal Liability
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Mike Levin (D-CA), and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) were joined by 45 additional Members of Congress including Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to call for the immediate termination of the “Department of Government Efficiency’s” (DOGE) use of unauthorized AI systems, emphasizing the significant security risks posed and potential criminal liability involved. The lawmakers also expressed deep concerns with lack of oversight over AI usage, sharing of non-public or sensitive data, and with Elon Musk’s conflicts of interest as a federal contractor and founder and owner of xAI.

The lawmakers wrote:

“We write to express concern about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems within this Administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), without standards or regard for sensitive data. We understand AI’s potential for modernization and efficiency improvements within the federal government, and support implementation of AI technologies in a manner that complies with existing data security and software development, acquisition, and usage laws, and that provides proper transparency, vetting, and oversight over the use of such AI technologies. We are specifically concerned about reports of Elon Musk and DOGE’s monitoring and sharing of federal employee and non-public federal data using AI tools, and reports of intentions to use sensitive data to train private AI models. These present serious security risks, self-dealing, and potential criminal liability if not handled correctly, and have the potential to undermine successful and appropriate AI adoption.

“In addition, DOGE’s reported use of AI technologies on sensitive information raises significant concerns about data security. Musk’s DOGE team at the Office of Personnel Management reportedly used AI systems to analyze emails from a large portion of the two million person Federal workforce describing their previous week’s accomplishments—without model transparency and without addressing major concerns about security or conflicts of interest. Alarmingly, sensitive data from across the Department of Education was also reportedly fed into an AI system, including data with personally identifiable information for people who manage grants, as well as sensitive internal financial data. Without proper protections, feeding sensitive data into an AI system puts it into the possession of a system’s operator—a massive breach of public and employee trust and an increase in cybersecurity risks surrounding that data. Generative AI models also frequently make errors and show significant biases—the technology simply is not ready for use in high-risk decision-making without proper vetting, transparency, oversight, and guardrails in place.

“Sharing of such data would constitute a major data privacy and data security risk. Specifically, we are concerned that sharing such data outside of federal systems or lawfully vetted contracts may run in violation of laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government Act of 2002, and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014. These laws set requirements for the federal government’s collection and use of personal information and sensitive data— including through establishing limits on agency information sharing, and requirements for data minimization, disclosure limitations, cybersecurity, transparency, and privacy impact assessments for developing or procuring information technology. In addition, the federal government is legally obligated to comply with codified requirements for vetting software and cloud products and services across the federal government, through programs such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).

“It is clear that DOGE’s use of AI clearly does not meet the standards the previous memoranda set. Worse, existing AI systems like CamoGPT have been used in the misguided purging of federal materials from references to achievements of Americans of color and women, including the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen. It is not clear how the use of CamoGPT meets the Congressional authorization for AI usage provided in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, but it is alarming that the result of such usage by this Administration was referred to as an error—raising questions about the appropriateness of and lack of sufficient oversight of its use.

“While we support the federal government integrating new, approved AI technologies that can improve efficiency or efficacy, we cannot sacrifice security, privacy, and appropriate use standards when interacting with federal data. We also cannot condone use of AI systems, often known for hallucinations and bias, in decisions regarding termination of federal employment or federal funding without sufficient transparency and oversight of those models—the risk of losing talent and critical research because of flawed technology or flawed uses of such technology is simply too high. We ask that you immediately terminate any use of AI systems that have not been approved by FedRAMP or equivalent formal approval procedures or that do not comply with existing laws. In addition, we ask that you do not use any AI system to make employment termination decisions relating to civil servants.”

Full text of the letter follows below, and a signed copy is available here.

–

Dear Director Vought:

We write to express concern about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems within this Administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), without standards or regard for sensitive data. We understand AI’s potential for modernization and efficiency improvements within the federal government, and support implementation of AI technologies in a manner that complies with existing data security and software development, acquisition, and usage laws, and that provides proper transparency, vetting, and oversight over the use of such AI technologies. We are specifically concerned about reports of Elon Musk and DOGE’s monitoring and sharing of federal employee and non-public federal data using AI tools, and reports of intentions to use sensitive data to train private AI models. These present serious security risks, self-dealing, and potential criminal liability if not handled correctly, and have the potential to undermine successful and appropriate AI adoption.

A DOGE staffer who is also currently employed at SpaceX reportedly created an “AI assistant” for DOGE staff, powered by Musk’s xAI Grok-2 model—this model was hosted on a subdomain of the staffer’s external website, raising both security concerns and conflict of interest issues. In addition to privacy and security concerns, Musk stands to profit from access to government data or contracting opportunities that are not available to competitors or the public. Increased access to sensitive government data would set his AI models at an unfair competitive advantage over other AI service providers—the conflicts of interest become exponentially worse if Musk pursues further contracts to become a major provider of government AI services.

Further, DOGE reportedly used a chatbot named “GSAi” based on Anthropic and Meta models with the stated intent of analyzing contract and procurement data via a centralized system consolidated under GSA, which would pose similar security and conflict of interest problems. Giving Musk’s teams access to sensitive government data on other contracts across the federal government is especially problematic when considering Musk’s business interests with SpaceX —already a major government contractor—as well as with SpaceX subsidiary Starlink, Tesla, and elsewhere.

In addition, DOGE’s reported use of AI technologies on sensitive information raises significant concerns about data security. Musk’s DOGE team at the Office of Personnel Management reportedly used AI systems to analyze emails from a large portion of the two million person Federal workforce describing their previous week’s accomplishments—without model transparency and without addressing major concerns about security or conflicts of interest. Alarmingly, sensitive data from across the Department of Education was also reportedly fed into an AI system, including data with personally identifiable information for people who manage grants, as well as sensitive internal financial data. Without proper protections, feeding sensitive data into an AI system puts it into the possession of a system’s operator—a massive breach of public and employee trust and an increase in cybersecurity risks surrounding that data. Generative AI models also frequently make errors and show significant biases—the technology simply is not ready for use in high-risk decision-making without proper vetting, transparency, oversight, and guardrails in place.

Sharing of such data would constitute a major data privacy and data security risk. Specifically, we are concerned that sharing such data outside of federal systems or lawfully vetted contracts may run in violation of laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government Act of 2002, and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014. These laws set requirements for the federal government’s collection and use of personal information and sensitive data— including through establishing limits on agency information sharing, and requirements for data minimization, disclosure limitations, cybersecurity, transparency, and privacy impact assessments for developing or procuring information technology. In addition, the federal government is legally obligated to comply with codified requirements for vetting software and cloud products and services across the federal government, through programs such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).

In 2023, OMB established memoranda to help implement requirements to vet and approve AI technologies for federal use, such as OMB memoranda M-24-10 and M-24-18, which directed federal agencies to use AI only after developing tests and guidelines to ensure that its use would not compromise privacy and cybersecurity. These memoranda recognized the sensitive nature of the information the federal government handles every day and the significant privacy risks of using unvetted AI technologies on such information—including the risk of sharing personally identifiable or otherwise sensitive information with the AI model deployers. While these memoranda were recently revised through OMB’s M-25-21 and M-25-22, the new memoranda retain some provisions on data security and data privacy, including calls against using non-public data for training commercial AI models. These memoranda also define employment decisions for federal employees as a high-impact AI use application.

It is clear that DOGE’s use of AI clearly does not meet the standards the previous memoranda set. Worse, existing AI systems like CamoGPT have been used in the misguided purging of federal materials from references to achievements of Americans of color and women, including the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen. It is not clear how the use of CamoGPT meets the Congressional authorization for AI usage provided in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, but it is alarming that the result of such usage by this Administration was referred to as an error—raising questions about the appropriateness of and lack of sufficient oversight of its use.

While we support the federal government integrating new, approved AI technologies that can improve efficiency or efficacy, we cannot sacrifice security, privacy, and appropriate use standards when interacting with federal data. We also cannot condone use of AI systems, often known for hallucinations and bias, in decisions regarding termination of federal employment or federal funding without sufficient transparency and oversight of those models—the risk of losing talent and critical research because of flawed technology or flawed uses of such technology is simply too high. We ask that you immediately terminate any use of AI systems that have not been approved by FedRAMP or equivalent formal approval procedures or that do not comply with existing laws. In addition, we ask that you do not use any AI system to make employment termination decisions relating to civil servants.

It is important to understand the extent to which this administration’s reckless disregard for legal authorities and necessary security protocols has extended into use of AI systems. Thoughtful adoption of AI is of strategic national importance. Please provide responses to the following questions by no later than April 25, 2025:
1. Has DOGE or the Trump Administration used AI technologies powered by xAI’s models?
2. What new AI software has been deployed and used by this Administration that was not used by a previous administration? Provide a list.
  1. Include whether each is on the CISA or DISA authorized technologies list or FedRAMP approved services list, and the date such technology or service was added.
  2. Include how this Administration’s use of each of such technologies is in compliance with laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government Act of 2002, and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014.
3. Of the models used in the past two months, who has access to the information submitted to such models and how is oversight being conducted?
  1. Please provide the level of clearance, authorization, and training they have received.
  2. Please provide whether they are a special government employee or what category of employee they are.
4. Have the “Grok” models used or the AI technologies used in “GSAi” gone through a federal procurement process prior to use?
  1. Describe the process such technologies were subject to, and provide documentation.
5. As many AI deployers collect information on the prompts input into their AI models, and use those prompts and their inferences to train their models, how are you ensuring that no deployers of any AI technologies that DOGE or the Trump Administration may use engage in this practice?
6. Has DOGE or the Trump Administration to date used any AI technology to make or recommend an employment decision about a federal employee?
  1. If so, which technologies has the Department or Administration used?
  2. If so, how many federal employees did the Department or Administration use AI technology to make or recommend an employment decision about?
7. Has DOGE or the Trump Administration to date used any AI technology to make or recommend a decision regarding a contract or federal funding?
  1. If so, which contracts and/or which funding? Please provide the search query and rationale for the decision.
8. Have Musk or DOGE employees used government datasets that are not publicly accessible in the training of any non-Federal AI technologies, including for any “Grok” models?
9. Has DOGE or the Trump Administration to date shared any government datasets that are not publicly accessible with any services, sites, or actors that are not approved by FedRAMP or in a way that is not in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government Act of 2002, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, or any other relevant laws governing data security?
The name, agency or department of origin, and a timespan of the information covered in the dataset;

A description of the static or dynamic data sources and scope of the data accessed for the analyses performed; and

A description of the content of the data accessed, including data types and known features. This should include identification of any metadata collected (such as associated users, IP addresses, locations, or timestamps).

10. Do any DOGE servers or websites incorporate AI technologies not previously approved under the requirements set by M-24-10 or M-24-18, or agency guidance in compliance with those memoranda, or not on the CISA or DISA authorized technologies list or FedRAMP approved services list? If so, provide a list.
11.What steps has the Trump Administration taken to ensure that Musk and all DOGE employees are not using their federal government role to enrich themselves personally or the companies in which they hold ownership or maintain affiliation, including through sharing of data?

MIL OSI USA News –
April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Barragán & ALPA Vice President Morse Reaffirm Support for Pilots, Regardless of Race or Sex, at WAI Conference

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2025

Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

DENVER, COLORADO — Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) joined the 36th Annual Women in Aviation International (WAI) Conference for a featured conversation with the Air Line Pilots Association’s (ALPA) First Vice President, Captain Wendy Morse.

During their conversation, Congresswoman Barragán and Captain Morse made clear their support for women pilots in response to a current narrative about women pilots not being as qualified or as capable as their male counterparts. They also spoke about the need to protect the gains made by women flight professionals and to continue the work to increase and advance the role of women in the aviation industry.

“The Women in Aviation International Conference was an opportunity to show unequivocal support from the halls of Congress for our pilots and reinforce the fact that all pilots have to meet the same rigorous standards and qualifications, regardless of race or sex,” said Congresswoman Barragán. “Thousands of dedicated pilots fly passengers around the country every day in a display of their skill and professionalism. The industry upholds the highest standards for all of its pilots, and it’s important to recognize that fact and to let the general public know that, when they board a plane, they should have confidence in whoever is in the cockpit.”

“There is no shortcut to the flight deck. All pilots are held to the same rigorous qualifications and are trained and evaluated to the same uncompromising standards. Women aviators have consistently proven their exceptional capabilities in this demanding profession, bringing valuable perspectives and talents to flight operations worldwide,” said Morse. “ALPA is grateful for such thoughtful and engaged leaders like Rep. Barragán who works tirelessly to help us break down barriers for women in aviation and ensure that there is room for everyone who has the passion and dedication to become a qualified airline pilot,” said Captain Wendy Morse.

The WAI Conference runs through Saturday, March 29, and features keynote speakers including astronaut and bestselling author Emily Calandrelli, Royal Australian Navy’s first female pilot Natalee Johnston, former U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Michelle “Mace” Curran, Joby Aviation President of Operations Bonny Simi, and three-time Paralympic medalist Amy Purdy.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Meet the Space Ops Team: Becky Brocato

Source: NASA

As an adventurous individual, Becky Brocato, Ph.D., has a deep curiosity for understanding the conditions of the human body, especially as it pertains to spaceflight. This passion directly translates to her role at NASA, where Brocato serves as the Element Scientist in the Human Health Countermeasures division and oversees research that seeks to reduce medical risks that astronauts face from spaceflight, ensuring the continual health and safety of current and future NASA astronauts.
As part of the Human Research Program, the group strives to understand the physiological effects of spaceflight and develop strategies to mitigate any detrimental effects on human health and performance. For Brocato, her role presents the exciting opportunity to tangibly improve the lives of astronauts and actively contribute to the success of their missions.

“The thrill of my job comes from the sheer audacity of what we are undertaking—enabling humans to conquer the challenges of deep space,” said Brocato. “I’m invested in ensuring our astronauts are not just prepared—but confident—as they tackle immense physical and mental demands.”
Brocato attributes her early interest in flight and space research to her father and grandfather, who built a plane together when Brocato was younger. She recalls sitting in the plane’s fuselage, pretending she was traveling the world.
“My dad was my childhood hero for opening my eyes to the skies,” said Brocato. Fueled by this passion, she began her career as an aerospace engineer at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, where she tested parachutes for aerial delivery, including the parachute designed for NASA’s X-38 crew return vehicle.
Now, having worked at NASA for four years, Brocato is excited to pass down her insight to younger generations, teaching them how her work ensures the sustainability of future space missions. Recently, after delivering a seminar on the methods to counter the risks humans face from spaceflight, Brocato spoke with college students eager to learn more about the complexities of the human body.

“I felt like I wasn’t just sharing knowledge; I was helping to inspire a new generation of potential researchers to tackle the challenges of space exploration that was a real bright spot,” said Brocato. “Seeing their enthusiasm reaffirmed exactly why I came to NASA.”
This enthusiasm manifests in Brocato’s personal life: as a mother, she loves witnessing her child’s reaction to launches. “It was awesome to see the pure, unadulterated awe in my 7-year-old’s eyes when NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 lifted off,” said Brocato. “Moments like that are a reminder that spaceflight can touch all generations, which fuels my passion both at work and at home.”
For Brocato, prioritizing her personal time is crucial, and she enjoys spending it pursuing physical activities. She is an avid runner, whether she is jogging to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center or competing in local adventure races. She has even been skydiving, which is where she met her husband.
Brocato is excited to witness NASA continue to push boundaries in human exploration, returning to the Moon and onto Mars. As a dedicated worker known for her curiosity and enthusiasm, Brocato’s work is crucial to advancing NASA’s mission.
NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate maintains a continuous human presence in space for the benefit of people on Earth. The programs within the directorate are the hub of NASA’s space exploration efforts, enabling Artemis, commercial space, science, and other agency missions through communication, launch services, research capabilities, and crew support.
To learn more about NASA’s Space Operation Mission Directorate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space-operations

MIL OSI USA News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Newly Developed 220-Bedded ESIC Hospital in Ranchi, Jharkhand

Source: Government of India

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Newly Developed 220-Bedded ESIC Hospital in Ranchi, Jharkhand

“This ESIC hospital is not just a building but a temple” – Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

Union Minister Distributes Cash Benefit Certificates/Sanction Letters to ESIC Beneficiaries and Honours Construction Workers

Posted On: 17 APR 2025 9:59PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, today, on April 17, 2025, inaugurated the newly developed 220-bedded ESIC Hospital in Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand. This state-of-the-art hospital marks a significant milestone in strengthening healthcare delivery under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme in the state of Jharkhand. The event was graced by Union Minister of State for Defence, Shri Sanjay Seth along with Shri Pradip Verma, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), and senior officers of ESIC.

During the programme, Dr. Mandaviya honoured the ESIC beneficiaries and presented them with cash benefit certificates/sanction letters. He also felicitated the construction workers involved in the construction of the hospital.

In his address, Dr. Mandaviya said that today is a momentous day for Ranchi and in the coming days, this hospital will provide healthcare services to over 5 lakh workers.

He stated that this hospital is not just a structure but a symbol of the hard work and dedication of our workers. Referring to the government’s post-COVID initiatives, he highlighted that 80 crore people are being provided with free food grains and more than 60 crore people are receiving free healthcare worth ₹5 lakh per annum under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

Concluding his address, Union Minister said, “This hospital is not just a building, it is a temple. All the doctors and staff working here are like priests, and the patients who come here are akin to God for us. We will serve them with complete devotion and dedication.”

Union Minister of State for Defence Shri Sanjay Seth congratulated everyone on the inauguration of the hospital and urged that more services be provided to the poor and underprivileged. He advocated for the early establishment of a medical college at the facility to further enhance healthcare services in the region. He also welcomed Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya to the land of Jharkhand and lauded his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as the then Health Minister.

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) had approved the construction of this 200-bedded hospital in June 2018 to enhance healthcare services in the region. Construction began on 31st May 2018 and has now been completed. The hospital has now been upgraded to a 220-bedded facility. It is noteworthy that ESIC has also approved the establishment of a medical college with 50 MBBS seats in October 2024, which is expected to commence operations soon.

The hospital is equipped with essential departments such as General Medicine, Surgery, Gynecology, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, and Dentistry, along with various support services. It offers both Outpatient (OPD) and Inpatient (IPD) care. As such, the medical needs of ESIC beneficiaries will be effectively addressed. The upgraded hospital will now also provide specialty and super-specialty care, significantly enhancing access to advanced healthcare for residents of Ranchi and neighbouring districts.

Over 5 lakh insured persons (IPs) and their dependents are expected to benefit from this modernized hospital. The hospital complex includes a basement, ground floor, and four additional floors, spread over 7.9 acres. The new building has been constructed at a cost of ₹99.06 crore and covers a built-up area of 17,559 square meters.

This four-storeyed hospital houses three modern operation theatres (OTs), with provision for an additional OT. It comprises 34 wards and 6 isolation wards, 40 OPD rooms, and ample space for doctors, administrative officials, and staff.

It is worth mentioning that the ESIC Hospital in Namkum, Ranchi was originally established in 1987 with the primary objective of providing accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to insured workers and their families. For over four decades, this hospital has catered to the healthcare needs of industrial workers in Ranchi and surrounding areas.

***

HP

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates a national dialogue on ‘Self-Empowerment through Inner Awakening’ for security forces personnel at Abu Road, Rajasthan

Source: Government of India

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates a national dialogue on ‘Self-Empowerment through Inner Awakening’ for security forces personnel at Abu Road, Rajasthan

Brahma Kumari Sansthan has created a wonderful environment of simplicity, abstinence and cooperation in the world through sacrifice, penance and its brilliance

Brahma Kumari Sansthan is working as an ambassador of Indian culture by taking the message of peace and dialogue to the whole world

Prime Minister Modi Ji has done the work of giving our Vedic tradition to the whole world by celebrating International Yoga Day on 21st June

Today, crores of people in the world are walking the path of yoga, meditation and spirituality; this will become the path of world peace in the coming times

For the last 25 years, the efforts of Brahma Kumaris to reduce the stress of security personnel and lead them towards peace are commendable

Pujya Lekhraj Kripalani Ji established Brahma Kumari Sansthan and turned each one’s soul into a lamp to help them walk on the path of light

Posted On: 17 APR 2025 6:56PM by PIB Delhi

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated a national dialogue on ‘Self-Empowerment through Inner Awakening’ for security forces personnel in Rajasthan. Many dignitaries including Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma were present on the occasion.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Brahma Kumaris are working to light a lamp of peace and spiritual practice in every human being across the world through yoga and meditation. He said that efforts are made here to awaken the goodness within every person and they have been doing it for a long time now. He added that one can feel an amazingly peaceful atmosphere when they arrive here and it is because of the spiritual energy existing in this place.

Shri Amit Shah said that when one finds a Guru in personal life, he is able to lead the path of righteousness and there are many examples of it. He said that some people do such work that it turns every person’s soul into a lamp and help them walk on the path of light. He said that by establishing Brahma Kumari, Lekhraj Kripalani Ji made a big call to make every person’s soul a lamp and move forward on the path of light, which is having a huge impact on the society today.

Union Home Minister said that Brahma Kumaris have worked to create a wonderful environment of simplicity, abstinence and cooperation across the world through their sacrifice, penance and brilliance. He said that two programs have taken place here simultaneously today – first, the launch of the theme of the year 2025-26 of the Brahma Kumari Sansthan, ‘Meditation for World Unity and World Faith, and, second, the inauguration of the national dialogue on self-empowerment through inner awakening of security force personnel.

Shri Amit Shah said that after 75 years of independence, our country has come a long way and has become the fifth largest economy in the world and in a few years we will become the third largest economy. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are aiming to become the leader in every field in the world on the centenary of independence in 2047. He said that India’s goal should be to take forward our traditions, that have the ability to lead to world brotherhood, connect the soul of every human with the divine and lead every life on the path of virtue, and organizations like Brahma Kumari are doing well in this direction.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the nation’s safety today is the result of the immense sacrifice and dedication of our security forces. He acknowledged the tireless efforts of our personnel who guard the borders under the most challenging conditions. He emphasized that in matters of internal security, the Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and state police forces work diligently to uphold law and order and protect the vulnerable — a responsibility that often brings significant stress. Highlighting the importance of mental and emotional well-being, he said that helping security personnel find peace in their mind, body, and soul is a crucial mission. In this regard, he praised the Brahma Kumaris for their commendable efforts over the past 25 years in reaching out to security forces, alleviating their stress, and promoting inner peace, which in turn contributes to a stronger and more secure nation.

Shri Amit Shah highlighted India’s ancient tradition of harmonizing the mind, body, intellect, and soul through yoga and spirituality. He said that this legacy has long guided us on the path of knowledge, progress, and thoughtful policymaking to solve complex problems. He noted that today India continues to share this timeless wisdom with the world. He emphasized that the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the idea that the whole world is one family—originated from India’s Upanishads, which embraced a global sense of unity and belonging. Shri Shah added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India took a significant step in promoting its Vedic heritage globally by establishing International Yoga Day on 21st June. He added that today millions around the world are embracing yoga, meditation, and spirituality as a way of life. He expressed confidence that this path will increasingly become a foundation for global peace in the years to come.

Union Home Minister said that the profound knowledge of the soul, God, and the cycle of creation received by Pujya Lekhraj Kripalani Ji came to be known as “Brahma,” and the Brahma Kumaris organization was founded to share this spiritual wisdom with the world. He highlighted the vital role of women in this mission, noting that for generations, the divine feminine has been revered, and women have been at the heart of the Brahma Kumaris’ leadership and service. He emphasized that true change in the world begins with self-transformation—only when an individual transforms from within can they inspire change in others. Guided by this principle, the Brahma Kumaris have spread powerful and positive thoughts around the world. The Home Minister praised the organization for promoting values such as celibacy, vegetarianism, de-addiction, simplicity, and meditation. Through these practices, they help individuals connect the soul with God and realize their inner nature as pure, peaceful, and eternal beings—all in an accessible and relatable way. He said that through the strength of womanhood, the Brahma Kumaris have become ambassadors of Indian culture, spreading the message of peace, dialogue, and spiritual harmony across the globe.

*****

RK/VV/PR/PS

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addresses the CRPF Day Parade-2025 in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh

Source: Government of India

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addresses the CRPF Day Parade-2025 in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh

Union Home Minister pays tribute to 2,264 CRPF personnel on behalf of the grateful nation, recalling their supreme sacrifice for the security of the country

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Centre has taken several welfare measures for all CAPFs

CRPF personnel have always made the supreme sacrifice to maintain the unity and integrity of the country

The dreaded Naxalites shudder at the sight of CRPF’s Cobra Battalion

Due to CRPF, naxals who dreamt of spreading red terror from Pashupatinath to Tirupati, are today confined to 4 districts

CRPF will play the biggest role in making the country free from Naxalism

CRPF has established more than 400 Forward Operating Bases in Naxalism-affected areas in the last 5 years, due to which Naxal violence has reduced by more than 70% in 10 years

After the abrogation of Article 370, the task of conducting the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir peacefully and without firing a single bullet was accomplished by CRPF and other security forces

CRPF is the largest paramilitary force not only in India but in the world

Posted On: 17 APR 2025 3:41PM by PIB Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Day Parade as the Chief Guest at Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh today. Many dignitaries including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Director General, CRPF were present on the occasion.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation recalled the supreme sacrifice made by 2,264 CRPF personnel for the security of the country and paid tribute to them on behalf of the grateful nation. He said that India is moving towards becoming leader in the world in every field by 2047 and the sacrifices of martyred CRPF personnel have significantly contributed in achieving this goal. Shri Shah said that the immortal saga of bravery of CRPF martyrs will be inscribed in golden letters in the golden book of 100 years of independence. He said that the CRPF personnel have always made supreme sacrifice to maintain the unity and integrity of the country. That is why the presence of CRPF personnel at the places of unrest builds the confidence that they will certainly emerge victorious.

Shri Amit Shah said that after the formation of the government for the second term under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2019, it was decided that the foundation day of all the security forces would be celebrated in different parts of the country. Under the decision, this annual parade of CRPF is being organized in Neemuch today. He said that the contribution of the CRPF cannot be seen separately from the country’s security. Union Home Minister stated that whether it is fighting terrorists in Kashmir, maintaining peace in the Northeast, or limiting the activities of ruthless Naxals to only four districts, our CRPF personnel have made a significant contribution in all these areas.

Union Home Minister said that CRPF was formed in 1939 under the name of Crown Representative Police. The work of giving this force its current new form and flag was done by the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He said that Sardar Patel not only established CRPF and gave it the flag but also did the work of clearly identifying its charter. CRPF has completed a long glorious journey on the path shown by Sardar Patel. He said that today about 3 lakh CRPF jawans are deployed for the peace and security of the country in 248 battalions, 4 zonal headquarters, 21 sector headquarters, 2 operational sector headquarters, 17 ranges and 39 administrative ranges. Shri Shah said that CRPF has the pride of being the largest paramilitary force not only in India but in the world.

Shri Amit Shah said that in the 76-year history of independence, there have been numerous occasions when CRPF protected the country’s honour and pride. He said that on 21 October 1959, CRPF soldiers were martyred while fighting the Chinese army in Hot Spring, Ladakh and that is why all the police forces of the country celebrate 21 October every year as Police Smriti Diwas. He said that in 2018, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has proudly immortalised the martyrdom of Hot Spring by building the National Police Memorial in memory of the martyred policemen and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) across the country.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that in 1965, CRPF soldiers were posted at Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch who gave a befitting reply to the Pakistan Army and that is why every year on 9^th April, the whole country celebrates Shaurya Diwas. He said that in 2001, the Parliament House, a symbol of our democracy, was attacked by terrorists which was foiled by CRPF. Similarly, in 2005, there was a terrorist attack on Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and CRPF foiled the attack and kept the temple safe. Shri Shah said that the Naxalites who dreamt of spreading red terror from Pashupatinath to Tirupati are today confined to 4 districts, the biggest contribution in this is of CRPF. He said that the biggest role and contribution of CRPF will be in making the country free from Naxalism. The dreaded Naxalites tremble on seeing the CRPF’s Cobra Battalion coming. He said that under the leadership of Cobra Battalion, other CRPF soldiers have made a huge contribution towards eliminating Naxalism. Home Minister said that by March 31, 2026, Naxalism will be eliminated from the country forever and this goal has been set on the strength of CRPF.

Shri Amit Shah said that whether it is maintaining peace in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 or ensuring peaceful conduct of every election, CRPF jawans have performed their duty with a true heart everywhere. He said that after the removal of Article 370, assembly elections were held in Kashmir and at that time people had many kinds of apprehensions, but our CRPF and other security forces ensured security and neither was there any news of a single booth being looted nor of firing of even a single bullet. Shri Shah said that this is a very big achievement. He said that CRPF has established more than 400 forward operating bases in Naxal-affected areas in the last 5 years and due to this, Naxal violence has reduced by more than 70 percent in 10 years.

Union Home Minister said that CRPF personnel have worked to establish peace under the United Nations peacekeeping missions in many places including Sri Lanka, Haiti, Kosovo and Liberia. He said that till date CRPF has received a total of 2708 different medals which is the highest among all CAPFs. He said that whether it is Amarnath Yatra, Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra, security of Ramjanmabhoomi, security of Krishna Janmabhoomi or the occasion of Maha Kumbh, CRPF personnel have contributed their full efforts in maintaining law and order with promptness everywhere.

Shri Amit Shah said that CRPF has implemented many campaigns like Swachh Bharat, Har Ghar Tiranga, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Swachhata Hi Seva, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam very well and has also proved that CRPF is always on alert mode to work for the country and society. He said that a target of planting 5 crore saplings in the last 5 years was set by all CAPFs. The Home Minister said that under this campaign, he himself planted the first sapling at the CRPF Group Center in Gurugram, the one-croreth sapling was planted at the CRPF Nanded campus, the four-croreth sapling was planted at the CRPF camp in Uttar Pradesh, and today, by planting over 6 crore saplings, all CAPFs have worked to raise awareness about the environment.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India has taken several steps for the welfare of all CAPFs. He said that air courier service was started in 7 remote areas of the country and recently the Government of India has also announced the Eighth Pay Commission for continuous improvement in salaries and allowances. He said that more than 42 lakh Ayushman CAPF cards have been given under which thousands of hospitals are available today for CAPF personnel and their families. He said that under the housing scheme, the housing satisfaction ratio has increased by about 9.5 per cent, an effort has been made to provide vacant houses to 6.5 lakh CAPF personnel by launching the CAPF e-Housing web portal and more than one lakh houses have also been allotted. He said that now women are also being recruited in the forces and 124 barracks have been approved for them, out of which 109 have been built and the Home Ministry has decided to build 450 more barracks. Shri Shah said that under the Pradhan Mantri Scholarship Scheme, educational facilities have been provided to the children of CAPF personnel, the Central Ex-gratia has been made scientific, the disability ex-gratia has been increased by 50 per cent and the Central Police Welfare Stores have also been made more people-oriented through 119 Master Stores and 1794 Sub-Stores.

*****

RK/VV/PR/PS

(Release ID: 2122404) Visitor Counter : 59

Read this release in: Hindi

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 18, 2025

Date Taken:	04.10.2025
Date Posted:	04.13.2025 22:26
Photo ID:	8971780
VIRIN:	250410-N-YV347-1252
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Size:	15.2 MB
Location:	JINHAE, KR

Date Taken:	04.11.2025
Date Posted:	04.18.2025 01:49
Photo ID:	8981203
VIRIN:	250411-N-YV347-1043
Resolution:	6618×4412
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Location:	JINHAE, KR

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