NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: over 60% of people agree it should not be a crime for sex workers to work together – new poll

    Source: Amnesty International –

    61% of adults believe it should not be a crime for two or more sex workers to work together  

    Over half believe consensual sex work should be fully decriminalised  

    “Full decriminalisation is the only option to keep sex workers safe” – Chiara Capraro  

    Sex work should be fully decriminalised in the UK to protect sex workers’ human rights and safety, Amnesty International UK has said today.  

    In England and Wales, the buying and selling of sexual services is legal, but some activities around sex work are not – sex workers who decide to work together for safety can be charged with brothel keeping and it is a criminal offence to ‘solicit’ clients in public spaces. As a result, sex workers are forced to work on their own, at increased risk of violence.   

    A new poll* commissioned by Amnesty UK has shown that the majority of the UK public (61%) believe that it should not be a crime for two or more sex workers to work together, and more than half (53%) of UK adults agree that consensual adult sex work should be fully decriminalised.  

    Chiara Capraro, Amnesty International UK’s Gender Justice Programme Director, said:   

    “Our poll shows that the majority of the UK public wants the law to protect, not punish sex workers.  

    “Most people go into sex work due to poverty. Years of austerity and the cost-of-living crisis are pushing more and more women into sex work to support themselves and their families. Rather than keeping these women safe and helping them to leave sex work if they so wish, the current law forces sex workers into harmful, dangerous and isolating situations and can trap them in a cycle of poverty.  

    “Sex workers should be able to work together for safety, but instead criminalisation forces them to work in precarious situations alone, making them vulnerable to violence and abuse and blocking them from accessing health care and other vital services. 

    “Full decriminalisation is the only option to keep sex workers safe – it would allow them to work together for security, improve their ability to report violence to the authorities and access justice and support.” 

    Amnesty International UK is calling for decriminalisation alongside a coalition of sex worker led and human rights organisations, including Decrim Now and the English Collective of Prostitutes.  

    Megan Isaac, a spokesperson from Decrim Now, said:  

    “This polling shows that the general public agrees with what sex workers have long been calling for: we need full decriminalisation so that sex workers can work together for safety, without having to fear fines, eviction, or arrest. The government has abandoned millions of people in the UK to living in poverty – it’s deeply unfair to criminalise people who turn to sex work so that they can survive. 

    “We know that it’s possible for the law to change. New Zealand decriminalised sex work in 2003 and Belgium did so in 2022, recently implementing laws that would give sex workers access to maternity leave, sick pay, and protection from harassment. Politicians must take action to decriminalise sex work in the UK, to protect sex workers’ safety, health, and human rights.” 

    Laura Watson, a spokesperson from the English Collective of Prostitutes, said:  

    “Most of the women in our group are mothers working to support children and we are furious that we are pushed into this job by poverty and then criminalised for trying to survive and keep our families together. Those of us who are migrant and/or women of colour get particularly targeted.  

    “Sex workers are facing epidemic levels of rape and other violence but we can’t report to the police because we are frightened about being arrested ourselves for soliciting or brothel-keeping.  

    “If we are working on the street, we end up running from the police and being pushed into more isolated areas. Many of us would like to work together with another woman inside because it is safer but if we do that we can be arrested for brothel-keeping.” 

    ENDS 

    Background 

    *Savanta interviewed 2,208 UK adults aged 18+ online between the 29 November and 2 December 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, gender, and region. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Paul Affirm Alabamians’ Right-to-Work

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in reintroducing the National Right to Work Act to preserve and protect the rights of individual employees to choose whether or not to form, join, or assist labor organized unions.
    Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation last Congress.
    “No one should be peer pressured or forced to join a union,” said Sen. Tuberville.“That may work in some states, but not in Alabama. Alabama workers should have the freedom to do what is best for them and their families. I’m proud to partner with Sen. Paul to stand up for Alabama’s Right-to-Work laws.”
    “The National Right to Work Act ensures all American workers have the ability to choose to refrain from joining or paying dues to a union as a condition for employment,” said Sen. Paul. “Kentucky and 26 other states have already passed Right-to-Work laws. It’s time for the federal government to follow their lead.”
    Joining U.S. Senators Tuberville and Paul are U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
    Read full text of the legislation here. 
    BACKGROUND:Alabama is one of 28 Right-to-Work states that have enacted laws to protect employees from forced union membership. Sen. Tuberville has long advocated to put more power in the people’s hands, not the federal government. This legislation does not add to existing federal law but instead deletes existing federal forced unionism provisions.
    The National Right to Work Act repeals six statutory provisions that allow private-sector workers and airline and railroad employees to be fired if they don’t surrender part of their paychecks to a union. Sens. Tuberville and Paul’s legislation will put bargaining power back where it belongs: in the hands of the American workers. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Recognizing Employee Excellence

    Source: NASA

    Two NASA Glenn Research Center employees were among 19 agency researchers recognized as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). 

    Lyndsey McMillon-Brown was recognized for leadership in photovoltaic research, development, and demonstrations. She was the principal investigator for a Science Technology Mission Directorate-funded Early Career Initiative where she led the development of perovskite photovoltaics, which can be manufactured in space. The team achieved sun-to-electricity power conversion efficiencies of 18%. They tested the durability of the solar cells by flying them in low Earth orbit for 10 months on the Materials International Space Station Experiment platform.   

    Timothy M. Smith was recognized for achievements in materials science research, specifically in high-temperature alloy innovation. Building upon his dissertation work, he designed a new high-temperature superalloy with radically improved high-temperature durability. Additionally, he helped develop a new manufacturing process that could produce new metal alloys strengthened by nano oxide particles. This led to the development of a revolutionary high- temperature alloy (GRX-810) designed specifically for additive manufacturing.  
    The PECASE Award is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers who are beginning their research careers.  

    NASA Glenn Employee Named AIAA Fellow

    Brett A. Bednarcyk, a materials research engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, has been named an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow. His work is focused on multiscale modeling and integrated computational materials engineering of composite materials and structures. He has co-authored two textbooks on these subjects. 
    AIAA Fellows are recognized for their notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics and astronautics.  

    Glenn’s Dr. Heather Oravec Named Outstanding Civil Engineer  

    The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Cleveland Chapter has named Dr. Heather Oravec, a mechanical engineering research associate professor supporting NASA Glenn Research Center’s Engineering and Research Support (GEARS) contract team, the 2024 Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year. Oravec is a research leader in the areas of terramechanics and off-road tire development for planetary rovers and works in NASA Glenn’s Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Lab. 
    This award honors a civil engineer who has made significant contributions to the field and to the community, furthering the recognition of civil engineers through work and influence. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unicoi County’s Ballad Health Hospital Awarded $9.8 Million to Rebuild After Helene Flooding

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Unicoi County’s Ballad Health Hospital Awarded $9.8 Million to Rebuild After Helene Flooding

    Unicoi County’s Ballad Health Hospital Awarded $9.8 Million to Rebuild After Helene Flooding

    The State of Tennessee and FEMA have approved $9.8 million to replace Ballad Health’s hospital in rural Erwin which was destroyed when Tropical Storm Helene swept across Eastern Tennessee in late September. The 10 in-patient bed hospital, which sits along the banks of the Nolichucky River in the southern Appalachian mountains, has been serving the local community and surrounding agricultural area since 1953. Over the years, it has expanded and modernized, offering bone density testing, echocardiography, the latest diagnostic imaging technology and a sleep medicine lab. The newest facility was completed in October 2018 at a cost of $30 million.Helene’s floodwaters encircled the Ballad Health hospital on Sept. 27, rising at least 8 feet inside the single-story building, racing through examining rooms, labs and patient rooms. Trained hospital and National Guard pilots used helicopters to airlift patients and staff to safety from the roof. Emergency workers also rescued dozens of people by boat to a nearby high school. Under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, FEMA’s share to rebuild the hospital is $7,389,240; the nonfederal share is $2,463,080. Work to be completed includes architectural and engineering design services that use modern best construction practices and applicable codes and standards.The cost estimate for replacing the hospital was generated using FEMA’s Rapid Assessment with Public Infrastructure Data, which uses geospatial and aerial imagery as well as available Federal Highway Administration and State Department of Transportation data. The scope of work will be updated when the surveys and assessments are completed. Because Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program, FEMA reimburses state applicants 75% of the eligible costs of repairs to existing structures. The federal share is paid directly to the state to disburse to agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred those costs. The remaining 25% represents nonfederal funds.The Public Assistance program is FEMA’s largest grant program, providing funding to help communities responding to and recovering from major presidentially declared disasters or emergencies. Helene swept across Tennessee Sept. 26-30 and the president approved a major disaster declaration on Oct. 2, allowing FEMA to pay for disaster-damaged infrastructure.
    kwei.nwaogu
    Wed, 02/12/2025 – 19:58

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Richard R. Barker to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – Following the recent resignation of the Honorable Vanessa R. Waldref, and by operation of the Vacancies Reform Act, Richard R. Barker is now serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

    Acting United States Attorney Barker has over a decade of experience as a career prosecutor, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2014.  During his career, Barker has held the positions of First Assistant United States Attorney, Tribal Liaison, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Coordinator, Digital Asset Coordinator, and Public Affairs Officer.  From 2014 – 2019, Barker served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the nation’s capital, where he served as a dedicated homicide prosecutor.  In early 2019, Barker joined the Eastern District of Washington, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney (“AUSA”) in the Spokane office.

    Acting United States Attorney Barker has dedicated his career to serving victims of violent crime, while handling numerous homicide and violent crime cases. Late last year, Barker was lead counsel with AUSA Michael J. Ellis in the trial of Zachery Holt and Dezmonique Tenzsley for the double murder of two Tribal members and the attempted murder of a federal officer on the Colville Indian Reservation. In 2023, Barker successfully prosecuted Ronald Craig Ilg, who attempted to hire hitmen on the dark web to harm his wife and a former work colleague.

    Throughout his career, Acting United States Attorney Barker also has handled several significant drug trafficking prosecutions.  In 2023, Barker and AUSA Stephanie Van Marter prosecuted the “Fetty Bros” Drug Trafficking Organization, which was distributing hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and other drugs into Eastern Washington and using extreme violence to insulate their organization. Barker later served as lead counsel in the removal of more than 161,000 fentanyl-laced pills and 80 pounds of methamphetamine from rural Washington. In his efforts to further address the fentanyl crisis, Barker worked closely with now former U.S. Attorney Waldref and the City of Spokane to create a Special U.S. Assistant Attorney position focused on prosecuting those responsible for illegal narcotics impacting the Spokane area.

    As First Assistant United States Attorney, Barker has supervised the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s litigating units, which include the Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. As the Chief Deputy to the U.S. Attorney, Barker helped establish the District’s dedicated Appellate Division and worked closely with the Office’s administrative team to obtain additional DOJ resources for increasing public safety throughout Eastern Washington. Barker also played a pivotal role in opening the District’s Branch Office in Richland Washington, and he has been instrumental in the office’s efforts to increase resources for prosecuting cases on Native American Reservations. In early 2024, Barker played a key role in hiring the district’s first MMIP AUSA, who is fully dedicated to prosecuting cases of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People.  For Barker’s dedication to working with Native American communities and improving public safety, he received a Department of Justice Director’s Award in 2024.

    “I have loved serving as a federal prosecutor and working so closely with federal, state, local, and Tribal leaders to seek justice and protect our communities,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington has an incredible team of attorneys and support staff, who are fully dedicated to protecting the citizens of Eastern Washington and our nation. It is truly inspiring to serve alongside such an excellent group of professionals, who have dedicated their careers to doing the right thing each and every day.”  

    Outgoing U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “Acting U.S. Attorney Barker is an exceptional leader, a gifted attorney, and a tireless advocate for justice. His unwavering dedication to protecting the communities of Eastern Washington is evident in everything he does. It has been an honor to work alongside him as my First Assistant, and I have no doubt that he will continue to serve with integrity, determination, and a deep commitment to upholding the law, as he takes on this new role as the chief law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Washington.”

    Acting United States Attorney Barker graduated with highest honors from Brigham Young University Law School. After graduation, Barker clerked for the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable G. Murray Snow on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.  Following his clerkships, Acting United States Attorney Barker worked in private practice for Davis Polk, LLP, in Washington D.C.

    Outside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Barker serves as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, where he has taught courses in Trial Advocacy and Conflicts of Law. Barker also serves as a Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Council Decision (EU) 2018/994 modifying the 1976 European Electoral Act: Ratification status – 12-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Council Decision (EU) 2018/994, amending the 1976 European Electoral act is not yet in force. According to Article 223 TFEU, Parliament has the exclusive right to propose amendments to the electoral rules, while the Council adopts them unanimously after Parliament’s consent. Moreover, Member States must approve those adopted rules in accordance with their constitutional requirements. However, not all Member States have ratified the Council’s 2018 decision.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – Meeting on current political situation in Gaza and West Bank- 12/02/2025 – Delegation for relations with Palestine

    Source: European Parliament

    The meeting of the Delegation for relations with Palestine took place on Wednesday, 12 February from 15.00 to 16.30, in Strasbourg, room CHURCHILL 200.

    The main subject of discussion will be an exchange of views on the current political situation in Gaza and the West Bank with Mr Michael Mann, Head of Division, Middle East – Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Middle East Peace Process – EEAS.

    The meeting was web-streamed and can be accessed via the European Parliament’s Multimedia Centre.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Unfair commissions on transactions for ordinary people while banks profit – E-000485/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000485/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

    The New Democracy Government recently put in place certain measures to reduce specific categories of fees and commissions that financial groups earn from banking transactions. These are mock interventions, since official government data reveals that the cost of reducing bank commissions amounts to only EUR 150 million per year, when, for 2023 and the 9 months from January to September 2024, these are estimated at EUR 1.8 billion. The selective zero charges for some services apply to payments made digitally, while charges for payments made at bank counters or ATMs remain in force as usual.

    In light of the above:

    • 1.What is the Commission’s position on the fact that banking groups manage to achieve high profitability, the source of which is largely fees and commissions, precisely by relying on EU directives (see Directive 2014/92/EU, etc.) that define a “reasonable fee” that institutionalises lawful speculation at the expense of ordinary families?
    • 2.What is the Commission’s position on the fact that, despite the continuous record profitability of the four systemic banking groups in Greece, they do not pay taxes, and will continue not to pay until 2041, while the four systemic banks already owe the State EUR 12.5 billion in deferred tax (paid by the people) and their shareholders received a dividend of EUR 848 million in 2023, at a tax rate of just 5%?
    • 3.What is the Commission’s position on the request to abolish all these unfair commissions on ordinary people’s transactions?

    Submitted: 4.2.2025

    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Withdrawal of the AI Liability Directive – Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission announced that it will withdraw its legislative proposal on AI Liability. The IMCO Committee will therefore adjust its procedural calendar based on the decision of the JURI Committee that leads on this file. In the mean-time, work continues as planned in the IMCO Committee.

    However, during the presentation of the legislative proposal by the Commission on 28 January, several political groups voiced concerns about the directive’s premature timing and/or its sub-optimal alignment with the AI Act. Indeed, the IMCO rapporteur Kosma Złotowski (PL, ECR) had called for the withdrawal of the proposal.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia – RC-B10-0106/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Rasa Juknevičienė, Michael Gahler, Andrzej Halicki, Sebastião Bugalho, David McAllister, Željana Zovko, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Wouter Beke, Krzysztof Brejza, Daniel Caspary, Andrey Kovatchev, Miriam Lexmann, Reinhold Lopatka, Ana Miguel Pedro, Davor Ivo Stier, Michał Szczerba, Alice Teodorescu Måwe, Inese Vaidere, Michał Wawrykiewicz
    on behalf of the PPE Group
    Yannis Maniatis, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Tobias Cremer
    on behalf of the S&D Group
    Adam Bielan, Rihards Kols, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Mariusz Kamiński, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Veronika Vrecionová, Ondřej Krutílek, Michał Dworczyk, Roberts Zīle, Marlena Maląg, Ivaylo Valchev, Alexandr Vondra, Jadwiga Wiśniewska, Assita Kanko
    on behalf of the ECR Group
    Urmas Paet, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Helmut Brandstätter, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Bernard Guetta, Karin Karlsbro, Michał Kobosko, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Eugen Tomac, Hilde Vautmans, Sophie Wilmès, Dainius Žalimas
    on behalf of the Renew Group
    Reinier Van Lanschot
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    European Parliament resolution on the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia

    (2025/2522(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, in particular that of 28 November 2024 on Georgia’s worsening democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud[1],

    – having regard to Georgia’s status as an EU candidate country, granted by the European Council at its summit of 14 and 15 December 2023,

    – having regard to Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which demands the implementation of all possible measures to guarantee Georgia’s complete integration into the EU and NATO,

    – having regard to the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on 26 October 2024,

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

    A. whereas the democratic backsliding in Georgia has dramatically accelerated since the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, which were deeply flawed and marked by grave irregularities, and failed to meet international democratic standards and Georgia’s OSCE commitments; whereas these elections violated the democratic norms and standards set for free and fair elections, failing to reflect the will of the people and rendering the resulting ‘parliament’, and subsequently the ‘president’, devoid of any democratic legitimacy; whereas from the very beginning of its activity, the current Georgian parliament has operated as a one-party (Georgian Dream) organ, which is incompatible with the essence of pluralistic parliamentary democracy;

    B. whereas Article 2 of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement[2] concerns the general principles of the agreement, which include democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms;

    C. whereas Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution states that the constitutional bodies must take all measures within the scope of their competences to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union;

    D. whereas the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, publicly condemned the parliamentary elections as rigged, declared that she would not recognise them and called for an international investigation; whereas the current Georgian regime, led by the Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has orchestrated an unconstitutional usurpation of power, systematically dismantling democratic institutions, undermining judicial independence and eroding fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, thereby deepening Georgia’s political and constitutional crisis;

    E. whereas Georgia has officially held the status of EU candidate country since December 2023; whereas on 28 November 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would delay initiating accession talks with the EU and reject its financial assistance until the end of 2028, disregarding the country’s constitutional commitment to European integration and effectively undermining Georgia’s sovereign Euro-Atlantic aspirations;

    F. whereas on 28 November 2024, peaceful mass anti-government protests began across the country, demanding new, free and fair elections, an end to political violence and repression, and the return of the country to its European path; whereas the protests have been taking place without interruption for over 75 days;

    G. whereas on 14 December 2024, the de facto parliament held a ‘presidential election’ with a single candidate from the Georgian Dream party, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected with 224 out of 225 votes cast;

    H. whereas Georgia’s self-appointed authorities have plunged the country into a fully fledged constitutional and political crisis, as well as a human rights and democracy crisis; whereas this has been marked by the brutal repression of peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives, with judges, prosecutors and police officers actively fabricating politically motivated administrative and criminal charges against protesters, journalists and opposition figures detained during peaceful anti-government demonstrations; whereas, as of December 2024, more than 460 people have been arrested or punished since the protests began, with this number growing by the day;

    I. whereas riot police deliberately lacking force identification numbers have forcefully dispersed protesters with tear gas and water cannons; whereas numerous journalists have reported being targeted and beaten, and having their equipment destroyed and personal items stolen; whereas dozens of protesters have been brutally assaulted, and several hundred people have been arrested; whereas Georgia’s Public Defender has revealed that 80 % of those detained reported experiencing violence and inhumane treatment at the hands of law enforcement officers; whereas despite international condemnation, the illegitimate Georgian Government has awarded medals to officials involved in the crackdown;

    J. whereas independent media outlets, including TV Formula, TV Mtavari and TV Pirveli, face severe operational and financial constraints due to the regime’s interference, while dozens of media representatives are being subjected to various forms of intense physical and psychological pressure; whereas numerous violent attacks on journalists have been documented, including the severe beatings of Aleksandre Keshelashvili, Maka Chikhladze and Giorgi Shetsiruli, and the harassment of detained journalist Saba Kevkhishvili; whereas on 12 January 2025, the Georgian authorities arrested journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been in pre-trial detention since then and is on hunger strike in solidarity with all political prisoners in Georgia; whereas she faces between four and seven years in prison;

    K. whereas, on the night of 14 January 2025, Giorgi Gakharia, opposition leader of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister, and Zviad Koridze, journalist and Transparency International activist, were physically assaulted by Georgian Dream officials in separate incidents at the same venue in Batumi;

    L. whereas on 2 February 2025, Nika Melia, a leader of the pro-European Akhali party, and Gigi Ugulava, the former mayor of Tbilisi, were arrested during the anti-government protests and subjected to physical violence in detention; whereas on 12 January 2025, Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa political movement, was detained in Batumi;

    M. whereas the de facto Georgian authorities have used disproportionate force and excessive violence against peaceful protesters and resorted to arbitrary mass arrests to thwart dissent; whereas independent human rights organisations have reported the systemic mistreatment of detainees, including torture; whereas to date, not a single law enforcement official involved in the brutal crackdowns, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment has been brought to justice;

    N. whereas the self-appointed authorities introduced new draconian legislation that came into force on 30 December 2024 and amended the Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offences and the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations, imposing further arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, introducing, among other things, hefty fines for putting up protest slogans and posters, and granting police the power to detain individuals ‘preventively’ for 48 hours on suspicion of planning to violate the rules governing public assembly; whereas on 3 February 2025, the Georgian Dream party unveiled further draft legislation designed to tighten control, ramping up penalties for a variety of offences directly targeting protestors, critics and political dissent, such as harsher punishments for ‘insulting officials’, the criminalisation of road blocks and an increase in the duration of administrative detention from 15 to 60 days;

    O. whereas on 27 January 2025, the Council decided to suspend parts of the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement for Georgian diplomats and officials, but failed to impose individual sanctions in response to the continued crackdown; whereas the Hungarian and Slovak Governments have been consistently blocking impactful EU-wide sanctions, preventing the remaining 25 Member States (EU-25) from effectively introducing sanctions against the self-appointed Georgian authorities;

    P. whereas several Member States, including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Czechia, have imposed bilateral sanctions on some Georgian politicians, judges and other officials responsible for the brutal crackdown on protesters, violations of human rights and abuse of the rule of law; whereas in December 2024, the United States sanctioned Bidzina Ivanishvili, alongside Georgia’s ‘Minister of Internal Affairs’ Vakhtang Gomelauri and Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department Mirza Kezevadze, for their involvement in brutal crackdowns on media representatives, opposition figures and protesters; whereas the UK and Ukraine have imposed similar sanctions on high-level Georgian officials; whereas Ivanishvili, through hastily adopted laws tailored to his personal situation, is moving his offshore assets to Georgia in anticipation of further sanctions;

    Q. whereas on 29 January 2025, Georgian Dream announced that it would withdraw its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after it demanded new, genuinely democratic parliamentary elections, the release of political prisoners and accountability for perpetrators of violence; whereas UN experts have condemned the pattern of repression and human rights violations in Georgia, while the OSCE has called this suppression a serious breach of the right to freedom of assembly;

    R. whereas the ruling Georgian Dream party convened the new parliament in violation of the country’s constitution, resulting in a boycott of parliament by the opposition; whereas on 5 February 2025, the self-appointed ‘parliament’ voted to approve the early termination of the mandates of 49 out of 61 members of parliament, representing the Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia and the United National Movement, in order to strip them of their immunity and facilitate their arrest and prosecution; whereas the same ‘parliament’ established a commission to punish former ruling party United National Movement;

    S. whereas a growing number of civil servants have been dismissed after speaking out against the halting of Georgia’s EU accession process; whereas Georgian Dream has amended laws on public service, simplifying procedures to dismiss public servants, several of whom have been dismissed for participating in protests, in a clear attempt to silence critical voices;

    1. Condemns the Georgian Dream ‘authorities’ and urges them to immediately cease the violent repression of peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives; underlines that Georgia’s self-appointed authorities are currently violating fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the core international obligations of the country, thereby undermining decades of democratic reforms driven by the country’s political class and civil society; considers Georgia as a state captured by the illegitimate Georgian Dream regime; expresses deep regret over the fact that the ruling Georgian Dream party has abandoned its path towards European integration and NATO membership; recalls that the ongoing democratic backsliding and adoption of anti-democratic laws has effectively suspended Georgia’s EU integration process; reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and their wish to live in a prosperous and democratic country;

    2. Does not recognise the self-proclaimed authorities of the Georgian Dream party established following the rigged election of 26 October 2024, which was neither free nor fair, was held in violation of democratic norms and standards, and did not reflect the will of the people of Georgia; underlines that the extensive electoral fraud has undermined the integrity of the election process, cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result and eroded public trust, both domestically and internationally, in any new government;

    3. Calls for the EU and its Member States, as well as national parliaments and interparliamentary institutions, not to recognise the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream one-party parliament and their appointed president; calls, therefore, on the international community to join the boycott of the self-proclaimed Georgian authorities;

    4. Continues to recognise Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people; praises her efforts to peacefully steer the country back towards a democratic and European path of development; calls on the President of the European Council to invite President Zourabichvili to represent Georgia at an upcoming European Council meeting and at the next European Political Community summit;

    5. Underlines that the settlement of the current political and constitutional crisis in Georgia can only be achieved by way of new parliamentary elections; demands that new elections take place in Georgia within the next few months in an improved electoral environment, overseen by an independent and impartial election administration and monitored through diligent international observation to guarantee a genuinely fair, free and transparent process; encourages the Member States and EU officials to firmly demand new elections and to make any future engagement explicitly conditional on setting a new date for parliamentary elections and establishing a mechanism to ensure they are free and fair;

    6. Calls on the Council and the Member States, particularly the EU-25 on a bilateral and coordinated basis, to impose immediate and targeted personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family and his companies, and to freeze all his assets within the EU for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia, enabling democratic backsliding and acting against the country’s constitutionally declared interests of Euro-Atlantic integration; calls on the French Government to strip Bidzina Ivanishvili of the Legion of Honour and impose individual sanctions on him; welcomes, in this regard, the sanctions imposed bilaterally by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Czechia, as well as those already imposed by the US and the UK;

    7. Calls for the EU and its Member States, in particular the EU-25 on a bilateral and coordinated basis, to impose personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral fraud, human rights violations and the persecution of political opponents and activists, including Irakli Kobakhidze, Shalva Papuashvili, Vakhtang Gomelauri, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze, and Chair of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Garibashvili; calls for them to extend these sanctions to judges, including those of the Constitutional Court of Georgia who are passing politically motivated sentences, and representatives of the law enforcement services, as well as to financial enablers tacitly or openly supporting the regime and the owners of regime-aligned media outlets, including TV Imedi, Pos TV and Rustavi 2 TV, for their role in spreading disinformation and seeking to manipulate public discourse in order to sustain the current ruling party’s authoritarian rule;

    8. Calls on the Council and the Member States to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili’s network of enablers, elite entourage, corrupt financial operatives, propagandists and those facilitating the repressive state apparatus, including, among others, Ekaterine Khvedelidze, Uta Ivanishvili, Tsotne Ivanishvili, Bera Ivanishvili, Gvantsa Ivanishvili, Alexander Ivanishvili, Shmagi Kobakhidze, Ucha Mamatsashvili, Natia Turnava, Ivane Chkhartishvili, Sulkhan Papashvili, Giorgi Kapanadze, Tornike Rizhvadze, Ilia Tsulaia, Kakha Bekauri, Lasha Natsvlishvili, Vasil Maglaperidze, Grigol Liluashvili, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Rukhadze, Tinatin Berdzenishvili, Tamaz Gaiashvili, Anton Obolashvili and Gocha Enukidze;

    9. Maintains the view that the measures taken so far by the EU in response to the flagrant democratic backsliding and reneging on previous commitments does not yet fully reflect the severity of the situation in Georgia and the latest developments; welcomes the Council’s decision to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats and officials, but considers it as only a first step, which must be followed by tougher measures; deplores the obstruction by the Hungarian and Slovak Governments of the Council decisions on introducing sanctions against individuals responsible for democratic backsliding in Georgia;

    10. Emphasises that respect for fundamental rights is vital to the EU’s visa liberalisation benchmarks; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the possibility of suspension if it is considered that EU standards on democratic governance and freedoms are not being upheld;

    11. Strongly condemns the brutal violence and repression used by Georgia’s ruling regime against peaceful protesters since 28 November 2024; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and those detained during the anti-government protests; demands the release of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been on hunger strike for over four weeks now because of her unjust detention and risks facing critical, irreversible and life-threatening consequences; denounces the assault and beating of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, resulting in his hospitalisation, followed by the arrest on 2 February 2025 of political leaders including Nika Melia and Gigi Ugulava, as a shocking escalation of state-orchestrated violence by Georgian Dream and its allies against peaceful demonstrators and political opponents; reminds of the detention of Elene Khoshtaria on 12 January 2025 in Batumi; 

    12. Reiterates its solidarity with the people of Georgia and its vibrant civil society in fighting for their legitimate democratic rights and for a European future for their country; urges the Georgian Government to reverse its current political course and return to implementing the will of the Georgian people for continued democratic reforms that would reopen the prospect of future EU membership;

    13. Strongly condemns the enactment of draconian legislation that imposes unjustified restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and demands the annulment of such recently adopted repressive legislation; urges the Georgian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all individuals detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and to ensure prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all allegations of unlawful and disproportionate use of force by the law enforcement agencies; considers that the Georgian justice system has been weaponised to stifle dissent, instil fear and silence free speech;

    14. Calls for the ‘Georgian authorities’ to take immediate action to ensure the safety and freedom of journalists and to investigate all instances of violence and misconduct by law enforcement agencies; emphasises the importance of fostering a democratic environment where media, civil society and the opposition can operate freely without fear of retaliation or censorship;

    15. Demands an independent, transparent and impartial investigation into police brutality and the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators; calls for those responsible for human rights violations, including law enforcement and government officials ordering acts of repression, to be held fully accountable before the law;

    16. Denounces the launch of an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office on 8 February 2025 into non-governmental organisations accused of aggravated sabotage, attempted sabotage and assisting foreign and foreign-controlled organisations in hostile activities aimed at undermining the state interests of Georgia, for which they could receive multiple-year sentences; views this action as further escalation of repression by the regime, misuse of the judicial system and accelerated democratic backsliding;

    17. Condemns the broader campaign of attacks by the Georgian authorities vilifying civil society organisations and reputable international donors that support democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Georgia;

    18. Denounces the termination by Georgian Dream of the mandates of 49 opposition members of parliament as a sign of further democratic backsliding, and considers this the latest move in Georgian Dream’s attack on political pluralism in the country;

    19. Welcomes PACE’s decision to challenge the credentials of Georgia’s parliamentary delegation due to democratic backsliding and human rights abuses; supports PACE’s call for Georgia to immediately initiate an inclusive process involving all political and social actors, including the ruling party, the opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections and to create an electoral environment conducive to new, genuinely democratic elections to be announced in the coming months;

    20. Notes that Georgia, once a front runner for Euro-Atlantic integration, is undergoing an accelerated process of democratic backsliding, in a seemingly deliberate attempt to demonstrate that the will of the Georgian people no longer determines the country’s future, which could result in the country taking the Belarussian path of political development, transitioning from the current authoritarian state to a dictatorial regime;

    21. Deplores the decision of Irakli Kobakhidze to suspend accession talks and reject EU funding until the end of 2028; recalls that all polls consistently show the overwhelming support of the Georgian population for a Euro-Atlantic future; expresses strong support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people;

    22. Calls for an immediate and comprehensive audit of EU policy towards Georgia due to the democratic backsliding; calls on the Commission to review the EU-Georgia Association Agreement in the light of the self-declared Georgian authorities’ breach of the general principles, as laid down in Article 2, namely respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms; points out that non-fulfilment of obligations may result in the conditional suspension of economic cooperation and privileges afforded by the Agreement;

    23. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to cease all budgetary support to the Georgian authorities and to suspend the initiation of any future investment projects; encourages the Commission to terminate all financial support for ongoing projects; calls for a moratorium on all investment projects in the field of connectivity; calls on the Commission to start identifying economic sectors of relevance to the oligarchic interests that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule, with a view to a potential future decision about restrictive measures or economic sanctions; calls on the Commission to start identifying connectivity projects that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule and to consider their suspension until a rerun of the parliamentary elections;

    24. Condemns the climate of intimidation and polarisation fuelled by statements by Georgian Government representatives and political leaders, as well as by attacks against political pluralism, including through disturbing cases of intimidation and violence against the Georgian democratic political forces and repeated threats to ban opposition parties, to arrest their leaders and even ordinary supporters, and to silence dissent; underlines that anything but the full restoration of Georgia’s democratic standards will entail a further deterioration of EU-Georgia relations, make any move towards EU accession impossible and result in additional sanctions;

    25. Calls on the Commission to swiftly redirect the frozen EUR 120 million originally intended as support for the Georgian authorities to enhance the EU’s support for Georgia’s civil society, in particular the non-governmental sector and independent media, which are increasingly coming under undue pressure from the ruling political party and the authorities, as well as to support programmes supporting democratic resilience and electoral integrity; calls for the EU’s funding mechanisms to be adjusted to take into account the needs that arise in a more hostile and anti-democratic environment; highlights the urgency of the need to support civil society in the light of growing repression and the suspension of activities of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and therefore urges the Commission to ramp up support without delay;

    26. Expresses deep concern about the increasing Russian influence in the country and about the Georgian Dream government’s actions in pursuing a policy of rapprochement and collaboration with Russia, in spite of its creeping occupation of Georgian territory; deplores, in this regard, the growing anti-Western and hostile rhetoric of the Georgian Dream party’s representatives towards Georgia’s strategic Western partners, including the EU, and its MEPs and officials, and Georgian Dream’s promotion of Russian disinformation and manipulation;

    27. Strongly reiterates its urgent demand for the immediate release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds, specifically for the purpose of seeking medical treatment abroad; emphasises that the self-appointed authorities bear full and undeniable responsibility for the life, health, safety and well-being of former President Mikheil Saakashvili and must be held fully accountable for any harm that befalls him;

    28. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the self-appointed authorities of Georgia.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Revision of the EU Treaties and inclusion of an opt-out clause on migration – E-000479/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000479/2025
    to the Council
    Rule 144
    Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE)

    In view of the growing challenges of migration, several Member States have expressed their desire to have more flexibility in implementing EU policies, in particular through the introduction of opt-out mechanisms. These mechanisms would allow a Member State to opt out of some EU legislation, without leaving the EU.

    This would mean that better account could be taken of national circumstances, while maintaining constructive cooperation at EU level.

    • 1.Does the Council plan to open discussions on a possible revision of the EU Treaties, particularly in view of the current political and social developments in the EU?
    • 2.Could the possibility of including an opt-out mechanism on migration, which would allow Member States to opt out of certain common obligations while respecting their national constraints and priorities, be considered in this revision?
    • 3.What mechanisms or conditions could the Council propose to facilitate the inclusion of opt-out clauses in the field of migration, to deliver on the Member States’ expectations while preserving the coherence of EU policies?

    Submitted: 4.2.2025

    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Meta social media platforms – E-000526/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000526/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Kathleen Funchion (The Left), Lynn Boylan (The Left)

    Meta social media platforms, such as Instagram, have begun to hide search results for hashtags such the ‘#TheLeft’. This coincides with Meta social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, announcing that they will cease fact-checking, thus allowing harmful and untrue content to circulate.

    Given the gravity of these new policies:

    • 1.Can the Commission outline in detail what actions it intends to take to protect the freedom to be heard of legitimate political movements?
    • 2.What actions will the Commission take to ensure that Meta does not permit the publication of false and harmful content on its platforms?

    Submitted: 5.2.2025

    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: First test train journeys through City Rail Link

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A test train has now completed its first trip through the full length of the City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel in Auckland, representing a critical step forward in this game-changing public transport project for our largest city, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown say.

    “Started under the previous National Government, CRL will double Auckland’s rail capacity and reduce congestion when it opens in 2026, enabling Aucklanders to get to where they want to go quickly and safely meaning a more productive Auckland. There is still a lot more work to do, but it’s great to see measurable progress being made on site as we countdown to the CRL opening next year,” Mr Bishop says.

    “The CRL tunnel’s overhead lines were energised last week, enabling power to be provided to trains in the tunnel. The first test train ran a 3.45km-long journey last night, from Britomart Station to Mt Eden on the new underground section of railway, the first train to travel on a brand-new rail line since 2012. 

    “This important test train allowed technical experts to complete their first round of testing relating to tunnel clearance, power supply and signalling. Further testing will ramp up in coming weeks, including brake testing, recovery procedures, tunnel ventilation systems, supervision and security systems, lighting, communications, and the start of hands-on training for Auckland’s metro drivers and station staff, among many others.”

    “CRL will be a gamechanger for Auckland’s public transport network, turning Britomart from a dead-end station into a through station, enhancing connections between the central city and the wider rail network,” Simeon Brown says.

    “The first train through CRL is an important milestone for the project. Once complete, CRL will result in significant time savings, and make public transport a much more viable option for Aucklanders.” 

    “This is momentous for the City Rail Link programme and Auckland ratepayers who have made a significant contribution, alongside government, to get this project completed,” says Mayor Wayne Brown.

    “Our city deserves a public transport system that will deliver for Aucklanders and visitors alike. I’ve always said I was determined to get the project finished and over the line, and while the project has had its fair share of challenges and there are lessons we’ll take from it, I’m pleased to see that progress has been made and that we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.” 

    “I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the CRL project to get us to this point. There is a lot more work to do, but today represents an important milestone in moving from a construction site into a railway,” Mr Bishop says.

    “Tens of thousands of Auckland commuters are right behind you, and they’re looking forward to experiencing the benefits your hard work will deliver when CRL opens next year.”

    Note to editors:

    Once operational, City Rail Link (CRL) benefits for Auckland passengers at peak times include: 

    • On the Southern Line – trains every 5 minutes (compared to 10 minutes currently) north of Puhinui, every 8 minutes between Papakura and Homai, and every 10 minutes between Pukekohe and Drury 
    • On the Eastern Line – trains every 5 minutes between Sylvia Park and Ōrākei   
    • On the Western Line – trains every 8 minutes between Swanson and Maungawhau 

    Subject to Auckland Transport confirming train timetables, the combination of using the CRL tunnel and reduced temporary speed restrictions are expected to see:  

    • Maungawhau (Mt Eden) to Waitematā (Britomart): under 10 minutes (half the current time)
    • Kingsland to Waitematā (Britomart): 13 minutes (8 minutes faster than currently)  

    Henderson to Waitematā (Britomart): 38 minutes (8 minutes faster than currently)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s Cultural Influence Across the Indian Ocean Region Stems from its rich Cultural, Intellectual and Knowledge Traditions: Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

    Source: Government of India

    India’s Cultural Influence Across the Indian Ocean Region Stems from its rich Cultural, Intellectual and Knowledge Traditions: Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

    From Ancient Trade Winds to Modern Maritime Security:  ‘Monsoon’ Conference Explores India’s Expanding Indian Ocean Role

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 9:42PM by PIB Delhi

    In the backdrop of India’s growing maritime partnerships and security initiatives, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is organizing a two-day international conference in collaboration with the Advanced Study Institute of Asia ( ASIA) at SGT University titled ‘Monsoon: The Sphere of Cultural and Trade Influence’. ‘Project Mausam’, is an Indian transnational initiative under the Ministry of Culture. This conference, exploring historical and cultural connections among Indian Ocean nations through maritime interactions, will highlight India’s central role in shaping trade, traditions, and connectivity across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The inaugural session of the conference began today at IGNCA, New Delhi, and will continue until 13th February 2025. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister Minister of Culture and Tourism, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, with a keynote address by Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and a welcome address by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA. Prof. Amogh Rai, Research Director, ASIA, SGT University, and Dr. Ajith Kumar, Director of Project Mausam, were also present during the inaugural session.

    Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, while speaking at the inaugural session, highlighted the deep interlinkages between India and the region, emphasising that India’s cultural influence across the Indian Ocean Region stems from its rich cultural, intellectual, and knowledge traditions. He noted that this influence stemmed not only from commerce and trade but also from India’s intellectual prowess and golden prosperity. He remarked that the footprints of India’s cultural impact are visible among those who came as students, monks, or even as aggressors, carrying with them the essence of India’s cultural progress, fostering diversity and unity over thousands of years. He also spoke about the unique vision of ‘Project Mausam’ to showcase a Transnational Mixed Route of Natural and Cultural Heritage, stating, “The world realises that culture is the factor that unites us all.”

    The initiative is particularly timely, as India and France recently concluded their Maritime Cooperation Dialogue in New Delhi, agreeing on joint measures to assess and counter threats to maritime security in the IOR. These threats include piracy, maritime terrorism, smuggling, illegal fishing, hybrid and cyber threats, and marine pollution. Oman will also be hosting the 8th edition of the Indian Ocean Conference from February 16-17, focusing on ‘Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership’. Simultaneously, the Indian Navy’s 2025 capstone Theatre Level Operational Exercise (TROPEX) is underway, showcasing India’s preparedness in the Indian Ocean.

    ‘Project Mausam’ not only emphasizes India’s historical maritime influence but also resonates with the nation’s evolving geopolitical strategy in the region. The conference will focus on key themes such as ancient navigational routes, port city networks, and coastal settlements. By integrating tangible and intangible cultural heritage, the project highlights India’s continued leadership in fostering connectivity and maritime partnerships, contributing to UNESCO’s maritime heritage studies.

    Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe in his address emphasised the cultural foundations of India-Southeast Asia relations, calling for intellectual and emotional investment to integrate Southeast Asia into India’s popular consciousness. Noting that cultural bonds need revitalisation, he highlighted the monsoon as a symbol of enduring connections and urged moving beyond Eurocentric perspectives. He advocated deepening cultural engagement through the Act East policy to ‘Attract East’ by strengthening cultural, strategic, and economic ties. He also called for reinforcing Dharma-Dhamma relations, reviving shared epics, promoting collaborative art and craft, advancing educational and technological exchanges, addressing climate change, and building linguistic bridges.

    Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi said that IGNCA’s area studies in South and Central Asia led to the development of Vrihattar Bharat to explore cultural routes and linkages, expanding beyond the initially identified 39 countries. He noted that over 70 countries share cultural heritage with India. Emphasising international cooperation, as reflected in the G20 summit’s motto, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, he highlighted that IGNCA’s efforts were ongoing, with the conference serving as a catalyst to expand these studies.

    Prof. Amogh Rai expressed his views on the monsoon as both a physical and cultural force, highlighting its role as a cultural multiplier and the conference’s potential for further research. Dr. Ajith Kumar concluded the inaugural session by extending a formal vote of thanks and emphasising the cultural unity between India and Southeast Asian countries.

    IGNCA’s international conference aims to foster deeper cultural diplomacy, with academic collaborations and heritage conservation paving the way for future policy dialogues. This dialogue aligns seamlessly with India’s evolving maritime strategies and international partnerships.

    ***

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2102534) Visitor Counter : 16

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Manthan, the flagship annual defence innovation event, held at Aero India 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 7:13PM by PIB Delhi

    Manthan 2025, the flagship annual defence innovation event, was held as part of Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru on February 12, 2025. Organised by the Innovations for Defence Excellence – Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production, the event brought together stakeholders of the defence innovation ecosystem, including innovators, industry leaders, academia, incubators, investors, thought leaders, and senior government officials.

    As part of the event, a Roundtable Conference was chaired by Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar. He stressed on enhancing India’s combat readiness through the adoption of futuristic technologies to secure a strategic advantage in defence. He emphasised that by integrating latest innovations into the defence strategy, the country can modernise its Armed Forces, strengthen its readiness for future combat scenarios, and maintain a technological edge over potential adversaries.

    ⁠Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, ⁠Chairman IN-SPACe, Axilor Ventures, ⁠SKEGEN Management Advisors, ⁠CMDs of major DPSUs, CEO Bharat Forge Defence & Aerospace and President, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, ideaFORGE, Sagar Defence, NewSpace Research & Technologies Pvt Ltd and major Incubators including IITs and IIMs attended the roundtable.

    The conference deliberated on emerging challenges and opportunities in the sector, with a focus on supporting defence start-ups & MSMEs, enhancing innovation capabilities and fostering strategic collaborations within the defence ecosystem. This was particularly relevant as iDEX-DIO has collaborated with leading investors and banks to accelerate defence innovation and enable ease of doing innovation.

    Manthan 2025 stood as a testament to the scale and speed of iDEX, showcasing the rapid strides made in defence innovation and the pivotal role of startups in transforming India’s defence capabilities. It contributed to driving the self-reliance mission of the Ministry of Defence as the nation progresses towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

    ********

    VK/Savvy

    (Release ID: 2102448) Visitor Counter : 46

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: BHARAT NOT ONLY PROVIDES BUSINESS & INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE WORLD, IT ALSO PROVIDES LEADERSHIP IN ALL SECTORS: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    Source: Government of India (2)

    BHARAT NOT ONLY PROVIDES BUSINESS & INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE WORLD, IT ALSO PROVIDES LEADERSHIP IN ALL SECTORS: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    IT SHOULD BE OUR ENDEAVOR TO MAKE CITIZENS A STAKEHOLDER IN GOVERNANCE: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    MORE THAN HUNDRED CEOs, OWNERS & FOUNDERS FROM 16 COUNTRIES CALL ON LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    MEMBERS OF DELEGATION SHOWED KEEN INTEREST IN BHARAT’S ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND ITS LEADERSHIP IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS

    CONSTITUTION OF BHARAT AND PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY FORM BEDROCK OF PEACE, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    DELEGATION OF HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ALUMNI CALLS ON LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 7:10PM by PIB Delhi

     Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla has asserted that Bharat not only provides business and investment opportunities to the world but it also provides leadership and solutions to the world in various sectors of economy and in global affairs. Addressing a delegation of more than 100 CEOs, Owners and Founders of renowned companies from 16 countries in parliament House complex today, Shri Birla said that Bharat has taken the centre stage in global leadership due to political stability and good governance with a vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam. In an engaging and enriching interaction with the delegation of Harvard Business School Alumni Group, Shri Birla said that Constitutionof Bharat and parliamentary democracy form the bedrock of peace, growth, and development in the world’s largest democracy. He emphasized the significance of Bharat’s foundational democratic principles in shaping the nation’s trajectory and fostering an environment conducive to prosperity.

    The delegation demonstrated a keen interest in understanding India’s economic progress and its rising stature on the global stage. During the interaction, the members of the delegation sought to learn more about the policies that have propelled India’s growth and its evolving role in the international community. Shri Birla welcomed their questions and provided thoughtful responses, particularly regarding economic investments and the functioning of parliamentary democracy. He informed the delegation that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, country is moving ahead on the path of holistic development with the larger goal of Viksit Bharat. Shri Birla welcomed the delegation members to invest in Bharat and assured them of support from all stakeholders in this process. In response to a question, Shri Birla observed that parliamentary democracy is the best form of governance and it provides effective solutions to various issues.

    He added that it should be our endeavor to make our citizens stakeholders in democratic form of governance, which will lead to ‘Good Governance’. The delegation which comprised business leaders in their respective countries, thanked Lok Sabha Speaker for providing deeper understanding of Bharat’s political and economic landscape, addressing the growing global curiosity about the nation’s development.

    *****

    AM

    (Release ID: 2102449) Visitor Counter : 37

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India moving towards becoming a global leader in defence innovation & aerospace technology: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Valedictory event of Aero India 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India moving towards becoming a global leader in defence innovation & aerospace technology: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Valedictory event of Aero India 2025

    “Nothing less than the best can be allowed when it comes to national security; Providing our soldiers with the best of everything is our national responsibility”

    “The time has come for the private industry to take a lead in defence manufacturing sector in India”

    India’s indigenous ingenuity in defence manufacturing displayed through 33 state-of-the-art items at ‘Samarthya’ indigenisation event, first-of-its-kind at Aero India

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 6:59PM by PIB Delhi

    “India is going through a revolutionary phase of transformation and is moving towards becoming a global leader in defence innovation & aerospace technology,” said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh while addressing the Valedictory event of 15th Aero India in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 12, 2025. Raksha Mantri stated that, at the beginning, holistic national empowerment was the underlying philosophy of the mantra of self-reliance given by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. “This philosophy gradually turned into our national spirit and now it is rapidly moving ahead to becoming a national resolution and national revolution,” he said. 

    Shri Rajnath Singh acknowledged the energy and enthusiasm being witnessed at Aero India 2025, stating that the growing participation of domestic & global exhibitors at the event and the breath-taking aerobatic performances by the Indian Air Force have made the 15th edition of Asia’s biggest aerospace and defence exhibition an unparalleled & historic event. He expressed optimism towards deeper and meaningful engagements amongst participating defence and aerospace companies.  

    Elaborating on the drastic change being witnessed in the field of defence manufacturing in the country, Raksha Mantri expressed appreciation over the fact that while 65-70% of defence equipment was imported a decade ago, today almost the same percentage of weapons/platforms are being manufactured on the Indian soil. “Today, we are at a juncture where many defence products, including fighter jets, missile systems & naval vessels, are not only protecting our borders, but also catching the attention of the world. From small artillery to large platforms like Brahmos and Akash missile system, we are exporting a variety of products to many countries. We have forged new partnerships at the global level, which has resulted in increased defence exports,” he added. 

    Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that India possesses a strong defence industrial complex, comprising 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), 430 licensed companies & about 16,000 MSMEs. He underlined that, with its current share of 21% in total defence production, the private sector is playing an active role in achieving the goal of self-reliance. He listed out the policies being constantly rolled out by the Government for the progress of both public and private sectors, including the revision of Defence Acquisition Procedure and the launch of initiatives/schemes such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) and Technology Development Fund (TDF). The time has come for the private industry to take a lead in the defence manufacturing sector in India, he said. 

    Raksha Mantri stressed on the fact that, in addition to the public & private sectors, the Armed Forces play the biggest role in the country’s pursuit of self-reliance. “National security is of utmost importance and there is no scope for any compromise. Nothing less than the best can be allowed when it comes to national security. Be it the equipment for our soldiers or provision of proper amenities for them & their families, providing them the best in everything is our national responsibility. I am happy to say that today our forces are not only being equipped with the ‘best’ weapons/technologies, they possess the platforms manufactured in India,” he said.

    Shri Rajnath Singh appreciated the Armed Forces for their full trust in indigenously-manufactured defence products. “The military has wholeheartedly adopted weapons and equipment manufactured in the country. Only with the complete satisfaction of our Armed Forces can we move ahead to achieve self-reliance at a faster pace. The huge Defence Industrial Complex being built in India is based on the trust and faith of all our forces,” he said. 

    Raksha Mantri reiterated the Government’s commitment to constantly increase defence preparedness, keeping in mind the dimensions of warfare emerging today. He said Aero India 2025 has shown the potential that the future of Indian defence and aerospace sector is not just limited to the skies, but beyond it. He expressed gratitude to everyone for participating in the 15th Aero India, and hoped that it sows seeds of many collaborative, mutually beneficial and successful ventures & alliances amongst the participants. 

    Earlier, Shri Rajnath Singh graced ‘Samarthya’ indigenisation event, which was first-of-its-kind at Aero India. It showcased India’s indigenous ingenuity in defence manufacturing through 33 major items including 24 of DPSUs, DRDO & Indian Navy and nine successful innovation projects of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). 

    The items included ELECTRO BLOCK of Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun, Electric Mobile Part for submarine, Torsion Bar Suspension of HMV 6×6, Extruded Al alloy for components of LCA MK-I/II, LCH, Indian High temperature alloy (IHTA) Forged, Solution Annealed & Machined Billet, VPX-135 Single Board Computer, Muzzle Bore Sight of Tank T-90, RudraM II MISSILE, Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range, C4ISR System, DIFM R118 Electronic Warfare Systems, Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Receiver, Next-Generation Electric Ferry, Computerised Pilot Selection System, Counter measures for illegal drones (RF Jammer Guns), 4G/LTE TAC-LAN, Generation of Quantum Secure Keys between two nodes connected directly over 200 Kms) QKD – Armos, Abhed1 Secure Hardware based offline Encryption, Advanced autonomous systems for the armed forces, Attack surface monitoring tool, AI/ Ml Based Analytical and Decision Support Platforms (DeepDarshak), Smart Compressed Breathing Apparatus, Fire Wire for IFDSS, Portable RCS measuring device, Penetrator Assy for 125mm FSAPDS, Pilot Parachute PSU-36 for SU-30MKI, Knock out Engine (KOE) Charge for Konkurs-M missile, Diffusion Technology based Drivers Night Sight for BMP II and 30mm Six Barrel AO-18 Gun for AK630M Naval Gun. 

    During the event, three booklets – Coffee Table Booklet ‘Samarthya’ on Indigenisation; Compendium of Problem Definition Statement (CPDS) i.e. 2025 and Booklet of HQ IDS – were released by Raksha Mantri. The Coffee Table Booklet provides an overview of the indigenisation journey led by the Department of Defence Production. The Booklet of HQ IDS offers insights into conducting multi-domain operations in a data-centric environment, in the backdrop of emergence of new & transformative technology. 

    The CPDS aims to bridge the gap between the operational challenges of the Indian Army and the innovative solutions offered by academia, industry start-ups and research institutions. It contains 82 Problem Statements across 11 functional domains of warfare, including AI, communications, electronic warfare, situational awareness, survivability, mobility, armament, unmanned systems, cyber, logistical challenges etc.  It also includes problem statements for Indigenisation/ import substitution to reduce our import dependency for certain components or assemblies of legacy equipment. 

    The CPDS is a structured approach where the Army identifies and documents critical operational challenges and provides a platform for the Indian defence ecosystem to engage directly while accelerating the research and deployment of cutting-edge technologies tailored to the Army’s needs. The detailed guidelines elaborating on the procedure for submitting responses and evaluation criteria have been included in the Compendium available for download in the Army Design Bureau webpage of Indian Army website.   

    During the event, employees and associated industry partners of the DPSUs, DRDO, Services, who have contributed immensely in the indigenisation of the displayed items were felicitated during the event. Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth; Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan; Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi; Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi; Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh; Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh; Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar were among those who attended the event.

     ****

    VK/Savvy

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WAVES offers a golden opportunity for Reel Makers and Professional Ad Filmmakers to shine as celebrites

    Source: Government of India

    WAVES offers a golden opportunity for Reel Makers and Professional Ad Filmmakers to shine as celebrites

    Hurry up! Only two days left, don’t miss this chance to have your work recognized on a global stage, Submit your entry by February 15th

    WAVES Awards of Excellence as part of the Create in India Challenge, attracts global submissions, uniting creators from over dozen countries & more than 52 Indian institutes like NIDs, IITs & SRFTI

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 6:46PM by PIB Delhi

    Do you have a vision that speaks through the lens and a story that unfolds in every frame? If creativity runs through your veins the WAVES Awards of Excellence presents a golden opportunity

    The much-anticipated Student Showreels & Professional Ad Film Competition is officially open for submissions! Submit your entry by February 15th.

    Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with ASIFA India, a UNESCO-recognized global NGO promoting animation, is hosting WAVES Awards of Excellence as part of the Create in India Challenge. These awards celebrate exceptional achievements in Animation, Visual Effects, and Extended Reality (XR), reinforcing India’s creative leadership on the global stage.

    About the awards

    There are two competition categories:  Student Showreels (No time restriction) and Professional Ad Films (limit 60 seconds). The submissions reflect themes of India’s socio-cultural landscape, and modern technology like:

    • Wellness & Yoga

    • Gaming for Social Impact

    ASIFA India has witnessed an exceptional response with enthusiastic participation

     

    ASIFA India has received an overwhelming response with 1238 submissions of finished works from various demographics: Students (75%), Professionals (25%), Women (35%) and Emerging Creators (50%). The participation of women and young creators underscores the challenge’s role in promoting diversity, inclusivity, and fresh perspectives in India’s AVGC sector.

                                       

    Submissions have been promoted across various continents, resulting in over 60 global entries from 13 countries, such as Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Greece, Cyprus, Iran, Finland, the Philippines, Germany, Sri Lanka, Puerto Rico, China, and Mexico. Global Animated Film association Asifa (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) is promoting the competition globally via its 40 Chapters in various counties.

    ASIFA also received submissions from more than 52 institutions in India and abroad. Leading global educational institutions like BAU Centro Universitario de Artes y Diseño de Barcelona, Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at UTD, Tehran University of Art, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Academy Of Art University, Academy of Design, Colombo, Kennesaw State University student have submitted their top entries to this prestigious festival.
    Students from Prestigious Indian Institutions including all NID, IITs (IDC School of Design and DOD at various IIT’s), SRFTI, Symbiosis, Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art, Banasthali Vidyapith, Ajeenkya D Y Patil University, BIT Mesra, UID, Srishti Manipal have also submitted their best work.

    Glimpses of Submissions of Waves Awards of Excellence

    WAVES Winners Gain Global Opportunities

     

    Winners will receive in-person support for portfolio review by experts, opportunity to interact with global jury from US, Greece & India. They will also receive networking opportunities by direct engagement with key stakeholders, including international studios, producers, and government officials for potential career opportunities. Animation studios and independent developers will receive guidance on funding, IP development, and business scalability.

    ASIFA India organized series Meet ups across 15 Indian sub-chapters to inspire creators from various cities for their participation in the upcoming WAVES Awards of Excellence. In the session ‘Deep Dive into Excellence from Mentors’ eminent global Jury like Briana Yarhouse from USA & Dr. Anastasia Dimitra from Athens, Greece gave tips to participants.

    Global Jury Members Briana Yarhouse, Dr.Anastasia Dimitra sharing their expertise during a Virtual Meet recently, joined by Deanna Morse(Member of Oscars), Celebrity Artist Dhimant Vyas, BN Vichar& Others..Session Moderated by Sanjay Khimesara, President, Asifa India & Vinita Bachani, Core Committee Member

     

    For more information and to submit your work, visit the submission portal here:

    https://www.asifaindia.com/waoe/

     

    About ASIFA INDIA

    ASIFA India is a non-profit organization established in 2000 with the goal of promoting the art, craft, and profession of VFX, Animation & Gaming in India. ASIFA India has been working tirelessly to create a platform for creators including- Animators, Vfx & Gaming artists, students, and professionals to network, learn, and showcase their work.

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    Dharmendra Tewari/Kshitij Singha/Shatrunjay kumar

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TRAI Strengthens Consumer Protection with Amendments to TCCCPR, 2018

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Communications

    TRAI Strengthens Consumer Protection with Amendments to TCCCPR, 2018

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 6:11PM by PIB Delhi

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has amended the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018 to further strengthen consumer protection against Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC). The revised regulations aim to deal with evolving methods of misuse of telecom resource and promote a more transparent commercial communication ecosystem for consumers.

    Since its implementation, TCCCPR-2018 has made breakthrough use of technology for spam control through blockchain-based regulatory framework. Despite the robust measures in place, spammers have evolved their tactics, necessitating further regulatory enhancements to safeguard consumer interests. Accordingly, TRAI issued a Consultation Paper (CP) on the Review of the TCCCPR 2018 on 28th August 2024 to seek stakeholders’ views on key regulatory amendments needed to enhance consumer protection and curb Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC). The consultation focused on several vital issues, including redefining commercial communication categories, strengthening consumer complaint redressal mechanisms, tightening the threshold norms for action against UCC, bringing in higher accountability of senders and telemarketers, curbing the misuse of 10-digit numbers for telemarketing, implementing stricter measures against unregistered telemarketers (UTMs), etc.

    The amendments introduced today build upon stakeholder feedback and extensive internal deliberations to reinforce consumer rights and prevent misuse of telecom resources while at the same time aiming that the legitimate commercial communication occur through registered entities, based on the preference and consent of the customers, thereby, balancing the interests of consumers with the need for supporting legitimate economic activities in the country.

    Salient Features of the consumer-centric amendments made to the regulations:

     

    1. Ease of reporting spam and Revamped Complaint mechanism:
      1. Consumers will now be able to make complaintagainst spam (UCC) calls and messages sent by unregistered senders without the need of first registering their preferences for blocking or receiving commercial communications.
      2. To make the complaint process simpler and more effective, it has been mandated that if a complaint made by a customer contains bare minimum essential data such as number of the complainant, number of Sender from which the Spam/UCC has been received, date on which spam is received and a brief about the UCC Voice Call/Message, the complaint shall be treated as a valid complaint. Access Provider can collect additional information from the complainant to support the investigation.
      3. Further, a customer can now make a complaint about spam/ UCC within 7 days of receiving spam as compared to earlier 3-day time limit.
      4. The access providers have been mandated to display the options for registering spam/UCC complaints at a prominent and easy to find place in their mobile App and Web portal. Additionally, their mobile App should be able to auto capture call logs, SMS details after obtaining permission from the subscriber and extract necessary details through it for complaint registration. Moreover, the mobile app should also have the facility to register complaints using screenshots provided by the complaint.
      5. Time limit for taking action by the access providers against the UCC from unregistered senders has been reduced from 30 days to5 days.
      6. To ensure prompt action against the senders of UCC, the criterion for taking action against them has been revised and made more stringent. As compared to earlier criterion of ‘having 10 complaints against the sender in last 7 days’ to trigger action, it has been modified to “having 5 complaints against the sender in last 10 days’. This would enable faster action and at the same time, coveringmore number of spammers.

     

    1. Empowering Customers:
      1. Improved mechanism for opting out from promotional communication: Telecom operators must now provide a mandatory option in the promotional messages using which a customer may opt out of receiving such messages, thereby, making preference modification simpler and easier for the consumers.
      2. Message headers will now carry standardized identifiers to help consumers easily distinguish between promotional, service, and transactional messages. Customers will be able to identify the type of commercial message by just looking at its header as “-P”, “-S”, “-T”, and “-G” will be suffixed to the message header for identification of promotional, service, transactional, and government messages, respectively.
      3. A separate category for messages sent by government has been created so that customers do not miss important government communications beneficial to them.
      4. A sender shall not make a request seeking consent of a customer who has opted out, before ninety (90) days from the date of such opt-out by the customer. However, customer will have the option to opt-in any time.
      5. The consent given by a customer for completing any ongoing transaction shall be valid only for 7 days so that businesses do not keep on making calls or sending messages to the customer indefinitely on the pretext of the consent given earlier.
      6. Further, consent of the customer which is implicit in case of transactional and service commercial communications, shall be valid only for the duration  or discharge of the contract between the customer and the sender, and, therefore, no service call can be made to the customer by such a sender thereafter unless the customer gives explicit consent for it.
      7. The amendments bring in disclosure of the use of auto-dialers/ robo calls, and its regulation to prevent undue disturbance to the customers.

     

    1. Stringent Measures against Spammers/ Senders of Unsolicited Commercial Communications
      1. Access providers must suspend all telecom resources of a sender found guilty of repeated violations. For the first violation of the regulatory threshold, outgoing services of all telecom resource of the sender will be barred for 15 days. For subsequent violations, all telecom resources of the sender, including PRI/SIP trunks, will be disconnected across all access providers for a period of one year and the sender will be blacklisted.
      2. Any call made or message sent to deceive or attempt to deceive customers has been classified as UCCso far as misuse of telecom resources is concerned, thereby, enabling quick regulatory actionagainst the telecom resources of the sender of such communication, including disconnection and blacklisting. This amendment will make disconnection of such telecom resources swift due to use of blockchain based technology.
      3. The amendment restricts senders from using normal 10-digit numbers for telemarketing, ensuring that all commercial communications originate from designated headers or specific number series. While the 140 series will continue to be used for promotional calls, the newly allocated 1600 series is designated for transactional and service calls, with implementation already in progress. This change enables recipients to easily identify the type of commercial communication based on the Caller Line Identification (CLI).

     

    1. Stringent provisions to ensure compliance of regulations
      1. In case of failure of the access providers to implement these regulations,provisions for imposing financial disincentives in graded manner have been introduced. A financial disincentive (FD) of Rs 2 lakh for first instance of violation, Rs 5 lakh for second instance of violation and Rs 10 lakh per instance for subsequent instances of violation, shall be imposed on access providers in case of misreporting of the count of UCC. These FDs shall be imposed separately for registered and unregistered senders. Moreover, these FDs will be in addition to the FD imposed on access providers against invalid closure of complaints, and not fulfilling their obligations in respect of registration of Message Headers and Content Templates.
      2. The Access Providers have been enabled to prescribe a security deposit for the senders and telemarketers, which can be forfeited in case of violation of regulations by the senders and telemarketers. To make the provision more effective, access providers have been mandated to enter into a legally binding agreement with all the registered Senders and Telemarketers wherein their roles and responsibilities as well as the actions that can be taken against them in case of non-compliance,shall be incorporated.

     

    1. Strengthening the ecosystem:
      1. Access providers are mandated to analyze call and SMS patterns based on parameters such as unusually high call volumes, short call durations, and low incoming-to-outgoing call ratios. This will help flag potential spammers in real-time.
      2. Telecom operators are required to deploy honeypots which are dedicated numbers that attract and log spam calls and messages, to analyze emerging spam trends and take pre-emptive action against suspected spammers.
      3. The revised regulations limit the number of intermediaries between the Principal Entity (PE) and the Telemarketer (TM) to ensure full traceability of messages. This will enhance accountability in commercial communication.
      4. Senders and telemarketers must undergo physical verification, biometric authentication, and unique mobile number linking during registration. Additionally, operators must maintain comprehensive records of complaints and sender details, ensuring that violators are quickly identified and penalized.
      5. To enhance accountability in commercial communication, TRAI has mandated strict Principal Entity (PE) – Telemarketer (TM) traceability. This ensures seamless tracking of messages from sender to recipient, reducing the risk of spam and unauthorized commercial communications.

     

    TRAI has mandated that Access Providers to ensure strict compliance with these new regulations and take proactive measures to identify and block violators.

     

    The revised regulations will enable TRAI in safeguarding consumer interests while promoting a more secure and trusted digital communication environment. All stakeholders, including businesses and telecom operators, are advised to align their systems with the amended framework to ensure seamless implementation.

    For further information, Shri Deepak Sharma, Advisor (QoS-II), TRAI, may be contacted at 011-20907760 or at email-idadvqos@trai.gov.in

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    Samrat/Allen

    (Release ID: 2102413)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CSIR-NIScPR hosts One-Day Workshop on International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Empowering Girls in STEM

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 6:01PM by PIB Delhi

    The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) successfully organized a one-day workshop on the first decadal anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Themed “Empowering Girls for Participation in STEM: Fostering Awareness for Inclusive Education,” the event aimed to inspire and encourage young girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Aligning with UNESCO’s theme, “Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science,” the workshop was held at the CSIR-NIScPR, New Delhi. The workshop brought together 56 undergraduate female students from four renowned women’s colleges of the University of Delhi, Gargi College, Kalindi College, Lady Irwin College, Deshbandhu College and Miranda House, alongside esteemed academicians, researchers, and policymakers. It provided a valuable platform for mentorship, resources, and critical insights into government initiatives, scholarships, and funding opportunities available for women in STEM.

    In the welcome address Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director, CSIR-NIScPR emphasized the importance of gender equality in STEM and the need to create an enabling environment for women to excel in scientific careers. She reflected on the challenges faced by women in transitioning from academia to professional roles, underscoring the significance of gender sensitization and breaking stereotypes. Dr. GeethaVaniRayasam, Head, CSIR-Human Resource Development Group, delivered an insightful talk on CSIR’s various initiatives to support women in science. The session was further enriched by esteemed speakers discussing challenges and opportunities in STEM for young women. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Mini Thomas, Dean, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Former Director, NIT Trichy, who served as the Chief Guest. She encouraged young women to break barriers in traditionally male-dominated STEM fields and urged institutions to create more opportunities for women scientists.

    The second session featured Dr. Monika Kulshrestha, Chief Scientist, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, who emphasized the importance of maintaining good health while striving for lifelong learning and professional growth. This was followed by an expert lecture by Dr. AmbikaBehl, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, titled “Highway Engineering Field: A Man’s World” She shared her journey from laboratory research to fieldwork, addressing gender biases and societal expectations. She emphasized the need for women to step out of their comfort zones, recognize their strengths, and navigate professional challenges with confidence. Dr. Kanika Malik, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR and Delhi branch convenor of the Indian Women Scientists’ Association (IWSA), delivered an IWSA related talk. The interactive segment of the workshop included a group discussion based on pre-filled questionnaires, allowing students to express their aspirations and challenges in STEM education. Mrs. SandhyaWakdikar, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, delivered a talk on “Opportunities for Undergraduate Girls in STEM” and provided valuable information on government schemes, funding opportunities, and resources available to support women in STEM careers.

    The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks by Mrs. SandhyaWakdikar, followed by the National Anthem. CSIR-NIScPR reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the gender gap in STEM and fostering an inclusive scientific community for future generations. This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering young women in STEM, ensuring that they receive the necessary support and resources to thrive in scientific careers.

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    NKR/PSM

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  • MIL-OSI Global: Why federal courts are unlikely to save democracy from Trump’s and Musk’s attacks

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maya Sen, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School

    Many people may look to federal courts as a bulwark of the U.S. Constitution. Jose Luis Pelaez/Stone via Getty Images

    State governments, community groups, advocacy nonprofits and regular Americans have filed a large and growing number of federal lawsuits opposing President Donald Trump’s barrage of executive orders and policy statements. Some of his actions have been put on hold by the federal courts, at least temporarily.

    As a scholar of the federal courts, however, I expect the courts will be of limited help in navigating through this complicated new political landscape.

    One problem is that the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years has moved sharply to the right and has approved of past efforts to expand the powers of the presidency. But the problem with relying on the courts for help goes beyond ideology and right-leaning justices going along with a right-leaning president, as happened in Trump’s first term.

    One challenge is speed: The Trump administration is moving much faster than courts do, or even can. The other is authority: The courts’ ability to compel government action is limited, and also slow.

    And that doesn’t even factor in statements by Trump, Vice President JD Vance and “special government employee” multibillionaire Elon Musk. All three have indicated that they are open to ignoring court rulings and have even threatened to seek the impeachment of judges who rule in ways they don’t like.

    President Donald Trump and multibillionaire Elon Musk are working together to restructure the U.S. government.
    Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Speed

    Musk has been put in charge of White House efforts to cut government services, both in spending amount and reach.

    Constitutional law is clear: The executive branch cannot, on its own, close or shut down a federal agency that has been established by Congress. That is Congress’ job. But Trump and Musk are trying to do so anyway, including declaring that the congressionally established U.S. Agency for International Development will be shut down and turning employees away from the agency’s offices in Washington, D.C.

    The administration’s strategy, it seems, is the longstanding tech-company mantra: “move fast and break things.” The U.S. courts do not – and by design cannot – move equally quickly.

    It can take years for a case to wind its way through the lower courts to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. This is by design.

    Courts are deliberative in nature. They take into account multiple factors and can engage in multiple rounds of deliberation and fact-finding before reaching a final ruling. At every stage, lawyers on both sides are given time to make their cases. Even when a case does get to the Supreme Court – as many of these lawsuits likely will – it can take months to be fully resolved.

    By contrast, Trump’s and Musk’s actions are happening in a matter of days. By the time a court finally resolves an issue that happened in late January or early February 2025, the situation may have changed substantially.

    Volunteers hand out USAID flour at the Zanzalima Camp in Ethiopia in 2021.
    J. Countess/Getty Images

    For an example, consider the effort to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development. In the space of a week, the Trump administration put most of USAID’s workers on administrative leave and halted USAID’s overseas medical trials, which included pausing potentially lifesaving treatments.

    As of this writing, a district judge has temporarily blocked the order putting USAID workers on leave. But even if the courts ultimately conclude several months from now that the Trump administration’s actions regarding USAID were unlawful, it might be impossible to reconstitute the agency the way it used to be.

    For instance, many workers may have been demoralized and sought other employment. New personnel would have to be recruited and trained to replace them. Contracts that were terminated or invalidated or expired would have to be renegotiated. And the countries and communities that had received help from USAID might be less committed to the renewed programs, because of concerns services could be cut off again.

    Breadth

    When Republicans disagreed with any of Joe Biden’s executive actions – for example, his student debt forgiveness plan – they went to federal court to obtain nationwide injunctions stopping the implementation of the plan.

    But injunctions will not be as helpful given Trump’s recent playbook. A court blocking one order isn’t enough to stop the administration from trying different tactics. In 2017, courts blocked the first two versions of Trump’s ban on travel to the U.S. from majority-Muslim countries – but ultimately allowed a third version to take effect. And if an attack on one agency is blocked, the administration can try similar – or different – tactics against other agencies.

    The strategy of moving fast and breaking things is successful if the other side – or even the process of repair – can’t keep up with all the different strategies. Courts can be part of the strategy to preserve the Constitution, but they cannot be its only defenders.

    Authority

    John Marshall served as the nation’s fourth chief justice, from 1801 to 1835.
    Painted by Henry Inman, via Wikimedia Commons

    Researchers have argued that court-issued injunctions mostly work to stop the government from doing something, not to compel the government into doing something. Judges are already expressing concern that the Trump administration may fail to comply with orders to stop funding freezes.

    For instance, a federal district judge in Massachusetts has ordered the government not only to refrain from implementing changes to federal research grant funding but to provide evidence to the court that it was complying with the court’s order, immediately and every two weeks until the case is decided.

    Another federal judge has already found the administration failed to abide by a court order – but so far has not imposed any consequences on Trump, the administration or other officials.

    It’s unclear whether Trump would obey Supreme Court rulings against him, either. On the campaign trail, Trump’s running mate JD Vance said, “When the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did and say, ‘The chief justice has made his ruling, now let him enforce it.’” He also recently remarked that “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” hinting at strong opposition to rulings the administration disagrees with.

    All this doesn’t mean the courts are useless, nor that people shouldn’t sue to challenge actions they deem illegal or unconstitutional. The courts – and the Supreme Court in particular – exist in part to arbitrate power disputes between Congress and the presidency. As Chief Justice John Marshall said in his landmark 1803 Marbury v. Madison ruling, “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.”

    But the courts alone will not be sufficient. The courts are like an antibiotic on a cut, helping healing and staving off further infection. They cannot keep a grievously wounded patient alive. For this, a robust political strategy is necessary. It is in all Americans’ hands collectively to make sure that the constitutional structure is not just enforced, but also sustained.

    Maya Sen 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. Why federal courts are unlikely to save democracy from Trump’s and Musk’s attacks – https://theconversation.com/why-federal-courts-are-unlikely-to-save-democracy-from-trumps-and-musks-attacks-249533

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Introduces Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill, Secures Wins for WA Environment & Tribes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    02.12.25
    Cantwell Introduces Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill, Secures Wins for WA Environment & Tribes
    Bill would authorize USCG “Whale Desk” for additional 2 years to help ships steer clear of Puget Sound Orcas and other whales
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 that would reauthorize $30.45 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026.
    “This legislation prioritizes the Coast Guard’s most important asset—the men and women of the Coast Guard, and their families,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The bill drives much needed reforms that will help prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment throughout the Coast Guard, including establishing confidential reporting, strengthening protective orders, expanding access to care for victims, and stronger accountability for leadership. Admiral Fagan made great progress during her term, and the next Commandant will need to continue to be a steady force that stands up for service members.
    “The bill also establishes a new Vice Admiral dedicated to improving recruitment, health care and child care for members. The bill also increases funding for core Coast Guard missions such as shipbuilding and cracking down on illegal fishing and drug smuggling.”
    Among many important provisions, the legislation includes historic protections for sexual assault and harassment, boosts workforce development programs and availability of affordable housing, increases funding to help U.S. Coast Guard deliver on critical priorities such as icebreakers and 52-foot heavy-weather lifeboats, raises penalties for abandoned and derelict vessels, and encourages more collaboration with Tribes.
    The legislation authorizes $14.93 billion for FY25 and $15.51 billion for FY26. The full bill text of the bipartisan U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 is available HERE. 
    Sen. Cantwell secured language for programs critical to Washington state in the legislation. Among those provisions, her bipartisan legislation:
    Expands Affordable Housing Opportunities: Allows the Coast Guard to acquire housing that is available both on the market and in new housing construction programs. This is particularly important in coastal areas — like Cape Disappointment, Grays Harbor, and Port Angeles — where Coast Guard families face a difficult time accessing affordable, quality housing due to competition with seasonal rentals and other challenges associated with remote units. This bill also expands the Coast Guard’s ability to enter into long-term leases for medical facilities, child development centers, and training facilities to expand access to services for Coast Guard families while reducing administrative overhead expenses and allowing for additional improvements to these facilities.
    Increases Federal Funding to Deliver on Icebreakers and Heavy Weather Lifeboats: The legislation increases authorized funding by 30% compared to 2024 appropriated funding levels, which will help the Coast Guard deliver on critical priorities such as polar icebreakers, 52-foot heavy-weather lifeboats, and other priority acquisition programs.
    Seattle will be home for the Coast Guard’s fleet of 3 polar icebreakers.
    Sen. Cantwell recently toured U.S. Coast Guard Station Disappointment, where the future fleet of heavy-weather lifeboats will be homeported to support search and rescue missions, which is critical to safety of people working in the fishing and maritime sector in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties. In 2023, Sen. Cantwell secured a downpayment of $12 million to replace the heavy-weather boats in the 2023 Appropriations Act.
    Creates the First-Ever Tribal Advisor: Creates a new senior position within the Coast Guard to advise the Commandant and other Coast Guard leaders on how the Coast Guard can work more closely with Tribes. The new Special Advisor would also be charged with ensuring the Coast Guard upholds trust responsibilities to tribal governments, improving tribal engagement and consultation activities, and ensuring that Tribes have a voice on Coast Guard programs that impact tribes including oil spill preparedness and response, fisheries oversight, and the protection of natural resources.
    Boosts Local Tribal Partnerships to Improve Conservation: Provides the Coast Guard with new authorities to support habitat conservation and other resilience projects with state, local, and tribal governments. This important new authority would ensure tribes and other organizations can partner with the Coast Guard to protect treaty fishing rights and maintain access to cultural and natural resources.
    Reauthorizes the Whale Desk: Extends the Whale Desk at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound by two years, through FY2028. Authored by Senator Cantwell in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2022, the “Whale Desk” at Sector Puget Sound gives vessel operators and mariners near real-time data about the location of whales to reduce encounters that disturb whales, including noise pollution and ship strikes. The pilot program also includes a “hotline” where callers can report whale sightings in real time. The data collected will be valuable for researchers who track whale migration patterns.
    According to the Coast Guard, 75 whale sightings have been reported to the Sector Puget Sound Whale Desk since its opening in December 2023.
    Sen. Cantwell helped celebrate the launch of the Whale Desk in February 2024. Photos and videos are available HERE and HERE.
    Supports the Commercial Fishing and Maritime Industries: Continues to authorize the use of a satellite tracking system to mark fishing gear locations, which ensures gear is not lost and avoids potential damage by derelict gear. It also supports fishing vessels engaging in temporary towing operations as part of salmon hatchery development in Alaska.  The bill also creates new training and credentialing opportunities for qualified mariners, veterans, and the general public seeking to become mariners. It also expedites processing times for merchant mariner licensing documents to help close this critical workforce gap.
    Maps Arctic Maritime Routes: The Bering Sea is expected to see increased fishing, commercial, and other vessel traffic over the coming decades. As a key international trade and maritime route, this bill requires an analysis of projected traffic in the Bering Strait, and the emergency response capabilities and infrastructure needed to support this increased vessel traffic and prevent oil spills in the Bering Sea and the Arctic.
    Boosts International Pacific Cooperation: Requires the Coast Guard to develop a plan to increase international training opportunities in the Pacific, including with the Taiwan Coast Guard. This coordination will strengthen American relations, combat illegal fishing, and boost international security in the Pacific.
    Cracks Down on Abandoned Vessels: Improves oversight of derelict and abandoned vessels by requiring the Coast Guard to develop and maintain an inventory list of these vessels to improve tracking, management, and coordination between federal, state, tribal, and other relevant entities. It authorizes a new federal penalty of $500 a day for abandoning vessels.
    Abandoned and derelict vessels pose unique and costly threats to coastal communities and ecosystems by leaking pollutants and imperiling marine traffic. According to the WA Department of Natural Resources, DNR removed 319 derelict and abandoned boats from Washington state waterways 2021-2023.
    Protects Personnel from Illicit Drug/Fentanyl Exposure: As the Coast Guard carries out important drug interdiction missions to stop the flow of illegal drugs, this bill requires all installations to maintain a supply of naloxone or similar medication to treat opioid or fentanyl overdoses or exposure by Coast Guard members and the public in search and rescue or response calls.
    Require Stronger Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Prevention and Response: The bill would establish or update numerous Coast Guard and Academy authorities and programs to improve reporting, oversight, prevention, and accountability related to sexual misconduct. These provisions were drafted in response to Operation Fouled Anchor, which revealed gross mishandling of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases of U.S. Coast Guard personnel.
    A full breakdown of these protections is available HERE.
    Supporting Coast Guard Families Stationed in Washington:
    Creates the First Vice Admiral of Personnel: To support the more than 40,000 active service members, the bill establishes a new Vice Admiral leadership position solely focused on supporting the needs of personnel and their families, from housing to health care, investments in childcare, and improving recruitment and training programs.
    Jump Starts Hiring of Health and Family Service Providers Across Entire Service: Provides direct hiring authority to swiftly fill more than a hundred vacancies, including behavioral and mental health professionals, medical specialists, childcare service providers, housing supervisors, criminal investigators, and other positions to protect the health and wellbeing of Coast Guard members and their families. It also adds two new telemedicine rooms at the Coast Guard Academy.
    Improves College-to-Service Career Pathways: Updates the College Student Pre-Commissioning Program to allow more colleges and universities to participate and to increase recruitment of students interested in commissioning into a Coast Guard career. 
    Prepares Tsunami Evacuation Plans: Requires the development of tsunami evacuation and preparedness plans for Coast Guard units in tsunami zones, including across the West Coast and Pacific Northwest. It also requires the Coast Guard to consider vertical evacuation as a lifesaving option for Coast Guard members.
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    Supports NOAA Corps Officers: To support the hundreds of NOAA’s commissioned officers, the bill makes improvements to personnel management, education assistance programs, pilot recruitment programs, and more. NOAA Corps members help manage maritime research, support disaster response, and monitor weather forecasting including hurricanes and atmospheric rivers, as well as performing other cutting-edge weather forecast and research needs.
    Modernizes NOAA Vessel Fleet: Authorizes replacement and modernization of the NOAA research vessel fleet and improves oversight of the fleet, which helps maintain our nation’s weather and scientific buoy network, conducts fisheries research, maps the ocean floor including in the Arctic, and supports other important oceanographic and conservation priorities.
    Removes Aging NOAA Vessels: Allows NOAA to use the proceeds of obsolete vessel sales to support the acquisition or repair of other NOAA vessels to help make the fleet more resilient in the future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular – RC-B10-0126/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    pursuant to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of the Rules of Procedure
    replacing the following motions:
    B10‑0126/2025 (PPE)
    B10‑0128/2025 (Verts/ALE)
    B10‑0131/2025 (Renew)
    B10‑0134/2025 (S&D)
    B10‑0135/2024 (ECR)

    Sebastião Bugalho, Željana Zovko, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Gabriel Mato, David McAllister, Vangelis Meimarakis, Wouter Beke, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Tomáš Zdechovský, Mirosława Nykiel, Jessica Polfjärd, Luděk Niedermayer, Jan Farský, Andrey Kovatchev, Inese Vaidere
    on behalf of the PPE Group
    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Leire Pajín
    on behalf of the S&D Group
    Adam Bielan, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Carlo Fidanza, Alberico Gambino, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Assita Kanko, Mariusz Kamiński, Marlena Maląg, Bogdan Rzońca, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Ivaylo Valchev, Jadwiga Wiśniewska
    on behalf of the ECR Group
    Bernard Guetta, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Urmas Paet, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar
    on behalf of the Renew Group
    Catarina Vieira
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    Document selected :  

    RC-B10-0126/2025

    Texts tabled :

    RC-B10-0126/2025

    Texts adopted :

    European Parliament resolution on repression by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua, targeting human rights defenders, political opponents and religious communities in particular

    (2025/2547(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Nicaragua,

    – having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas since 2018, the Nicaraguan regime has systematically, repeatedly and arbitrarily persecuted human rights defenders (HRDs), opposition and religious representatives, among others; whereas over 5 600 NGOs have been dissolved, including religious groups – mainly Catholic – and their assets confiscated;

    B. whereas imprisoned political opponents, along with HRDs, have been expelled from the country, stripped of their nationality and deprived of their political rights; whereas since 2018, 245 members of the clergy have been arbitrarily arrested or expelled, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Sakharov Prize finalist;

    C. whereas in January 2025, the regime passed a constitutional reform that eliminates the separation of powers and political pluralism, establishing an Ortega-Murillo co-presidency that controls all branches of government, independent institutions and the media, and ignores adherence to international human rights conventions and treaties;

    1. Strongly condemns the Ortega-Murillo regime’s widespread, systemic human rights violations against its population, democratic opposition, students, civil society organisations (CSOs) and its persecution of religious leaders, primarily Catholic; urges the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained, and the restoration of the rule of law and the legal status of all organisations, freedoms and the rights of exiled individuals, including their safe return; insists that these are essential conditions for any prospect of meaningful dialogue;

    2. Denounces the use of statelessness and exile as a weapon against dissenting voices; reiterates the need to end restrictions on civic space and to respect the right to dissent;

    3. Calls on the Ortega-Murillo regime to reverse its constitutional reform and all repressive laws institutionalising totalitarianism, to fully respect its international human rights obligations, and to implement the recommendations made by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua; calls for its mandate to be extended;

    4. Calls for the EU to include specific guarantees of human rights compliance when allocating EU funds, including through multilateral and financial institutions, and to ensure that the funds do not contribute to strengthening the Ortega-Murillo regime;

    5. Highlights the key role played by CSOs, HRDs, the Catholic Church and journalists in Nicaragua; calls for the EU to reinforce its regular dialogue with them, including those in exile, to support their vital work, as well as countries receiving migrants fleeing Nicaragua, such as Costa Rica;

    6. Calls on the Member States, in accordance with the Rome Statute, to open investigations through the International Criminal Court into the Ortega-Murillo regime for crimes against humanity;

    7. Reiterates its demand that the democratic clause of the EU Association Agreement be triggered; rejects any prospect of holding any parliamentary dialogue with members of Nicaragua’s regime-controlled National Assembly;

    8. Reiterates its call to expand the list of sanctioned individuals to include Ortega, Rosario Murillo and their inner circle;

    9. Calls for the immediate extradition of Alessio Casimirri to Italy;

    10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States and the Nicaraguan authorities.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Change of algorithm on X before US election – P-002623/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission has been investigating X, designated as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA)[1], for suspected breaches of different articles, including suspected lack of compliance with, amongst others, Article 34(1) and (2) and 35(1) of the DSA.

    These provisions oblige providers of designated platforms inter alia to diligently identify, analyse and assess various systemic risks, and put in place effective mitigation measures.

    The current investigations against X include risks linked to civic discourse and elections in the EU, including risks stemming from the design and functioning of its algorithmic systems.

    On 17 January 2025, the Commission ordered X to retain internal documents and information regarding future changes to the design and functioning of its recommender algorithms, while also requesting internal documentation on its recommender system relating to past changes.

    The Commission also ordered access to certain technical interfaces (APIs) to allow direct fact-finding on content moderation and virality of accounts.

    These measures will allow the Commission services to take all relevant facts into account in the assessment under the DSA of systemic risks and their mitigation.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1-102.
    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Follow-up question due to lack of answer to Question E-002172/2024 – E-002922/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The measure referred to by the Honourable Member has been announced as part of the Spanish action plan but has not been adopted yet and, therefore, the Commission is not in a position to assess it. Also, the Commission would not assess individual political statements.

    Member States have a primary responsibility to monitor the application of the European Media Freedom Act[1] and to take the necessary steps for enforcement.

    In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will continue monitoring the situation on the independence of media and journalists and may decide to take appropriate action including, where appropriate, infringement proceedings.

    It will continue assessing all relevant developments related to media freedom and pluralism in all Member States, including Spain, under the annual Rule of Law Report[2].

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401083
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-law/rule-law/annual-rule-law-cycle_en
    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission measures to uphold journalists’ rights and protect journalists and publications threatened by the Russian Federation – E-002264/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    As stated in its reply to Written Question P-001987/2024, the EU firmly condemns Russia’s ongoing intimidation, harassment and killing of European journalists and other media workers who report from its war of aggression against Ukraine.

    This also includes the use of politically motivated arrest warrants issued by Russia against international journalists reporting from war zones and frontlines[1].

    The EU has consistently condemned Russia’s attempts to obstruct the work of European and other journalists and has regularly addressed these issues in multilateral fora like the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe where Russia is present.

    The EU will remain steadfast in its commitment to protect media freedom and the safety of journalists around the world and in war zones.

    The Commission will ensure the effective application of the European Media Freedom Act[2] and the anti-SLAPP Directive[3]. It will also monitor Member States’ actions to put in practice the recommendation[4] on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists and the recommendation[5] on protecting journalists and human rights defenders who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings to safeguard the independence of media and journalists and will continue assessing all relevant developments related to media freedom and pluralism in all Member States, including Romania, under the annual Rule of Law Report[6].

    • [1] Further detailed guidance on extradition to third states and a summary of the relevant case law of the Court of Justice in this respect can be found in the Guidelines on Extradition to Third States of June 2022, see Commission Notice — Guidelines on Extradition to Third States, Official Journal of the European Union, (2022/C 223/01).
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401083
    • [3] Directive — EU — 2024/1069 — EN — EUR-Lex.
    • [4] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/recommendation-protection-safety-and-empowerment-journalists
    • [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A138%3ATOC
    • [6] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-law/rule-law/annual-rule-law-cycle_en
    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye – RC-B10-0100/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    pursuant to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of the Rules of Procedure
    replacing the following motions:
    B10‑0100/2025 (The Left)
    B10‑0103/2025 (Verts/ALE)
    B10‑0110/2025 (Renew)
    B10‑0119/2025 (S&D)
    B10‑0121/2025 (PPE)
    B10‑0124/2025 (ECR)

    Sebastião Bugalho, Michalis Hadjipantela, Vangelis Meimarakis, Željana Zovko, Wouter Beke, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Tomáš Zdechovský, Mirosława Nykiel, Jessica Polfjärd, Luděk Niedermayer, Jan Farský, Inese Vaidere
    on behalf of the PPE Group
    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Evin Incir, Nikos Papandreou, Pina Picierno
    on behalf of the S&D Group
    Sebastian Tynkkynen, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Alexandr Vondra, Assita Kanko, Carlo Fidanza, Emmanouil Fragkos, Galato Alexandraki, Alberico Gambino
    on behalf of the ECR Group
    Malik Azmani, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Petras Auštrevičius, Dan Barna, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar
    on behalf of the Renew Group
    Vladimir Prebilič
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
    Isabel Serra Sánchez, Özlem Demirel
    on behalf of The Left Group

    Document selected :  

    RC-B10-0100/2025

    Texts tabled :

    RC-B10-0100/2025

    Texts adopted :

    European Parliament resolution on the recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye

    (2025/2546(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas Türkiye is expected, as a candidate country, to align with the EU acquis in all areas, including adherence to the rule of law and fundamental rights, as outlined in the Copenhagen criteria; whereas the accession process has been stalled since 2018 due to a continued deterioration in democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law;

    B. whereas Türkiye has systematically misused counter-terrorism laws to target elected officials, opposition politicians and human rights defenders, as noted by the UN Special Rapporteur and the Venice Commission;

    C. whereas Türkiye’s practice of replacing democratically elected mayors with government-appointed trustees instead of a member of the municipal council is a blatant attack on the most basic principles of local democracy, predominantly targeting Kurdish regions;

    D. whereas since the 2024 local elections, the interior ministry has dismissed eight mayors from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and two from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), replacing them with Ankara-appointed trustees; whereas this practice has been enabled by legal amendments introduced through an emergency decree in 2016;

    E. whereas several mayors, including DEM mayors Mehmet Sıddık Akış (Hakkâri) and Abdullah Zeydan (Van), have been arrested on the basis of vague and unsubstantiated terrorism-related allegations; whereas Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, is facing multiple legal challenges and possible political disqualification;

    1. Condemns the arbitrary dismissal and imprisonment of democratically elected mayors and their replacement by unelected government trustees, a practice that violates democratic principles and disenfranchises millions of voters;

    2. Calls for the immediate release, acquittal and reinstatement of all elected mayors, unless there is credible, court-verified evidence of wrongdoing, in line with international legal standards;

    3. Expresses deep concern over the impact of these actions on local governance, particularly in Kurdish-majority areas; underlines the need to continue the Kurdish peace process;

    4. Calls for judicial reforms to abolish the trustee system, in line with the recommendation by the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission, and restore the independence of the judiciary;

    5. Urges Türkiye to align its policies with the ECHR and fully implement all ECtHR rulings, in line with Article 46 ECHR, including in cases involving political imprisonment;

    6. Recalls that financial assistance to Türkiye under the IPA III and the NDICI is conditional upon respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights, and that sufficient funding needs to be allocated to civil society;

    7. Reaffirms the EU’s commitment to supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Türkiye, and calls for the EU to closely monitor the situation and take the necessary diplomatic measures; calls on the VP/HR to consider imposing restrictive measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against Turkish officials assuming the role of trustee and those appointing them;

    8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Council of Europe and the Turkish authorities.

     

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Presentation of the Polish Presidency priorities in DEVE – Committee on Development

    Source: European Parliament

    On 18 February from 9:15 to 10:30, the DEVE Committee will hold an exchange of views with Jakub Wiśniewski, Poland’s Undersecretary of State responsible for international development cooperation. Mr Wiśniewski will present to the DEVE Committee the main priorities of the Polish Presidency in the areas of development cooperation and humanitarian aid

    The Polish Presidency is expected to brief Members on its main priorities, including development cooperation, humanitarian aid, and Agenda 2030. In the current competitive and multipolar geopolitical environment, this exchange of views will provide an opportunity for Members to engage with the rotating Presidency of the Council on issues of common concern and foster close cooperation in support of the Team Europe approach.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Loans of repatriated ethnic Greeks from former USSR countries – E-000486/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000486/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

    The Pan-Pontian Federation of Greece expresses the anguish of thousands of families repatriated from former USSR countries, who are facing the threat of their homes being auctioned or seized for loans they had taken out using a rehabilitation programme under the Law of 2000. After the onset the economic crisis in 2009, many families found themselves unable to make their loan repayments.

    The large increases in repayment instalments and interest are due to the fact that the loans were linked to Greek State bonds, the prices of which sky-rocketed during the period of the memoranda signed by the Greek governments of ND, SYRIZA and PASOK with the EU, the European Central Bank and the IMF. The funding for the repatriation programme was provided by the Public Investment Programme, which also included funds from the Third and Fourth Community Support Frameworks.

    Given the EU’s shared responsibility for leading thousands of families of repatriated people down a dead end,

    • 1.What is the Commission’s position on the urgent request to write off the amounts that have amassed from increases, recapitalisations and compound interest?
    • 2.What is the Commission’s position on the urgent request for the annual service cost, after the above write-offs, not to exceed 10% of the annual taxable amount, in order for such people to be able to save their only home, which for them was a lifelong dream?
    • 3.What is the Commission’s position on the urgent request to cease any enforcement actions or other coercive measure on the part of credit institutions and the State, so that they do not lose their homes?

    Submitted: 4.2.2025

    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Paragon spyware scandal and the surveillance of European journalists and civil society organisations – P-000589/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000589/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Sandro Gozi (Renew)

    Last week, Euractiv published an article entitled ‘EXCLUSIVE: Spyware firm behind new surveillance of journalists, civil society operates from the EU’[1] on the Paragon scandal involving the systematic surveillance of over a hundred European citizens’ mobile phones and WhatsApp accounts. The article reveals that individuals in various EU Member States, such as Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, including journalists and civil society organisations critical of national governments, are being spied on by unidentified actors.

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of this breach of fundamental rights and digital privacy of European citizens and has it started to conduct an analysis of who was targeted, why and by whom?
    • 2.What measures will the Commission take in order to respond to and address this breach of European citizens’ rights?
    • 3.Will the Commission follow up on the recommendations of the former European Parliament PEGA Committee[2], take immediate action to ensure full transparency and accountability, and address these spyware threats?

    Submitted: 10.2.2025

    • [1] https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech/news/exclusive-spyware-firm-behind-new-surveillance-of-journalists-civil-society-operates-from-the-eu/.
    • [2] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0189_EN.html.
    Last updated: 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –