NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Global: I study local government and Hurricane Helene forced me from my home − here’s how rural towns and counties in North Carolina and beyond cooperate to rebuild

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jay Rickabaugh, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, North Carolina State University

    Last year was a record year for disasters in the United States. A new report from the British charity International Institute for Environment and Development finds that 90 disasters were declared nationwide in 2024, from wildfires in California to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

    The average number of annual disasters in the U.S. is about 55.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides funding and recovery assistance to states after disasters. President Donald Trump criticized the agency in January 2025 when he visited hurricane-stricken western North Carolina. Though 41% of Americans lived in an area affected by disaster in 2024, according to the institute’s report, the Trump administration is reportedly working to abolish or dramatically diminish FEMA’s operations.

    “FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It’s very bureaucratic, and it’s very slow,” Trump declared, saying he thought states were better positioned to “take care of problems” after a disaster.

    “A governor can handle something very quickly,” he said.

    Trump’s remarks have prompted a heated response, including proposals to fundamentally overhaul – but not abolish – federal disaster recovery.

    But I believe the current discussion about FEMA handling U.S. disasters puts the emphasis in the wrong place.

    As a scholar who researches how small and rural local governments cooperate, I believe this public debate demonstrates that many people fundamentally misunderstand how disaster recovery actually works, especially in rural areas, where locally directed efforts are particularly key to that recovery.

    I know this from personal experience, too: I am a resident of Watauga County, in western North Carolina, and I evacuated during Hurricane Helene after landslides severely impaired the roads around my home.

    When disaster strikes

    Here, in short, is what happens after a disaster.

    Federal legislation from 1988 called the Stafford Act gives governors the power to declare disasters. If the president agrees and also declares the region a disaster, that puts federal programs and activities in motion.

    Yet local officials are generally involved from the very start of this process. Governors usually seek input from state and local emergency managers and other municipal officials before making a disaster declaration, and it is local officials who begin the disaster response.

    That’s because small and rural local governments actually have the most local knowledge to lead recovery efforts in their area after a disaster.

    Local officials determine conditions on the ground, coordinate search and rescue, and help bring utilities and other infrastructure back online. They have relationships with community members that can inform decision-making. For example, a county senior center will know which residents receive Meals on Wheels and might need a wellness check after disaster.

    However, small towns cannot do all this alone. They need FEMA’s money and resources, and that can present a problem. The process of applying and complying with the requirements of the grants is incredibly complex and burdensome. According to FEMA’s website, there are eight phases in the disaster aid process, composed of 28 steps that range from “preliminary damage assesment” to “recovery scoping video” to “compliance reviews” and “reconciliation.” Getting through these eight phases takes years.

    If you think this FEMA graphic shows a simple, straightforward process, there might be a job for you in emergency managment.
    Public Assistance’s Consolidated Resource Centers’ 2022 New Hire Training, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    Larger cities and counties frequently have dedicated staff that apply for disaster aid and ensure compliance with regulations. But smaller governments can struggle to apply for and administer state or federal grants on their own – especially after a disaster, when demands are so high.

    That’s where regional intergovernmental organizations come in. Every region has its own name for these entities. They’re often called councils of government, regional planning commissions or area development districts. My colleagues and I call them RIGOs, for their initials.

    What is a RIGO?

    No matter the name, RIGOs are collaborative bodies that allow local governments to cooperate for services and programs they might not otherwise be able to afford. Bringing together local elected officials from usually about three to five counties, RIGOs help local officials cooperate to address the shared needs of everyone in their area. They do this in normal times; they also do this when disasters strike.

    RIGOs operate throughout most of the U.S., in big cities and rural areas, in turbulent times and in calm. They serve different needs in different regions, but in all cases, RIGOs bring together local elected officials to solve common problems.

    One example of this in western North Carolina is the Digital Seniors project, launched during COVID-19. Here, the local RIGO is called the Southwestern Commission. In 2021, the RIGO area agency on aging coordinated with the Fontana Regional Library to help dozens of elders who had never been connected to the internet get online during the pandemic. The Southwestern Commission used its relationships with the local senior centers to identify people who needed the service, and the library had access to hot spots and laptops through a grant from the state of North Carolina.

    In rural areas, RIGOs work alongside regional business and nonprofits to allow local governments to offer regular services and programs they might not otherwise be able to afford, such as public transportation, senior citizen services or economic development.

    Part of that work is helping member governments navigate the maze of federal and state funding opportunities for the projects they hope to get done, often by employing a specialized grant administrator. Each small local government may not have enough work or revenue to justify such a staff member, but many together have the workload and funding to hire someone specially trained to abide by the rules of funding from states and the federal government.

    This system helps small local governments receive their fair share in federal grant money and report back on how the money was spent.

    Transparency, technical compliance and action

    Disasters rarely respect borders. That’s why governments generally work together to distribute grant money for rebuilding communities.

    In the summer of 2022, eastern Kentucky faced deadly flooding after receiving about 15 inches of rain over four days – 600% above normal. The North Fork of the Kentucky River crested at approximately 21 feet, killing over two dozen people and damaging 9,000 homes and more than 100 businesses.

    A volunteer helps to clear debris in Perry County, Ky., after the historic floods of August 2022.
    Michael Swensen/Getty Images

    The Kentucky River Area Development District, a RIGO representing eight counties, played a key role in the area’s recovery. It secured millions in FEMA aid and maintained critical services, including expanded food delivery and transportation for elderly residents.

    Similarly, after disastrous flooding hit Vermont in 2023 and 2024, another RIGO, the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, jumped into action. It quickly provided emergency communication to the 23 small villages and towns in its region and has since supported local governments applying for grants and reimbursements.

    Today, it continues to assist in Vermont’s disaster planning and flood mitigation. This is also part of the recovery process.

    Local control

    Rebuilding after a disaster is a long, arduous process. It begins after national journalists and politicians have left the area and continues for years. That would be true no matter how Trump restructures emergency aid: The damage is massive, and so is the repair.

    For example, here’s how western North Carolina looks six months after Helene: Most businesses have reopened, most folks have running water again, and people can drive in and out of the area.

    But many roads are still full of broken pavement. Mud from landslides presses up against the sides of the highway, and condemned housing teeters on the edge of ravaged creek beds.

    A storm-damaged apartment complex in Swannanoa, N.C., in March 2025.
    Sean Rayford/Getty Images

    It is, in other words, too soon to see the full impact of local government efforts to rebuild my region. But RIGOs across the region are hiring additional temporary staff to help local governments get federal money and comply with complex guidelines. Their support ensures that decisions affecting North Carolinians are voted on by the city and county leaders they elected – not decreed by governors or handed down from Washington, D.C.

    Locally led rebuilding is slow and difficult work, yes. But it is, in my opinion, the most community-responsive way to deal with disaster.

    Jaylen Peacox, a graduate student in public administration at North Carolina State University, contributed to this story.

    Jay Rickabaugh receives grant funding from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

    – ref. I study local government and Hurricane Helene forced me from my home − here’s how rural towns and counties in North Carolina and beyond cooperate to rebuild – https://theconversation.com/i-study-local-government-and-hurricane-helene-forced-me-from-my-home-heres-how-rural-towns-and-counties-in-north-carolina-and-beyond-cooperate-to-rebuild-248606

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Adam M. Silver, Associate Professor of Political Science, Emmanuel College

    Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller administers the oath of office to William McKinley during his presidential inauguration in 1897, as outgoing President Grover Cleveland looks on. AP Photo/Library of Congress

    More than five months after President Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, Democrats are still trying to understand why they lost the election and the Senate majority – and how the party can regroup.

    These concerns have only increased in the wake of Trump’s sustained activity at the start of his second term. The American public has witnessed a Democratic Party struggling to craft a coherent strategy.

    Recently, Trump has joined a chorus of people likening the current political period to the Gilded Age – the late 19th-century period known for economic industrialization and wealth inequality.

    As a political scientist focused on electoral politics, I believe the Gilded Age provides a warning for the Democrats’ current situation, as the party’s internal struggles hampered its ability to wage successful national campaigns.

    The party period

    Scholars of U.S. political history often refer to the bulk of the 19th century as the party period due to the degree to which party politics permeated society. Parties framed political discourse through the creation of “brands” centered on distinct ideologies.

    These ideologies offered coherent ideas of what it meant to be a Democrat or a Republican.

    Democrats opposed a strong national government in favor of states’ rights. They resisted vesting too much economic authority in the national government. And they used their states’ rights position to justify human enslavement and racially discriminatory policies.

    Republicans embraced national authority over states’ rights. It was a vision centered on a national political economy that fostered manufacturing and industrialization. This economic approach was accompanied at times by opposition to immigration in often nativist and racist rhetoric.

    The Gilded Age

    The Gilded Age has been compared with the present. That’s due, in part, to the period’s rapid industrialization, increased immigration and prominent debates over economic policy.

    And like today, these Gilded Age years, roughly from 1870 to 1900, witnessed intense competition between Democrats and Republicans, during which only about seven states were contested in any given election due to the regional basis of support for each party.

    From 1860 to 1912, Democrats won the White House only twice – Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1892. But they won the popular vote two more times, while losing the Electoral College – Samuel Tilden in 1876 and Cleveland in 1888.

    Further, from the 1870s to the 1890s, party control of Congress tended to rely on slim majorities.

    Democrats usually held the House and Republicans controlled the Senate.

    The 1880s and 1890s were characterized by debates over economic policies, primarily the protective tariff. That tariff was supported by Northern industrialists to protect domestic industry and opposed by Southern agrarians. The U.S. monetary standard, which determines how value is measured, also dominated discussions.

    The 1888 election revealed tensions among Democrats, primarily over the tariff, that became a harbinger of the party’s struggles in 1896. The party’s inability to reconcile competing constituencies in its coalition and offer a coherent message on the tariff ultimately cost them the White House.

    After winning reelection in 1892, Democrat Cleveland faced an economic depression that impeded the goals of his second term. The Democrats lost both chambers of Congress in the ensuing midterm election.

    President William McKinley, a Republican, is inaugurated in 1901.
    Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

    The 1896 election

    The battle over the monetary standard consumed the 1896 election.

    From the 1870s-1890s, debates over whether greenbacks, or paper currency, should be redeemable in gold or silver ebbed and flowed.

    Republicans, buoyed by wealthy financiers, tended to support maintaining the gold standard only. Democrats, who courted laborers and farmers, usually supported the increased circulation of greenbacks redeemable in both gold and silver.

    The economic depression in 1893 heightened tensions on this issue, as many Americans sought to pay off their debts with cheaper currency.

    At their national convention, Democrats adopted the pro-silver position and nominated a populist firebrand for president, William Jennings Bryan.

    Republicans also faced internal divisions on the issue. But, as in 1888, they were able to overcome these tensions to maintain their coalition and supported the gold standard in their platform.

    The Republican candidate, William McKinley, defeated Bryan. The outcome solidified Republican primacy for 30 years.

    William Jennings Bryan campaigns in 1896.
    AP Photo

    The legacy of 1896

    Internal strife in the late 19th century hindered Democrats’ ability to advance a unified voice, mobilize their voters and attract new ones. In 1888 and 1896, these divisions harmed Democrats’ electoral prospects. Their organizational problems and intense internal discord proved too much for Bryan to overcome.

    Scholar James Reichley contends that the Republicans’ more effective organizing after Reconstruction may have resulted in a coherent message compared with the Democrats.

    And a lack of enthusiasm on the part of Democratic voters contributed to Republican success in 1894 and 1896, according to historian Richard White. Republicans mobilized their base and attracted new voters, while Democrats did not.

    These elections solidified voter alignments until 1932.

    Although Democrat Woodrow Wilson held the presidency from 1913 to 1921, Republicans dictated national policy and controlled Congress for most of those years. It took a massive economic depression to return the Democrats to the majority on the national level.

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

    – ref. A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election – https://theconversation.com/a-warning-for-democrats-from-the-gilded-age-and-the-1896-election-250887

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s Message for International Mother Earth Day [scroll down for French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    other Earth is running a fever.  

    Last year was the hottest ever recorded: 

    The final blow in a decade of record heat.   

    We know what’s causing this sickness: the greenhouse gas emissions humanity is pumping into the atmosphere – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels.    

    We know the symptoms: devastating wildfires, floods and heat. Lives lost and livelihoods shattered.    

    And we know the cure:  rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and turbocharging adaptation, to protect ourselves – and nature – from climate disasters.  

    Getting on the road to recovery is a win-win.  

    Renewable power is cheaper, healthier, and more secure than fossil fuel alternatives.  

    And action on adaptation is critical to creating robust economies and safer communities, now and in the future.   

    This year is critical.  

    All countries must create new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius – essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe.  

    This is a vital chance to seize the benefits of clean power. I urge all countries to take it, with the G20 leading the way.  

    We also need action to tackle pollution, slam the brakes on biodiversity loss, and deliver the finance countries need to protect our planet.  

    Together, let’s get to work and make 2025 the year we restore good health to Mother Earth. 

    *****
     

    La Terre nourricière est prise de fièvre. 

    L’année dernière a été la plus chaude jamais enregistrée – le coup de grâce d’une décennie de chaleur record. 

    Nous savons la cause de cette maladie : les émissions de gaz à effet de serre que l’humanité rejette dans l’atmosphère, et qui proviennent essentiellement des combustibles fossiles. 

    Nous en connaissons les symptômes : les incendies de forêt, les inondations et les chaleurs, qui font des ravages. Des vies perdues et des moyens de subsistance anéantis. 

    Et nous connaissons le remède : réduire rapidement les émissions de gaz à effet de serre et accélérer l’adaptation pour nous protéger – et protéger la nature – des catastrophes climatiques. 

    Tout le monde gagne à prendre le chemin de la guérison. 

    Les énergies renouvelables sont moins chères, plus saines et plus sûres que les combustibles fossiles. 

    Les mesures d’adaptation sont essentielles pour créer des économies solides et des sociétés plus sûres, aujourd’hui et demain. 

    L’année 2025 est décisive. 

    Tous les pays doivent établir de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux pour le climat compatibles avec l’objectif de limiter la hausse de la température mondiale à 1,5 degré Celsius, qui sera primordial pour éviter la pire des catastrophes climatiques. 

    Il s’agit d’une occasion unique de profiter des avantages de l’énergie propre. J’invite tous les pays à la saisir, le G20 montrant la voie à suivre. 

    Nous devons également agir pour lutter contre la pollution, freiner l’appauvrissement de la biodiversité et fournir les fonds dont les pays ont besoin pour protéger notre planète. 

    Ensemble, mettons-nous à l’œuvre et faisons de 2025 l’année où nous remettrons d’aplomb la Terre nourricière. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Marks the 45th Anniversary of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    LEXINGTON, SC—The FBI Columbia Field Office this week is recognizing the 45th anniversary of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

    The initial JTTF began in 1989 in New York City with a partnership between the New York Field Office and the New York City Police Department. Then, leaders from the agencies discussed how to combine expertise and resources to locate terrorist organizations responsible for attacks in the city. These conversations led to the creation of the first JTTF.

    The JTTFs are the nation’s front-line defense against international and domestic terrorism. JTTFs gather evidence, follow leads, make arrets, provide security for special events, collect and share intelligence, and respond to various threats and incidents.

    Following the 9/11 attacks, FBI leadership directed all FBI field offices to establish a JTTF. In addition, the FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June of 2002. The NJTTF, at FBI Headquarters, enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies. JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades.

    Today, there are nearly 200 task forces around the country, including at least one in the FBI’s field offices with about 4,400 members from participating state, local, and federal agencies.

    The FBI Columbia field office’s JTFF has 19 task force officers and analysts from 12 participating agencies across South Carolina.

    “The persistent threat of terrorism across South Carolina demands a united front,” said Reid Davis, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI Columbia Field Office relies on our strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and their JTTF members to swiftly disrupt threats and respond with precision whenever danger arises.”

    The FBI Columbia Field Office counts numerous disruptions of its own, including a plan by a Barnwell man to detonate explosives in public locations in Pickens County in 2019 to express his frustration with the Department of Social Services. One device exploded near the Pickens County Courthouse causing minor damage to the building. Michael Lambert Seabrooke,41, was sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in federal prison for possession of explosive devices and two counts of malicious damage and attempt to damage by means of explosive materials.

    The FBI Columbia JTTF also investigated a case where individuals shot at a Duke Energy regulator bank in Dalzell in 2023 which caused significant damage. One suspect, Donald Ray Hurst, 35, of Sumter, pleaded guilty to destruction of an energy facility, and is awaiting sentencing. A second individual allegedly involved, Chad Allen Kron, 33, of Sumter, was charged with destruction of an energy facility and possessing an unregistered firearm. Kron is awaiting trial.

    If you see or know about suspicious activity involving chemical, biological, or radiological materials, report it to 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also submit online tips at tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Byrna Technologies Announces the Debut of the Byrna CL, the World’s Most Concealable Less-Lethal Launcher

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANDOVER, Mass., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Byrna Technologies Inc. (“Byrna” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BYRN), a personal defense technology company specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative less-lethal personal security solutions, today announced the official launch of its highly anticipated Byrna Compact Launcher (“CL”). The Company will begin accepting orders for this revolutionary new launcher on April 24, with product shipments beginning May 1.

    Weighing just 0.76 pounds and measuring only 6.81 inches in length – smaller than a smartphone – the Byrna CL is the most concealable less-lethal launcher ever made. Along with its compact form, the CL delivers the same powerful energy density on impact as Byrna’s most advanced model to date, the Byrna LE. Engineered for everyday carry, the CL offers a sleek, no-snag design for quick unholstering and is red dot compatible for enhanced accuracy.

    “The Byrna Compact Launcher is a major step forward in less-lethal innovation,” said Bryan Ganz, CEO of Byrna. “Our team set out to design a product that would appeal to both new and experienced users who want maximum stopping power in a smaller, more concealable form factor. We’re proud to bring to market a launcher that is 38% smaller than our flagship Byrna SD and yet delivers the same force per square inch as our LE model.”

    Key Features and Technical Specifications:

    • Size: 6.81″ L x 5.1″ H x 1.18″ W
    • Weight: 0.76 lbs
    • Projectile Speed: 400 feet per second
    • Effective Range: 60 feet
    • Caliber: Fires proprietary .61 caliber projectiles engineered to deliver the same energy density as .68 caliber rounds
    • Shot Capacity: 15 rounds per 8g CO₂ cartridge
    • Materials: Constructed from high-grade aluminum, steel, and brass
    • Compatibility: Red dot ready, customizable with accessories

    The CL’s new .61 caliber projectile will be exclusive to Byrna and produced at the Company’s new ammunition facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Conceived, designed and manufactured in America from 90% U.S. content, the Byrna CL is the Company’s first truly All-American launcher and highlights Byrna’s progress to onshore manufacturing.

    Pricing and Availability: The Byrna Compact Launcher has a base MSRP of $549.99. Customers can join the waitlist starting today here. Launchers will be available for order beginning April 24 and the Company and its dealers will begin shipping on May 1.

    To experience the CL in person, customers can visit select Byrna stores and Premier Dealers nationwide. Use the store locator to find the nearest in-store demo experience.

    About Byrna Technologies Inc.
    Byrna is a technology company specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative less-lethal personal security solutions. For more information on the Company, please visit the corporate website here or the Company’s investor relations site here. The Company is the manufacturer of the Byrna® SD personal security device, a state-of-the-art handheld CO2 powered launcher designed to provide a less-lethal alternative to a firearm for the consumer, private security, and law enforcement markets. To purchase Byrna products, visit the Company’s e-commerce store.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, are forward-looking. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “anticipates,” and “believes” and statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “might,” “occur,” “be achieved,” or “will continue to.” Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected timing of orders and shipments of the Byrna CL, expected performance, Byrna’s progress to onshore manufacturing, and pricing. Forward-looking statements include descriptions of currently occurring matters which may continue in the future. Forward-looking statements are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates, and analyses that, while considered reasonable by the Company at the date the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other factors that may cause actual results and events to be materially different from those expressed or implied.

    Any number of risk factors could affect our actual results and cause them to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this news release, including, but not limited to, potential cancellations of existing or future orders including as a result of any fulfillment delays, product rollout issues, introduction of competing products, negative publicity, supply chain constraints, other factors, changes in the markets for security products and non-lethal defense technology could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The order in which these factors appear should not be construed to indicate their relative importance or priority. We caution that these factors may not be exhaustive; accordingly, any forward-looking statements contained herein should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Investors should carefully consider these and other relevant factors, including those risk factors in Part I, Item 1A, (“Risk Factors”) in our most recent Form 10-K, should understand it is impossible to predict or identify all such factors or risks, should not consider the foregoing list, or the risks identified in our SEC filings, to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties, and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

    Investor Contact:
    Tom Colton and Alec Wilson
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    949-574-3860
    BYRN@gateway-grp.com

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b56d0767-d8bb-4ce7-9121-c175536afc18

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c16cc8ad-1bd0-4580-a20e-a57be1071da6

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Atsign Unveils Invisible SSH, Powered by NoPorts, Fortifying Security Against Emerging Vulnerabilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atsign, the leader in pre-emptive security solutions, today announced Invisible SSH, leveraging the groundbreaking NoPorts technology. This advancement renders Secure Shell (SSH) connections invisible to external threats by eliminating the need for open ports, effectively neutralizing the attack surface and providing a robust defense against pre-authentication attacks, including zero-day vulnerabilities, such as the recently disclosed critical flaw in Erlang/OTP SSH.

    Traditional SSH relies on open ports, creating potential entry points for malicious actors. The newly discovered CVE-2025-32433 vulnerability in Erlang/OTP SSH, with a maximum severity score, underscores the inherent risks associated with this conventional approach. By eliminating open ports, NoPorts makes SSH invisible, ensuring that even if underlying SSH implementations contain vulnerabilities, they cannot be exploited from the network, offering a critical layer of pre-emptive security.

    “The increasing sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks demand a paradigm shift in how we approach security,” said Colin Constable, CTO at Atsign. “The recent critical vulnerability in Erlang/OTP SSH is a stark reminder that relying on patching alone is a reactive measure. Our Invisible SSH, powered by NoPorts, offers a proactive and fundamental security advantage by making the connection point invisible in the first place. This eliminates the network attack vector, providing peace of mind regardless of underlying software vulnerabilities.”

    Atsign’s NoPorts establishes secure, peer-to-peer connections without requiring any inbound ports to be open on firewalls or routers. This innovative approach creates an inherently more secure environment for remote access and management. By making SSH invisible, organizations can significantly reduce their risk exposure and enhance their overall security posture.

    Key benefits of Atsign’s Invisible SSH powered by NoPorts include:

    • Elimination of Attack Surface – By closing all inbound ports, NoPorts removes the primary pathway for network-based attacks targeting SSH.
    • Pre-emptive Security – Protects against both known and zero-day vulnerabilities in SSH implementations, as there are no open doors for attackers to exploit.
    • Simplified Security Management – Reduces the complexity of managing firewall rules and port forwarding, streamlining security operations.
    • Enhanced Privacy – Prevents port scanning and enumeration attempts, making the presence of an SSH service undetectable.
    • Seamless Integration – Can be implemented with existing SSH clients and servers with minimal configuration changes.

    The recent disclosure of the critical Erlang/OTP SSH vulnerability highlights the urgent need for solutions like NoPorts.

    About NoPorts

    NoPorts eliminates network & security vulnerabilities by securing connections between people, entities, and things making them invisible to would-be attackers by eliminating attack network surfaces. Built on Atsign’s atPlatform, NoPorts provides a zero trust architecture, end-to-end encryption, and no reliance on cumbersome security layers, enabling seamless and secure communication across virtually any environment. Organizations gain scalability, operational efficiency, and stronger security—all while reducing costs and complexity. For more information, visit NoPorts.com.

    About Atsign

    At Atsign, we believe that people, entities, and things—including AI—should connect securely and directly, while always being invisible to bad actors. By eliminating the need for open ports and centralized servers, the atPlatform empowers developers and organizations to build applications with “invisible” security built in, placing data and device control back into the hands of their owners. Atsign is the creator of the atPlatform, the most robust infrastructure available for “invisible networking” and secure, private, peer-to-peer connectivity. Learn more at Atsign.com.

    For More Information Contact

    Scott Hetherington
    Atsign
    Scott@Atsign.com
    844-827-0985

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Teads Celebrates Major Milestone as CTV HomeScreen Powers 1,500 Campaigns

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The new Teads (NASDAQ: OB), the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, today announced a significant milestone for CTV HomeScreen (formerly CTV Native), an immersive way for advertisers to reach audiences on exclusive experiences at incremental moments of high attention. Since its launch in 2023, 1,500 CTV HomeScreen campaigns have been run by premium brands globally, including Cartier, Nestlé, and Air France.

    As brands prioritize omnichannel strategies, CTV HomeScreen enables advertisers to place content directly on the first screen consumers see when turning on their connected televisions. By integrating within the operating systems of major television manufacturers such as LG and Hisense, Teads’ CTV HomeScreen ads provide brands with access to audiences that may not otherwise be reachable through ad-supported tiers on streaming platforms. CTV HomeScreen ads deliver high levels of attention through impactful, unique creative experiences. Teads’ programmatic advertiser platform, Teads Ad Manager (TAM) enables brands to connect the moments of the consumer journey across all screens — creating a continuity of advertising experiences from CTV to web and app.

    “By placing high-impact native ads directly on smart TV home screens, we provide brands with premium, brand-safe placements that capture superior attention at the moment of content discovery,” said Jeremy Arditi, Co-President, Chief Business Officer of the Americas. “This approach ensures brands own the first moment on TV screens, maximizing both visibility and engagement in an uncluttered environment.”

    Over the past year, Teads has strengthened its CTV offering through expanded access to premium HomeScreen inventory, including exclusive partnerships with VIDAA US and LG Ad Solutions covering 330 million TV screens worldwide, in over 50 countries. In addition to Homescreen, TAM enables advertisers to reach audiences across more than 7,000 CTV apps globally, optimizing performance through CTV instream video campaigns.

    “The partnership between LG and Teads unlocks a powerful value proposition for advertisers,” said Serge Matta, President of Global Ad Sales at LG Ad Solutions. “From the moment a viewer powers on their TV, they’re met with stunning creatives, brought to life by Teads. It’s a seamless blend of innovation and scale.”

    Capturing Audience Attention at Scale

    CTV HomeScreen placements are displayed on the first screen viewers see when they turn on their smart TVs. This enhances ad effectiveness and extends audience reach beyond traditional commercial breaks. According to TVision (2024), viewers often spend time browsing for content—up to 10 minutes—before encountering ad clutter, making this window a high-attention moment. In fact, 74% of attention goes to the first ad seen on the home screen.

    In 1,500 CTV HomeScreen campaigns, Teads has helped brands like Cartier, Nestlé, Air France, Bvlgari, and Nissan deliver impactful moments that drive measurable engagement. Cartier’s first-ever 3D CTV HomeScreen campaign generated over 12 million impressions, while Air France saw a 22% increase in recommendation intent by securing premium placements on Smart TV home screens. In addition, Nestlé achieved a 9% lift in ad recall, leveraging Teads’ high-attention CTV HomeScreen formats to enhance brand impact.

    “This initiative showcases how advertising innovation and precise data can strengthen brand image and consumer engagement. Teads’support in this campaign allowed us to combine exclusive formats with rigorous measurement, demonstrating real value for the brand,” said Catherine Masson, Director of Brand Media Strategy and Media Buying at Air France.

    Now Available in Teads Ad Manager

    Brands can now seamlessly combine CTV HomeScreen with mobile and desktop formats within a single buying platform, making it easier to plan, execute, and optimize omnichannel campaigns and ensuring a more cohesive, data-driven approach to audience engagement.

    With real-time attention measurement, contextual targeting, and planning and insight tools, Teads Ad Manager offers advertisers an all-in-one solution to maximize impact across every screen. This latest integration reflects Teads’ commitment to future-proofing CTV advertising by delivering premium placements, innovative ad formats, and advanced measurement tools.

    Teads was recently announced as a finalist in the Best CTV Ad Tech Platform category by the Digiday Streaming and Video Awards. For more information on Teads’ CTV HomeScreen solutions, visit https://thenewteads.com/.

    About The New Teads
    Outbrain Inc. (Nasdaq: OB) and Teads S.A. combined on February 3, 2025 and are operating under the new Teads brand. The new Teads is the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, driving full-funnel results for marketers across premium media. With a focus on meaningful business outcomes, the combined company ensures value is driven with every media dollar by leveraging predictive AI technology to connect quality media, beautiful brand creative, and context-driven addressability and measurement. One of the most scaled advertising platforms on the open internet, the new Teads is directly partnered with more than 10,000 publishers and 20,000 advertisers globally. The company is headquartered in New York, with a global team of nearly 1,800 people in 36 countries.

    For more information, visit https://thenewteads.com/.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements generally relating to possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives, and statements relating to our recently completed acquisition (the “Acquisition”) of TEADS, a private limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Teads”). You can generally identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “foresee,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions or are not statements of historical fact. We have based these forward- looking statements largely on our expectations and projections regarding future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to: the ability of Outbrain to successfully integrate Teads or manage the combined business effectively; our ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies of the Acquisition, including, among other things, operating efficiencies, revenue synergies and other cost savings; our due diligence investigation of Teads may be inadequate or risks related to Teads’ business may materialize; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the Acquisition; the outcome of any securities litigation, stockholder derivative or other litigation related to the Acquisition; our ability to raise additional financing in the future to fund our operations, which may not be available to us on favorable terms or at all; the volatility of the market price of our common stock and any drop in the market price of our common stock following the Acquisition; our ability to attract and retain customers, management and other key personnel; overall advertising demand and traffic generated by our media partners; factors that affect advertising demand and spending, such as the continuation or worsening of unfavorable economic or business conditions or downturns, instability or volatility in financial markets, and other events or factors outside of our control, such as tariffs and trade wars, U.S. and global recession concerns, geopolitical concerns, including the ongoing war between Ukraine-Russia and conditions in Israel and the Middle East, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, labor market volatility, bank closures or disruptions, the impact of challenging economic conditions, political and policy changes or uncertainties in connection with the new U.S. presidential administration, and other factors that have impacted and may further impact advertisers’ ability to pay; our ability to continue to innovate, and adoption by our advertisers and media partners of our expanding solutions; the potential impact of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on our industry and our need to invest in AI-based solutions; the success of our sales and marketing investments, which may require significant investments and may involve long sales cycles; our ability to grow our business and manage growth effectively; our ability to compete effectively against current and future competitors; the loss or decline of one or more of our large media partners, and our ability to expand our advertiser and media partner relationships; conditions in Israel, including the sustainability of the recent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and any conflicts with other terrorist organizations or countries; our ability to maintain our revenues or profitability despite quarterly fluctuations in our results, whether due to seasonality, large cyclical events, or other causes; the risk that our research and development efforts may not meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technology market; any failure of our recommendation engine to accurately predict attention or engagement, any deterioration in the quality of our recommendations or failure to present interesting content to users or other factors which may cause us to experience a decline in user engagement or loss of media partners; limits on our ability to collect, use and disclose data to deliver advertisements; our ability to extend our reach into evolving digital media platforms; our ability to maintain and scale our technology platform; our ability to meet demands on our infrastructure and resources due to future growth or otherwise; our failure or the failure of third parties to protect our sites, networks and systems against security breaches, or otherwise to protect the confidential information of us or our partners; outages or disruptions that impact us or our service providers, resulting from cyber incidents, or failures or loss of our infrastructure; significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates; political and regulatory risks in the various markets in which we operate; the challenges of compliance with differing and changing regulatory requirements, including with respect to privacy; the timing and execution of any cost-saving measures and the impact on our business or strategy; and the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2024and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as an indication of future performance. We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation and do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Media Contact

    press@outbrain.com

    Investor Relations Contact

    IR@outbrain.com

    (332) 205-8999

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Rigetti Wins Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions Pilot Competition to Advance Quantum Error Correction Capabilities on Superconducting Quantum Computers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Rigetti, in collaboration with Riverlane and the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), has been selected as one of the winners of Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions pilot competition. Leveraging Rigetti’s quantum computer hosted at the NQCC, the £3.5 million Rigetti-led consortium aims to benchmark and enhance the quantum error correction capabilities of superconducting quantum computers — a requirement for achieving large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing.

    BERKELEY, Calif., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rigetti UK Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI) (“Rigetti” or the “Company”), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, today announced that it has been selected as one of the winners of Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions pilot competition to benchmark and enhance quantum error correction (QEC) capabilities on superconducting quantum computers. Rigetti will lead a £3.5 million consortium alongside Riverlane and the NQCC Superconducting Circuits Team to leverage Rigetti’s superconducting quantum computer hosted at the NQCC to conduct ambitious QEC tests that advance state-of-the-art metrics and demonstrate real-time QEC capabilities — a requirement for universal, fault-tolerant quantum computing.

    Fault-tolerant quantum computing has the potential to usher in a new era of computational power to solve real-world problems. Achieving fault tolerance requires QEC to be effectively integrated with quantum computing technology, and with that comes addressing critical challenges. These include processing bottlenecks in classical control systems and their integration with quantum error decoding technology, as well as the high error rates of current quantum computers. The project aims to make measurable advancements towards overcoming these challenges by developing key capabilities required for executing a large number of quantum operations on Rigetti’s UK-based quantum computer.

    As part of the project, Rigetti will upgrade its existing NQCC quantum computer. The upgrades will include:

    • Deploying a larger 36-qubit quantum processing unit (QPU), updating from the current 24-qubit QPU
    • Integrating Rigetti’s latest generation control system, enabling improved qubit control and a fully programmable, low-latency interface with Riverlane’s Quantum Error Correction (QEC) Stack

    Riverlane will lead the QEC experiments, identifying key improvements to enhance system performance and meet crucial QEC metrics. The NQCC Superconducting Circuits Team will support the system upgrade and provide quality assurance for the QEC experiments.

    “Our NQCC testbed continues to serve as a critical resource for advancing our technology capabilities. We believe that we have a tremendous advantage on our path to fault-tolerant quantum computing with Riverlane’s QEC expertise and our modular, open architecture that lends itself to flexible and innovative solutions to scale our technology,” says Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO. “Moreover, we benefit from the strong advantages of superconducting qubits, which we believe are the winning qubit modality given their fast gate speeds and clear path to scaling.”

    “Developing high-performance quantum error correction is critical to achieving fault-tolerant quantum computing, and this project provides an ideal environment to advance those capabilities,” said Steve Brierley, Riverlane CEO & Founder. “By integrating our QEC stack with Rigetti’s upgraded superconducting quantum computer, we aim to achieve measurable improvements in key performance metrics, including throughput, latency, and decoding accuracy, which are essential for real-time error correction. We look forward to making significant progress through this collaboration.”

    The Quantum Missions pilot competition was established to accelerate quantum computing and quantum networking projects by increasing their capabilities and removing technological barriers to their commercialization and adoption. Rigetti was also awarded two additional Quantum Missions pilot competition projects:

    • Collaboration with SEEQC to integrate its digital chip-based technology with Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera™ QPU hosted at the NQCC with the goal of identifying and understanding the key system components needed for scalable QEC. The project partners also include Cambridge Consultants, Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools, NQCC, and University of Edinburgh.
    • Collaboration with TreQ, Qruise, Q-CTRL, and Oxford Ionics to create an open-architecture quantum computing testbed. The project will offer eight unique configurations by combining two quantum processors, two control systems, and two quantum software stacks. The project will also deliver an open specification for quantum workflows, creating a common interface between quantum software and hardware.

    These projects build on Rigetti’s leadership in the UK’s quantum computing ecosystem, including launching the first fully operational quantum computer at the NQCC and leading a three-year £10 million consortium to deploy one of the first UK-based quantum computers hosted at Oxford Instruments’ Tubney Woods facility.

    About Rigetti
    Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. In 2021, Rigetti began selling on-premises quantum computing systems with qubit counts between 24 and 84 qubits, supporting national laboratories and quantum computing centers. Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera QPU was introduced in 2023 supporting a broader R&D community with a high-performance, on-premises QPU designed to plug into a customer’s existing cryogenic and control systems. The Company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high-performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at https://www.rigetti.com/.

    Rigetti Computing Media Contact:
    press@rigetti.com

    Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this communication may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including but not limited to, expectations with respect to the Company’s business and operations, including its expectations related to the Innovate UK grants as part of the Quantum Missions pilot competition and work with Riverlane to benchmark and enhance quantum error correction (QEC) capabilities on superconducting quantum computers; SEEQC, NQCC, Cambridge Consultants, Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools, and University of Edinburgh to integrate a digital chip-based technology with Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera™ QPU hosted at the NQCC with the goal of identifying and understanding the key system components needed for scalable QEC; and TreQ, Qruise, Q-CTRL, and Oxford Ionics to create an open-architecture quantum computing testbed. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events and can be identified by terminology such as “commit,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “intend,” “strive,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “aim,” “goal,” “outlook,” “anticipate,” “assume,” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Rigetti and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: Rigetti’s ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the ability of Rigetti to complete ongoing negotiations with government contractors successfully and in a timely manner; the potential of quantum computing; the ability of Rigetti to obtain government contracts and the availability of government funding; the ability of Rigetti to expand its QCS business; the success of Rigetti’s partnerships and collaborations; Rigetti’s ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Rigetti or others; the ability to continue to meet stock exchange listing standards; costs related to operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations, including taxes and tariffs; the possibility that Rigetti may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; Rigetti’s estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which Rigetti competes; the ability of Rigetti to execute on its technology roadmap; the ability of Rigetti to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; disruptions in banking systems, increased costs, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare, and terrorist attacks; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: No fires – strict warnings for all city parks

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Hanley Park fire damage

    Published: Tuesday, 22nd April 2025

    It follows a spate of deliberate fires sparked in Hanley Park, which has led to damage and endangered wildlife habitats.

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council is teaming up with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue to remind visitors to parks and outdoor spaces of the dangers of starting fires.
     

    It follows a spate of deliberate fires sparked in Hanley Park, which has led to damage and endangered wildlife habitats.

    The most recent vandalism at Hanley Park included a “dead” hedge row being set on fire.
    These structures are carefully built by the park’s team and dedicated volunteers to increase biodiversity and create habitats for wildlife. They play a vital role in supporting birds, insects and small mammals – and in making the park a thriving, natural space for everyone to enjoy.

    Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This kind of reckless damage isn’t just dangerous, it undoes hours of hard work aimed at protecting and improving our local environment.

    “Parks are meant to be a place to get lost in nature, to relax, or to exercise and to spend time with friends and family.

    “The most recent dry spell has also made the land more prone to fires. Please talk to your children, even friends and family members about the importance of looking after nature.

    “Our Park’s Team work tirelessly in all weathers, year in and year out to ensure not only visitors have the best visit, but that nature is thriving. Let’s not undo that hard work.

    “Bin your rubbish, make sure cigarettes are extinguished and binned and remember, absolutely no fires or BBQs in the parks.”
     

    Visitors are also reminded to respect the plants and flower beds throughout the parks. Hanley Park hosts award-winning displays each year; however, recently flowers have been picked and thrown across the floor.

    Station Manager Ant Ball, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are urging the public to take extra care when enjoying outdoor spaces, especially as warmer weather increases the risk of accidental fires.
     

    “Fires not only cause significant damage to our natural environment, but also place a considerable strain on emergency resources that may be needed elsewhere.
     

    “We are asking members of the public to refrain from lighting bonfires or barbecues in public spaces such as parks and open countryside. These activities can quickly become dangerous and get out of control, particularly in dry or windy conditions.
     

    “Visitors are reminded to always dispose of rubbish responsibly using the bins provided, and to ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished before discarding them.
     

    “We thank the public for their cooperation in keeping our communities and green spaces safe.” 

    Inspector Rebecca Price, from the Stoke-on-Trent South local policing team, said: “Vandalism at parks in the city will not be tolerated and we are working hard to catch those responsible.
     

    “Our PCSOs are regularly patrolling the area to keep visitors safe. We would also like to remind people that we hold a weekly police surgery at Hanley Park every Saturday and would urge local residents to talk to us about their concerns.”

    For more information on fire safety, please visit: Don’t be Blamed for the Flames
    and https://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/your-safety/safety-outside/grass-fire-prevention/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Charleston Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization and Violating Supervised Release

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Anthony Michael Mowery, 48, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and violating supervised release.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2024 to in or about May 2024, Mowery conspired with others in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine in the Charleston area. Mowery facilitated meetings during which his co-conspirators exchanged large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution.

    On May 5, 2024, Mowery arranged for co-conspirator Michael Dale Cain to travel to Charleston for the purpose of picking up approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine from another co-conspirator, Kirt Ray King, that Cain intended to transport to Parkersburg and distribute to others. After Cain acquired the methamphetamine, he was stopped by law enforcement officers who searched his vehicle, seized the methamphetamine, and arrested Cain.

    Mowery has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for unlawful assault, assault, battery, child abuse, destruction of property, and fleeing from an officer. At the time of this offense, Mowery was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his July 5, 2018, conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Today’s sentence includes two years in prison, to run concurrently to the nine-year sentence imposed by the Court, for committing a crime while on supervised release.

    Mowery is among four individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in the DTO conspiracy. All four pleaded guilty. Cain, 49, of Parkersburg, was sentenced on January 29, 2025, to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. King, 48, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025. Co-defendant John Wayne Harkless, 46, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-95.

    ###

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fire Safety – Open fire season starts for Tāmaki Makaurau

    Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

    Fire and Emergency New Zealand is moving Auckland City, Waitematā and Counties-Manukau Districts back to an open fire season from 8am on Wednesday 23 April, until further notice.
    An open fire season means people planning to light fires outdoors no longer need to apply to Fire and Emergency for authorised permits.
    The exceptions are the Hauraki Gulf Islands – populated islands will move to a restricted fire season, with permits needed from Fire and Emergency before lighting outdoor fires, and Department of Conservation islands remain in a prohibited fire season, with all outdoor fires banned.
    Te Hiku Region Manager Ron Devlin says a steady amount of rain across the Auckland region in the last few days and continued cooler forecasts have triggered the fire season changes.
    “The damper autumn conditions means there is now less of a fire risk throughout Tāmaki Makaurau,” he says.
    “However, we do still ask people to take care when lighting any fires, and to check the requirements for your location on checkitsalright.nz .
    “Make sure your fires are fully extinguished and keep checking for reignition in the following days and weeks.”
    Northland District changed to an open fire season last Friday. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Easter Long Weekend Wrap Up – Territory Road Policing and Operation Tuglo

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force were out in force over the Easter long weekend with multiple high visibility operations across the NT.

    The Territory Road Policing Division set up 56 Random Breath Test stations and conducted 484 mobile random breath tests throughout the Territory, with over 5,071 road users breath tested. Of that number, 41 people tested positive to alcohol and 25 tested positive to drugs from the 131 drug tests conducted.

    Road Policing issued 373 traffic infringement notices and provided 72 cautions, the majority of these interactions were related to speeding and persons not wearing seatbelts. Additionally, speed cameras checked 19,234 vehicles, capturing 491 for speeding.

    Superintendent Rick Magree said, “We know that people are four times more likely to die on Territory roads than the national average. With the increased traffic on the road over the Easter long weekend, comes increased risk.

    “Overall, most people were well behaved and enjoyed their long weekend responsibly, However It’s disappointing that a number of drivers still made poor choices in relation to the Fatal Five, predominantly with drink and drug driving as well as speeding.

    “With the upcoming long weekend Territorians can expect to see the Road Policing Division out with an increased presence keeping everyone safe on our roads.”

    In addition to the increase in RBT stations across the Territory, Operation Tuglo was commenced across Darwin, Adelaide River and Alice Springs, targeting the transportation of dangerous drugs, weapons and other illegal items via the air and road in the NT.

    Operation Tuglo conducted high visibility screening of passengers on commercial flights arriving at Darwin and Alice Springs airports as well as vehicles travelling along the Stuart Highway.

    Thirty-nine commercial flights with over 6,600 passengers and their luggage were screened using drug, firearm and explosive detection dogs. Fortunately, no illicit substances or illegal items were detected.

    Over 135 vehicles were screened with drug detection dogs with 80 vehicle searches resulting in seizure of 2.76kg of cannabis, 2kg of Kava, 28 litres of spirits all destined for remote restricted communities. Five stolen motor vehicles were also apprehended in Adelaide River.

    Additionally, one illegal firearm fashioned from a 22. calibre rifle was seized from a vehicle in Adelaide River.

    The operation resulted in three arrests, five Traffic Infringement Notices, two defect notices, and 10 people were issued with a Notice to Appear.

    Superintendent Lee Morgan said, “I want to commend all the officers involved in this significant operation.  

    “While the results from the airport checks were reassuring, the findings at the Adelaide River roadblock were disappointing.

    “The discovery and seizure of an illicit firearm is a serious matter, and that alone makes the operation worthwhile.

    “We remain committed to disrupting the supply of dangerous drugs and illicit substances into our communities.

    “Our focus will continue to be on those who traffic illicit substances into the Territory and specifically into remote areas, where some of our most vulnerable people reside.

    “Those who seek to profit from the harm of others, particularly the vulnerable, are a blight on our society and will be relentlessly pursued.

    “As a whole the Territory enjoyed a safe and responsible long weekend.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Ministry observes Pan-India ‘Fire Safety Week’ from 21st to 25th April; Union Health Secretary leads the pledge ceremony on ‘Fire Safety in Health Facilities’

    Source: Government of India

    Union Health Ministry observes Pan-India ‘Fire Safety Week’ from 21st  to 25th April; Union Health Secretary leads the pledge ceremony on ‘Fire Safety in Health Facilities’

    The ‘Fire Safety Week’ highlights the need for collective commitment to fire and electrical safety in health care facilities at all levels  

    Over 3,000 participants virtually join the pledge ceremony and webinar on “Emergency evacuation and patient safety strategies” and “Fire prevention in high-risk areas of healthcare facilities”

    Online Pledge and Fire Safety Quiz published in collaboration with MyGOV platform of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

    Posted On: 22 APR 2025 2:18PM by PIB Delhi

    Prioritizing and highlighting the issue of fire prevention and safety in health facilities, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the Fire Safety Week in collaboration with all States/UTs as well as relevant central Ministries/Departments from 21st to 25th April, 2025. Union Health Secretary, Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava led the nationwide   pledge ceremony on the theme of ‘Fire Safety in Health Facilities’ at Nirman Bhawan, today.

    Senior officials of the Ministry physically participated in pledge taking ceremony. Over 3,000 participants from public and private health facilities virtually joined the pledge ceremony and webinar on “Emergency evacuation and patient safety strategies” and “Fire prevention in high-risk areas of healthcare facilities”.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Union Health Secretary stressed on the importance of ensuring fire and electrical safety in all health facilities, while highlighting need for fire safety planning, capacity building of all healthcare functionaries on hospital fire safety as well as need to organize regular mock drills on fire preparedness as well as patient evacuation.

    Smt. Srivastava also highlighted the need to develop a culture of safety at health facilities. She urged all public and private health facilities to participate maximally in the activities and share the best practices with the Ministry to enhance and ensure the fire safety across all health facilities in the country.

    All the participants pledged to uphold the highest standards of fire safety within their respective organizations and healthcare facilities; cultivate a culture of fire safety awareness within their respective institutions by educating all staff and stakeholders on fire prevention, emergency response procedures, and the vital resources needed to maintain a safe environment; prioritize the safety of every patient, colleague, and visitor; embrace innovative solutions to prevent fire hazards and create a legacy of safety, resilience, and trust.

     

    Various activities have been planned throughout the country during the Fire Safety Week in order to raise awareness regarding importance of prevention and mitigation of fire hazards in all healthcare facilities across the country. Along with the nation-wide pledge ceremony on fire safety in all health facilities, the activities include fire audit at healthcare facilities and awareness generation activities, etc.  

    The Ministry has also organized a two-day webinar series on fire and electrical safety in health facilities, covering crucial aspects like prevention, regulatory compliance, maintenance and operations of fire detection and suppression systems, patient evacuation as well as holding mock-drills/ mock exercises to engage. In total, the webinar series has been attended by over 3,000 participants from all States/UTs.

    Seeking active involvement of all States/UTs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also circulated a detailed checklist to all States/UTs, while urging them to direct all health facilities (public and private) to undertake fire and electrical safety audits. All States/UTs have been requested to organize awareness generation activities, especially in medical colleges as well as large tertiary level hospitals. Such awareness generation activities will include organizing poster-making/quiz competition, holding demonstrations on optimal use of fire detection and suppression equipment/systems, etc.

    Considering the need for active participation by private health sector too, the Ministry has also urged Indian Medical Association, Central Ministries and Departments to participate in observing ‘Fire Safety Week’ activities through their State and District level branches.

    Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with MyGOV platform of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also published online pledge as well as fire safety quiz. The pledge as well as quiz may be accessed using the link https://pledge.mygov.in/fire-safety-in-healthcare/ and https://quiz.mygov.in/quiz/quiz-on-fire-safety-at-healthcare-facilities/.

    Union Health Ministry is committed to ensure safety and well-being of patients (both outpatients and inpatients), their attendants and all healthcare functionaries at the healthcare facilities. The Ministry continues to engage with all States/UTs by issuing detailed advisories, checklists and Do’s & Don’ts on fire prevention and safety in health facilities.

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    MV

    HFW/Fire Safety Week Pledge Ceremony Event/22April 2025/1

    (Release ID: 2123418) Visitor Counter : 105

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: West Virginians have one week left to apply for disaster assistance

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: West Virginians have one week left to apply for disaster assistance

    West Virginians have one week left to apply for disaster assistance

    CHARLESTON, W

    Va

     – West Virginians have one week left to apply for FEMA assistance for damages from the February storms

    Assistance is available to residents of Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties

     The deadline to apply is Monday, April 28, 2025

    Both homeowners and renters can apply for assistance to help with disaster-related expenses

    FEMA assistance can help with costs from replacing or repairing necessary and disaster-damaged personal property

    This can include appliances, computers, work equipment if you are self-employed, vehicles, and more

     If you have already applied for assistance and received a FEMA determination letter, please read that letter carefully

    If you disagree with the decision or assistance amount, don’t worry—you have the right to appeal

    FEMA’s first decision may not be the final decision

    But you should act quickly

    You need to respond to a FEMA decision letter within 60 days

    For help responding to a FEMA letter, bring your letter to a Disaster Recovery Center, call the FEMA helpline, or visit DisasterAssistance

    gov

    Homeowners and renters can apply for assistance, ask questions about their application, or receive help submitting an appeal by: Calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, Visiting DisasterAssistance

    gov

    Downloading and using the FEMA App,Visiting a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC)

     In coordination with the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) and officials in impacted counties, FEMA has open Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in McDowell, Mingo, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties

    You can visit a DRC to talk face-to-face with FEMA staff

     Disaster Recovery Center locations and hours are:McDowell County Disaster (Bradshaw) Recovery Center  Mingo County Disaster Recovery CenterBradshaw Town Hall10002 Marshall HwyBradshaw, WV 24817 Hours of operation:Monday to Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

    Williamson Campus1601 Armory DriveWilliamson, WV 25661 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

      Raleigh County Disaster Recovery CenterWyoming County Disaster Recovery CenterBeckley-Raleigh County Emergency Services1224 Airport RoadBeaver WV 25813 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     Wyoming Court House24 Main AvePineville, WV 24874 Hours of operation:Monday through Friday: 8 a

    m

    to 6 p

    m

     You do need to visit the center in your county

    You can visit any Disaster Recovery Center that works best for you

     You can also reach FEMA by phone or online

    You can call 800-621-FEMA (3362)

    The toll-free telephone line operates seven days a week

    You can also register online at DisasterAssistance

    gov or through the FEMA App on your phone

      For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd

    wv

    gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4861, and www

    facebook

    com/FEMA

     ### FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters

    Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Español page and at FEMA’s YouTube account

    Also, follow on X FEMA_Cam

     For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready

    gov, on Instagram @Ready

    gov or on the Ready Facebook page

       
    lianza

    yap
    Mon, 04/21/2025 – 20:15

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Know and Remember: The Victory Museum Invites You to Spend a Special Weekend

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Combine active and educational recreation for the whole family, learn a lot of new and interesting things about the past and present of the country, instill in children love and respect for their native land and introduce them to the history of Victory – all this can be done on the weekend. The Victory Museum has prepared a rich program of events for guests of all ages. With the support of the Moscow Government, it opens the third season of the Victory Park. The Main Patriotic project. Every weekend, cultural and educational events aimed at patriotic education and preserving historical memory will be held in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Gora. Guests will enjoy a large-scale quest “Forward to Victory” with interesting tasks, prizes and gifts, musical performances, excursions, master classes and original photo zones.

    The project will start on April 26 and 27 and will end on October 12. All events are free. You can join them on weekends from 11:00 to 19:00. Information about the program of the days will be updated weekly on the project page “Victory Park. The main patriotic”.

    New, unforgettable, eternal

    This year, more than 80 sites with various events for visitors will open on the territory of the memorial complex on Poklonnaya Gora. They will be recognizable by the stationary pavilions with the project name – “Victory Park. The Main Patriotic”.

    Muscovites and guests of the capital are in for a large-scale quest “Forward to Victory”. For the first time, the game for the whole family will take place along six unique routes throughout the Victory Park. Participants will receive “Red Army books” in which they will have to enter information about the completion of each of the 20 tasks and collect star stamps. Players will receive memorable prizes: a coin dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory, a Red Army soldier’s cap, a ticket to the Victory Museum, a certificate for visiting its unique exhibition “Battle for Moscow. The First Victory!”

    The G.O.R.A. Museum will be one of the venues for the project’s events for the first time. There are nine thematic areas, five interactive points and more than 400 examples of military equipment on display. Participants of the quest, upon presenting a “Red Army book”, will be able to visit the museum’s exposition for free and immerse themselves in the historical atmosphere of the 1940s.

    Free bus and walking tours are planned for the Victory Park memorial complex. A guided bus will depart from the Park Pobedy metro station at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Walking tours will start from the Park Pobedy metro station, from Partizan Alley from the Minskaya metro station, and from the main building Victory Museum.

    A field kitchen will open at the Frontline Agitation Team and Masters Square sites. Free lunches will be served to those guests who actively participated in the quest and other project events.

    What have you prepared for the coming weekend?

    On April 26 and 27, visitors to Victory Park will be able to attend demonstration races at the DOSAAF Moscow karting club, in the pneumatic shooting range, and at the training ground for the standards of the All-Russian physical culture and sports complex “Ready for Labor and Defense.”

    At the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps site, you can learn first aid, basic fire safety rules, water and tourist rescue skills, and how to use rescue tools.

    During these days, the creative teams of the State Budgetary Cultural Institution Mosconcert, radio Gordost, children’s ensembles Domisolka and Neposedy, the musical theater Na Poklonke and others will perform at the Frontline Agitation Team site.

    At the Park Pobedy metro station and on the circular alley near the Victory Monument, original master classes will be organized: “Living History”, “What a Soldier Has in His Duffel Bag”, “Letter to the Defender of the Fatherland”, and a game library with board games will be opened. In addition, near the Park Pobedy metro station, everyone will be greeted by a photo zone with a retro car from the 1940s and reenactors in uniforms from those years.

    Park visitors will be able to try their hand at the Young Fighter Course, master orientation skills and pitch an army tent at the Zarnitsa site, and make a commemorative coin at the Masters Square. Soldier Alley will teach you how to play gorodki and organize chess tournaments.

    The project “Victory Park. The Main Patriotic” has already won the hearts of city residents and tourists.

    Last season, its events were visited by about 700 thousand people, of whom more than 100 thousand joined the historical quest. In total, over 130 thousand prizes were awarded to the project participants in 2024. More than 26 thousand people visited the free walking and bus tours of the Victory Museum around the memorial complex on Poklonnaya Gora. Together with the guides, they saw its numerous monuments: the tallest Victory monument in Russia, the sculptural compositions “Tragedy of the Nations”, “We were together in the fight against fascism”. The excursionists also learned about the history of the complex. In total, within the framework of the program “Victory Park. The main patriotic” more than 130 creative programs were held, two thousand artists performed. Everyone could take part in sports competitions, over 100 different competitions were held in the park over the course of six months – game tournaments in gorodki, chess, master classes in parachuting and many others.

    An extensive program of festive events has been prepared in Moscow for the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. You can find out more details by link.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152934073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WFP warns of rising hunger and malnutrition in Ethiopia as humanitarian needs outpace resources

    Source: World Food Programme

    WFP/Michael Tewelde. A 7-month-old baby girl, was identified as moderately malnourished during a TSF assistance program at the Endaba-Guna IDP camp in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise in Ethiopia as ongoing conflict, regional instability, displacement, drought and economic shocks, leave millions without sufficient nutritious food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. The organization’s life-saving response has been severely hampered by critical funding shortfalls as 3.6 million of the most vulnerable are at imminent risk of losing food assistance, including malnutrition treatment for 650,000 women and children.

    Below is an update on food security and WFP operations in Ethiopia:

    Food Security Situation

    • More than 10 million people are facing hunger and malnutrition across Ethiopia. These include three million people forced from their homes due to conflict and extreme weather.
    • Malnutrition rates are alarmingly high, with 4.4 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and children in need of treatment.
    • In parts of Somali, Oromia, Tigray, and Afar regions, child wasting has surpassed the 15 percent emergency threshold.
    • Humanitarian needs in Ethiopia are rising due to conflict in neighboring countries. WFP already supports 800,000 refugees in Ethiopia, including 100,000 Sudanese refugees, while escalating insecurity in northeastern South Sudan could drive 10,000 more refugees across the border. 
    • Poor rainfall expected in south-eastern Ethiopia through May risks another drought in the Somali region as families are still reeling from the 2020-2023 drought – the country’s longest on record.

    WFP Response

    • WFP delivered food and nutrition assistance to more than three million people in the first quarter of 2025, with 80 percent rations to displaced and severely food-insecure Ethiopians, and 60 percent rations to up to one million refugees.
    • This year, WFP has treated 740,000 children and pregnant or breastfeeding women for malnutrition and provided 50,000 families with fresh food vouchers.
    • WFP provides daily school meals to about 470,000 children every month, including 70,000 children from refugee communities – prioritising conflict-affected and food-insecure woredas in northern Ethiopia.
    • WFP is helping communities to prepare and protect their livelihoods in drought-prone Oromia, Somali and Southern regions, targeting over 200,000 people with early warning messages and cash transfers. 

    Access Challenges

    • Ongoing violence and insecurity in Amhara are disrupting WFP’s humanitarian operations, threatening our ability to reach over half a million vulnerable people in the region. 
    • Criminal activities such as car hijacking, threats, and theft, are on the rise and pose serious risks to staff safety and impact the delivery of life saving assistance. 

    Funding

    • Without urgent new funding, 3.6 million of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable people will lose access to WFP’s life-saving food and nutrition assistance in the coming weeks. 
    • WFP is being forced to halt treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children in May due to insufficient funding. WFP had planned to reach 2 million mothers and children with life-saving nutrition assistance in 2025. 
    • Cash and in-kind food assistance for up to one million refugees will stop in June if additional funding is not received and the number of people fleeing violence in South Sudan continues.
    • Despite the generosity of many governments and individual donors, WFP in Ethiopia faces a funding shortfall of US$222 million between April and September 2025.

    #                 #                   #

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    About WFP 

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @wfp_ethiopia @wfp_africa

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In Moscow, about 300 buildings with brackets on their facades have undergone major repairs over the past 10 years

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Over the 10 years of implementing the capital repair program for the housing stock, specialists from the Moscow city services complex have put buildings of different styles in order – from the eclecticism of the late 19th century to late Soviet brutalism. Of interest are also houses with brackets on the facades – almost 300 such buildings have already been repaired.

    A bracket is a structural and at the same time decorative element whose utilitarian function is to support some structure – a cornice or a balcony. In addition, architects can decorate it with stucco or give it a certain shape.

    Cornice with modillions and a row of attics

    One of such buildings was the house with brackets at 50 Skhodnenskaya Street. In 2023, the façade was restored and a number of in-house engineering systems were replaced. The four-story residential building was built in 1957 according to a standard design. The ground floor was rusticated and separated by a wide architectural belt. The main and side facades were highlighted by trapezoidal bay windows decorated with balustrades and festoons. The fourth floor was separated from the lower ones by a profiled belt. The building is completed by a crowning cornice with modillions and an even row of attics.

    In order to restore the original appearance of the building, specialists from the Moscow Capital Repair Fund created a unique project. They selected high-quality domestic materials and modern technologies. Maximum attention was paid to the restoration of the facade, decorated with decorative elements.

    For the convenience of residents, the work was divided into several stages. First, the surfaces were cleared of accumulated dirt, and then peeling parts of the plaster layer were knocked off. At the next stage, antifungal protection was applied to wet areas. The brickwork damaged during many years of operation was repaired – local replacement and repair were carried out. Decorative elements located on the facade were carefully restored. Those that were lost during operation were fragmented.

    At the final stage, the craftsmen renewed the plaster layer and painted the facade in shades of “cloudy apricot” and “creamy white”. It is noteworthy that it was possible to preserve the historical color scheme. They also repaired the balcony slabs and painted the fences, updated the entrance doors to the entrances, the basement and drainpipes. In addition, they replaced the drainage mains, central heating and cold water supply risers.

    Rizalites with pediments and arched lintels

    In 2024, a six-story building with brackets was renovated at 6 Trekhprudny Lane. It was built in 1925 according to an individual project in the eclectic style. The facades were highlighted by risalits with pediments, interfloor and window sill cornices, pilasters, architraves, keystones, rusticated portals of entrance groups, as well as arched lintels, balconies, brackets and window openings of different formats. A crowning cornice is located along the perimeter of the building.

    As part of the work, the facade and roof were renovated. Specialists cleared and washed the exposed surfaces of the facade, and carried out local repair of the brickwork. Wet areas were treated with an antifungal compound.

    Then all architectural elements were repaired, including keystones, balusters, pilasters, and the cornice was restored. The facade was plastered and painted. The shade “beige natural rice” was selected for the main part, and “classic white” for the decorative elements. In addition, the craftsmen updated the entrance groups and the base, replaced the ebbs, repaired the slopes and hung a new drainage system on the facade. On the roof, the roofing deck, fences and doors were repaired. All internal wooden structures were treated with a fire-retardant composition. Insulation was carried out in the attic spaces and ventilation shafts and the temperature and humidity regime was established using mineral wool slabs.

    Arched frames and flower boxes

    In 2025, major repairs began on a residential five-story building with brackets at 17 Zeleny Prospekt. It was built in 1954 according to an individual project in the style of Soviet neoclassicism. The window openings on the ground floor were highlighted with arched frames, and the entrance groups were accentuated with portals. Interfloor and crowning cornices stretched along the perimeter of the building.

    Work is already underway in the basements and entrances of the facility, and the utility systems are also being put in order. In addition, they plan to update the facade with brackets and the roof. Specialists have developed an individual work project, selected modern domestic materials and technologies. The renovation of the facade made of unpainted red brick will begin with cleaning and washing open surfaces. Then they will repair the brickwork and start treating it with an antiseptic.

    The craftsmen will carry out hydrophobization of the facade – they will cover it with a special thin film, which will protect the walls from the aggressive impact of precipitation. Then the balconies, entrance groups and architectural elements will have to be repaired. Decorative elements on the facade, including arched window frames, flower boxes and brackets supporting the balconies, will be painted in a shade of “signal white”.

    Particular attention will be paid to the repair of the basement – the old plaster layer will be dismantled, antifungal protection will be applied, the entire surface will be plastered using a reinforcing mesh and painted. The roof will have its sheathing and roofing replaced, and in the attic all wooden structures will be treated with a fire-retardant composition, after which mineral wool slabs will be laid.

    The walls in the entrances will be plastered and painted, the floor tiles will be repaired and the handrails will be restored. In addition, the central heating and water supply lines will be replaced, and cold and hot water supply risers will be installed.

    The Moscow City Services Complex noted that the regional housing stock capital repairs program being implemented in the capital is in line with the goals and objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152931073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Today the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps celebrates its birthday

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On April 22, 2001, one of the largest student volunteer organizations in the field of emergency situations in the Russian Federation was formed — the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps. The VSKS includes over 8,000 volunteers from 88 regions of our country. All students undergo special training to provide qualified assistance to special services in the event of an emergency. Every year the corps grows and develops. Over the years of its existence, the VSKS has established itself as a structure that can be relied upon. On April 22, 2001, one of the largest student volunteer organizations in the field of emergency situations in the Russian Federation was formed — the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps. The VSKS includes over 8,000 volunteers from 88 regions of our country. All students undergo special training to provide qualified assistance to special services in the event of an emergency. Every year the corps grows and develops. Over the years of its existence, the VSKS has established itself as a structure that can be relied upon.

    The Peter the Great Student Fire and Rescue Squad is a student association of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, which is part of the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps. Our volunteers are a true example of civic responsibility and high social activity. They not only gain invaluable practical experience while rescuing people, but also develop leadership skills and team spirit. VSKS volunteers help those who need it with real actions.

    “On behalf of the entire fire and rescue squad “Peter the Great”, I would like to congratulate VSKS on its birthday! I wish you further prosperity, achievement of all set goals, attraction of like-minded people who are passionate about the idea of saving lives, who want to develop themselves and develop VSKS. We are very happy to be part of such a large and friendly team and hope for further cooperation,” – the head of the fire and rescue squad “Peter the Great” Arina Puchkova congratulated the students on the holiday.

    On this festive day, Polytechnic wishes the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps new successes in its activities, strengthening of its ranks, increase in the number of active and responsive volunteers, as well as safety in all operations.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cleaner coal to complement green wave

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

    China is gearing up for a new phase of coal power upgrades to hasten its transition toward cleaner and greener energy, said officials and experts on Monday.

    This round of upgrades will focus on enhanced peak-shaving capability, strong support for volatile new energy power, high resilience and lower emissions.

    It proposes key tasks in four aspects — clean and low-carbon; safe and reliable, efficient peak-shaving; valley-filling and the intelligent operation of coal power, said He Yang, deputy head of the National Energy Administration.

    He emphasized that among the four key tasks, ensuring the security and reliability of the power supply are fundamental prerequisites, as coal-fired power accounts for 40 percent of installed capacity and generates nearly 60 percent of electricity in China.

    This initiative comes against the backdrop of the rapid increase in power generated from intermittent and volatile new energies.

    Officials and experts emphasized the pressing need for China’s coal-fired power sector to address significant challenges amid energy transition.

    Coal-fired power, a major carbon emitter, must reduce emissions while enhancing flexibility as a crucial peak-shaving and support source in the evolving power system structure.

    Moving forward, a focus on clean energy and intelligent operations is essential for coal-fired power to adapt to scheduling systems and complex operating environments, ensuring both security and sustainability, said He.

    Hu Wenping, director of the power generation project consulting institute affiliated with the China Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute, emphasized the need to enhance the efficiency and speed of coal-fired power generation units, as well as boost worker safety through technological innovation.

    This includes intelligent optimization and decision-making for efficient operation, dynamic matching of resources for rapid load changes, and safety measures like intelligent safety monitoring to mitigate operational risks and ensure safe operations, Hu said.

    Diao Baosheng, deputy director of the power department of CHN Energy, shared the group’s practices in clean and decarbonization technologies for coal-fired power, including biomass co-firing and carbon capture, utilization and storage.

    Diao said the company has successively carried out technological strategies such as chemical absorption capturing, which can absorb up to 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The rise of Brazil’s fuel mafias and their gas station money laundering machines

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Robert Muggah, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow na Bosch Academy e Co-fundador, Instituto Igarapé

    Brazil’s federal police recently pulled back the curtain on a criminal web that had infiltrated the country’s fuel distribution chains. What looked like ordinary gas stations were, in fact, outposts of a vast laundering machine, washing dirty money with diesel and ethanol. According to Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, more than 1,000 service stations across the country were overseen by organised crime syndicates.

    The plot thickened when Rio de Janeiro’s state police launched raids against the so-called “fuel mafia”, dismantling a racket that sold millions of liters of adulterated fuel. In the process, they revealed a network of ghost companies churning out fake invoices.

    Crime moves into the fuel sector

    Across Brazil organised crime is diversifying beyond narcotics, arms trafficking into the biofuel and fossil fuel sectors. Criminal factions with names such as the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Comando Vermelho (CV), and militia groups made-up of retired and active duty police are expanding into fuel theft, smuggling, tax evasion, and money laundering. The pivot by Brazil’s criminal underworld underscores their adaptability in exploiting legitimate markets.

    Fuel theft is hardly new to Brazil. The country’s top fuel distributors – Ale, BR, Ipiranga, and Raizen – have warned of criminal infiltration. But the costs of these illegal activities are significant. According to ICL, an industry group, illegal profits generated by gas stations amounted to $23 billion reais($3.89 billion) in 2021.

    A 2022 study by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP) revealed that criminal organisations generated approximately 146.8 billion reais (around $25.4 billion) from sectors including fuel, gold, cigarettes, and beverages far surpassing the revenues from cocaine trafficking.

    Meanwhile, a 2024 assessment found that the costs of cargo-theft, fuel-related robberies and fraud generated annual losses of $29 billion reais. Vibra Energia estimated that roughly 13 billion liters of fuel were being traded through “irregular” means a year.

    Fake gas stations, adulterated fuel, and tax fraud

    Organised criminal groups employ multiple strategies to exploit the fuel sector. The most common involves the use of “pirate” gas stations — outlets that flout safety standards and sell adulterated and stolen fuel. Police have exposed hundreds of gas stations linked to individuals indicted or convicted for fuel-related offenses since 2015. In 2019, for example, BR purged its retail network of 730 stations nationwide suspected of involvement in “irregularities”.

    By 2023, the PCC reportedly extended its influence to five ethanol plants and approximately 1,100 of São Paulo’s 9,000 gas stations. And in 2024, police claimed that as many as 30 gas stations in Rio de Janeiro were under PCC control. Meanwhile, the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) reported that violations related to the use of methanol — a toxic substance commonly used to adulterate fuels—increased by over 73 percent compared to the previous year.

    Fraud and tax evasion are also common in the fuel sector. In Brazil, fuel taxes on ethanol vary from state to state. These discrepancies create incentives for enterprising criminals to purchase fuel from low-tax jurisdictions and resell in high-tax states to station owners who charge higher tax and pocket the difference.

    A 2019 study by FGV estimated that fuel-related tax evasion generated 7.2 billion reais ($1.3 billion), with major rewards for petrol station owners that laundered funds. There are also schemes that involve tax fraud in fuel production and illegal diesel imports. One prominent case involved Copape, a company that sold fuel below market price by evading import taxes and manipulating its product. The company was later shut down amid allegations of ties to the PCC.

    Another common strategy involves outright theft by installing clandestine taps and siphoning fuel from pipelines. This practice often leads to significant economic losses and poses environmental hazards and public safety risks. The process usually involves precise “insider” knowledge of pipeline networks. In 2019, for example, Petrobras identified over 261 such incidents in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo alone.

    The direct targeting of personnel and infrastructure has also occurred. In 2019, for example, more than 40 people were arrested in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 suspected of extorting and murdering Petrobras contactors. The group was described as highly organised with separate divisions for intimidating targets, tapping pipelines, transporting stolen fuel, and monitoring police movements. Stolen fuel can be sold on to asphalt companies, underground gas owners, and others.

    The entrenchment of organised crime in biofuels such as sugar and palm oil has resulted in confrontations with state authorities. In August 2024, 59,000 hectares of São Paulo’s sugarcane plantations were ravaged by fires resulting in losses of over 1 billion reais. Authorities suspect that the PCC orchestrated arson attacks as retaliation against government measures targeting their involvement in the adulterated fuel trade.

    And in February 2025, police in Rio de Janeiro revealed that operators of an illegal gambling (jogo do bicho) network were financing the criminal extraction of oil from underground pipelines. Proceeds were used to acquire equipment, rent fuel transport vehicles, and pay off personnel. In Rio, and elsewhere in Brazil, such activities undermine the rule of law, distort markets, and erode public trust.

    Technology-enabled solutions to disrupt fuel theft

    Preventing and disrupting infiltration of organised crime into the fuel sectors is challenging. Legal proceedings are often protracted. Efforts by fuel distributors to terminate franchise agreements with non-compliant operators are often stymied by prolonged court battles. The sophistication of Brazil’s criminal organisations also complicates enforcement efforts including their blending of illicit activities with legitimate business.

    At a minimum, federal and state authorities need to track gas stations and pipelines that are implicated in crime. Advanced tracking technologies that improve transparency in the fuel supply chain. And these solutions need to be bolstered by intelligence sharing across jurisdictions. One promising response comes from Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology (Inmetro) which has expanded its inspections of fuel pumps and product quality.

    Companies like Petrobras have ramped up their security measures to protect pipelines, refineries, transportation systems, and petrol stations. Advanced surveillance systems, including drones and sensor-based technology, are now being used by its subsidiary, TransPetro, to monitor pipeline integrity.

    Specialised response teams have also been established to detect and contain illegal taps. Petrobras and Transpetro have also increased collaboration with federal and state security forces to target organised crime cells involved in fuel theft and trafficking.

    In especially high-risk areas, particularly near major refineries such as Duque de Caxias in Rio de Janeiro, joint operations with law enforcement have resulted in arrests and the seizure of illegal equipment used to tap pipelines.

    Petrobras has invested in internal compliance, audit mechanisms, and fuel traceability systems to track product movement and prevent insider threats and diversion to illicit markets. The company has also partnered with regulatory agencies like the (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, or ANP) to tighten oversight over gas stations and transport companies suspected of facilitating the resale of adulterated or stolen fuel.

    Legislation and regulation is also needed to increase penalties for criminality in the fuel sector. Legal reforms, including a new bill approved in April 2025 targets companies that systematically evade taxes. Another bill is being explored that would mandate real-time electronic reporting of fuel sales and storage to ANP in order to increase traceability.

    A new Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry focusing on the relationship between organised crime and fuel is also about to be launched. Federal police, together with the financial intelligence unit (COAF) and tax authorities are also preparing a broad investigation into related activities.

    Addressing the infiltration of organised crime into Brazil’s biofuel and fossil fuel sectors requires more than enforcement — it demands a coordinated national strategy backed by industry cooperation. Enforced compliance, empowered regulators, transparent supply chains, and worker protections are essential. Without urgent and sustained action, organised crime will continue siphoning off Brazil’s future, weakening one of its most vital sectors.

    *Katherine Aguirre, senior researcher at Igarape Institute, contributed to this article

    Dr. Robert Muggah is the co-founder of the Igarapé Institute, an independent “think and do tank” that develops research, solutions and partnerships to address global public, digital and climate security challenges. Dr. Muggah is also a principal of the SecDev Group, and an advisor to the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank. An advisor to AI start-ups and a climate tech venture firms, Dr. Muggah has experience developing new technologies and testing AI systems for security and governance.

    – ref. The rise of Brazil’s fuel mafias and their gas station money laundering machines – https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-brazils-fuel-mafias-and-their-gas-station-money-laundering-machines-254422

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tiny dips in sea level reveal flow of climate-regulating underwater waterfalls

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthis Auger, Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania

    NASA ICE via Flickr, CC BY

    Beneath the surface of the Southern Ocean, vast volumes of cold, dense water plunge off the Antarctic continental shelf, cascading down underwater cliffs to the ocean floor thousands of metres below. These hidden waterfalls are a key part of the global ocean’s overturning circulation – a vast conveyor belt of currents that moves heat, carbon, and nutrients around the world, helping to regulate Earth’s climate.

    For decades, scientists have struggled to observe these underwater waterfalls of dense water around Antarctica. They occur in some of the most remote and stormy waters on the planet, often shrouded by sea ice and funnelled through narrow canyons that are easily missed by research ships.

    But our new research shows that satellites, orbiting hundreds of kilometres above Earth, can detect these sub-sea falls.

    By measuring tiny dips in sea level – just a few centimetres – we can now track the dense water cascades from space. This breakthrough lets us monitor the deepest branches of the ocean circulation, which are slowing down as Antarctic ice melts and surface waters warm.

    Dense water helps regulate the climate

    Antarctic dense water is formed when sea ice grows, in the process making nearby water saltier and more dense. This heavy water then spreads across the continental shelf until it finds a path to spill over the edge, plunging down steep underwater slopes into the deep.

    As the dense water flows northward along the seafloor, it brings oxygen and nutrients into the abyss – as well as carbon and heat drawn from the atmosphere.

    But this crucial process is under threat. Climate change is melting the Antarctic ice sheet, adding fresh meltwater into the ocean and making it harder for dense water to form.

    Underwater waterfalls around Antarctica carry dense, salty surface water into the depths of the ocean.

    Past research has shown the abyssal circulation has already slowed by 30%, and is likely to weaken further in the years ahead. This could reduce the ocean’s ability to absorb heat and carbon, accelerating climate change.

    Our research provides a new technique that can provide easy, direct observations of future changes in the Southern Ocean abyssal overturning circulation.

    Satellites and sea level

    Until now, tracking dense water cascades around Antarctica has relied on moorings, ship-based surveys, and even sensors attached to seals. While these methods deliver valuable local insights, they are costly, logistically demanding, carbon-intensive, and only cover a limited area.

    Satellite data offers an alternative. Using radar, satellites such as CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-3A can measure changes in sea surface height to within a few centimetres.

    And thanks to recent advances in data processing, we can now extract reliable measurements even in ice-covered regions – by peering at the sea surface through cracks and openings in the sea ice.

    Openings or ‘leads’ in sea ice can reveal the height of the sea surface beneath.
    NASA ICE via Flicker, CC BY

    In our study, we combined nearly a decade of satellite observations with high-resolution ocean models focused on the Ross Sea. This is a critical hotspot for Antarctic dense water formation.

    We discovered that dense water cascades leave a telltale surface signal: a subtle but consistent dip in sea level, caused by the cold, heavy water sinking beneath it.

    By tracking these subtle sea level dips, we developed a new way to monitor year-to-year changes in dense water cascades along the Antarctic continental shelf. The satellite signal we identified aligns well with observations collected by other means, giving us confidence that this method can reliably detect meaningful shifts in deep ocean circulation.

    Cheap and effective – with no carbon emissions

    This is the first time Antarctic dense water cascades have been monitored from space. What makes this approach so powerful is its ability to deliver long-term, wide-reaching observations at low cost and with zero carbon emissions – using satellites that are already in orbit.

    These innovations are especially important as we work to monitor a rapidly changing climate system. The strength of deep Antarctic currents remains one of the major uncertainties in global climate projections.

    Gaining the ability to track their changes from space offers a powerful new way to monitor our changing climate – and to shape more effective strategies for adaptation.

    Matthis Auger receives funding from the Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative, Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science.

    – ref. Tiny dips in sea level reveal flow of climate-regulating underwater waterfalls – https://theconversation.com/tiny-dips-in-sea-level-reveal-flow-of-climate-regulating-underwater-waterfalls-253940

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Get involved in the Fire Equipment Maintenance Program

    Source:

    Fire Equipment Maintenance (FEM) is a vital fire prevention activity and an important income source for many CFA brigades.

    Brigades providing FEM services visit businesses and facilities in their communities, checking fire extinguishers, fire blankets, fire hose reels and lay flat hose, ensuring they are maintained and ready to use in the event of an emergency.  

    This maintenance is legally required for building owners and occupiers and businesses pay a fee to have CFA complete this maintenance, with the funds reinvested into the brigade.  

    Queenscliff Fire Brigade, with Point Lonsdale, reignited their FEM services last year and said the benefits were far reaching.  

    “For us, the benefits of providing FEM services in our community are three-fold: fundraising, community engagement and situational awareness,” 1st Lieutenant Paul Hicks said.  

    “Providing the service strengthens our ties with the community socially and economically.”  

    The brigade has used funds earned through FEM to upgrade or supplement their firefighting equipment. 

    “It also provides us with a solid economic base to finance any future needs,” Paul said.  

    “Every dollar we raise through FEM or donated by the community is invested back into the brigade to deliver the best outcome for members and our community.” 

    “Delivering FEM also plays a critical role in our community engagement efforts, allowing members to provide information, address concerns and promote fire safety while on site. That direct contact gives the community confidence in our brigade.  

    “By visiting local businesses and facilities we also gain valuable insight into each location, its fire protection systems and potential hazards.” 

    With more than 265 brigades and 1,350 accredited members statewide, the past year has been one of their busiest and most successful, with more than $3.8 million dollars raised.  

    Brigades use FEM revenue to fund equipment, vehicles, tools, building works, training and cultural activities. It also supplements applications under the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program.  

    CFA is encouraging more brigades to become involved with the FEM program to help them continue to provide the best outcomes to their communities.  

    More information can be found here. 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s Message for International Mother Earth Day [scroll down for French]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Mother Earth is running a fever.  

    Last year was the hottest ever recorded: 

    The final blow in a decade of record heat.   

    We know what’s causing this sickness: the greenhouse gas emissions humanity is pumping into the atmosphere – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels.    

    We know the symptoms: devastating wildfires, floods and heat. Lives lost and livelihoods shattered.    

    And we know the cure:  rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and turbocharging adaptation, to protect ourselves – and nature – from climate disasters.  

    Getting on the road to recovery is a win-win.  

    Renewable power is cheaper, healthier, and more secure than fossil fuel alternatives.  

    And action on adaptation is critical to creating robust economies and safer communities, now and in the future.   

    This year is critical.  

    All countries must create new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius – essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe.  

    This is a vital chance to seize the benefits of clean power. I urge all countries to take it, with the G20 leading the way.  

    We also need action to tackle pollution, slam the brakes on biodiversity loss, and deliver the finance countries need to protect our planet.  

    Together, let’s get to work and make 2025 the year we restore good health to Mother Earth. 

    *****
     

    La Terre nourricière est prise de fièvre. 

    L’année dernière a été la plus chaude jamais enregistrée – le coup de grâce d’une décennie de chaleur record. 

    Nous savons la cause de cette maladie : les émissions de gaz à effet de serre que l’humanité rejette dans l’atmosphère, et qui proviennent essentiellement des combustibles fossiles. 

    Nous en connaissons les symptômes : les incendies de forêt, les inondations et les chaleurs, qui font des ravages. Des vies perdues et des moyens de subsistance anéantis. 

    Et nous connaissons le remède : réduire rapidement les émissions de gaz à effet de serre et accélérer l’adaptation pour nous protéger – et protéger la nature – des catastrophes climatiques. 

    Tout le monde gagne à prendre le chemin de la guérison. 

    Les énergies renouvelables sont moins chères, plus saines et plus sûres que les combustibles fossiles. 

    Les mesures d’adaptation sont essentielles pour créer des économies solides et des sociétés plus sûres, aujourd’hui et demain. 

    L’année 2025 est décisive. 

    Tous les pays doivent établir de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux pour le climat compatibles avec l’objectif de limiter la hausse de la température mondiale à 1,5 degré Celsius, qui sera primordial pour éviter la pire des catastrophes climatiques. 

    Il s’agit d’une occasion unique de profiter des avantages de l’énergie propre. J’invite tous les pays à la saisir, le G20 montrant la voie à suivre. 

    Nous devons également agir pour lutter contre la pollution, freiner l’appauvrissement de la biodiversité et fournir les fonds dont les pays ont besoin pour protéger notre planète. 

    Ensemble, mettons-nous à l’œuvre et faisons de 2025 l’année où nous remettrons d’aplomb la Terre nourricière. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Two men before the courts on unlawful hunting charges

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Two people are before the courts after Police executed two search warrants at addresses in Te Karaka, in relation to unlawful hunting in the region.

    The warrants were executed on Thursday 17 April, resulting in Police locating and seizing a firearm, ammunition, and a large amount of cannabis.

    Two men, aged 32 and 40, are due to appear in the Gisborne District Court tomorrow (23 April), facing charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, unlawful hunting and cultivating cannabis.

    Poaching and unlawful hunting continues to be an ongoing issue across the wider district, not only for personal safety reasons but also for the flow on effect from the damage caused to the forestry and farmers properties.
    These two arrests are a pleasing result, and Police will continue to work hard to hold offenders to account.

    Police urge anybody who has been a victim of poaching to make a report to Police via 105.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 27 Members or Associates of Tren de Aragua Charged with Racketeering, Narcotics, Sex Trafficking, Robbery and Firearms offenses

    Source: US State of California

    Note: A copy of the Anti-Tren indictment can be found here.

    Today, two superseding indictments were unsealed charging 27 individuals currently or formerly associated with the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. The first superseding indictment (the “TdA Indictment”) charges six alleged members of TdA. The second superseding indictment (the “Anti-Tren Indictment”) charges 19 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a splinter faction comprised of former TdA members, along with two additional associates of Anti-Tren. Of the 27 defendants, 21 are in federal custody, including 16 who were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five who were arrested last night and today in operations in New York and other jurisdictions.

    “As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”

    “Today, we have filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York.  “Today’s Indictments make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”“Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City,” said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.  “For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is. This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns.  Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictments:[1]

    The TdA Indictment

    TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere. The purposes of TdA included:

    • Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
    • Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
      • The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Peru and the United States;
      • The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the United States;
      • The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine; and
      • Armed robberies.
    • Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
    • Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
    • Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
    • Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.

    Members and associates of TdA transported “multadas” from Venezuela into Peru and the United States in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work. Members of TdA enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:

    • Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
    • Assaulting “multadas,”
    • Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
    • Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.

    Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.

    The TdA Indictment charges Jarwin Valero-Calderon, also known as “La Fama,” 29; Samuel Gonzalez Castro, also known as “Klei” and “Kley, ” 28; Eferson Morillo-Gomez, also known as “Jefferson” and “Efe Trebol,” 20; Brayan Oliveros-Chero, 28; Sandro Oliveros-Chero, 25; and Armando Jose Perez Gonzalez, also known as “Biblia,” 30, (the “TdA Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in the TdA racketeering enterprise. Various of the TdA defendants are also charged with participating in offenses relating to drug trafficking, carjacking, robbery, and extortion, as well as firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote for the Southern District of New York.

    If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, Sandro Oliveros-Chero, and Perez Gonzalez face up to life in prison. If convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, Sandro Oliveros-Chero, and Perez Gonzalez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of carjacking conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to five years in prison. If convicted of carjacking, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison. If convicted of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, and Sandro Oliveros-Chero face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, Brayan Oliveros-Chero faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Sandro Oliveros-Chero faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Perez Gonzalez faces up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Perez Gonzalez faces up to 15 years in prison.

    The Anti-Tren Indictment

    Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TdA. Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere. Like TdA, the purposes of Anti-Tren included:

    • Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TdA.
    • Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
      • The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the United States;
      • The sex trafficking of “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the United States;
      • The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi”; and
      • Armed robberies.
    • Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
    • Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
    • Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained.
    • Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.

    Like TdA, Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of “multadas,” into the United States in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. And like TdA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:

    • Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
    • Assaulting “multadas,”
    • Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
    • Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.

    Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.

    The Anti-Tren Indictment charges Reinaldo Rafael Gonzales-Valdez, also known as “Mariguana” and “Marijuana,” 41; Jose Manuel Guerrero-Zarate, also known as “Mantequilla,” 29; Jose David Valencia-De La Rosa, 27; Johan Carlos Mujica-Urpin, also known as “Sobrino,” 27; Luis Jose Velasquez-Hurtado, also known as “Chito,” 30; Stefano Said Pachon-Romero, 21; Guillermo Freites Velazquez, 26; Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” 27; Giovanny Valentin Blanco Luciano, also known as “Cachorrito,” 20; Anderson Jesus Duran Berroteran, also known as “Cachorro, ” 22; Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer, 37; Luis Miguel Rodriguez-Tapia, 25; Mario Andres Pereda, also known as “Cara de Hombre,” 44; Anderson Smith Zambrano-Pacheco, 26; Yeferson Alejandro Prieto Galviz, also known as “Flaco T” and“Flacote,” 24; Jhonkennedy Bravo-Castro, also known as  “Negrito,” 27; Yender Maykier Mata, 36; Kellen Alejandro Jaspe Bustamante, 20; and Luis Andres Bello-Chacon, also known as  “Care de Peo,” 31 (the “Anti-Tren Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in an Anti-Tren racketeering enterprise. Various of the Anti-Tren Defendants, along with co-defendants Wilfredo Jose Avendaño Carrizalez and Carlos Gabriel Santos Mogollon, are also charged with participating in offenses relating to sex trafficking, conspiracy to import and harbor aliens, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the Southern District of New York.

    If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Duran Berroteran, Bello Ferrer, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, Prieto Galviz, Bravo-Castro, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to life in prison. If convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Duran Berroteran, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, and Bravo-Castro face up to life in prison. If convicted of alien importation and harboring for immoral purpose – conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Duran Berroteran, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, and Bravo-Castro face up to five years in prison. If convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Mujica-Urpin, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Duran Berroteran, Prieto Galviz, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Mujica-Urpin, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Zambrano-Pacheco, Prieto Galviz, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of obstruction of justice, Velasquez-Hurtado faces up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of unlicensed dealing of firearms, Pachon-Romero faces up to five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a fugitive from justice and illegal alien, Zambrano-Pacheco, faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Bravo-Castro, Avendaño Carrizalez and Santos Mogollonface up to 15 years in prison.

    The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

    Attorney General Bondi and Acting U.S. Attorney Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and NYPD. They also thanked the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the HSI National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations New York; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

    This case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division.  Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; ATF; USMS; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). In February 2025, Tren de Aragua was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.

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

    [1] The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: The Pope has died, and the Palestinian people have lost an important advocate

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    Pope Francis has died after using his Easter Sunday address to call for peace in Gaza. I don’t know who the cardinals will pick to replace him, but I do know with absolute certainty that there are transnational intelligence operations in the works to make sure they select a more reliable supporter of Israel.

    They’ve probably been working on it since his health started failing.

    Anyone who’s been reading me for a while knows my attitude toward Roman Catholicism can be described as openly hostile because of my family history with the Church’s sexual abuses under Cardinal Pell, but as far as popes go this one was decent.

    Francis had been an influential critic of Israel’s mass atrocities in Gaza, calling for investigation of genocide allegations and denouncing the bombing of hospitals and the murder of humanitarian workers and civilians. He’d been personally calling the only Catholic parish in Gaza by phone every night during the Israeli onslaught, even as his health deteriorated.

    In other words, he was a PR problem for Israel.

    I hope another compassionate human being is announced as the next leader of the Church, but there are definitely forces pushing for a different outcome right now. There is no shortage of terrible men who could be chosen for the position.

    ❖

    ❖

    Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Omer Dostri told Israel’s Channel 12 News on Saturday that a deal with Hamas to release all hostages was a non-starter for the Israeli government, because it would require a commitment to lasting peace.

    “At the moment, there can’t be one deal since Hamas isn’t saying: ‘Come get your hostages and that’s that,’ it’s demanding an end to the war,” Dostri said in the interview.

    This comes as Hamas offers to return all hostages, stop digging tunnels, and put away its weapons in exchange for a permanent ceasefire. This is what Israel is dismissing as unacceptable.


    The Pope has died           Video/audio: Caitlin Johnstone

    The Gaza holocaust was never about freeing the hostages. This has been clear ever since Israel began aggressively bombing the place where the hostages are living, and it’s gotten clearer and clearer ever since. Last month Netanyahu made it clear that Israel intends to carry out Trump’s ethnic cleansing plans for the enclave even if Hamas fully surrenders.

    When Washington’s podium people say the “war” in Gaza can end if Hamas releases the hostages and lays down their arms, they are lying. They are lying to ensure that the genocide continues.

    When Israel apologists say “Release the hostages!” in response to criticisms of Israeli atrocities, they are lying. They know this has never had anything to do with hostages. They are lying to help Israel commit more atrocities.

    It was never about the hostages. It was never about Hamas. What it’s really about was obvious from day one: purging Palestinians from Palestinian land. That’s all this has ever been.

    ❖

    After executing 15 medical workers in Gaza and getting caught lying about it, the IDF has investigated itself and attributed the massacre to “professional failures” and “operational misunderstandings”, finding no evidence of any violation of its code of ethics.

    It’s crazy to think about how much investigative journalism went into exposing this atrocity only to have Israel go “Yeah turns out we did an oopsie, no further action required, thank you to our allies for the latest shipment of bombs.”

    ❖

    The death toll from Trump’s terrorist attack on a Yemen fuel port is now up to 80, with 150 wounded. Again, the US has not even tried to claim this was a military target. They said they targeted this critical civilian infrastructure to hurt the economic interests of the Houthis.

    Those who are truly anti-war don’t support Trump. Those who support Trump aren’t truly anti-war.

    I still get people telling me I need to be nicer to Trump supporters because they’re potential allies in resisting war, which to me is just so silly. What are they even talking about? Trump supporters, per definition, currently support the one person who is most singularly responsible for the horrific acts of war we are seeing in the middle east right now. Telling me they’re my allies is exactly as absurd as telling me Biden supporters were my allies last year would have been, except nobody was ever dumb enough to try to make that argument.

    If you still support Trump in April 2025 after seeing all his monstrous behavior in Gaza and Yemen, then we are on completely opposite sides. You might think you’re on the same side as me because you oppose war in theory, but when the rubber meets the road it turns out you’ll go along with any acts of mass military slaughter no matter how evil so long as they are done by a Republican. We are not allies, we are enemies. You side with the most egregious warmonger in the world right now, and I want your side to fail.

    ❖

    People say “It’s the Muslims!” or “It’s the Jews!”

    No, it’s the Americans. The US-centralised empire is responsible for most of our world’s problems.

    It says so much about the strength of the imperial propaganda machine that this isn’t more obvious to more people.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of EPA Administrator Zeldin’s Visit to San Diego, Rep. Mike Levin & Mayor Paloma Aguirre Called on the Trump Administration to Use Funding to Address Cross-Border Sewage Pollution & Demand No Funding Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    April 21, 2025

    San Diego, CA—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre called on the Trump Administration use Congressionally appropriated funds to address the cross-border sewage pollution and environmental crisis at the Tijuana River Valley. Ahead of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s visit to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant on Tuesday, they urged him to commit to no cuts to funding dedicated to clean-up efforts in the region.

    “For decades, tens of billions of gallons of raw sewage, polluted stormwater, and trash have flowed from Mexico, down the Tijuana River, and into the Pacific Ocean. This pollution has had a devastating impact on public health, our local businesses, and the environment,” said Rep. Levin. “We can’t allow Administrator Zeldin or anyone in the Trump Administration to talk about solving this crisis while proposing cuts to the very agencies responsible for the solution. DOGE and House Republicans have already targeted funding for the IBWC, which operates the plant. You can’t say you support a solution and then gut the resources required to get it done. So, I look forward to Administrator Zeldin’s visit. But what matters most is what happens after he leaves. We need action. And we need to fix this in a bipartisan way—once and for all.”

    Rep. Levin and the Democratic Members of the San Diego Congressional Delegation secured over half a billion dollars to upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and secured commitments from Mexico for clean-up on its side of the border. The use of this funding was delayed by the first Trump Administration and the Biden Administration. It is now threatened by the second Trump Administration’s slash-and-burn approach to government programs that address pollution and help keep our air and water clean. Rep. Levin and Mayor Aguirre will make clear that funds to address this crisis cannot be caught up in the Trump Administration’s haphazard cuts.

    ##

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel conducts over 200 strikes in Gaza within days

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A firefighter puts out a fire after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on April 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Israel’s military said on Monday that it carried out more than 200 airstrikes across the Gaza Strip over the past three days, killing a member of the Islamic Jihad movement.

    The military said the strikes targeted militant infrastructure, militant cells, rocket launch and sniper positions, weapons depots and command centers.

    It identified the killed fighter as Ahmad Mansour, who it said participated in the Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and later directed rocket fire during the ongoing war.

    In Rafah’s Shabura and Tel al-Sultan neighborhoods, Israeli troops dismantled “terrorist infrastructure” and uncovered a cache of grenades, ammunition and other military gear.

    Along the recently constructed Morag Corridor, which bisects Rafah from Khan Younis and the rest of Gaza, troops located weapons, destroyed Hamas infrastructure and killed several militants, the military said.

    In northern Gaza, soldiers launched an airstrike on a building containing what was described as underground infrastructure and detected multiple militants. The army also reported dismantling Hamas sniper posts that had threatened its ground forces.

    At least eight people were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday and dozens wounded, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ukraine to hold peace talks with UK, France, US

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that Ukraine will hold peace talks with the United Kingdom, France, and the United States in London on Wednesday.

    “Already this Wednesday, our representatives will be working in London,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X after phone talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

    “We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace,” he said.

    The president emphasized that an unconditional ceasefire must be the first step toward peace.

    Zelensky also noted that he and Starmer discussed joint work within European security formats. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News – Cool but calmer weather on the way – MetService

    Source: MetService

    Covering period of Tuesday 22nd – Thursday 24th April – The Easter weekend was marked by severe weather across many parts of Aotearoa New Zealand. Cyclone Tam, the remains of a tropical weather system, arrived on our shores last Thursday bringing strong winds and heavy rain across the top of the country, resulting in power outages through Northland. Even the sheltered urban centre Whangarei was buffeted with gusts up to 96 km/h and exposed places recorded gusts well in excess of 100 km/h. Tam remained close throughout the long weekend, keeping a feed of warm but unsettled conditions across the country.
     
    Intense thunderstorms moved across Auckland overnight Friday and during Saturday bringing large volumes of rainfall. Over 1000 lightning strikes were recorded in the upper North Island and Mt Roskill recorded 81mm of rain within an hour. The top of the South Island also experienced the impacts from Cyclone Tam with flooding in parts of Buller on Sunday.
     
    MetService Meteorologist Michael Pawley details “The slow-moving nature of Cyclone Tam meant that the impacts from this system remained with us throughout the Easter Weekend. From Severe Thunderstorms to record breaking temperatures this has been a challenging weekend of weather for many parts of New Zealand.”

    April maximum temperature records were broken in Whanganui and Palmerston North. Levin reached a sweltering 28.7°C, smashing the record of 25.7°C set in April of 1999.

    This week, thankfully, sees a change in the weather with Cyclone Tam giving way to a period of more settled weather as high pressure builds across the country. As the winds swing from the warm north to the cool south, temperatures across the country will be dropping.
     
    For those attending dawn services for ANZAC day on Friday, the forecast is generally one of dry but cold weather.
     
    Michael continues “Time to bring out the woollen jumper again! It will be a cold start to the day on ANZAC day, especially compared to the recent warm nights. However, for many of us it will be a dry start to the long weekend.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –