Category: Military Intelligence

MIL-OSI Analysis: Who was the first pirate?

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brandon Prins, Professor of Political Science, University of Tennessee

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Who was the first pirate? – Yandel R., age 11, Lakewood Ranch, Florida

When most people imagine a pirate, they picture actor Johnny Depp playing the mad but likable swashbuckler Jack Sparrow, captain of the sailing ship the Black Pearl.

Depp’s pirate portrayal was inspired by seafaring bandits in older make-believe tales, such as Long John Silver in “Treasure Island,” Captain Hook in “Peter Pan,” or sailor Edmond Dantès in “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

A 1915 edition of ‘Treasure Island’ illustrated Long John Silver with iconic pirate features.
Louis Rhead/Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images via Getty Images

Pirates in these stories were mischievous but also glamorous, courageous and mostly kindhearted. They wore flashy costumes. They had missing limbs, like Captain Cook’s iron hook for a left hand and Long John Silver’s wooden peg leg. They buried treasure chests of gold and silver, forced enemies to walk the plank and had talking parrots as shipboard companions. They flew the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag from the ship’s mast to frighten enemies. The new Netflix series “One Piece,” which is based on a Japanese comic book, continues this popular depiction of pirates.

While fun, these portrayals of pirates are mostly invented.

I’m a political scientist who studies modern-day commerce raiding: robbing of private cargo vessels on the high seas. I’m interested in where it happens in the world, who does it and what can be done to stop it. My research finds today’s pirates to be less like swashbuckling Jack Sparrow and more like regular old thieves.

Pirates in the ancient world

Since pirates have been around for as long as people have moved things by boat, it is hard to pin down the very first pirate.

Ancient Egyptians tied bundles of reeds together to form watertight boats.
Werner Forman/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

But archaeological evidence shows that boatbuilding goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who used boats made from papyrus reeds as early as 6,000 years ago. These vessels likely carried valuable goods up and down the Nile River, and where valuable goods can be found, you can usually find thieves too. In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging.

By 3,500 years ago, thieves were using sailing vessels to raid coastal towns and villages in and around the Nile Delta, as well as the Aegean and Adriatic basins. Attacking ships far from land on the high seas and stealing the cargo was a logical next step in the tactics of seafaring raiders.

As trade increased across the Mediterranean Sea, boats carrying valuable cargo, such as pottery, silk, glass, spices and metals, became the targets of ancient pirates. Given the worth of these goods, pirate attacks became widespread across the ancient Mediterranean Sea. With money from the Roman senate and strong effort by a military leader named Pompey, the Roman navy worked hard to stop the pirates – and for a while it did.

The earliest named pirate?

The first mention of a pirate by name may have been in a Greek history book written in the fifth century BCE by an ancient historian named Herodotus.

He briefly describes the adventures of a naval commander by the name of Dionysius who was from Ionia, which is in modern-day Turkey. Dionysius set up a pirate base on the island of Sicily that allowed him and his fellow pirates to plunder ships that happened to sail past.

Pirates of the Caribbean

While Dionysius may have been the first recorded pirate, the most famous pirates lived during the 17th and 18th centuries, which came to be known as the golden age of sea piracy.

This was the heyday of pirates such as Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach; William Kidd; Henry Morgan; Calico Jack; and Anne Bonny. They plundered Spanish treasure ships in the Caribbean, known as the Spanish Main, that were carrying silver from the mines in Bolivia back to the king of Spain.

Islands such as Jamaica, Tortuga and the Bahamas, as well the North Carolina coast, all became notable pirate havens. Port Royal, on the island of Jamaica, in particular, was a notorious pirate refuge. It was ideally positioned for preying upon Spanish galleons sailing across the Atlantic from ports in Panama and Venezuela. Johnny Depp’s character, Jack Sparrow, swashbuckled around a fictionalized Port Royal in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.

Each dot represents a maritime pirate attack that happened between 1995 and 2023.
Brandon Prins

21st-century pirates

The 2013 Hollywood movie “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks, drew attention back to real-world pirates and piracy. The movie was based on a real-life 2009 attack by Somali pirates on a ship named the MV Maersk Alabama, which was carrying food to Kenya. The 500-foot-long vessel and its crew were rescued by the U.S. Navy.

To better understand 21st-century piracy, my research team compiled data on all pirate attacks from 1995 to the present day. We found three main piracy hot spots: the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. All three locations experience the conditions that attract pirates: ship traffic, valuable cargo and weak governments.

Why become a pirate?

People become pirates for many reasons, not the least of which is to escape poverty and enslavement. Others just want adventure and to travel the world. These are the same motivations that drove commerce raiding in the ancient world, during the golden age of piracy, and even today.

While we may never know the first pirate, just like we will never know the very first thief, historical evidence shows that sea-raiding has been around since the very first boats traversed the world’s waterways. Despite efforts to end piracy, my research shows that the conditions that produce ship looting remain and will likely always exist.

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

Brandon Prins received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research, through the Minerva Initiative, awards #N00014-21-1-2030 and #N00014-14-1-0050.

– ref. Who was the first pirate? – https://theconversation.com/who-was-the-first-pirate-256314

MIL OSI Analysis –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: PRC Defense Ministry: China strongly supports the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Southeast Asia /detailed version-1/

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — China firmly supports the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Southeast Asia, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said Monday, adding that it is of great significance to promoting regional peace and stability and conducive to safeguarding the core security interests of ASEAN countries.

According to him, China has clearly stated its readiness to be the first to sign the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Southeast Asia.

Jiang Bin made the remarks in response to recent comments by the Philippines’ defense secretary, who said China’s willingness to sign the protocol was purely symbolic and that to show sincerity it should first denuclearize.

He stressed that China is the only nuclear-weapon state that has made an unconditional commitment not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones.

China’s nuclear forces and nuclear policy have made significant contributions to world peace, which is widely recognized by the international community, Jiang Bin added. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese and Serbian armies to conduct joint training in Northern China

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — The ground forces of China and Serbia will hold joint training, codenamed “Guardians of Peace 2025”, in Hebei Province (north China) in mid- to late July, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said on Monday.

This will be the first joint training of Chinese and Serbian armed forces, Jiang Bin noted.

The training is expected to help strengthen the combat capabilities of the participating troops and deepen cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, he added. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Defense Ministry: China urges Japan to exercise military and security caution

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — China on Monday urged Japan to learn from history and be cautious in its military and security words and actions as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin made the statement in response to a reporter’s request to comment on Japanese government sources’ claims that Japan plans to export six Abukuma-class frigates to the Philippines. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China-Serbia Peace Guardian 2025 Joint Training to be held this month 2025-07-14 Army special operations troops of China and Serbia will carry out Peace Guardian 2025 joint training in North China’s Hebei Province in the second half of July, said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, at a press briefing on Monday.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
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MIL OSI China News –
July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Young Leaders Conference of China-Africa Peace and Security Forum to be held in Nanjing 2025-07-14 17:37:22 “The Young Leaders Conference of China-Africa Peace and Security Forum will be held in China from July 15 to 19, with about 90 military officers from over 40 African countries attending,” said a Chinese defense spokesperson on Monday.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, July 14 — “The Young Leaders Conference of China-Africa Peace and Security Forum will be held in China’s Nanjing City from July 15 to 19, with about 90 mid-and-senior-level military officers from over 40 African countries attending,” said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, at a press briefing on Monday.

According to the spokesperson, the Conference is hosted by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and organized by the Chinese PLA Army Command College. With the theme of Building Peace Together for the Future, the Conference is aimed at implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and further boosting consensus, solidarity and cooperation between China and African countries on peace and security, so as to facilitate the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
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MIL OSI China News –
July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Díaz-Balart: President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Will Boost Economic Growth and Reduce Taxes for American Families
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Vice Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic H.R. 1, President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”:

“I am proud to have voted with my House Republican colleagues to send President Trump’s America First bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” to his desk to be signed into law. This signature domestic policy legislation will deliver on President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda and restore American deterrence, secure historic savings, lead to higher economic growth, unleash domestic energy, secure the border, and avoid the largest tax hikes to American families and small businesses in U.S. history.”

This legislation directly benefits taxpayers in Florida’s 26^thCongressional District by making President Trump’s successful 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanent. Without the TCJA, the average taxpayer in Florida’s 26^thDistrict would have seen a 24% tax hike by the end of 2025. It protects 21,000 manufacturing jobs and 75,220 small businesses from these tax hikes, while supporting job creation, higher wages, and innovation. This bill will continue further investments into Opportunity Zones created under the TCJA that bolster our communities, bringing new and increased economic investment into traditionally underserved areas through the OBBB. In Miami-Dade County alone, 67 Opportunity Zones have flourished under this direct investment and across FL-26 in Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, and Miami Springs.

Additionally, this legislation will stop the flow of deadly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics from entering our communities by making direct investments to secure our border. It will also reverse the Biden Administration’s burdensome energy policies, unleashing American energy dominance and independence. This bill supports pro-family initiatives by increasing the Child Tax Credit by $500 up to $2200. It provides greater support for paid leave and childcare by quadrupling the maximum Employer-Provided Childcare Credit and adds additional relief for small businesses providing childcare, all while simultaneously strengthening the Paid Family and Medical Leave Credit from the 2017 TCJA. The bill enhances the adoption tax credit, taking into consideration the toll Bidenflation placed on families wishing to adopt and making it more usable for American families. Our seniors will receive historic relief, with a $6,000 deduction, a deduction that will exceed the taxable Social Security income of any senior who receives the current average retirement benefit.

This historic tax relief not only guarantees deductions but ensures that taxpayers, especially working families, can keep more of their hard-earned money. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

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For additional information on how the One Big Beautiful Bill will benefit American families, see below:

Delivers on President Trump’s promises for No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, Additional Tax Relief for Seniors, and No Tax on Car Loan Interest.

Carries out President Trump’s visionary Peace Through Strength mission.

$150B investment in our national security will restore American deterrence and build the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force President Trump promised.

Jump-starts the Golden Dome initiative by investing $25 billion

Grows the U.S. Navy for the first time in years, investing $29 billion to revitalize shipbuilding in our nation.

Improves quality of life for our troops with $9 billion in funding to increase allowances and special pays, and to upgrade aging, moldy barracks.

Makes President Trump’s 2017 pro-family tax cuts PERMANENT.

The lower tax rates stop a $1,700 tax increase on American families.

Prevents a scheduled $15,000 cut in the Standard Deduction for families.

The doubled Child Tax Credit (CTC) stops a $1,000 per child reduction in the CTC.

In fact, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act supports American families recovering from Bidenflation by increasing the CTC by $500 and indexes the CTC amount for inflation moving forward.

Increases access to the Adoption Tax Credit.

Makes the credit more usable for all families, opening up more homes to the joys of adoption and championing the sanctity of life.

Builds on the Trump Tax Cuts’ incentives for Paid Leave and Childcare.

Strengthens the Paid Family and Medical Leave Credit from the Trump Tax Cuts.

Quadruples the maximum Employer-Provided Childcare Credit and adds additional relief for small businesses providing childcare.

Lowers the cost of health care.

Expands Health Savings Accounts for Americans to take control of their health care.

Codifies Trump Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements, increasing coverage options for 350,000 individuals.

Tax relief for seniors.

Middle- and low-income seniors will be able to deduct an additional $6,000.

Secures Our Border with $175 billion to:

Hire and train 3,000 new Border Patrol agents

Hire and train 5,000 new Customs Officers

Allow for the completion of 701 miles of primary wall and the construction of 900 miles of river barriers.

$6B to help CBP interdict more fentanyl, deploy more border surveillance technology, and more.

Securing Our Skies with $12.5 billion for Air Traffic Control modernization.

MIL OSI USA News –
July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Tackling China’s critical raw materials export restrictions – P10_TA(2025)0166 – Thursday, 10 July 2025 – Strasbourg

Source: European Parliament

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on China,

–  having regard to the upcoming EU-China summit planned for 24 and 25 July 2025,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020(1), also known as the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724(2)(Net-Zero Industry Act),

–  having regard to the G7 Leaders’ statement on the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan,

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation’ (COM(2025)0085),

–  having regard to the clean trade and investment partnerships being negotiated by the EU, and to the EU’s critical raw material partnerships,

–  having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 20 June 2023 on ‘European Economic Security Strategy’ (JOIN(2023)0020), and to the speeches about de-risking given by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Policy Centre on 30 March 2023 and in Parliament on 18 April 2023,

–  having regard to the 13th EU-China Strategic Dialogue, held between the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, in Brussels on 2 July 2025,

–  having regard to the statements made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 summit held in Kananaskis, Canada from 16 to 17 June 2025,

–  having regard to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, in particular the principles of non-discrimination and of transparency regarding export restrictions,

–  having regard to WTO dispute settlement rulings DS431, DS432 and DS433 on China’s rare earth export restrictions,

–  having regard to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,

–  having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas on 4 April 2025, China started to enact export restrictions on 7 of the 17 rare earth elements (REEs) and on permanent magnets produced from these, introducing a system for non-automatic licences, and cited dual-use and security considerations as justification; whereas the list of items covered by the restrictions includes medium and heavy REEs (samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium);

B.  whereas critical raw materials are essential inputs for a wide array of industrial products and processes, including in critical sectors such as clean technologies, digital technologies, healthcare and defence; whereas a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials is fundamental to achieving the Union’s climate, digital, competitiveness and defence objectives;

C.  whereas export volumes have reportedly decreased by as much as 80 %, having a heavy impact on a wide range of sectors, including electronics and consumer tech, green energy and renewables, the automotive industry, aerospace and healthcare;

D.  whereas the EU’s dependence on China for critical raw materials has continued to grow or, at best, remains stubbornly high; whereas the global REE supply chain is heavily concentrated in China, which has control of around 75 % of mining output and of 85 % of processing capacity, reaching more than 95 % in the case of some REEs such as terbium, yttrium and dysprosium; whereas the EU remains overly reliant on non-EU countries for the supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) and is almost entirely dependent on China for the supply of heavy REEs; whereas the EU covers 98 % of its demand for permanent magnets, and 92 % of its demand for NdFeB magnets, with imports from China;

E.  whereas China has significantly expanded its dominance in the global mining, processing and refining of CRMs and intermediate products, creating strategic dependences along key value chains, , which have, at times, been deliberately leveraged through restrictive trade measures; whereas China first restricted the export of REEs in 2010 over a territorial dispute with Japan, and this restriction was declared incompatible with WTO rules by the Appellate Body; whereas China has also applied extensive restrictions on the export of raw minerals classified as strategic and/or critical by the EU, including gallium and germanium since 1 August 2023, graphite since December 2023, antimony products since 15 September 2024, tungsten and bismuth since 4 February 2025, and scandium since 17 April 2025;

F.  whereas the implementation of these export restrictions has already started to cause severe disruptions to industry in the EU, including the automotive industry, with as many as 17 assembly lines experiencing temporary shutdowns in May 2025; whereas a wide array of sectors could face disruption, such as healthcare, space and defence – including fighter jets, frigates, drones and precision-guided weapons systems – wind turbines and batteries, as could the green and digital transitions more generally;

G.  whereas China’s licensing procedure requires applicants to disclose sensitive information to the Chinese authorities, which breaches economic secrecy; whereas China’s updated export control framework of December 2024 gives greater discretionary powers to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the State Council and the Central Military Commission to subject items not formally listed as dual-use goods to export controls; whereas these new regulations include measures with extraterritorial applications;

H.  whereas the EU applies export controls to certain types of critical and advanced materials, but these controls are clearly focused on material types, with precise technical parameters relating to their use in specific military applications, do not affect trade in commercial non-sensitive products and account for only a small share of total exports of the materials in question;

I.  whereas China has deliberately pursued a strategy of undercutting global market prices while keeping its domestic market closed, generally to the benefit of state-owned enterprises, and couples this with huge subsidy schemes, leading to significant distortions in global competition and jeopardising recent efforts by the EU and the Member States to keep the EU’s remaining mining sectors afloat;

J.  whereas the EU adopted the CRMA in April 2024 as the starting point of efforts towards improving the resilience and autonomy of the EU’s supply of CRMs and strategic raw materials (SRMs); whereas the CRMA addresses both the supply side and the demand side, including through production targets, through resource efficiency aimed at moderating consumption, and through the substitution of SRMs; whereas circularity is at the core of the CRMA, which aims to cover 25 % of the Union’s SRM needs through recycling by 2030 and has the objective of recycling substantially larger amounts of each SRM from waste, including for permanent magnets;

K.  whereas the upcoming EU-China summit is an opportunity to engage in dialogue while continuing to stand strong against coercion;

L.  whereas China still has sanctions in place against a former MEP, members of Member State parliaments and European think tanks;

1.  Strongly condemns China’s decision to enact REE export restrictions, which has halted exports and significantly disrupted supply chains vital for the automotive industry, defence manufacturers, semiconductor companies, green technologies, healthcare applications and many other sectors in the EU and across the world; considers that China’s action is unjustified and has a coercive intent, building on the enormous leverage its quasi-monopolistic position on the global market provides;

2.  Believes that China is using these export restrictions to strengthen its negotiating position; stresses that the EU must firmly reject any attempts by China to use these restrictions to force concessions on other ongoing trade irritants, and believes that any concessions to China in this respect would harm the EU’s ability to protect itself from current and future coercion;

3.  Underlines the importance of expressing concern regarding China’s export restrictions on REEs and the broader implications of these restrictions for global supply chains at the upcoming EU-China summit; is convinced that export controls should be part of a multilateral approach designed to protect international security and ensure a global level playing field, insists that unilateral controls must be limited to those made strictly necessary by national security considerations, with transparent and clearly defined rules, and therefore stresses that making China’s actions run counter to multilateral rules and practices, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to take a firm and unified stance, engage with China to find a structural solution and continue dialogue with China in this regard;

4.  Urges the Chinese authorities to follow up tangibly on their proposal and fully lift the export restrictions; takes note, in the meantime, of the recent proposal by the Chinese authorities to establish so-called ‘green lanes’ aimed at simplifying procedures for European companies;

5.  Stresses the urgent need for the EU to enhance its strategic leverage and indispensability by identifying, operationalising and strengthening areas in which it holds critical advantages over China in essential goods and technologies, with the objective of strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy, or by limiting access to the EU internal market for high-risk Chinese vendors in accordance with EU and international trade law;

6.  Considers China’s measures to be an unjustified weaponisation of its CRM supply lines, rendering it an untrustworthy source of input for critical sectors and a threat to the Union’s economic and essential security interests;

7.  Expresses deep concern over the requirements, imposed by Chinese authorities, that applicants must disclose sensitive data when applying for export permits, and over the considerable risk of technology leaks associated with this as regards the defence industrial base value chain and national security secrets, stressing that this may be used for future coercion; considers it essential for the Commission and the Member States to assess and mitigate the security implications of such data transfers, in line with the European economic security strategy;

8.  Urges the Commission and the Member States to accelerate the implementation of the CRMA; stresses the important role of the European Raw Materials Board and its sub-groups for the rapid and efficient implementation of the CRMA; recalls the clear and ambitious targets set to reinforce EU capacities to extract, process and recycle SRMs domestically by 2030; highlights the selection of the first 60 strategic projects under the CRMA;

9.  Regrets the fact that the CRMA was not accompanied by a dedicated EU budget, despite the lack of funding being the main bottleneck; stresses the urgent need to secure investments in the strategic projects approved under the CRMA and in other projects to boost extraction, refining, processing and recycling that contribute to de-risking from China and to achieving the CRMA benchmarks; urges the Commission to dedicate further EU-level support to the diversification of the REE and CRM supply, and to guarantee that the forthcoming multiannual financial framework will include a budget line to foster investment in extraction, processing, circularity, research and innovation, including for the substitution of CRMs;

10.  Underlines the need for the EU to mine domestically and re-establish processing capacity; underlines that increasing the efficiency of resource use through technological innovation is one of the objectives of the CRMA; emphasises the potential of recycling and urban mining to alleviate supply constraints in the short term and asks the Commission to take immediate measures to improve the collection and retention of REEs in the internal market;

11.  Underlines the need to ensure the long-term business case for and the viability of investments in CRM value chains, including through financial support such as price floors, offtake support and strategic stockpiling; calls on the Member States to request that large companies producing technologies in strategic sectors duly and regularly carry out risk-preparedness activities and measures to mitigate supply shortages, including via stockpiling;

12.  Calls on the Commission, together with the Member States, to assess the minimum level for the EU of strategic stocks of REEs listed as SRMs (neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, dysprosium, gadolinium, samarium and cerium) and the corresponding end-use applications, including those linked to the defence industry;

13.  Calls, furthermore, for stronger engagement to conclude clean trade and investment partnerships (CTIPs) and bilateral strategic partnerships on raw materials that are based on true win-win partnerships and meet high sustainability and human rights standards; insists on the need to move towards binding agreements on CRMs to ensure the long-term security of the EU’s supplies, guarantee more transparency and ensure that Parliament has scrutiny powers; underlines the importance of free trade agreements and the Global Gateway initiative in enhancing access to CRMs;

14.  Encourages the use of preference clauses for sourcing REEs from EU suppliers and trusted partners in relevant procurement legislation; calls for greater coordination with like-minded international partners, particularly within the G7 and NATO frameworks and with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security, in order to improve knowledge transfer, align supply chain security, joint investments and stockpiling strategies, and develop trusted-source standards for strategic sectors and projects;

15.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China.

(1) OJ L, 2024/1252, 3.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj.

(2) OJ L, 2024/1735, 28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1735/oj.

MIL OSI Europe News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Diplomacy in the digital age: Foreign Secretary’s speech, July 2025

Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Speech

Diplomacy in the digital age: Foreign Secretary’s speech, July 2025

Foreign Secretary David Lammy delivered a speech on diplomacy in the digital age whilst in Singapore.

It’s great to be here today.

As you have heard, I recently marked 25 years as a member of Parliament and this week one year as Foreign Secretary. It’s a pleasure to visit your great country following your sixtieth birthday as a nation.

Whenever I’ve come to Singapore and the wider ASEAN region, I’m struck by the innovative spirit, the creativity and the optimism.

Sixty years ago, Prime Minister Harold Wilson talked of the “white heat of technology” transforming British society and industry. Today, the whole world is being radically reconfigured by technology, but nowhere faster, or more successfully, than here.

I’m particularly pleased to be here after my second ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Malaysia. In Laos last year, I promised to reconnect Britain to the Indo-Pacific and that is well underway.

In just over a year, I’ve made 5 visits spanning 10 countries to the region. I’ve no doubt this will rise during my time in this job.

The Indo-Pacific matters to the UK. ASEAN will be the world’s fastest-growing economic bloc over the next decade. Your investments into Britain like Malaysian firm SMD Semiconductor’s new R&D hub in Wales, your market of 700 million consumers are a huge part of our growth ambitions.

Over the past year, we have been delivering on our promise to bring our economies closer together. Our CPTPP membership now ratified, our free trade agreement with India now signed our Industrial and Trade Strategies now published all speak to a hugely ambitious future for Britain in the Indo-Pacific.

But we want to go much further.  We’re working with ASEAN on their Power Grid and economic resilience.  We support CPTPP widening, deepening, and starting dialogues with trading blocs like ASEAN and the EU. 

We are exploring other agreements, too, like a deeper FTA with South Korea or accession to the Digital Economic Partnership Agreement which Singapore co-founded. Today’s ‘digital trade’ will tomorrow simply be ‘trade’, and Britain is committed to making it faster, cheaper and easier.

As you in Singapore know very well this region is the crucible for global security. Partner countries like Britain must stand up for an open, stable and rules-based international system because our region’s security and your region’s security are inextricably linked.

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine drove market turbulence in Asia. Any major supply chain disruption in Asia could push prices up in Britain. If we have learnt one lesson over the past decade, it is that economic security does not respect borders.

That is why Britain’s new National Security Strategy recommitted to the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Our Carrier Strike Group recently sailed through your waters – a deployment involving 12 other nations.

We’re deepening our many regional security partnerships including AUKUS and the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

HMS Prince of Wales, as we’ve heard, is participating in Exercise Bersama Lima in September and the Malaysian chair kindly invited me to the ASEAN Regional Forum just yesterday, where I underlined British support for ASEAN centrality and our growing cooperation against transnational crime and illicit finance.

In Singapore, you have proven over generations that it is not size which determines success it is strategic clarity. This is true of technology more than any other area. Singapore has shown what’s possible when digital innovation is matched with long-term thinking and national purpose.

Back in 1981, when most of us were still working out what a computer was, your leaders set up a National Computerisation Committee. In 2014, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the whole-of-government Smart Nation initiative. Then in 2019, Teo Chee Hean unveiled a National AI Strategy.

Each time, your leaders were ahead of the game. Each time there was a broader lesson. Singapore didn’t get ahead by throwing money at the private sector and hoping for the best.

Instead, you built serious public capability like SingPass, thanks to deep technical expertise inside government and investments in areas like compute and data infrastructure.

Starting in this job, I said that Britain needed to do more listening and less lecturing. A huge part of my trip this week has been to listen and, I hope, learn lessons on how we can pursue a similarly long-term strategy embracing technology. That vision must include specific focus on the intersection of AI and diplomacy.

This is not yet a staple of foreign ministry and foreign ministers’ discussions at least in my experience. But I believe that unless we lift our heads above the rat-race of crises and summits and examine the longer-term trends reshaping our world we will be boiled like the proverbial frog.

AI is not just the next rung in the technological ladder. It will deliver a paradigm shift in the distribution and exercise of power. It will redefine how nations project influence how threats emerge and how we defend ourselves. It will therefore transform how diplomacy is conducted.

As Prime Minister Wong said earlier this year: “The once-rising tide of global cooperation that defined the past decades is giving way to one of growing competition and distrust.  As a result, the world is becoming more fragmented and disorderly”.

There is much evidence of emerging technology catalysing the deterioration of both domestic and international norms. AI is at the spearhead of hybrid threats like disinformation. It is not enough for responsible states to complain about others’ reckless behaviour.

If we do not invest in gaining technological edge then our influence will inevitably decline. So today I want to outline a more hopeful vision of a sovereign, AI-enabled foreign policy.

I am proud of the role British diplomacy played at the Bletchley AI Safety Summit, our creation of the AI Security Institute, our plans for a new counter-hybrid taskforce in the FCDO to ready us for this new age.

I’m pleased also to see our work with Singapore in areas such as Responsible AI in the Military Realm and with ASEAN on AI for development.

But there has been little discussion between Britain and partners in the Indo-Pacific and beyond on how to use AI and advanced technology to make our diplomacy more effective.

I am determined to address this gap as Foreign Secretary, bringing AI to the centre of the FCDO’s policy machine. Like most foreign ministries, too many Foreign Office practices have changed little over the past half century. But the old levers of government – briefings, memos, lengthy debates on drafting – are too slow and cumbersome for the pace of modern statecraft.

In an age of ever-accelerating speed and complexity we need the tools to match. Let me be clear: AI will obviously not solve foreign policy. It will not eliminate risk, nor remove the need for careful human judgement and the ability of people to build trusting relationships, as I have been doing with ASEAN partners this week.

Diplomacy in 2025 needs machine speed and a human touch. It can help us to make better decisions amidst rising uncertainty. It can improve our ability to detect early signals of crisis, to simulate the likely effects of policy choices and to respond with speed and confidence.

Imagine for a moment an AI-powered unit at the heart of a foreign ministry. That could catalyse patterns of military movement, energy flows, and online narratives, model how a diplomatic crisis in one part of the world will have ripple effects elsewhere, red-team our response to a crisis – attacking our own policies before others can. Or flag emerging risks that human analysts might miss, especially when they emerge in grey zones favoured by adversaries.

These capabilities are not science fiction. They are already being employed. The United States’ DARPA and KAIROS projects already simulate complex political developments and anticipate conflict escalation. Estonia’s STRATCOM Centre uses AI-enabled systems to detect disinformation campaigns in real time.

Of course, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry uses predictive analytics to flag risks to critical supply chains.

The question before us is not whether AI will shape foreign policy. It is who will shape it, and how.

In the British Foreign Office, this government is investing £290 million in reforming our Department, helping to equip our teams with the capabilities and technologies that the modern era demands.

But outside of the United States and China, no country has the scale to deliver all the capabilities we need independently.

My call today is therefore for more collaboration, more AI diplomacy within a perimeter of values. I want partners such as Britain and Singapore to align standards, share tools and develop models that reflect our shared principles.

Deep bilateral partnerships will be at the core of Britain’s approach. For us, our special relationship with the United States will remain foundational rooted in particular on our deep security links.

With the European Union, we can pursue AI cooperation through the prism of foreign policy and security, not just regulation, and I will be discussing this with Kaja Kallas as part of our recently agreed Security and Defence Partnership.

With India through the ‘Technology Security Initiative’ we agreed last year, we will focus collaboration more sharply in critical and emerging technologies.

And with other Indo-Pacific partners I hope that we can build on initiatives like the UK-ASEAN AI Innovation Summit later this year and extend cooperation to AI-enabled foreign policy.

I said that you in Singapore have shown the power of long-term thinking. The importance of a long-term vision, and I hope we can apply that same approach to breaking down the silos between foreign policy and technology.

We live in a volatile world. Technology is reshaping our societies, making power more diffuse. Nations like Britain and Singapore need to equip ourselves with the tools to navigate these shifts and that means fusing AI and diplomacy, focusing on a long view of change and doubling down on our shared interests.

Thank you.

Updates to this page

Published 12 July 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Family Ties: Siblings strengthen readiness, relationships during African Lion 2025

Source: United States Army

Back to

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

DODJI, Senegal — For many service members, participating in an international military exercise can feel like joining a larger, multinational family. For U.S. Army Maj. Carolyn Vandeventer and her younger brother, U.S. Army Master Sgt. Stuart Vandevick, that sentiment is literal.

The siblings were both deployed to Senegal in support of African Lion 2025 (AL25), U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual combined joint exercise. Vandeventer, a logistics officer assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (Forward), U.S. Army Reserve, based in Vicenza, Italy, and Vandevick, a key member of the exercise’s mayor cell assigned to the 561st Regional Support Group in Elkhorn, Nebraska, are sharing a rare opportunity to serve together while supporting multinational training at Centre d’Entraînement Tactique 2 (CET2) in Dodji.

This year’s iteration of AL25 emphasizes readiness, interoperability and relationship-building to enhance warfighting capabilities among partner nations. In that spirit, the Vandeventer siblings reinforce a core principle of the exercise: strong teams are built on trust, collaboration—and sometimes, family.

“It started off as a joke over Thanksgiving,” said Vandeventer. “I told Stuart, ‘Hey, your new unit falls under mine now. Want to come to Senegal?’ But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.”

What started as a joke soon turned into reality.

“We’ve both been in the Army for over 19 years,” said Vandeventer. “But we’ve never actually worked the same mission—until now.”

Vandevick quickly accepted the offer.

Tasked with overseeing base operations and sustainment efforts as part of the mayor cell, his responsibilities complemented his sister’s strategic role in managing logistics at the operational level. Together, their coordination added a personal dimension to an already complex multinational effort.

“Having Carolyn here makes the mission more personal,” said Vandevick. “It underscores how building trust and close relationships—whether with a sibling or a multinational partner—is essential to overcoming challenges and getting the job done.”

Their shared experience also illustrates the broader objective of African Lion: strengthening ties and improving readiness across allied and partner forces.

“African Lion thrives on personal connections that reinforce military cooperation,” said U.S. Army Col. Matthias E. Greene, the senior U.S. officer for AL25 in Senegal. “Having siblings serve side by side underscores our emphasis on building genuine partnerships at every level.”

In Senegal, AL25 featured field training exercises, live-fire ranges and medical readiness operations conducted by troops from Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, the Netherlands, Senegal and the U.S.

Across the wider theater, more than 10,000 participants from over 50 nations took part in coordinated activities across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.

Vandeventer said having her brother nearby was both operationally useful and personally meaningful.

“Because we’ve both been in the Army a long time, working together here has felt natural,” she said. “He understands how the mayor cell functions from his background in a regional support group, and that’s helped me tremendously. We’re in sync in a way only siblings can be—sometimes it feels like we can read each other’s minds.”

Beyond the mission, she says, the deployment offered something even rarer: time together.

“Other than Thanksgiving, I hadn’t seen him in years,” she said. “Serving overseas, I don’t get many chances like this. Getting to video call our parents from the same place—from a continent away—was something special.”

Their bond hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“People in the dining facility or the tactical operation center (TOC) will see us interact and ask someone nearby, ‘Wait, are they related?’” Vandevent said, laughing. “The looks on their faces are priceless. I’ll give Stuart a big bear hug—definitely not standard between a field grade officer and an NCO—and we’ll both say, ‘Yes way.’”

African Lion 25 reinforces U.S. and partner nations’ readiness and collective resolve to ensure peace through strength.

About African Lion

AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win.

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Washington’s war demands – Australia right to refuse committing to a hypothetical conflict with China over Taiwan

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

Andy. LIU/Shutterstock

The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies.

Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly worked to help ensure the US remains the principal security guarantor in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia’s track record speaks for itself. Yet additional demands are being placed that rankle.

The Pentagon wants to know how Australia – and other allies such as Japan – would respond in the event of a war with China over Taiwan.

Making these demands – which are being sought as part of the review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement – is both unjustified and unreasonable.

‘100 years of mateship’

Since federation in 1901, Australians have found themselves alongside US counterparts in almost all the major conflicts of the 20th century and beyond.

It is this shared experience that led former Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, to coin the term “100 years of mateship”.

The pinnacle of the security relationship is the ANZUS Treaty which is a loosely worded document barely 800 words long.

However, it is important to remember AUKUS is just that – a technical agreement, albeit premised on the century-spanning trusted collaboration across the full spectrum of national security ties.

Goldilocks solution

More recently, the US administration has made demands of allies, including Australia, the likes of which have not been seen in living memory.

This spans not just tariffs, but also increased defence spending. American policymakers appear oblivious or unconcerned about the blowback they are generating.

It is this context which makes the US demands for a broad-ranging and largely open-ended commitment over the defence of Taiwan, in advance of any conflict, so extraordinary and unhelpful.

Under-secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby who wants a clear sense of how Australia would act in a potential war over Taiwan.
Supplied by US Department of Defence, CC BY

Australia has long had a fear of abandonment. Ever since the searing experience of the fall of Singapore in 1942, officials have been eager to burnish ties with US counterparts. Conversely, there has always been a strong element in the community that has feared entrapment in yet another US-led war in Asia.

The experience in the Korean and Vietnam wars, let alone Afghanistan and Iraq, left many guarded about the efficacy of hitching the wagon to US-led military campaigns.

In essence, though, Australian policymakers have long sought the Goldilocks solution: not too enthusiastic to trigger entrapment and not too lukewarm to trigger abandonment.

No guarantees

Now Australia, Japan and others face a surprising new push by American officials for a commitment to a hypothetical conflict, under open-ended circumstances.

The irony is that American demands for a commitment fly in the face of the loosely worded ANZUS alliance – which stipulates an agreement to consult, but little more than that.

The AUKUS agreement includes no such guarantees either. The overt and confronting nature of Washington’s demands means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese effectively has no option but to push back:

We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don’t support any unilateral action […] we want peace and security in our region.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was adamant Australia would not be committing forces ahead of any “hypothetical” conflict:

The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance, but by the government of the day.

A further irony is Australia, like Japan, is already hugely invested in its US military relationship, particularly through its military technology.

The purchase of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, for instance, was meant to help enable the generation of interoperable forces, yet no such demand has been made when it comes to an advance commitment over their use in support of US ambitions.

So why invoke AUKUS in such a way?

Evidently, the way the US is trying to stand over Japan and Australia is harmful to its own interests. Such adversarial and unduly transactional behaviour could provoke a popular backlash in Australia and elsewhere.

The government has rightly rebuffed the calls saying it would be up to the government of the day to make such a decision. It is likely this will not be well received by the Trump administration. The PM is right though, to say it’s hypothetical and not worthy of a public endorsement.

Strategic ambiguity

Yet a further irony is that this is mostly a moot point.

The key benefit of alliance collaboration is already in place – and that relates to the efforts to deter China from ever acting on its desire to change the status quo in the first place.

As former PM and now ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd explained in his book, The Avoidable War, geo-political disaster is still avoidable, particularly if the US and China can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through managed strategic competition.

This strategic ambiguity is meant to complicate a potential adversary’s military planners and political decision makers’ thought processes over the advantages and disadvantages of going to war.

China already knows a clash over Taiwan would mean US allies like Japan and Australia would find it virtually impossible to avoid being entangled. The strategic ambiguity can be maintained ad infinitum, so long as an outright invasion is averted.

And the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan? I remain sanguine that conflict can be avoided.

But to do so would involve clear and compelling messaging: both through diplomatic channels and through the demonstration of robust military capabilities that war would be too costly.

John Blaxland received funding (2015–2018) from the US DoD Minerva Research Initiative.

– ref. Washington’s war demands – Australia right to refuse committing to a hypothetical conflict with China over Taiwan – https://theconversation.com/washingtons-war-demands-australia-right-to-refuse-committing-to-a-hypothetical-conflict-with-china-over-taiwan-261076

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 14, 2025
Amarnath Yatra: Over Two Lakh Devotees Offer Prayers, Fresh Batch of 6,143 Leaves for Kashmir

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Amarnath Yatra: Over Two Lakh Devotees Offer Prayers, Fresh Batch of 6,143 Leaves for Kashmir

Over the last 11 days, since it began on July 3, more than two lakh pilgrims have undertaken the ongoing Amarnath Yatra. Another batch of 6,143 pilgrims departed from Jammu for Kashmir on Monday.

Officials stated, “Another batch of 6,143 Yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley today. The first escorted convoy of 100 vehicles carrying 2,215 Yatris left at 3:30 a.m. for the Baltal base camp, while the second escorted convoy of 135 vehicles carrying 3,928 Yatris left at 4 a.m. for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.”

On Sunday, nine yatris sustained injuries when four vehicles in their escorted convoy collided in the Kulgam district on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The injured were shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Anantnag town, where doctors described their condition as stable.

The Bhumi Pujan of ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Mace) was performed at Pahalgam on Thursday. The Chhari Mubarak was taken to Pahalgam by a group of sadhus, led by its sole custodian, Mahant Swami Deependra Giri, from its seat at the Dashnami Akhara Building in Srinagar. In Pahalgam, the Chhari Mubarak was taken to the Gauri Shankar temple, where the Bhumi Pujan was held. The Chhari Mubarak will reach the holy cave shrine on August 9, marking the official conclusion of the Yatra.

Authorities have made extensive multi-tier security arrangements for this year’s Amarnath Yatra. These measures come in the wake of the cowardly attack on April 22, in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians after segregating them based on their faith in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.

An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been brought in to augment the existing strength of the Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the local police.

The Army has rolled out ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, deploying more than 8,500 troops alongside advanced surveillance and combat technology. As part of this extensive deployment, a dedicated counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) grid featuring over 50 C-UAS and EW (Electronic Warfare) systems has been positioned to counter drone-based threats.

“Live surveillance via UAVs (drones) and PTZ camera feeds is actively monitoring yatra convoys and the holy cave. Engineer task forces have been mobilized for infrastructure tasks like bridge laying, track widening, and landslide mitigation. The operation also includes over 150 doctors and paramedics, two Advanced Dressing Stations, nine Medical Aid Posts, a 100-bed hospital, and 26 oxygen booths backed by 2 lakh litres of oxygen. Signal companies, EME technical detachments, and Bomb Detection & Disposal Squads have also been deployed,” the Army stated.

All transit camps en route to the two base camps and the entire route from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu to the cave shrine are secured by security forces.

This year, the Yatra started on July 3 and will conclude after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

Yatris approach the holy cave shrine, situated 3,888 meters above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas, from either the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route. Those using the Pahalgam route pass through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni to reach the cave shrine, covering a distance of 46 km on foot. This trek takes a pilgrim four days to complete. Those using the shorter Baltal route have to trek 14 km to reach the cave shrine and can return to the base camp the same day after performing the Yatra.

No helicopter services are available to Yatris this year due to security reasons.

The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolizes the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the holiest pilgrimages for Hindu devotees, as legend says Lord Shiva narrated the secrets of eternal life and immortality to Mata Parvati inside this cave.

(IANS)

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI China: DPRK condemns US-Japan-S. Korea joint drill

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

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) denounced a joint drill by the United States, Japan and South Korea on Sunday, calling such trilateral military maneuver “main danger factors heightening the level of military tension on the Korean Peninsula and in its vicinity.”

On Friday, the United States, Japan and South Korea “waged a provocative tripartite joint air drill by mobilizing various kinds of combat bombers including the strategic bomber ‘B-52H’ in the sky over the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity,” said the KCNA, citing a statement by the chief of the Policy Office of the Ministry of National Defence.

The military alliances between the United States and Japan and between the United States and South Korea “have completely changed into a nuclear-based triangular military alliance,” and the tripartite military cooperation being promoted in all spheres heralds the fact that “the long-running instability and tension on the Korean Peninsula can lead to an unpredictable phase of military confrontation at any moment,” the statement added.

It is the DPRK’s sovereign right to take countermeasures against provocative military actions, such as the moves to strengthen the multilateral military alliance threatening the security of the region.

MIL OSI China News –

July 14, 2025
Israeli missile hits Gaza children collecting water, IDF blames malfunction

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

At least eight Palestinians, most of them children, were killed and more than a dozen were wounded in central Gaza when they went to collect water on Sunday, local officials said, in an Israeli strike which the military said missed its target.

The Israeli military said the missile had intended to hit an Islamic Jihad militant in the area but that a malfunction had caused it to fall “dozens of metres from the target”.

“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians,” it said in a statement, adding that the incident was under review.

The strike hit a water distribution point in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing six children and injuring 17 others, said Ahmed Abu Saifan, an emergency physician at Al-Awda Hospital.

Water shortages in Gaza have worsened sharply in recent weeks, with fuel shortages causing desalination and sanitation facilities to close, making people dependent on collection centres where they can fill up their plastic containers.

Hours later, 12 people were killed by an Israeli strike on a market in Gaza City, including a prominent hospital consultant, Ahmad Qandil, Palestinian media reported. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack.

Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday that more than 58,000 people had been killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, with 139 people added to the death toll over the past 24 hours.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its tally, but says over half of those killed are women and children.

CEASEFIRE?

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he was “hopeful” on Gaza ceasefire negotiations underway in Qatar.

He told reporters in Teterboro, New Jersey, that he planned to meet senior Qatari officials on the sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup final.

However, negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire have been stalling, with the two sides divided over the extent of an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources said at the weekend.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to convene ministers late on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in the talks, an Israeli official said.

The indirect talks over a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire are being held in Doha, but optimism that surfaced last week of a looming deal has largely faded, with both sides accusing each other of intransigence.

Netanyahu in a video he posted on Telegram on Sunday said Israel would not back down from its core demands – releasing all the hostages still in Gaza, destroying Hamas and ensuring Gaza will never again be a threat to Israel.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive.

Families of hostages gathered outside Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem to call for a deal.

“The overwhelming majority of the people of Israel have spoken loudly and clearly. We want to do a deal, even at the cost of ending this war, and we want to do it now,” said Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was held hostage by Hamas in a Gaza tunnel and slain by his captors in August 2024.

Netanyahu and his ministers were also set to discuss a plan on Sunday to move hundreds of thousands of Gazans to the southern area of Rafah, in what Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has described as a new “humanitarian city” but which would be likely to draw international criticism for forced displacement.

An Israeli source briefed on discussions in Israel said that the plan was to establish the complex in Rafah during the ceasefire, if it is reached.

On Saturday, a Palestinian source familiar with the truce talks said that Hamas rejected withdrawal maps which Israel proposed, because they would leave around 40% of the territory under Israeli control, including all of Rafah.

Israel’s campaign against Hamas has displaced almost the entire population of more than 2 million people, but Gazans say nowhere is safe in the coastal enclave.

Early on Sunday morning, a missile hit a house in Gaza City where a family had moved after receiving an evacuation order from their home in the southern outskirts.

“My aunt, her husband and the children, are gone. What is the fault of the children who died in an ugly bloody massacre at dawn?” said Anas Matar, standing in the rubble of the building.

(Reuters)

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China invites journalists from home, abroad to cover victory anniversary events in Beijing 2025-07-14 10:01:17 Journalists from home and abroad are welcome to cover the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — Journalists from home and abroad are welcome to cover the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing.

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MIL OSI China News –
July 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 14, 2025

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 14, 2025.

Washington’s war demands – Australia risks being dragged into a conflict with China over Taiwan
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Andy. LIU/Shutterstock The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies. Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly

Women played key roles in Syria’s revolution. Now they’ve been pushed to the margins
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kinda Alsamara, Lecturer in the School of Languages and Cultures, The University of Queensland The end of the oppressive Assad regime in Syria in late 2024 has been broadly welcomed on the global stage – underscored by the fact the United States and European Union have now

Music is at the forefront of AI disruption, but NZ artists still have few protections
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dave Carter, Associate Professor, School of Music and Screen Arts, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Was the recent Velvet Sundown phenomenon a great music and media hoax, a sign of things to come, or just another example of what’s already happening ? In

Cycling can be 4 times more efficient than walking. A biomechanics expert explains why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University You’re standing at your front door, facing a five kilometre commute to work. But you don’t have your car, and there’s no bus route. You can walk for an hour – or jump on your bicycle and arrive in

‘You become a target’: research shows why many people who experience racism don’t report it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mario Peucker, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University The way racism manifests itself may have changed over time, but it remains a persistent problem in Australia. The 2024 Reconciliation Barometer found a significant increase in racism against First

Even a day off alcohol makes a difference – our timeline maps the health benefits when you stop drinking
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University d3sign/Getty Alcohol has many negative effects on our health, some of which may surprise you. These include short-term impacts such as waking up with a pounding head or anxiety, to long-term effects including

What’s happened to Australia’s green hydrogen dream? Here are 5 reasons the industry has floundered
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute An official from German energy supplier Eon with Fortescue founder Andrew Forrest after inking a deal in 2022 to supply green hydrogen from Australia to Germany. Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images As the world looks for

Soaring house prices may be locking people into marriages, new research shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Whelan, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney GAS-photo/Shutterstock House prices continued to rise across Australia in June, recent data shows. Nationally, prices have risen about 38% in the past five years. Higher housing prices are simply one contributor, albeit a very important one, to the

Can’t work out without music? Neither could the ancient Greeks and Romans
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA These days when you see people exercising, they’re usually also listening to music, whether they’re at the gym, or out jogging on the street. It makes sense, as studies have

The Bradbury Group features Palestinian journalist Yousef Aljamal, Middle East report and political panel
Asia Pacific Report In the new weekly political podcast, The Bradbury Group, last night presenter Martyn Bradbury talked with visiting Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal. They assess the current situation in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and what New Zealand should be doing. As Bradbury, publisher of The Daily Blog, notes, “Fourth Estate public broadcasting

Author David Robie tells of outrage over sinking of the Rainbow Warrior 40 years ago
RNZ News Nights Tomorrow marks 40 years since the bombing and sinking of the Rainbow Warrior — a moment that changed the course of New Zealand’s history and reshaped how we saw ourselves on the world stage. Two French agents planted two explosives on the ship, then just before midnight, explosions ripped through the hull

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 14, 2025

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 14, 2025.

Washington’s war demands – Australia risks being dragged into a conflict with China over Taiwan
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Andy. LIU/Shutterstock The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies. Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly

Women played key roles in Syria’s revolution. Now they’ve been pushed to the margins
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kinda Alsamara, Lecturer in the School of Languages and Cultures, The University of Queensland The end of the oppressive Assad regime in Syria in late 2024 has been broadly welcomed on the global stage – underscored by the fact the United States and European Union have now

Music is at the forefront of AI disruption, but NZ artists still have few protections
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dave Carter, Associate Professor, School of Music and Screen Arts, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Was the recent Velvet Sundown phenomenon a great music and media hoax, a sign of things to come, or just another example of what’s already happening ? In

Cycling can be 4 times more efficient than walking. A biomechanics expert explains why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University You’re standing at your front door, facing a five kilometre commute to work. But you don’t have your car, and there’s no bus route. You can walk for an hour – or jump on your bicycle and arrive in

‘You become a target’: research shows why many people who experience racism don’t report it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mario Peucker, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University The way racism manifests itself may have changed over time, but it remains a persistent problem in Australia. The 2024 Reconciliation Barometer found a significant increase in racism against First

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University d3sign/Getty Alcohol has many negative effects on our health, some of which may surprise you. These include short-term impacts such as waking up with a pounding head or anxiety, to long-term effects including

What’s happened to Australia’s green hydrogen dream? Here are 5 reasons the industry has floundered
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MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Washington’s war demands – Australia right to refuse being dragged into a potential conflict with China over Taiwan

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

Andy. LIU/Shutterstock

The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies.

Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly worked to help ensure the US remains the principal security guarantor in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia’s track record speaks for itself. Yet additional demands are being placed that rankle.

The Pentagon wants to know how Australia – and other allies such as Japan – would respond in the event of a war with China over Taiwan.

Making these demands – which are being sought as part of the review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement – is both unjustified and unreasonable.

‘100 years of mateship’

Since federation in 1901, Australians have found themselves alongside US counterparts in almost all the major conflicts of the 20th century and beyond.

It is this shared experience that led former Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, to coin the term “100 years of mateship”.

The pinnacle of the security relationship is the ANZUS Treaty which is a loosely worded document barely 800 words long.

However, it is important to remember AUKUS is just that – a technical agreement, albeit premised on the century-spanning trusted collaboration across the full spectrum of national security ties.

Goldilocks solution

More recently, the US administration has made demands of allies, including Australia, the likes of which have not been seen in living memory.

This spans not just tariffs, but also increased defence spending. American policymakers appear oblivious or unconcerned about the blowback they are generating.

It is this context which makes the US demands for a broad-ranging and largely open-ended commitment over the defence of Taiwan, in advance of any conflict, so extraordinary and unhelpful.

Under-secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby who wants a clear sense of how Australia would act in a potential war over Taiwan.
Supplied by US Department of Defence, CC BY

Australia has long had a fear of abandonment. Ever since the searing experience of the fall of Singapore in 1942, officials have been eager to burnish ties with US counterparts. Conversely, there has always been a strong element in the community that has feared entrapment in yet another US-led war in Asia.

The experience in the Korean and Vietnam wars, let alone Afghanistan and Iraq, left many guarded about the efficacy of hitching the wagon to US-led military campaigns.

In essence, though, Australian policymakers have long sought the Goldilocks solution: not too enthusiastic to trigger entrapment and not too lukewarm to trigger abandonment.

No guarantees

Now Australia, Japan and others face a surprising new push by American officials for a commitment to a hypothetical conflict, under open-ended circumstances.

The irony is that American demands for a commitment fly in the face of the loosely worded ANZUS alliance – which stipulates an agreement to consult, but little more than that.

The AUKUS agreement includes no such guarantees either. The overt and confronting nature of Washington’s demands means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese effectively has no option but to push back:

We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don’t support any unilateral action […] we want peace and security in our region.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was adamant Australia would not be committing forces ahead of any “hypothetical” conflict:

The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance, but by the government of the day.

A further irony is Australia, like Japan, is already hugely invested in its US military relationship, particularly through its military technology.

The purchase of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, for instance, was meant to help enable the generation of interoperable forces, yet no such demand has been made when it comes to an advance commitment over their use in support of US ambitions.

So why invoke AUKUS in such a way?

Evidently, the way the US is trying to stand over Japan and Australia is harmful to its own interests. Such adversarial and unduly transactional behaviour could provoke a popular backlash in Australia and elsewhere.

The government has rightly rebuffed the calls saying it would be up to the government of the day to make such a decision. It is likely this will not be well received by the Trump administration. The PM is right though, to say it’s hypothetical and not worthy of a public endorsement.

Strategic ambiguity

Yet a further irony is that this is mostly a moot point.

The key benefit of alliance collaboration is already in place – and that relates to the efforts to deter China from ever acting on its desire to change the status quo in the first place.

As former PM and now ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd explained in his book, The Avoidable War, geo-political disaster is still avoidable, particularly if the US and China can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through managed strategic competition.

This strategic ambiguity is meant to complicate a potential adversary’s military planners and political decision makers’ thought processes over the advantages and disadvantages of going to war.

China already knows a clash over Taiwan would mean US allies like Japan and Australia would find it virtually impossible to avoid being entangled. The strategic ambiguity can be maintained ad infinitum, so long as an outright invasion is averted.

And the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan? I remain sanguine that conflict can be avoided.

But to do so would involve clear and compelling messaging: both through diplomatic channels and through the demonstration of robust military capabilities that war would be too costly.

John Blaxland received funding (2015–2018) from the US DoD Minerva Research Initiative.

– ref. Washington’s war demands – Australia right to refuse being dragged into a potential conflict with China over Taiwan – https://theconversation.com/washingtons-war-demands-australia-right-to-refuse-being-dragged-into-a-potential-conflict-with-china-over-taiwan-261076

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Washington’s war demands – Australia right to refuse being dragged into a potential conflict with China over Taiwan

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

Andy. LIU/Shutterstock

The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies.

Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly worked to help ensure the US remains the principal security guarantor in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia’s track record speaks for itself. Yet additional demands are being placed that rankle.

The Pentagon wants to know how Australia – and other allies such as Japan – would respond in the event of a war with China over Taiwan.

Making these demands – which are being sought as part of the review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement – is both unjustified and unreasonable.

‘100 years of mateship’

Since federation in 1901, Australians have found themselves alongside US counterparts in almost all the major conflicts of the 20th century and beyond.

It is this shared experience that led former Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, to coin the term “100 years of mateship”.

The pinnacle of the security relationship is the ANZUS Treaty which is a loosely worded document barely 800 words long.

However, it is important to remember AUKUS is just that – a technical agreement, albeit premised on the century-spanning trusted collaboration across the full spectrum of national security ties.

Goldilocks solution

More recently, the US administration has made demands of allies, including Australia, the likes of which have not been seen in living memory.

This spans not just tariffs, but also increased defence spending. American policymakers appear oblivious or unconcerned about the blowback they are generating.

It is this context which makes the US demands for a broad-ranging and largely open-ended commitment over the defence of Taiwan, in advance of any conflict, so extraordinary and unhelpful.

Under-secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby who wants a clear sense of how Australia would act in a potential war over Taiwan.
Supplied by US Department of Defence, CC BY

Australia has long had a fear of abandonment. Ever since the searing experience of the fall of Singapore in 1942, officials have been eager to burnish ties with US counterparts. Conversely, there has always been a strong element in the community that has feared entrapment in yet another US-led war in Asia.

The experience in the Korean and Vietnam wars, let alone Afghanistan and Iraq, left many guarded about the efficacy of hitching the wagon to US-led military campaigns.

In essence, though, Australian policymakers have long sought the Goldilocks solution: not too enthusiastic to trigger entrapment and not too lukewarm to trigger abandonment.

No guarantees

Now Australia, Japan and others face a surprising new push by American officials for a commitment to a hypothetical conflict, under open-ended circumstances.

The irony is that American demands for a commitment fly in the face of the loosely worded ANZUS alliance – which stipulates an agreement to consult, but little more than that.

The AUKUS agreement includes no such guarantees either. The overt and confronting nature of Washington’s demands means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese effectively has no option but to push back:

We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don’t support any unilateral action […] we want peace and security in our region.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was adamant Australia would not be committing forces ahead of any “hypothetical” conflict:

The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance, but by the government of the day.

A further irony is Australia, like Japan, is already hugely invested in its US military relationship, particularly through its military technology.

The purchase of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, for instance, was meant to help enable the generation of interoperable forces, yet no such demand has been made when it comes to an advance commitment over their use in support of US ambitions.

So why invoke AUKUS in such a way?

Evidently, the way the US is trying to stand over Japan and Australia is harmful to its own interests. Such adversarial and unduly transactional behaviour could provoke a popular backlash in Australia and elsewhere.

The government has rightly rebuffed the calls saying it would be up to the government of the day to make such a decision. It is likely this will not be well received by the Trump administration. The PM is right though, to say it’s hypothetical and not worthy of a public endorsement.

Strategic ambiguity

Yet a further irony is that this is mostly a moot point.

The key benefit of alliance collaboration is already in place – and that relates to the efforts to deter China from ever acting on its desire to change the status quo in the first place.

As former PM and now ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd explained in his book, The Avoidable War, geo-political disaster is still avoidable, particularly if the US and China can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through managed strategic competition.

This strategic ambiguity is meant to complicate a potential adversary’s military planners and political decision makers’ thought processes over the advantages and disadvantages of going to war.

China already knows a clash over Taiwan would mean US allies like Japan and Australia would find it virtually impossible to avoid being entangled. The strategic ambiguity can be maintained ad infinitum, so long as an outright invasion is averted.

And the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan? I remain sanguine that conflict can be avoided.

But to do so would involve clear and compelling messaging: both through diplomatic channels and through the demonstration of robust military capabilities that war would be too costly.

John Blaxland received funding (2015–2018) from the US DoD Minerva Research Initiative.

– ref. Washington’s war demands – Australia right to refuse being dragged into a potential conflict with China over Taiwan – https://theconversation.com/washingtons-war-demands-australia-right-to-refuse-being-dragged-into-a-potential-conflict-with-china-over-taiwan-261076

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Washington’s war demands – Australia risks being dragged into a conflict with China over Taiwan

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

Andy. LIU/Shutterstock

The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies.

Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly worked to help ensure the US remains the principal security guarantor in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia’s track record speaks for itself. Yet additional demands are being placed that rankle.

The Pentagon wants to know how Australia – and other allies such as Japan – would respond in the event of a war with China over Taiwan.

Making these demands – which are being sought as part of the review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement – is both unjustified and unreasonable.

‘100 years of mateship’

Since federation in 1901, Australians have found themselves alongside US counterparts in almost all the major conflicts of the 20th century and beyond.

It is this shared experience that led former Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, to coin the term “100 years of mateship”.

The pinnacle of the security relationship is the ANZUS Treaty which is a loosely worded document barely 800 words long.

However, it is important to remember AUKUS is just that – a technical agreement, albeit premised on the century-spanning trusted collaboration across the full spectrum of national security ties.

Goldilocks solution

More recently, the US administration has made demands of allies, including Australia, the likes of which have not been seen in living memory.

This spans not just tariffs, but also increased defence spending. American policymakers appear oblivious or unconcerned about the blowback they are generating.

It is this context which makes the US demands for a broad-ranging and largely open-ended commitment over the defence of Taiwan, in advance of any conflict, so extraordinary and unhelpful.

Under-secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby who wants a clear sense of how Australia would act in a potential war over Taiwan.
Supplied by US Department of Defence, CC BY

Australia has long had a fear of abandonment. Ever since the searing experience of the fall of Singapore in 1942, officials have been eager to burnish ties with US counterparts. Conversely, there has always been a strong element in the community that has feared entrapment in yet another US-led war in Asia.

The experience in the Korean and Vietnam wars, let alone Afghanistan and Iraq, left many guarded about the efficacy of hitching the wagon to US-led military campaigns.

In essence, though, Australian policymakers have long sought the Goldilocks solution: not too enthusiastic to trigger entrapment and not too lukewarm to trigger abandonment.

No guarantees

Now Australia, Japan and others face a surprising new push by American officials for a commitment to a hypothetical conflict, under open-ended circumstances.

The irony is that American demands for a commitment fly in the face of the loosely worded ANZUS alliance – which stipulates an agreement to consult, but little more than that.

The AUKUS agreement includes no such guarantees either. The overt and confronting nature of Washington’s demands means Prime Minister Anthony Albanese effectively has no option but to push back:

We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don’t support any unilateral action […] we want peace and security in our region.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was adamant Australia would not be committing forces ahead of any “hypothetical” conflict:

The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance, but by the government of the day.

A further irony is Australia, like Japan, is already hugely invested in its US military relationship, particularly through its military technology.

The purchase of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, for instance, was meant to help enable the generation of interoperable forces, yet no such demand has been made when it comes to an advance commitment over their use in support of US ambitions.

So why invoke AUKUS in such a way?

Evidently, the way the US is trying to stand over Japan and Australia is harmful to its own interests. Such adversarial and unduly transactional behaviour could provoke a popular backlash in Australia and elsewhere.

The government has rightly rebuffed the calls saying it would be up to the government of the day to make such a decision. It is likely this will not be well received by the Trump administration. The PM is right though, to say it’s hypothetical and not worthy of a public endorsement.

Strategic ambiguity

Yet a further irony is that this is mostly a moot point.

The key benefit of alliance collaboration is already in place – and that relates to the efforts to deter China from ever acting on its desire to change the status quo in the first place.

As former PM and now ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd explained in his book, The Avoidable War, geo-political disaster is still avoidable, particularly if the US and China can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through managed strategic competition.

This strategic ambiguity is meant to complicate a potential adversary’s military planners and political decision makers’ thought processes over the advantages and disadvantages of going to war.

China already knows a clash over Taiwan would mean US allies like Japan and Australia would find it virtually impossible to avoid being entangled. The strategic ambiguity can be maintained ad infinitum, so long as an outright invasion is averted.

And the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan? I remain sanguine that conflict can be avoided.

But to do so would involve clear and compelling messaging: both through diplomatic channels and through the demonstration of robust military capabilities that war would be too costly.

John Blaxland received funding (2015–2018) from the US DoD Minerva Research Initiative.

– ref. Washington’s war demands – Australia risks being dragged into a conflict with China over Taiwan – https://theconversation.com/washingtons-war-demands-australia-risks-being-dragged-into-a-conflict-with-china-over-taiwan-261076

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Commodore, Maritime Component Commander, New Zealand Defence Force Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 2, 2025 [Image 2 of 3]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

SINGAPORE (July 2, 2025) Commodore Shane Arndell, Maritime Component Commander, New Zealand Defence Force, signs a guest book during a scheduled visit to Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73, July 2, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed maritime forces, along with regional Allies and partners, to sustain Western Pacific operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

Date Taken: 07.01.2025

Date Posted: 07.08.2025 00:44

Photo ID: 9167913

VIRIN: 250702-N-ED646-7060

Resolution: 7131×4754

Size: 5.82 MB

Location: SG

Web Views: 13

Downloads: 1

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This work, Commodore, Maritime Component Commander, New Zealand Defence Force Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 2, 2025 [Image 3 of 3], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Commodore, Maritime Component Commander, New Zealand Defence Force Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 2, 2025 [Image 2 of 3]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

SINGAPORE (July 2, 2025) Commodore Shane Arndell, Maritime Component Commander, New Zealand Defence Force, signs a guest book during a scheduled visit to Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73, July 2, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed maritime forces, along with regional Allies and partners, to sustain Western Pacific operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

Date Taken: 07.01.2025

Date Posted: 07.08.2025 00:44

Photo ID: 9167913

VIRIN: 250702-N-ED646-7060

Resolution: 7131×4754

Size: 5.82 MB

Location: SG

Web Views: 13

Downloads: 1

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This work, Commodore, Maritime Component Commander, New Zealand Defence Force Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 2, 2025 [Image 3 of 3], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Royal Thai Navy Vice Admiral Benjapon Rusakul Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 10, 2025 [Image 1 of 4]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

SINGAPORE (July 10, 2025) Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, left, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73), greets Vice Adm. Benjapon Rusakul, Director General Naval Supply Department, Royal Thai Navy, during a scheduled visit to Sembawang Naval Installation, July 10, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed maritime forces, along with regional Allies and partners, to sustain Western Pacific operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings/Released)

Date Taken: 07.10.2025

Date Posted: 07.13.2025 22:03

Photo ID: 9177782

VIRIN: 250710-N-YV347-1050

Resolution: 5823×3882

Size: 11 MB

Location: SEMBAWANG PORT, SG

Web Views: 1

Downloads: 0

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This work, Royal Thai Navy Vice Admiral Benjapon Rusakul Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 10, 2025 [Image 4 of 4], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Royal Thai Navy Vice Admiral Benjapon Rusakul Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 10, 2025 [Image 1 of 4]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

SINGAPORE (July 10, 2025) Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, left, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73), greets Vice Adm. Benjapon Rusakul, Director General Naval Supply Department, Royal Thai Navy, during a scheduled visit to Sembawang Naval Installation, July 10, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed maritime forces, along with regional Allies and partners, to sustain Western Pacific operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings/Released)

Date Taken: 07.10.2025

Date Posted: 07.13.2025 22:03

Photo ID: 9177782

VIRIN: 250710-N-YV347-1050

Resolution: 5823×3882

Size: 11 MB

Location: SEMBAWANG PORT, SG

Web Views: 1

Downloads: 0

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This work, Royal Thai Navy Vice Admiral Benjapon Rusakul Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 10, 2025 [Image 4 of 4], by PO2 Jordan Jennings, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: UPDATE: State Highway 6 Rocks Road closure to continue in Nelson

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Monday 14 July 11:58am

State Highway 6 Rocks Road is expected to remain closed to traffic for at least the next two days.

Rob Service, System Manager Nelson/Tasman, says further inspections of the site were completed this morning.

“Geotechnical investigations confirm that heavy rain has created another unstable wedge of soil, with vegetation and rocks hanging above the highway. Pieces of debris are continuing to fall intermittently.”

“Our contractors have begun sluicing to remove the debris, which is being collected and removed at the base of the slip,” Mr. Service says.

Because of the ongoing risk to the public, Mr. Service says State Highway 6 must remain closed between Bisley Avenue and Richardson Street.

“We ask that everyone—drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians—obey the road closure while work to fix the slip continues. At this stage, we do not expect to have SH6 Rocks Road open before Thursday.”

Drivers and residents can expect ongoing travel delays and congestion while the closure remains in place – particularly during peak commuting times. People are encouraged to factor this into their travel plans.

Sunday 13 July 5:56pm

Work continues in Nelson and Tasman to restore the region’s critical state highway links.

Nelson’s link to Murchison and the West Coast was restored this afternoon with the reopening of State Highway 6 between Belgrove and Kohatu.

Work to reopen State Highway 6 at Rocks Road continues.

SH6 Rocks Road

Mark Owen, Regional Manager Lower North Island/Top of the South, says the situation with Rocks Road is serious.

“We have had crews up assessing the site, removing the material, and monitoring earth movement over the weekend.”

“This has shown that, for safety reasons, State Highway 6 Rocks Road must remain closed,” Mr Owen says.

Slip site, SH6 Rocks Road

Mr Owen says NZTA/Waka Kotahi will continue to work with Civil Defence and the Nelson City Council on the matter

“We will work together to develop a solution, and we will do this as quickly as possible.”

“However, it does mean the road closure must remain in place until further notice. There is a clear and present risk to public safety, which must be carefully managed,” Mr Owen says.

The closure will have a significant impact on traffic flows in and out of the city and Mr Owen warns drivers must be ready for it.

“Thousands of vehicles use this route daily, shifting them on to the detour route on Waimea Road will create congestion and delays – especially during morning and afternoon rush hours. We also ask that drivers use Waimea Road as the detour and avoid using smaller residential streets.”

“People need to be ready for this and plan their travel accordingly. If you can use public transport to get to work or delay your trip in and out of the city, please do so. This will help reduce pressure on the network,” Mr Owen says.

He also asks that the public respect the closure points in place.

“They are there to keep the public safe. Falling material has a very real potential to badly hurt or even kill you. Please stay clear while we work to reopen the road.”

Mr Owen says steps are in place ensure access to local businesses is available.

“They need to keep operating, which is why we have soft closure is in place at the intersection of Russell Street. People can get to these businesses and shops – we just ask no-one travel between Bisley Avenue and Richardson Street.”

SH6 Belgrove to Kohatu

Mr Owen says contractors made fantastic progress to reopen this section of State Highway 6, earlier today.

“It wasn’t just heavy rain that hammered the region over Friday and into Saturday, wind was a major problem too.”

“Hundreds of trees were brought down along this section of State Highway 6, and it has been an immense job to get them cleared, as well as tackle slips, rockfalls, and washouts. It also means the transport link between Nelson and the West Coast is restored,” Mr Owen says.

Treefalls, SH6 Belgrove – Kohatu

He says the other good news is that the stop bank built at Kohatu after the Motueka River breached its banks two weeks ago has held up well.

“This area was particularly hard hit just two weeks ago and it’s great to see the protection put in place worked.”

Stopbank by SH6, Kohatu

General advice

All other state highways are open, but it is not business as usual on the roads or for driving.

In Marlborough, State Highway 63, Korere-Tophouse Road to Waihopai Valley Road remains restricted to residents and essential travel only.

State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill, while open to light and heavy vehicles, has suffered slip and washout damage and extra care and time is needed when travelling this route. It is vulnerable to further disruptions and possible closure.

Across the network, because of weather damage, drivers must drive to the conditions and take extreme care when travelling. There remains an ongoing risk of slips, rock and tree falls, and the potential for further road closures. These may happen at short notice.

Road users can expect to encounter multiple road work and repair sites across the region and must allow extra time for their journeys.

Please follow all traffic management and temporary speed limits in place. They are there to keep the public and work crews safe.

More information

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: North Korea condemns joint exercises between US, Japan and South Korea

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

PYONGYANG, July 13 (Xinhua) — The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) condemned the joint military exercises between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Sunday, calling the trilateral maneuvers “a major danger factor that increases the level of military tension on the Korean Peninsula and adjacent areas.”

As reported by the Korean Central News Agency, citing a statement by the head of the Political Department of the DPRK Ministry of Defense, on July 11, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea “held provocative trilateral joint air exercises, using various types of bombers, including the B-52H strategic bomber, in the skies over the Korean Peninsula and its environs.”

The statement noted that the military alliances between the US and Japan and between the US and the ROK “have finally evolved into a nuclear-based trilateral military alliance,” and the trilateral military cooperation being promoted in all areas foreshadows “long-term instability and tension on the Korean Peninsula, which may lead to an unpredictable phase of military confrontation at any time.”

The statement stressed that taking countermeasures against provocative military actions that threaten regional security, such as steps to strengthen the multilateral military alliance, is the DPRK’s sovereign right. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Read More (U.S. Rep. Greg Steube Announces Veterans History Project Interview Featuring Staff Sergeant Gerald Dombecki, United States Army (Desert Storm))

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

July 13, 2025 | Press Releases

View the Video Here
SARASOTA – U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today released the latest installment in his ongoing Veterans History Project Series, honoring the military service of constituents from Florida’s 17th District. This interview features Staff Sergeant Gerald Dombecki, a U.S. Army veteran who served from 1981 to 1993, including deployment to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.
“Staff Sergeant Gerald Dombecki’s story reflects the strength, sacrifice, and resolve of our American servicemembers,” said Rep. Steube. “From patrolling volatile regions overseas to navigating the long fight for care and recognition after returning home, his testimony is both inspiring and sobering. We are honored to preserve his service story for future generations.”
In his interview, Dombecki recounts his early years in the Army as a Military Police Officer, his time guarding nuclear weapons in Korea, and the emotional experience of serving in Desert Storm. He shares stories of camaraderie, the challenges of reintegrating to civilian life, and the decades-long struggle to receive proper care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I’ve worked since I was 14. I didn’t want to stop working—I just couldn’t anymore,” said Dombecki, who was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s and COPD, conditions tied to his service but only recently recognized by the VA. “You shouldn’t have to fight so hard for something you earned.”
Dombecki now resides in Florida with his wife, serves as a security liaison in his community, and advocates for fellow veterans who are navigating the VA system. His daughter is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force, continuing the family’s proud tradition of military service.
Please click here to watch the full interview.
Be sure to check Congressman Steube’s YouTube channel in the future for upcoming interviews.The Office of Congressman Greg Steube will submit the interview to the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to collect and retain the oral histories of our nation’s veterans.Initially started in 2000, the Veterans History Project aims to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of the United States military veterans and Gold Star Families so that future generations may hear directly from the veterans and better understand their service. Researchers, scholars, and educators rely upon VHP collections as a primary source. The oral histories, photographs, manuscripts, and other original materials supplement historical texts and valued cultural resources. Veterans from all branches and ranks of the United States military who served in World War I through the more recent conflicts are eligible to participate. For more information on the VHP, please visit https://www.loc.gov/vets/.If you live in Florida’s 17th Congressional district, please visit https://steube.house.gov/services/vhp to participate.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: HMCS St. John’s departs for Operation REASSURANCE

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

July 13, 2025 – Ottawa, ON – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) St. John’s departed Halifax to begin its deployment on Operation REASSURANCE, where it will join Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) as part of Canada’s continuing contribution to NATO’s collective defence in European waters, until December 2025.

By maintaining a continual presence in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean Sea, SNMG2 will continue to uphold freedom of navigation, secure vital sea lines of communication, and maintain a credible and coherent posture of deterrence, in close coordination with our Allies.

SNMG2 is also a core part of the maritime component of the NATO Response Allied Reaction Force and provides a continuous maritime capability to execute NATO missions, demonstrating solidarity and strengthening interoperability between Allied naval forces.

The deployment of HMCS St. John’s reflects Canada’s commitment to strengthening international alliances and highlights the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)’s ability to project professional, capable, and high readiness forces around the globe.

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Disasters don’t disappear when the storm ends – cascading hazards, from landslides to floods, are upending risk models

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Robert Shrock Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.

Mudslides buried roads and reshaped river channels. Uprooted trees left soil on hillslopes exposed to the elements. Sediment that washed into rivers changed how water flows through the landscape, leaving some areas more prone to flooding and erosion.

Helene was a powerful reminder that natural hazards don’t disappear when the skies clear – they evolve.

These transformations are part of what scientists call cascading hazards. They occur when one natural event alters the landscape in ways that lead to future hazards. A landslide triggered by a storm might clog a river, leading to downstream flooding months or years later. A wildfire can alter the soil and vegetation, setting the stage for debris flows with the next rainstorm.

Satellite images before (top) and after Hurricane Helene (bottom) show how the storm altered landscape near Pensacola, N.C., in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Google Earth, CC BY

I study these disasters as a geomorphologist. In a new paper in the journal Science, I and a team of scientists from 18 universities and the U.S. Geological Survey explain why hazard models – used to help communities prepare for disasters – can’t just rely on the past. Instead, they need to be nimble enough to forecast how hazards evolve in real time.

The science behind cascading hazards

Cascading hazards aren’t random. They emerge from physical processes that operate continuously across the landscape – sediment movement, weathering, erosion. Together, the atmosphere, biosphere and the earth are constantly reshaping the conditions that cause natural disasters.

For instance, earthquakes fracture rock and shake loose soil. Even if landslides don’t occur during the quake itself, the ground may be weakened, leaving it primed for failure during later rainstorms.

That’s exactly what happened after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, which led to a surge in debris flows long after the initial seismic event.

A strong aftershock after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008 triggered more landslides in central China.
AP Photo/Andy Wong

Earth’s surface retains a “memory” of these events. Sediment disturbed in an earthquake, wildfire or severe storm will move downslope over years or even decades, reshaping the landscape as it goes.

The 1950 Assam earthquake in India is a striking example: It triggered thousands of landslides. The sediment from these landslides gradually moved through the river system, eventually causing flooding and changing river channels in Bangladesh some 20 years later.

An intensifying threat in a changing world

These risks present challenges for everything from emergency planning to home insurance. After repeated wildfire-mudslide combinations in California, some insurers pulled out of the state entirely, citing mounting risks and rising costs among the reasons.

Cascading hazards are not new, but their impact is intensifying.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, storms and extreme rainfall. At the same time, urban development continues to expand into steep, hazard-prone terrain, exposing more people and infrastructure to evolving risks.

The rising risk of interconnected climate disasters like these is overwhelming systems built for isolated events.

Yet climate change is only part of the equation. Earth processes – such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – also trigger cascading hazards, often with long-lasting effects.

Mount St. Helens is a powerful example: More than four decades after its eruption in 1980, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to manage ash and sediment from the eruption to keep it from filling river channels in ways that could increase the flood risk in downstream communities.

Rethinking risk and building resilience

Traditionally, insurance companies and disaster managers have estimated hazard risk by looking at past events.

But when the landscape has changed, the past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future. To address this, computer models based on the physics of how these events work are needed to help forecast hazard evolution in real time, much like weather models update with new atmospheric data.

A March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range wiped out trees in its path.
Brian Yanites, June 2025

A drone image of the same March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range shows where it temporarily dammed the river below.
Brian Yanites, June 2025

Thanks to advances in Earth observation technology, such as satellite imagery, drone and lidar, which is similar to radar but uses light, scientists can now track how hillslopes, rivers and vegetation change after disasters. These observations can feed into geomorphic models that simulate how loosened sediment moves and where hazards are likely to emerge next.

Researchers are already coupling weather forecasts with post-wildfire debris flow models. Other models simulate how sediment pulses travel through river networks.

Cascading hazards reveal that Earth’s surface is not a passive backdrop, but an active, evolving system. Each event reshapes the stage for the next.

Understanding these connections is critical for building resilience so communities can withstand future storms, earthquakes and the problems created by debris flows. Better forecasts can inform building codes, guide infrastructure design and improve how risk is priced and managed. They can help communities anticipate long-term threats and adapt before the next disaster strikes.

Most importantly, they challenge everyone to think beyond the immediate aftermath of a disaster – and to recognize the slow, quiet transformations that build toward the next.

Brian J. Yanites receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

– ref. Disasters don’t disappear when the storm ends – cascading hazards, from landslides to floods, are upending risk models – https://theconversation.com/disasters-dont-disappear-when-the-storm-ends-cascading-hazards-from-landslides-to-floods-are-upending-risk-models-259502

MIL OSI –

July 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/NIGERIA – Armed attack on the Seminary in Ivhianokpodi: three young seminarians kidnapped

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Auchi (Agenzia Fides) – An armed attack took place at the “Immaculate Conception” diocesan minor seminary in Ivhianokpodi, Edo State, Nigeria. Three young seminarians were kidnapped by an armed group. A security officer was killed during the assault on the seminary.A statement issued by the Diocese of Auchi stated that the kidnapping took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 10.Bishop Gabriel Dunia, expressing his grief and that of the entire local Church for the death of Nigerian Civil Defense Corps officer Christopher Aweneghieme and the kidnapping of the three young seminarians, requested that the votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus be celebrated in all parishes these days to pray for God to enlighten the hearts and minds of the kidnappers.At this time, the Diocese of Auchi stated, no contact has been established with the kidnappers.Police officers investigating the incident described the incident in a statement as a “senseless act of violence against a religious institution and innocent young students,” defining the attack as “not only barbaric, but also a direct attack on public peace and security.”For security reasons, the other seminarians present in the building have been “temporarily transferred to a secure area until security measures around the seminary are strengthened.”The same Seminary was attacked by a group of armed men on October 27, 2024 (see Fides, 29/10/2024). On that occasion, Father Thomas Oyode, Rector of the seminary, was kidnapped and taken into the bush, offering himself as a hostage in place of the two young seminarians whom the bandits were taking. On that occasion, Father Oyode was released after 11 days of captivity. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 12/7/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

July 14, 2025

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