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Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI Global: Peace in Sudan: what it’s going to take

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mulugeta G Berhe, Senior Fellow, World Peace Foundation, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, Tufts University

    Sudan, which included South Sudan up to 2011, has never known peace and stability since independence in 1956. The country’s instability stems from the absence of democratic rule; failure to manage its diversity; military coups; civil wars; and its fragmented and bloated security sector.

    Numerous political processes to mediate the peaceful resolution of conflicts started in the first decade of independence and continue today. None of these have delivered anything. The earliest peace efforts – in 1965 – sought to internally resolve the country’s north-south divide, which eventually triggered Africa’s longest civil war.

    Since then, there have been at least a dozen attempts driven by local or external actors to resolve political crises. Among them were:

    • the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement that ended the first civil war, mediated by Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie

    • a 1988 agreement to silence the guns, made by John Garang of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani of the Democratic Unionist Party

    • the 2019 Khartoum Declaration, mediated by the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Britain, which provided a road map for the transition of Sudan into an elected and democratic government.

    More recent talks have centred on the war that broke out in April 2023 pitting the Sudan Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group. The two protagonists and various civilian groups have been called to Jeddah, Cairo, Bahrain, Djibouti, Addis Ababa, Geneva, Ankara and other locations for talks under different auspices and with different formats. Multilateral organisations like the UN, AU, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and League of Arab states have been engaged directly or through their support in some of the mediation efforts.

    I have two decades of research and practice in conflict prevention, management and resolution with a focus on east Africa and the Horn. It’s my view that mediation processes in Sudan are destined to fail for three main reasons. The first is the lack of an accurate definition of the problems of Sudan, and a lack of broader direction of its resolution and areas of consensus. The second is lack of agreement on who should get everyone together to discuss and resolve it. Finally, the lack of public participation.

    What’s missing

    Sudan needs to find the right formula to manage its diverse political, economic and cultural interests under a viable state. It must bring peace, democracy, justice and genuine reconciliation among Sudanese.

    The most robust attempt to define the problem was the process convened in the years of 2009-2012 by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel led by the former president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, in his capacity as a Special Envoy of the AU PSC. The panel’s final report defined the problems of Sudan as:

    • diversity management (differences between groups based on religion and on socioeconomic power)

    • absence of a viable state that values peace, democracy, justice and reconciliation

    • lack of a consultative forum or process for all Sudanese to contribute to important issues.

    The panel report suggested that the Sudanese needed to arrive at a consensus through inclusive consultation. This has never taken place.

    The second overriding problem is related to the architecture of mediation processes. Before South Sudan’s secession, Sudan shared a border with nine African countries. Even after the south left, Sudan remains a huge nation linking regions, and located at the strategic maritime route of the Red Sea.

    Sudanese conflicts have been entangled in multiple regional and international cross-cutting interests. Outside actors have had various agendas: stability, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian action.

    The existence of multiple interests by itself is an asset towards peace making in Sudan. But failure to coordinate them properly has been generating competing processes. This gives the Sudanese parties a chance to “shop for forums”, enabling them to procrastinate and avoid real engagement.

    Key steps to effective Sudanese mediation

    The key task of a mediator is assisting the Sudanese to define the problems of Sudan correctly, arrive at a consensus on it, and agree on a mechanism to resolve it.

    Defining the problem and building consensus: Any mediation process begins with conflict parties defining the problem and developing the options for their resolution. The parties should have confidence in the neutrality of the mediator.

    At this stage, the conflict parties are usually not represented by the top decision makers but by second level players with the expertise to develop options for decision making. This is because decision makers typically do not want to take positions from which they cannot backtrack.

    Understanding this is important in creating a coordination mechanism for external stakeholders.

    Neutral arbiter: The lead mediator needs to demonstrate neutrality to the conflicting parties as much as possible. Given the conditions in Sudan, a multilateral organisation such as the UN is most suited for the task. The UN has the ultimate responsibility. The AU, the Arab League and IGAD can also be engaged in support of the mediation by using their leverages on the conflicting parties. The choice of focal point must be accessible to all parties and perceived as neutral.

    Foreign power influence: Creating the right mix of incentives for the warring protagonists is vital. This is a task for the external powerbrokers, which have the leverage on the warring parties. The protagonists will make decisions framed by their security, political and economic interests in the wider region.

    But they may also be influenced by the fact that the humanitarian cataclysm in Sudan will have an impact on their interests. And failure to prevent that disaster will damage their reputations.

    The US can use its relationships with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other external powerbrokers so that they refrain from supporting one or the other actor. The front-line states can use their influence on the warring parties to encourage them to work for peace.

    The UN, the African Union, IGAD, and the League of Arab States are the sources for any international legitimacy to the parties. The Sudanese actors will need to respond positively to the demands of these institutions in search of international legitimacy given that the institutions act in a complementary manner.

    With the right architecture for peacemaking, a peace process can be achieved in Sudan.

    Mulugeta G Berhe consults to the World Peace Foundation and has been consulting the UN DPPA MSU until December 31st 2024.

    – ref. Peace in Sudan: what it’s going to take – https://theconversation.com/peace-in-sudan-what-its-going-to-take-248328

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Religious freedom is routinely curbed in Central Asia – but you won’t often see it making international news

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Eric Freedman, Professor of Journalism and Chair, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University

    A majority of citizens in Central Asian countries practice Islam, but Muslims still face restrictions on religious expression. AP Photo/Theodore Kaye

    Freedom of worship is tenuous around the globe. The Pew Research Center’s latest annual report found “high” or “very high” levels of government constraints on religion in 59 of the 198 countries and territories it analyzed – a new record. When Pew began releasing reports on the issue in 2007, just 40 countries’ restrictions on religion were classified that way.

    And trampling of religious practices is a taboo subject for domestic news media in many, if not most, of such countries.

    As a journalism professor, I’ve studied international press practices and obstacles to fair, balanced, ethical and independent reporting for more than two decades. Much of my work is about press rights in “repressitarian” countries, meaning repressive in human rights practices and authoritarian in governance. I see overlaps among a range of human rights abuses – of freedom of expression, of religion, of political affiliation – and how the absence of press freedom shields those abuses from public scrutiny.

    The latest study I did with my undergraduate research assistant, Eleanor Pugh, examined how one news organization, Forum 18, covers constraints on religion in the five post-Soviet countries of remote but strategically important Central Asia. Based in Norway, the independent site is named after Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes a fundamental right to “freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

    Forum 18 appears to be the only news outlet that specializes in coverage of the rights of diverse faiths across the former Soviet Union. Its journalism demonstrates the challenges media outlets have in covering and influencing treatment of religious affiliations and observances in the region.

    Taboo topic

    The five countries of Central Asia – Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – pursue harsh policies and practices that frequently curtail freedom of faith. This is especially true for minority religions and sects, but even for practitioners of Islam, the region’s predominant faith. All are rated “Not Free” in the 2024 annual report on global political rights and civil liberties issued by Freedom House, a democracy advocacy group based in Washington.

    Government tactics include censorship and seizure of religious materials, trumped-up charges and prison terms for believers, prohibiting schoolchildren from wearing hijabs or attending worship services, and imprisoning Jehovah’s Witnesses who refuse compulsory military service. One recent law in Kyrgyzstan, which took effect Feb. 1, 2025, prohibits faith communities with fewer than 500 adult members and bans unregistered religious activities or places of worship.

    International news outlets generally devote little attention to religious freedom almost anywhere around the world, except for large-scale tragedies such as the repression of Muslim Uyghurs in western China and the genocidal suppression of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar.

    Foreign journalists find it tough, sometimes impossible, to report on religious issues from inside authoritarian countries.

    Peter Leonard, the former Central Asia editor of the news outlet Eurasianet, told me in March 2024 that officials’ willingness to even talk with international journalists varies from country to country. At best, journalists are “greeted with a little bit of suspicion” in a capital city, while in rural areas and villages they “can expect to be booted out or harassed,” he said, adding, “Religion is a minefield area.”

    Ethnic Russian Kyrgyz citizens wait for a Sunday service at the Church of Archistrategos of God Mikhail – Archangel Michael of God Orthodox Church – in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, in 2010.
    AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

    When limits on worship do make domestic news, they’re often presented as part of a fight against “terrorism” – a common way authoritarian regimes masquerade crackdowns on religious freedoms.

    Darkhan Umirbekov, an editor at Radio Fee Europe/Radio Liberty, told me that in Kazakhstan – where most media are owned, controlled or financially dependent on the regime and its allies – most such coverage is “in the context of extremism,” as when “security forces detain members of a religious sect or group.”

    Protecting sources

    We chose to study Forum 18 because its reporting follows traditional journalistic values such as fairness and balance, seeking comments and information from government and nongovernmental sources. One of the outlet’s key underlying motives, however, is advocacy in support of religious freedom.

    Although founded by a group of Christians, its coverage spans a wide spectrum of faiths. Recent topics included police raids on Jehovah’s Witnesses meetings in Kyrgyzstan, threats to punish a Muslim actor in Kazakhstan for quoting from the Quran in a video about Islam posted on Instagram, and the demolition of a mosque and Baptist church in Uzbekistan.

    Our analysis, which we presented at a 2024 conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, found that almost two-thirds of Central Asian stories in 2023 focused on broad topics such as fines, government policies and jail terms for believers. The remainder focused on one-off events such as particular arrests, raids or seizures of religious books.

    We also found that nonofficial news sources – frequently anonymous – outnumber named sources. Many of the site’s reporters’ sources have been developed over the years from the ranks of religious leaders, human rights activists, dissidents and legal scholars. Some live in the region, and others in exile.

    In light of the serious risk of retaliation, it is unsurprising that so many sources require anonymity. While their identities are known to reporters and editors, their names are not disclosed to audiences for protection from threats, attacks and intimidation. Sometimes these sources are described generically, such as “one Protestant” or “independent religious expert” or “local resident.”

    Forum 18 editor and co-founder Felix Corley told me in an interview: “What we’re concerned about is people that we talk to, that we don’t land them in trouble, so we have to be very careful to do everything we can to avoid endangering anyone by clumsy behavior on our part.”

    In addition, the site’s stories detail names and titles of officials responsible for anti-faith policies and practices – among them prosecutors, judges and agency heads, most of whom refuse to comment or even respond to media inquiries.

    Astana Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan, the largest mosque in Central Asia.
    Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Small but significant

    Forum 18’s audience is primarily outside the region. It includes Central Asians living abroad, human rights activists, nongovernmental organizations, foreign governments, faith leaders and other news organizations that may cite or re-report its stories.

    For example, a 2019 U.S. State Department human rights report on Uzbekistan makes references to a Forum 18 story on the torture of a “prisoner of conscience” incarcerated for meeting with fellow Muslims and participating in religious activities without government permission.

    Religious freedom advocates hope such coverage can inform and influence world opinion. Reporting abroad can spotlight otherwise-unaccountable officials, especially when censorship, self-censorship and threats of prosecution preclude domestic media from reporting.

    Realistically, we recognize that external media coverage is unlikely to prompt meaningful protections of religious freedom in authoritarian countries.

    Even so, such journalism may be seen as a step – albeit a small, symbolic one – toward holding individuals, governments, social groups and other enablers accountable for violations of a fundamental human right.

    Eric Freedman 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. Religious freedom is routinely curbed in Central Asia – but you won’t often see it making international news – https://theconversation.com/religious-freedom-is-routinely-curbed-in-central-asia-but-you-wont-often-see-it-making-international-news-248740

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: France, Japan, U.S. Partner in Multi-Large Deck Event in Philippine Sea

    Source: United States Navy

    This MLDE is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations, promoting a shared dedication to regional stability, and highlighting the U.S. Navy’s enduring power projection capability.

    “Pacific Steller 2025 allows us to practice seamless integration with our French and Japanese allies in a multi-domain environment,” said Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1. “Coordinated operations between USS Carl Vinson, FS Charles De Gaulle, and JS Kaga strengthen our alliances and deter our adversaries. Together, we seek to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, free of all forms of coercion, and we’re excited to work alongside our allies and partners who share that vision.”

    The U.S.-France alliance is built on a legacy of shared interests, values, and a commitment to freedom and human rights.

    “It is a great opportunity for the French Carrier Strike Group to cooperate with our partners in the Indo-Pacific during the whole deployment. While France is a resident nation of the Indo-Pacific, it has not deployed its CSG to this part of the world for a long time,” said Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard, commander, French CSG. “Since January 14, the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, based in Toulon more than 6000 miles from here, is sailing in a different area. There is no doubt that PACIFIC STELLER will ramp up to a new level of interoperability for our three navies and represents a challenge that we are more than eager to take up alongside Japanese and US partners.”

    The most recent MLDE in the Indo-Pacific occurred in August 2024 between the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and the Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550). The event marked the first MLDE conducted between the U.S. and Italian navies in the Indo-Pacific region.

    “Our routine integration aims to showcase our partnership and demonstrate our ability to work together with our French and Japanese allies,” said Capt. Matthew Thomas, commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). “Pacific Steller 2025 is one of many exercises with the goal to enhance the maritime security of the Indo-Pacific region. As the flagship of CSG-1, Carl Vinson stands ready and looks forward to participating alongside Charles De Gaulle and Kaga.”

    MLDEs are conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states.

    Participating large-deck ships include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the French carrier FS Charles De Gaulle, and Japan’s Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184).

    CSG-1 consists of Carl Vinson, embarked staffs of CSG-1 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) one, Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW) 2, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110).

    CVW-2 is composed of nine squadrons flying the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, CMV-22 Osprey and MH-60R/S Seahawks.

    French Carrier Strike Group consists of Charles De Gaulle, its embarked French Strike Force staff and carrier air wing, an air-defense destroyer, multi-mission frigates, a supply ship, an attack submarine, and a detachment of Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft.

    The French carrier air wing flies the Rafale Marine (F4) fighter aircraft, E-2C Hawkeye, and Dauphin, Caiman Marine, and Panther helicopters.

    The French Carrier Strike Group is currently engaged in Mission CLEMENCEAU 25, sailing alongside its allies and strategic partners to promote a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific space for the benefit of French populations, interests, and those of their regional partners, within the framework of international law.

    The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    For more news from CSG-1 and Carl Vinson visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CSG1, https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN70

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Caledonia Man Pleads Guilty To Three Counts Of Sexually Exploiting A Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

              GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that Scott Michael Elam, 41, of Caledonia, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Elam faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 90 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.

              Elam was arrested and indicted in November 2024 on seven counts of sexually exploiting four different minors. According to court documents, Elam recorded himself having sex with one of the minors on two different occasions and directed the other victims to take explicit photos and videos of themselves and then send them to him. He supplied alcohol, marijuana, vapes, and other contraband to the minors. Elam charged money for each and offered to reduce the price for minors who created and provided sexually explicit videos of themselves or had sex with him.

              “Today’s plea by Scott Elam highlights the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding sexual predators accountable and safeguarding our most vulnerable citizens,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Mr. Elam’s abhorrent criminal acts against minors are utterly indefensible, and such behavior is not acceptable. I am deeply grateful for the relentless dedication and tireless efforts of the men and women of the FBI in Michigan, including the West Michigan-based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX), our partners at the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the successful prosecution in the Western District of Michigan. The FBI in Michigan remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate, disrupt, and bring to justice any individuals who prey on our children.”

              “The Kent County Sheriff’s Office is committed to pursuing justice for victims of child exploitation and ensuring that offenders are held accountable. This case highlights the critical importance of parents and guardians having open conversations with their children about the dangers of social media. Our dedicated staff and partnerships with federal agencies allow us to continue protecting our community from those who seek to harm children,” the department said in a statement.

              The Kent County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Olivia Ghiselli is prosecuting it.

              This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Artificial Intelligence Action Summit: Sciences Po Joins Forces

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    In the context of the dynamic created by the Presidency of the French Republic, with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit taking place on 10 and 11 February 2025 in Paris, Sciences Po Open Institute for Digital Transformations, created as part of the ExcellencES Transforming Interdisciplinary Education and Research for Evolving Democracies (TIERED) project, has been rallying researchers and students working in this field.

    This is a compendium of the activities organised by the various entities at Sciences Po to complement the Summit, as the institution has historically been at the forefront of the critical questions that the humanities and social sciences can raise in times of great change.

    Indeed, while politics, as the art of envisioning and implementing collective life, is making a dramatic comeback on the public stage, the revolution in digital technologies invites us to embrace a crucial question: “Can AI benefit democratic societies?”

    What better opportunity than the AI Action Summit to address this question to the political leaders gathered in Paris for the occasion! Before, during, and after the Summit, Sciences Po researchers, teachers, students, alumni, and start-ups, each with their own skills and expertise, will contribute to shed light on the major issues at stake in a question that our democratic societies have a duty to address.

    Sciences Po’s road to the AI Action Summit is outlined below, with many events open to all, most of them at Sciences Po, some of them off-site. Almost a dozen events have been officially labelled “Road to the Summit”.

    Upcoming Events

    7 February 2025: “Y a-t-il une IA pour sauver la planète ?” from the Tribunal pour les générations futures, Road to the Summit

    Sciences Po, through its Open Institute for Digital Transformations, partnered up with 8 leading public institutions in this trial simulation organised by the French media Usbek et Rica. Some fifty Sciences Po students are taking part in this event, including two on the jury, in the Amphithéâtre Richelieu, Sorbonne (Paris 5e).

    7 February 2025: “IA: the citizen way”

    The Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs and the Conseil national du numérique are presenting the results of the public consultations carried out in autumn as part of the Summit, at the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council.

    7 February 2025: “Democratizing AI: Open-Source Systems, Global Equity, and the Power of Inclusive Partnerships”

    A discussion between Arancha González, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po, Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and Maria Ressa, Nobel Laureate and journalist, on the potential of open-source AI in fostering equity, addressing disinformation, and democratising access for the global majority

    8 February 2025: “Participatory AI Governance – Research & Practice Symposium”

    A day-long open symposium organised by the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po with Connected by Data, bringing together academics and experts from civil society organisations dedicated to explore collaboratively the state of the art in participatory development and governance of AI.

    8 and 9 February 2025: Interdisciplinary conference of the AI Action Summit “AI, Science and Society”, Road to the Summit

    Jean-Philippe Cointet, researcher at Sciences Po médialab and Director of the Open Institute for Digital Transformations, along with two post-doctoral students from the médialab, Manon Berriche and Salim Hafid, discuss a poster entitled “Defining, Identifying, Measuring, Mitigating, Democratic Biases in Large Language Models”, at the École Polytechnique, Palaiseau.

    11 February 2025: “AI for Economic Inclusion”, Road to the Summit

    The Centre for Research on Social Inequalities is co-organising the launch of an International Panel on the Information Environment, under the direction of Jen Shradie, in Sciences Po Salons Scientifiques.

    11  February 2025: “Artificial intelligence & Information manipulation: Navigating the risks and opportunities”, Road to the Summit

    With the OECD & Viginum, a monitoring and protection service against foreign digital interference, with the participation of Donato Ricci, researcher and research designer at Sciences Po médialab, at Services du Gouvernement, 20 Avenue de Ségur, 75007 Paris.

    11 February 2025: “Building Trust in AI: A Multifaceted Approach”, Road to the Summit

    In cooperation with the Schwartz Reisman Institute at the University of Toronto, with the participation of Donato Ricci, researcher and research designer at the médialab of Sciences Po, at the École normale supérieure de la rue d’Ulm.

    11 February 2025: “Advancing AI governance: Exploring adaptive frameworks and the role of sandboxes”, Road to the Summit

    Organised by The Datasphere initiative, with the participation of Beatriz Botero Arcila, researcher at Sciences Po Law School, at the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris.

    11 February 2025: “Construire des ponts : façonner la gouvernance mondiale de l’IA grâce à la collaboration multipartite”, Road to the Summit

    Round table discussion led by Louis Denart, alumnus of the School of Public Affairs and currently International Digital Policy Fellow at the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport, at Sciences Po.

    11 February 2025: “Aligning Urban AI and Global AI Governance”

    Conference organised by Urban AI and Govlab, with Beatriz Botero Arcila, researcher at Sciences Po Law School, venue to be announced.

    12 February 2025: “Understanding the roles and responsibilities across the AI value chain”, Road to the Summit

    Workshop organised by Datasphere Initiative and Open Loop (Meta), with the participation of Beatriz Botero Arcila, researcher at Sciences Po Law School, at the Hôtel Marignan Champs-Élysées.

    21 February 2025 : “L’IA peut-elle être au service de la démocratie ?”

    A conference for the general public organised directly by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations with all the educational fields involved, to take a critical look at the issues at stake at the AI Action Summit, at Sciences Po.

    Early March 2025: a “Special IA Action Summit” issue of the new Collection de Sciences Po to showcase student work

    It will be co-designed by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations with all the educational fields involved and widely distributed at the beginning of March 2025, including to the Summit organisers and participants. In particular, it will include the discussions held during the student conference.

    March 2025: Wrap-Up Event

    Co-organised by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations and the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs.

    Past Events

    5 February 2025: “Paris AI Action Summit: What’s Next for AI Governance?”, Road to the Summit

    Conference co-organised by the Global Partnership on Artifical Intelligence Policy Lab (an initiative launched by former students of Sciences Po, École normale supérieure, and École polytechnique), the Cybersecurity Association of Sciences Po, and the Centre for AI Security, at Sciences Po.

    28 January 2025: “AI & International Governance”

    Organised by the Sciences Po American Foundation and the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs, online.

    15 January 2025: “New Solidarity for an AI-disrupted Economy workshop”, Road to the Summit

    Co-organised by the Global Solutions Initiative, RadicalXChange, and the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of the Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), at the Stiftung Mercator, Berlin.

    11 December 2024:  The 6th edition of the prestigious Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law, Road to the Summit

    The Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs joined this event organised by The Future Society. This 6th edition was an official side-event on the way to the AI Action Summit, at the OECD.

    5 December 2024: Launch of the 2nd issue of Sciences Po magazine, Understanding Our Times

    This issue entirely focused on digital transformations was launched by Sciences Po and coordinated by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations on the theme “Is Digital Technology Democratic?”

    13 November 2024: “Electoral and political processes at risk of digital interference?”

    Conference organised by the School of Public Affairs, at Sciences Po.

    12 November 2024: “Paris Peace Forum official side event on the Road to AI Summit”, Road to the Summit

    A day of conferences organised by the Tech and Global Affairs Innovation Hub of the Paris School of International Affairs, at Sciences Po. Starting in November 2024, the Paris Peace Forum, of which Sciences Po is a founding member, established itself as a major contributor to the IA Action Summit by focusing its debates on international initiatives in favour of the well-being of citizens and the ethical use of artificial intelligence for a more inclusive society.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Harmonising the sanctioning of reception conditions when asylum seekers fail to meet their obligations

    Source: European Asylum Support Office

    A recent EUAA report looks at how EU-level and national courts in Member States have shaped the implementation of provisions relating to reducing or withdrawing material reception conditions, such as housing, food, and clothing or financial assistance, when asylum applicants do not comply with their obligations or engage in violent behaviour.

    The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) recently published a comparative analysis of EU and national court decisions, issued over the last 5 years, relating to the sanctioning of asylum applicants when they do not adhere to their obligations. The report comes as national authorities have reported an increase in applicants engaging in disruptive behaviour over the past years, as reported in the EUAA Asylum Report 2024.

    The analysis is limited to jurisprudence regarding sanctions, reductions or withdrawals of material reception conditions provided to asylum applicants and does not relate to criminal proceedings for acts which may qualify as criminal offences in the Member State concerned.

    Given the broad wording in the recast Reception Conditions Directive (RCD), it has long been at the discretion of Member States as to how to interpret the provisions and implement sanctions. However, a 2019 judgment by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) triggered national courts to align practices, resulting in some decisions being overturned by the courts. Most judgments referenced in the analysis, and which can also be found in the EUAA Case Law Database, involve reducing or withdrawing material reception conditions due to serious breaches of accommodation centre rules or seriously violent behaviour.

    The resulting jurisprudence has clarified the conditions for sanctions in four main areas, including:

    • Proportionality between the severity of the violation and the measure being imposed;
    • Imposing sanctions gradually and identifying alternatives;
    • Assessing the cumulative impact of violations by asylum applicants;
    • Responsibilities to provide information and ensure that applicants are adequately informed of the consequences of their actions.

    The findings of the report are particularly important given upcoming changes to these provisions under the revised Reception Conditions Directive, which was adopted as part of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The updated legislation must be transposed into national law by 12 June 2026. The 2024 Directive broadens the scope of when sanctions can be applied, while it also better defines safeguards to uphold a dignified standard of living.

    Background

    Under Article 20 of the 2013 recast Reception Conditions Directive (recast RCD), Member States may reduce or, in exceptional and duly justified cases, withdraw material reception conditions for applicants for international protection. In this context, national authorities may impose sanctions applicable to serious breaches of the rules of the accommodation centres as well as to seriously violent behaviour.

    Any sanctions must be objective, impartial, motivated and proportionate to the particular situation of the applicant and must, under all circumstances, ensure a dignified standard of living; as established in the landmark CJEU judgment Zubair Haqbin v Belgium (C-233/18, 12 November 2019).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s offshore wind energy freeze: What states lose if the executive order remains in place

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Barbara Kates-Garnick, Professor of Practice in Energy Policy, Tufts University

    The offshore wind industry brings jobs and economic development. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

    A single wind turbine spinning off the U.S. Northeast coast today can power thousands of homes – without the pollution that comes from fossil fuel power plants. A dozen of those turbines together can produce enough electricity for an entire community.

    The opportunity to tap into such a powerful source of locally produced clean energy – and the jobs and economic growth that come with it – is why states from Maine to Virginia have invested in building a U.S. offshore wind industry.

    But much of that progress may now be at a standstill.

    One of Donald Trump’s first acts as president in January 2025 was to order a freeze on both leasing federal areas for new offshore wind projects and issuing federal permits for projects that are in progress.

    The U.S. Northeast and Northern California have the nation’s strongest offshore winds.
    NREL

    The order and Trump’s long-held antipathy toward wind power are creating massive uncertainty for a renewable energy industry at its nascent stage of development in the U.S., and ceding leadership and offshore wind technology to Europe and China.

    As a professor of energy policy and former undersecretary of energy for Massachusetts, I’ve seen the potential for offshore wind power, and what the Northeast, New York and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. wind industry, stand to lose if that growth is shut down for the next four years.

    Expectations fall from 30 gigawatts by 2030

    The Northeast’s coastal states are at the end of the fossil fuel energy pipeline. But they have an abundant local resource that, when built to scale, could provide significant clean energy, jobs and supply chain manufacturing. It could also help the states achieve their ambitious goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change.

    The Biden administration set a national offshore wind goal of 30 gigawatts of capacity in 2030 and 110 gigawatts by 2050. It envisioned an industry supporting 77,000 jobs and powering 10 million homes while cutting emissions. As recently as 2021, at least 28 gigawatts of offshore wind power projects were in the development or planning pipeline.

    With the Trump order, I believe the U.S. will have, optimistically, less than 5 gigawatts in operation by 2030.

    That level of offshore wind is certainly not enough to create a viable manufacturing supply chain, provide lasting jobs or deliver the clean energy that the grid requires. In comparison, Europe’s offshore wind capacity in 2023 was 34 gigawatts, up from 5 gigawatts in 2012, and China’s is now at 34 gigawatts.

    What the states stand to lose

    Offshore wind is already a proven and operating renewable power source, not an untested technology. Denmark has been receiving power from offshore wind farms since the 1990s.

    The lost opportunity to the coastal U.S. states is significant in multiple areas.

    Trump’s order adds deep uncertainty in a developing market. Delays are likely to raise project costs for both future and existing projects, which face an environment of volatile interest rates and tariffs that can raise turbine component costs. It is energy consumers who ultimately pay through their utility bills when resource costs rise.

    The potential losses to states can run deeper. The energy company Ørsted had estimated in early 2024 that its proposed Starboard Offshore Wind project would bring Connecticut nearly US$420 million in direct investment and spending, along with employment equivalent to 800 full-time positions and improved energy system reliability.

    Massachusetts created an Offshore Wind Energy Investment Trust Fund to support redevelopment projects, including corporate tax credits up to $35 million. A company planning to build a high-voltage cable manufacturing facility there pulled out in January 2025 over the shift in support for offshore wind power. On top of that, power grid upgrades to bring offshore wind energy inland – critical to reliability for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity – will be deferred.

    Atlantic Coast wind-energy leases as of July 2024. Others wind energy lease areas are in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Pacific coast and off Hawaii.
    U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

    Technology innovation in offshore wind will also likely move abroad, as Maine experienced in 2013 after the state’s Republican governor tried to void a contract with Statoil. The Norwegian company, now known as Equinor, shifted its plans for the world’s first commercial-scale floating wind farm from Maine to Scotland and Scandinavia.

    Sand in the gears of a complex process

    Development of energy projects, whether fossil or renewable, is extremely complex, involving multiple actors in the public and private spheres. Uncertainty anywhere along the regulatory chain raises costs.

    In the U.S., jurisdiction over energy projects often involves both state and federal decision-makers that interact in a complex dance of permitting, studies, legal regulations, community engagement and finance. At each stage in this process, a critical set of decisions determines whether projects will move forward.

    The federal government, through the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, plays an initial role in identifying, auctioning and permitting the offshore wind areas located in federal waters. States then issue requests for proposals from companies wishing to sell wind power to the grid. Developers who win bureau auctions are eligible to respond. But these agreements are only the beginning. Developers need approval for site, design and construction plans, and several state and federal environmental and regulatory permits are required before the project can begin construction.

    Trump targeted these critical points in the chain with his indefinite but “temporary” withdrawal of any offshore wind tracts for new leases and a review of any permits still required from federal agencies.

    Jobs and opportunity delayed

    A thriving offshore wind industry has the potential to bring jobs, as well as energy and economic growth. In addition to short-term construction, estimates for supply chain jobs range from 12,300 to 49,000 workers annually for subassemblies, parts and materials. The industry needs cables and steel, as well as the turbine parts and blades. It requires jobs in shipping and the movement of cargo.

    To deliver offshore wind power to the onshore grid will also require grid upgrades, which in turn would improve reliability and promote the growth of other technologies, including batteries.

    The U.S. has offshore wind farms operating off Virginia, Rhode Island and New York. Three more are under construction.
    AP Photo/Steve Helber

    Taken all together, an offshore wind energy transition would build over time. Costs would come down as domestic manufacturing took hold, and clean power would grow.

    While environmental goals drove initial investments in clean energy, the positive benefits of jobs, technology and infrastructure all became important drivers of offshore wind for the states. Tax incentives, including from the Inflation Reduction Act, now in doubt, have supported the initial financing for projects and helped to lower costs.

    It’s a long-term investment, but once clear of the regulatory processes, with infrastructure built out and manufacturing in place, the U.S. offshore wind industry would be able to grow more price competitive over time, and states would be able to meet their long-term goals.

    The Trump order creates uncertainty, delays and likely higher costs in the future.

    Barbara Kates-Garnick receives funding as an Outside Director for Anbaric Transmission, which has no operating projects related to offshore wind. She has received funding for a research project through Tufts University jointly funded by NOWRDC and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. She serves on the board of several nonprofits that are not politically active organizations.

    – ref. Trump’s offshore wind energy freeze: What states lose if the executive order remains in place – https://theconversation.com/trumps-offshore-wind-energy-freeze-what-states-lose-if-the-executive-order-remains-in-place-249125

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Construction boss jailed after fraudulently obtaining two maximum-value Covid loans

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Director jailed for Bounce Back Loan fraud and transferring criminal property

    • Arti Deda overstated the turnover of his Knight Workers Limited company to secure two Bounce Back Loans when companies were only entitled to one 
    • Money from the loans was transferred to associates and third parties, not to benefit his business 
    • Deda was jailed for two-and-a-half years and banned as a company director for 10 years 

    A Berkshire-based director who fraudulently obtained two Covid loans for his construction firm has been jailed. 

    Arti Deda, 31, overstated the turnover of his Knight Workers Limited company to obtain maximum-value Bounce Back Loans worth £50,000 each from the bank in 2020, when companies were only entitled to one. 

    None of the £100,000 was used for the economic benefit of the business as was required under the terms of the scheme. 

    Deda, of Littleport Spur, Slough, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday 5 February. 

    He was also disqualified as a company director for 10 years. 

    David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    This significant jail term and director disqualification reflects the seriousness of Covid-related fraud.  

    Bounce Back Loans were designed to support small and medium-sized businesses through the pandemic. Taxpayers’ money should not have been used for personal purposes by company directors. 

    The Insolvency Service is committed to investigating these crimes, which have a substantial impact on the public purse, and prosecuting those responsible.

    Knight Workers was incorporated in December 2017 with Deda as its sole director. 

    The company claimed to be in the business of construction of domestic buildings. 

    However, Insolvency Service investigators found minimal evidence of any trading in the construction industry. 

    Deda made the fraudulent applications to two separate banks for Bounce Back Loans for the company during the same week in July 2020, falsely declaring its annual turnover was both £390,000 and £495,000 for 2019. 

    He also claimed in securing the second Bounce Back Loan that this was his only application. 

    A total of £44,500 was transferred to an associate just days after Deda received the funds. A further £13,000 was later transferred to a third party and £20,000 was transferred from the account with the reference ‘material’. 

    Deda applied to have Knight Workers liquidated in November 2021 in an attempt to avoid having to repay the loan.  

    The company was eventually dissolved in April 2023, with Deda having made no repayments. 

    Deda also failed in his duties as a company director to provide accounting records to the liquidator on request. 

    The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. 

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: GetUSAMemes.org Achieves an Unprecedented Milestone by $USA’s 90% Supply Burn, Sparking a New Era of Transparency

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the latest news, Get USA Memes is making history with an unprecedented $USA’s 90% supply burn—one that sets a new standard for transparency, investor trust, and long-term sustainability in the crypto space. This move, backed by renowned legal expert Nahla Kamaluddin, Esq., is a deliberate effort to strengthen the $USA ecosystem and ensure accuracy in market valuations.

    Currently, DexScreener and other platforms display an artificially inflated market cap due to a lack of recognition for liquidity locks. While $USA had already committed to locking 80% of its supply for four years, this move was not fully reflected on certain tracking platforms.

    To address this issue, $USA is now permanently burning 90% of its total supply, ensuring that:

    • DexScreener and other platforms will accurately display the true market cap.
    • The remaining tokens will increase in scarcity, enhancing long-term value.
    • Investors will see a transparent and reliable valuation moving forward.

    In addition, Nahla Kamaluddin, Esq., Co-Founder of $USA and a leading authority in crypto and blockchain law has been instrumental in shaping this initiative. As the Founding Attorney of Kamaluddin Law Firm, she brings extensive legal expertise and a proven track record in high-value financial settlements and regulatory compliance. With her guidance, $USA is implementing one of the most significant supply adjustments in recent blockchain history—while maintaining full regulatory integrity.

    By addressing market cap adjustments, this burn will correct the displayed market cap, which currently appears inflated. As an example:

    Before the burn:

    • 20 million tokens circulating
    • $1 million true market cap
    • Price per token: $0.05

    After the burn:

    • 10 million tokens circulating
    • Still a $1 million market cap
    • Price per token: $0.10

    This move is about numbers as well as it’s about ensuring that $USA remains one of the most transparent, strategically positioned tokens in the space. The involvement of Nahla Kamaluddin, Esq., in this initiative underscores $USA’s commitment to legal integrity and best practices in crypto. Furthermore, as the $USA ecosystem evolves, this burn solidifies its foundation for long-term growth, investor confidence, and mainstream adoption.

    Media Contact:
    Websites URL : https://getusamemes.org
    Person Name: Jon Menjivar
    Physical address: 150 Motor Pkwy
    Hauppauge, NY 11788
    Support@getusamemes.org

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Get USA Memes. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in cloud mining and related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: sched pub test 2

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Access Campaign

    We set up the MSF Access Campaign in 1999 to push for access to, and the development of, life-saving and life-prolonging medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines for people in our programmes and beyond.

    GO TO SITE

    CRASH

    Based in Paris, CRASH conducts and directs studies and analysis of MSF actions. They participate in internal training sessions and assessment missions in the field.

    GO TO SITE

    UREPH

    Based in Geneva, UREPH (or Research Unit) aims to improve the way MSF projects are implemented in the field and to participate in critical thinking on humanitarian and medical action.

    GO TO SITE

    ARHP

    Based in Barcelona, ARHP documents and reflects on the operational challenges and dilemmas faced by the MSF field teams.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Analysis

    Based in Brussels, MSF Analysis intends to stimulate reflection and debate on humanitarian topics organised around the themes of migration, refugees, aid access, health policy and the environment in which aid operates.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Supply

    This logistical and supply centre in Brussels provides storage of and delivers medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Logistique

    This supply and logistics centre in Bordeaux, France, provides warehousing and delivery of medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

    GO TO SITE

    Amsterdam Procurement Unit

    This logistical centre in Amsterdam purchases, tests, and stores equipment including vehicles, communications material, power supplies, water-processing facilities and nutritional supplements.

    GO TO SITE

    Brazilian Medical Unit

    BRAMU specialises in neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue and Chagas, and other infectious diseases. This medical unit is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Medical Guidelines

    Our medical guidelines are based on scientific data collected from MSF’s experiences, the World Health Organization (WHO), other renowned international medical institutions, and medical and scientific journals.

    GO TO SITE

    Epicentre

    Providing epidemiological expertise to underpin our operations, conducting research and training to support our goal of providing medical aid in areas where people are affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or excluded from health care.

    GO TO SITE

    Evaluation Units

    Evaluation Units have been established in Vienna, Stockholm, and Paris, assessing the potential and limitations of medical humanitarian action, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of our medical humanitarian work.

    GO TO SITE

    LGBTQI+ Inclusion in Health Settings

    MSF works with LGBTQI+ populations in many settings over the last 25-30 years. LGBTQI+ people face healthcare disparities with limited access to care and higher disease rates than the general population.

    GO TO SITE

    LUXOR

    The Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) unit coordinates field research projects and operational research training, and provides support for documentation activities and routine data collection.

    GO TO SITE

    Intersectional Benchmarking Unit

    The Intersectional Benchmarking Unit collects and analyses data about local labour markets in all locations where MSF employs people.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Academy for Healthcare

    To upskill and provide training to locally-hired MSF staff in several countries, MSF has created the MSF Academy for Healthcare.

    GO TO SITE

    Humanitarian Law

    This Guide explains the terms, concepts, and rules of humanitarian law in accessible and reader-friendly alphabetical entries.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Paediatric Days

    The MSF Paediatric Days is an event for paediatric field staff, policy makers and academia to exchange ideas, align efforts, inspire and share frontline research to advance urgent paediatric issues of direct concern for the humanitarian field.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Foundation

    The MSF Foundation aims to create a fertile arena for logistics and medical knowledge-sharing to meet the needs of MSF and the humanitarian sector as a whole.

    GO TO SITE

    DNDi

    A collaborative, patients’ needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development organisation that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases, founded in 2003 by seven organisations from around the world.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Science Portal

    Our digital portal dedicated to sharing the latest medical evidence from our humanitarian activities around the globe.

    GO TO SITE

    Noma

    Noma is a preventable and treatable neglected disease, but 90 per cent of people will die within the first two weeks of infection if they do not receive treatment.

    GO TO SITE

    TIC

    The TIC is aiming to change how MSF works to better meet the evolving needs of our patients.

    GO TO SITE

    Telemedicine

    MSF’s telemedicine hub aims to overcome geographic barriers for equitable, accessible, and quality patient care.

    GO TO SITE

    Sweden Innovation Unit

    Launched in 2012, the MSF Sweden Innovation Unit deploys a human-centered approach for promoting a culture of innovation within MSF.

    GO TO SITE

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reports of Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war are deeply concerning: UK statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Deputy Ambassador Brown condemns the Russian state’s reported systematic torture, abuse, and execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

    Thank you, Madam Chair and good afternoon colleagues.  On behalf of the UK Delegation I would like to offer a warm welcome to the new Ukraine ambassador.  Please be assured of our continued support to you, Viktoria and to your exceptional team.

    Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, overwhelming evidence from international bodies, human rights organisations, and independent investigations demonstrates that Russia continues to disregard international law. The UK unequivocally condemns the Russian state’s reported systematic torture, abuse, and execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

    The UN Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Russia’s use of torture against POWs and civilian detainees amounts to crimes against humanity. Their reports outline how Russian forces have subjected Ukrainian POWs to brutal beatings, burns and electric shocks amplified by water. Additionally, they detail how Ukrainian POWs are forced to endure sexual violence, including rape, attacks on genitals, and threats of mutilation, castration, and sterilisation. In ODIHR’s latest report on Ukraine, all the Ukrainian former POWs interviewed reported severe and routine torture during their internment, supporting ODIHR’s analysis that the torture of both POWs and civilians by the Russian state is widespread and systematic.

    Furthermore, ODIHR documented that Ukrainian POWs are held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, and deprived of adequate food, water, and medical care. Such neglect, aimed at breaking the spirit of those already disarmed and vulnerable, is a direct affront to human dignity.

    Additionally, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General’s Office reports that 147 Ukrainian POWs have been executed by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion.

    And this week the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine raised serious concerns over a sharp increase in executions of captured Ukrainian soldiers by Russian forces. Since August 2024, the Mission documented 79 executions across 24 incidents, with many cases involving soldiers who had surrendered or were otherwise in Russian custody, including instances where unarmed and injured personnel were shot dead on the spot.

    Madam Chair, these are not isolated incidents. The testimonies gathered by the UN Commission of Inquiry highlight deliberate and systematic practices; and find a coordinated state policy of cruelty and impunity that underscores the Russian state’s complete disregard for international norms. The Geneva Conventions are clear: POWs must be treated humanely. Reporting from the UN and ODIHR outlines how Russia has not only failed in this obligation—it has systematically violated it.

    The UK demands an immediate end to all atrocities and calls for independent investigations to hold all perpetrators accountable; from those carrying out abuses to those ordering them. Alongside our international partners, we will ensure that those responsible—at all levels of the Russian state—face justice.

    The protection of prisoners of war is not optional; it is an absolute and binding requirement of international law.  The UK demands that the Russian state ensures the humane treatment of all those in detention and grants the ICRC unimpeded access to places of detention, in line with the Geneva Conventions.

    The UK welcomes the latest prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. We continue to call on Russia to comply with International Humanitarian Law and not exploit prisoners of war and civilian detainees for political purposes. All those arbitrarily detained must be released, including our colleagues: the three Special Monitoring Mission members. We continue to call for their release.

    The UK stands in full solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirms our commitment to ensuring justice for victims and survivors. The evidence is overwhelming. The time for accountability is now. Thank you, Madam Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: The Bank of Russia has excluded information about the Microcredit Company “Entertaining Finances” from the state register (06.02.2025)

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    The Bank of Russia has excluded information about the Limited Liability Company Microcredit Company “Entertaining Finances” (hereinafter referred to as LLC MCC “Entertaining Finances”, MCC, microcredit company) from the state register of microfinance organizations (register entry number No. 2203045009908).

    The Bank of Russia adopted this solution in accordance with paragraph 1 of part 1.1 of article 7 and paragraph 8 of part 4 of article 14 of Federal Law No. 151-FZ1, based on the fact that the microcredit company violated federal laws, including in the field of consumer lending, as well as regulatory acts of the Bank of Russia, in connection with which the regulator has repeatedly applied supervisory measures to the MCC over the past 12 months.

    During 2024, LLC MCC “Entertaining Finances” submitted false reporting data to the Bank of Russia, in particular, it understated the calculated value of the maximum debt burden (MDB) for borrowers. In addition, the MCC provided consumer loans to borrowers at rates exceeding the maximum permissible amount, charged increased penalties (fines, penalties) on overdue loans, and also imposed additional services when issuing loans.

    The understatement of the DTI allowed the microcredit company to issue loans to over-indebted citizens. The share of such loans issued was one of the highest in OOO MCC “Entertaining Finances” among the participants of the microfinance market.

     

    1 Federal Law of 02.07.2010 No. 151-FZ “On microfinance activities and microfinance organizations”.

    When using the material, a link to the Press Service of the Bank of Russia is required.

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

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

    HTTPS: //VVV.KBR.ru/Press/PR/? File = 638744311296666060MICROFINANCE. CHTM

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 273 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and assessed damage to energy infrastructure vital for nuclear safety during his 11th visit to Ukraine since the military conflict began almost three years ago, as part of the ongoing efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help prevent a nuclear accident.

    Before his meetings with President Zelensky and senior government officials in Kyiv on Tuesday, the Director General travelled to one of the substations on which Ukraine’s nuclear power plants (NPPs) depend to receive the off-site power needed to cool their reactors and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions and also to transmit the electricity they generate.

    In recent months, Ukraine’s operating NPPs – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – have several times been forced to reduce power output because of widespread military activities affecting the electricity grid, in which the substations form a key part. Most recently, Ukraine informed the IAEA that the NPPs temporarily lowered their production on 1 February before returning to nominal power again.

    “The reason that this is so important, from the perspective of the IAEA, is because of the influence of this situation on the safety of the nuclear power plants’ operation,” Director General Grossi told journalists at the substation, which is among several such facilities that were further damaged and degraded in recent months.

    “This compromises the nuclear safety of a power plant, and it could eventually lead to an accident,” he said, noting the importance of a stable electricity grid for the nuclear safety and security of NPPs. “Having an external power supply is essential”.

    IAEA expert teams have travelled to nine different electrical substations across the country seen as critical for nuclear safety and security, including the one visited by Director General Grossi on 4 February. Five of these substations have been visited twice during IAEA missions in September, October and December 2024, with the teams observing a continued degradation at several facilities.

    During their visits to the substations, the IAEA teams collect information, assess the situation and provide technical advice.

    “The situation is quite dire. We should not, I think, hide the fact. And as you can see behind us, this infrastructure has been degraded,” Director General Grossi said, standing next to a visibly damaged autotransformer.

    Director General Grossi also noted the work conducted at this and other Ukrainian substations to help “preserve the stability of the grid”, for example by replacing damaged transformers.

    In his meetings with President Zelensky, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha and Minister of Energy German Galushchenko, Director General Grossi also discussed progress in Ukraine’s plans to purchase equipment from the interrupted Bulgarian NPP project in Belene for new reactor units being constructed at the Khmelnytskyy NPP. The IAEA is providing technical support and nuclear safety advice for this plan, Director General Grossi said.

    At Ukraine’s NPPs over the past week, the IAEA teams based there have continued to report on indications of military activities near the sites, constant reminders of the potential risks to nuclear safety and security.

    At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya NPP, the team heard multiple instances of explosions on most days, some very close to the plant. There were no reports of damage to the site.

    Following the disconnection of the ZNPP’s only available 750 kilovolt (kV) power line on 29 January, it was reconnected on 1 February. As a result, the site once again has two external power lines available – including one 330 kV – compared with a total of ten before the conflict.

    The IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site continued to report daily air raid alarms. The teams at Khmelnytskyy, South Ukraine and Chornobyl were also informed of drones being detected in locations near the sites.

    At the South Ukraine NPP, a 750 kV power line that was disconnected on 29 January due to military activities remains unavailable.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Escaped prisoner – Darwin

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force is seeking public assistance to locate a 33-year-old male, Mr Kris Cooper, who escaped from NT Corrections custody in Darwin earlier today.

    Mr Cooper fled from Corrections custody at the Darwin Watch House on Knuckey Street sometime between 3:30pm – 5pm. He was last seen in the Karama area at around 6:30pm travelling in a blue Great Wall utility vehicle with NT registration CF 69 NG.

    He is described as Aboriginal with a medium complexion, about 178cm tall with a medium build, and was last seen wearing a green shirt and blue shorts.

    Police do not believe he is a risk to the public but are urged not to approach him and to contact police immediately if sighted. 

    Anyone with information in relation to Mr Cooper’s whereabouts is urged to contact police on 131 444 quoting reference number P25036816, or to report anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met officers make 14 arrests in crackdown on car crime in Bexley

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met officers have made 14 arrests and recovered 14 stolen cars as part of a crackdown on car crime in Bexley.

    Officers have carried out increased patrols following concerns from residents about keyless car theft.

    It’s a growing crime type where offenders are able to access keyless vehicles using various techniques and devices depending on the make or model of the vehicle.

    Fast reporting led to officers making 14 arrests during the week of 20 January, including three men who were tracked down within minutes of unsuccessfully attempting to break into a car.

    Another four men were arrested following a pursuit by officers, which involved a car which had driven the wrong way down the A2.

    Sergeant Dave Catlow, one of the Met’s neighbourhood officers in south-east London, said:

    “We heard from people in Bexley that car crime was a significant concern and we’ve acted on that. We know it’s an issue and recognise the impact on the community.

    “We will continue to focus our resources on tackling the offences that matter most to Londoners by investing time in proactive operations. We’ve seen how this targeted approach is making a real difference.

    “We hold regular engagement with residents to prevent theft of vehicles, including reactive pop-ups in emerging target areas, hosting public meetings to display physical prevention measures and knocking on doors.”

    Of the 14 arrests, eight were linked to motor vehicle crime, two for driving under the influence of alcohol, and two for possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

    Alongside recovering 14 lost or stolen vehicles, officers were also able to seize another six vehicles which had been reported as stolen.

    “Across London, we’ve put an extra 500 officers and staff into neighbourhood policing and our relentless focus on tackling crime will continue.”

    When reporting car thefts, victims should report the crime as soon as possible to give officers the best chance of locating the vehicle. We urge the public to call 999 to report a crime in progress, or 101 to make a non-urgent report.

    Bexley Police’s X channel shares regular messaging which can help to keep people informed of emerging crime trends and stay safe from crime.

    The Metropolitan Police website has guidance on how to protect your vehicle, including keyless cars.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS RELEASE – Proof-of-Concept Study Report Completed on Proposed New Oʻahu Community Correctional Center

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    NEWS RELEASE – Proof-of-Concept Study Report Completed on Proposed New Oʻahu Community Correctional Center

    Posted on Feb 5, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION

         KA ‘OIHANA HOʻOMALU KALAIMA A HOʻOPONOPONO OLA

         JOSH GREEN, M.D.

         GOVERNOR

         KE KIAʻĀINA

         TOMMY JOHNSON

         DIRECTOR

         KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

    PROOF-OF-CONCEPT STUDY REPORT COMPLETED ON PROPOSED

    NEW OʻAHU COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 5, 2025

    HONOLULU — The University of Hawaiʻi Community Design Center (UHCDC) has completed its final proof-of-concept study report, “Breaking Cycles: Alternative Models for Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice on Oʻahu,” on the proposed new Oʻahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC).

    The report presents community visions and aspirations for the new jail and provides recommendations to improve the criminal justice system. The concepts are based on

    a multilayered collaboration with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR), the Hawaiʻi Correctional System Oversight Commission, Office of the Governor, residents, multiple community organizations and stakeholders.

    The DCR had contracted UHCDC to conduct wide-reaching independent research, community engagement and a design study on the proposed new jail.

    Built in 1916, the OCCC is the state’s largest jail. The jail in Kalihi is outdated and is not designed to provide programs. The facility is deteriorating, as parts of the jail are 111 years old.

    The planning process for a new jail started in 2016. The property where the existing animal quarantine station is situated in Hālawa is the proposed site for the new OCCC.

    Over a two-year period, UHCDC hosted numerous in-person and virtual community engagement events that include symposia, talk-story sessions, listening and co-design workshops. The group also attended ʻAiea Neighborhood Board and ʻAiea Community Association meetings, hosted listening workshops at Hālawa Correctional Facilty and participated in prison reform hui meetings.

    The 268-page report is an in-depth study that includes key concepts on system reform, facility planning and design elements for the new jail. Part of UHCDC’s extensive research included connecting with various counties in Arizona, California and Florida to gain insight into their reform processes to rehabilitate individuals, reduce recidivism, provide a continuum of care, inside and outside of corrections.

    UHCDC stated the report “outlines aspirations and visions that are crucial for inspiring and enabling transformation. We present this work as a contribution to that change, with gratitude, hope, and a firm belief that such transformation is not only possible but essential to our collective well-being.”

    Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Tommy Johnson said, “We express our sincere gratitude to UHCDC for its excellent work on this report. The report will be an effective tool to help DCR complete the planning and design for the new OCCC, develop request for proposals and select a contractor to design the proposed new jail.”

    The DCR envisions the new jail to have multipurpose rooms for programs, use of natural light, outdoor recreation yard, wall murals and space for treatment rooms to support rehabilitative services for inmates. A new facility to include a gym, courtyard, dining room and lounge for staff to promote health and wellness is also part of that vision.

    DCR will be engaging with the feedback in the report to further guide the rehabilitation aims of the new facility.

    Cathi Ho Schar, director of the University of Hawaiʻi Community Design Center, said, “We thank the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for sponsoring this work and inviting us to lead this effort. We also offer our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who linked elbows with us and who shared their time and manaʻo with our team.”

    UHCDC’s work is an independent addition to the planning and design of the new OCCC. The purpose of the report is to help DCR with the development of the Request for Proposals (RFP) and to select a team to design and construct the new jail. UHCDC is not responsible for the development of the RFP.

    Please click on the following link to access the report: https://www.breaking-cycles-symposium.org.

    # # #

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Media Contacts:

    Rosemarie Bernardo

    Public Information Officer

    Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

    Office: 808-587-1358

    Cell: 808-683-5507

    Email: [email protected]

    Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov

     

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-15 AG NEWS RELEASE – ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ AND 13 OTHER ATTORNEYS GENERAL ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON PROTECTING ACCESS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-15 AG NEWS RELEASE – ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ AND 13 OTHER ATTORNEYS GENERAL ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON PROTECTING ACCESS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE

    Posted on Feb 5, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ AND 13 OTHER ATTORNEYS GENERAL ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON PROTECTING ACCESS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE

     

    News Release 2025-15

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    February 4, 2025

     

    HONOLULU –Attorney General Anne Lopez today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general to reaffirm their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care in the face of the Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order. The coalition released the following statement: 

     

    “As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families and doctors, not by a politician trying to restrict freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, lifesaving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves.

     

    The Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order is wrong on the science and the law. Despite what the Trump Administration has suggested, there is no connection between “female genital mutilation” and gender-affirming care, and no federal law makes gender-affirming care unlawful. President Trump cannot change that by Executive Order.  

     

    Last week, attorneys general secured a critical win from a federal court that directed the federal government to resume funding that had been frozen by the Trump Administration. In response to the court’s order, the Department of Justice has sent a notice stating that “federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.” This means that federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care continues to be available, irrespective of President Trump’s recent Executive Order. If the federal administration takes additional action to impede this critical funding, we will not hesitate to take further legal action. 

     

    State attorneys general will continue to enforce state laws that provide access to gender-affirming care, in states where such enforcement authority exists, and we will challenge any unlawful effort by the Trump Administration to restrict access to it in our jurisdictions.” 

     

    Joining Attorney General Lopez in issuing this statement are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
     Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office:     808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: These bones will rise again: a defiant quest for justice for Thulani Maseko

    Source: Amnesty International –

    21 January marked two years since the unlawful killing of Eswatini human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko. Amnesty International Campaigner Nkanyiso Mtolo attended a vigil in his memory.

    By Nkanyiso Mtolo

    On Tuesday 21 January, I gathered with a group of activists at the home of Tanele Maseko in Pretoria to share memories, laughter and solemn reflection. It had been two years since Tanele’s late husband Thulani Maseko, a fearless defender of justice in Eswatini*, was shot and killed at his home. With quiet grace, Tanele and her children welcomed us to their living room for a dinner and vigil. We lit candles in Thulani’s memory and resolved that his legacy would not be buried with him.

    As I sat with Thulani’s family and friends, I was struck by the way their defiance mirrored his own. The stories they shared carried the weight of loss but also the strength of determination.

    Tanele’s close friend Bonolo Makgale set the tone for the evening. She stood up, and with a voice quivering but not cowed, said: “We are here today with heavy hearts because someone we loved was taken away from us. And yet, we are here, reminded by the value of community and solidarity.”

    Others remembered Thulani’s courage. One comrade described how during a particularly repressive time in Eswatini, fellow lawyers, afraid to risk the retribution of the state, would prepare cases, but bring them to Thulani to file under his name. Put simply, he was fearless.

    The face of Thulani’s killer

    When Tanele spoke, she described how much she missed her “sweetie”, as she calls him to this day. She recalled their many conversations, often over a glass of Thulani’s favourite whisky, in which they discussed politics and human rights, their debates stretching across whole afternoons.

    It was during one such conversation in their living room that he was shot dead in 2023. On Tuesday, Tanele told us that she still vividly remembers the face of his killer, who remains unknown and at large. She vowed that when there is a real investigation into Thulani’s killing — which the Eswatini government has yet to conduct — she will provide a description of the killer and identify them before a court.

    Tanele’s defiance has become the heartbeat of the movement for justice for Thulani. Simphiwe Sidu, the couple’s friend and human rights lawyer, said that, after the killing, we would gather at Tanele’s house to offer solidarity and support. But now it is the opposite: when we gather at their home, it is Tanele and her children, with their unending resolve, who give us the strength to keep fighting for justice.

    His killing was intended to silence a voice that had become too powerful, too fearless. Yet, as Zimbabwean author Panashe Chigumadzi wrote in These Bones Will Rise Again, the struggles of people who resist cannot be buried. Their ideals and spirit rise again, carried forward by those who refuse to forget.

    Not in vain

    Indeed, despite the weight of an absolute monarchy that criminalizes dissent, bans political parties and violently silences critics, Thulani’s ideals — “justice, truth and democracy” — cannot be extinguished, as reflected in the work of activists and his supporters, who will not allow his sacrifice to be in vain.

    Local organizations and activists are calling out for justice, leading a quiet but growing movement. For instance, the Swaziland Massacre Victims and Survivors’ Association works tirelessly to document state violence. Not only does their work provide a platform for accountability and redress, but they ensure that victims of unlawful killings, such as Thulani,  torture and repression are not forgotten.

    Grassroots groups like the Foundation for Socio-Economic Justice empower workers to fight for fair wages in industries dominated by exploitation, while the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly mobilizes rural women to demand water rights and protection of their land. Meanwhile, Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities fights for the inclusion and protection of LGBTI people in a country where they face intense discrimination, including criminalization.

    Thulani’s spirit lives on in the courage of these Eswatini activists, the boldness of trade unions, the resilience of rural women and the growing calls for accountability online and in the streets.

    “Justice, truth and democracy” — cannot be extinguished.

    A personal fight

    For me, this fight is personal. I am honoured to be a close friend of Tanele and now an uncle to Thulani’s boys, and I carry cherished memories of us cooking together in the Maseko kitchen — meals seasoned with laughter, fierce debates and a shared determination to build strategies for justice and accountability.

    As the Country Campaigner in Amnesty International’s East and Southern Africa office, I lead campaigns in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini. I had the privilege of leading the 500 Days Campaign, marking 500 days since Thulani’s death. Through this campaign, we demanded justice, mobilized global pressure on the Eswatini government, and amplified the voices of those risking everything to speak out.

    More broadly, at Amnesty International we have exposed the crackdown on activists, the misuse of repressive laws and the lack of justice for human rights violations. We have supported independent forensic investigations, provided emergency relief for at-risk activists, campaigned for the release of arbitrarily detained members of parliament, and backed legal challenges against the criminalization of LGBTI people.

    We also continue to pressure the Southern African Development Community to act on its own recommendations to ensure that Thulani’s case and human rights in Eswatini remain central to the pursuit of justice and accountability.

    A legacy to inspire

    After everyone had shared their memories of Thulani, we blew out the candles and packed them away. Although the light had faded, the flame within us had only grown stronger. In the quiet that followed, there was no sense of finality — only the unspoken promise to carry Thulani’s fight forward, to keep his memory alive not just in ritual, but in action.

    A movement for justice and accountability is emboldening — in living rooms, online and in the picket line. People are refusing to forget. They are refusing to let fear prevail. They are rising to ensure that Thulani’s ideals — of a freer, fairer Eswatini — are realized.

    Thulani’s bones will rise again — not as a distant promise but as a living testament to the unyielding fight for justice. For Thulani. For Eswatini. For us all.

    *In 2018, King Mswati III unilaterally changed the name of the country from Swaziland to Eswatini, a decision which Thulani challenged. However, many activists and human rights defenders, including Tanele Maseko, continue to use the name Swaziland.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £5,000 of illegal vapes and tobacco sniffed out and seized

    Source: City of York

    Published Thursday, 6 February 2025

    Council and police officers visited a business in Clifton, York last week, where nearly £5,000 of noncompliant vapes and illicit tobacco was found and seized.

    The illegal items found and taken have an estimated retail value of £4,941.25:

    • 177 noncompliant vapes with a retail value of £2,124
    • 2,250 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes valued at £731
    • 1,450g of counterfeit and illicit hand rolling tobacco valued at £2,086.

    These products will be investigated and appropriate legal action taken. The officers had the help of a sniffer dog, a spaniel called Mostyn.

    Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member with portfolio for Trading Standards at City of York Council, said:

    Tobacco kills hundreds of people in York every year, and the illicit market in tobacco and vapes makes harmful products cheaper and more easily available, especially to those below the legal age limit.  

    “Illicit vapes are becoming much more prevalent and are partly responsible for the rise in young people vaping – our public health advice is that while we support e-cigarettes as effective quit aids for adults to stop smoking, people who don’t smoke shouldn’t vape.

    “This is why it is so important that you report concerns. Information from members of the public, investigation, and action by Council and police officers is essential to protect public health and enforce proper regulations.”

    Sergeant Stuart Henderson of North Yorkshire Police, said:

    This is the result of joint working with our Trading Standards colleagues at City of York Council. It is the second successful operation that we have conducted with Trading Standards in Clifton as part of our Clear, Hold Build initiative.

    “The work shows we will work with all our law enforcement partners to disrupt and deter criminality and to make Clifton and the City of York no place for criminals.”

    How to spot an illegal vape:

    Check the packaging for the following tell-tale signs that a disposable vape may be illegal:

    • The health warning should have these exact words: ‘This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance’ and should cover 1/3rd of the front and rear of the packaging
    • A ‘puff count’ of over 600 – illegal vapes may have higher puff counts
    • A pod or refill should be no larger than 10ml
    • A tank should have no more than 2ml, or multiple 2ml ‘pods’.
    • A nicotine content above 2 per cent (or 20mg/ml)
    • No UK address for an importer/manufacturer.

    Anyone concerned about unregulated vapes or tobacco being sold can contact:

    • City of York Council’s Trading Standards team on 08082 231133 or email: public.protection@york.gov.uk
    • Or, call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information to the Force Control Room.
    • If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    For support to stop smoking, please visit www.york.gov.uk/CYCHealthTrainers or email cychealthtrainers@york.gov.uk for an appointment.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MEASURES TO COMBAT TELECOM-RELATED FRAUDS

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 06 FEB 2025 3:12PM by PIB Delhi

    Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has undertaken following measures to protect citizens and prevent misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime & financial frauds:

    1. Developed a system to detect suspected mobile connections obtained on fake / forged documents and directed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for reverification.

     

    1. Launched a citizen centric initiative Sanchar Saathi to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness. It is available in the form of web portal (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in) and Mobile App. Sanchar Saathi, inter-alia, facilitates citizens to:

    1. report suspected fraud and unsolicited commercial communications

    2. know the mobile connections issued in their name and report the mobile connections which are either not required or not taken by them

    3. report the stolen / lost mobile handset for blocking and tracing

    4. know the genuineness of mobile handset

     

    1. Launched Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) for sharing of information related to misuse of telecom resources with stakeholders for prevention of cyber-crime and financial frauds. At present, 540 organization including banks and financial institutions, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), State/UT Police, Security agencies, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), TSPs etc. have on-boarded the platform.

     

    1. DoT and TSPs have devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers that appear to be originating from within India. Such international spoofed calls have been made by cyber-criminals in recent cases of fake digital arrests, FedEx scams, drugs/narcotics in courier, impersonation as government and police officials, disconnections of mobile numbers by DoT/TRAI officials, etc.

     

    Further, Ministry of Home Affairs has also launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) to enable the public to report all types of cyber crimes.

    DoT has notified Telecom Cyber Security Rules and Critical Telecommunication Infrastructure Rules on 21.11.2024 and 22.11.2024 respectively under section 22 of the telecommunications Act, 2023 for security of the telecommunication infrastructure. DoT has set up a Telecom Security Operation Centre (TSOC), for detecting potential cyber- threats to Indian telecom network and providing alerts to stakeholders for necessary actions. DoT is engaging with citizens and making them aware of telecom related frauds & scams through social media and regular press releases.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

    *****

    Samrat/Dheeraj@:   pibcomm[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2100237) Visitor Counter : 98

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appeal for information on missing girl in Lantau North (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appeal for information on missing girl in Lantau North (with photo)
    Appeal for information on missing girl in Lantau North (with photo)
    *******************************************************************

         Police today (February 6) appealed to the public for information on a girl who went missing in Lantau North.     Pun Ruth Elizabeth Guillergan, aged 15, went missing after she left her residence in Mun Tung Estate on February 5 morning. Her family made a report to Police today.     She is about 1.52 metres tall, around 63 kilograms in weight and of fat build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and long black hair. She was last seen wearing a white jacket, a white dress and a white headscarf.      Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing girl or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1173 or 5562 1893, or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 6, 2025Issued at HKT 11:41

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cron sched pub test

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Access Campaign

    We set up the MSF Access Campaign in 1999 to push for access to, and the development of, life-saving and life-prolonging medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines for people in our programmes and beyond.

    GO TO SITE

    CRASH

    Based in Paris, CRASH conducts and directs studies and analysis of MSF actions. They participate in internal training sessions and assessment missions in the field.

    GO TO SITE

    UREPH

    Based in Geneva, UREPH (or Research Unit) aims to improve the way MSF projects are implemented in the field and to participate in critical thinking on humanitarian and medical action.

    GO TO SITE

    ARHP

    Based in Barcelona, ARHP documents and reflects on the operational challenges and dilemmas faced by the MSF field teams.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Analysis

    Based in Brussels, MSF Analysis intends to stimulate reflection and debate on humanitarian topics organised around the themes of migration, refugees, aid access, health policy and the environment in which aid operates.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Supply

    This logistical and supply centre in Brussels provides storage of and delivers medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Logistique

    This supply and logistics centre in Bordeaux, France, provides warehousing and delivery of medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

    GO TO SITE

    Amsterdam Procurement Unit

    This logistical centre in Amsterdam purchases, tests, and stores equipment including vehicles, communications material, power supplies, water-processing facilities and nutritional supplements.

    GO TO SITE

    Brazilian Medical Unit

    BRAMU specialises in neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue and Chagas, and other infectious diseases. This medical unit is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Medical Guidelines

    Our medical guidelines are based on scientific data collected from MSF’s experiences, the World Health Organization (WHO), other renowned international medical institutions, and medical and scientific journals.

    GO TO SITE

    Epicentre

    Providing epidemiological expertise to underpin our operations, conducting research and training to support our goal of providing medical aid in areas where people are affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or excluded from health care.

    GO TO SITE

    Evaluation Units

    Evaluation Units have been established in Vienna, Stockholm, and Paris, assessing the potential and limitations of medical humanitarian action, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of our medical humanitarian work.

    GO TO SITE

    LGBTQI+ Inclusion in Health Settings

    MSF works with LGBTQI+ populations in many settings over the last 25-30 years. LGBTQI+ people face healthcare disparities with limited access to care and higher disease rates than the general population.

    GO TO SITE

    LUXOR

    The Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) unit coordinates field research projects and operational research training, and provides support for documentation activities and routine data collection.

    GO TO SITE

    Intersectional Benchmarking Unit

    The Intersectional Benchmarking Unit collects and analyses data about local labour markets in all locations where MSF employs people.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Academy for Healthcare

    To upskill and provide training to locally-hired MSF staff in several countries, MSF has created the MSF Academy for Healthcare.

    GO TO SITE

    Humanitarian Law

    This Guide explains the terms, concepts, and rules of humanitarian law in accessible and reader-friendly alphabetical entries.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Paediatric Days

    The MSF Paediatric Days is an event for paediatric field staff, policy makers and academia to exchange ideas, align efforts, inspire and share frontline research to advance urgent paediatric issues of direct concern for the humanitarian field.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Foundation

    The MSF Foundation aims to create a fertile arena for logistics and medical knowledge-sharing to meet the needs of MSF and the humanitarian sector as a whole.

    GO TO SITE

    DNDi

    A collaborative, patients’ needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development organisation that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases, founded in 2003 by seven organisations from around the world.

    GO TO SITE

    MSF Science Portal

    Our digital portal dedicated to sharing the latest medical evidence from our humanitarian activities around the globe.

    GO TO SITE

    Noma

    Noma is a preventable and treatable neglected disease, but 90 per cent of people will die within the first two weeks of infection if they do not receive treatment.

    GO TO SITE

    TIC

    The TIC is aiming to change how MSF works to better meet the evolving needs of our patients.

    GO TO SITE

    Telemedicine

    MSF’s telemedicine hub aims to overcome geographic barriers for equitable, accessible, and quality patient care.

    GO TO SITE

    Sweden Innovation Unit

    Launched in 2012, the MSF Sweden Innovation Unit deploys a human-centered approach for promoting a culture of innovation within MSF.

    GO TO SITE

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Officers look to speak to two women sexually assaulted in Highbury

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives are looking to speak to two women following a sexual assault in Highbury.

    The incident took place between 17:55hrs and 18:15hrs on Sunday, 2 February at the CW bus stop, which is opposite the City of London Academy, Highbury Grove.

    Officers were called after a man was witnessed approaching two women at the bus stop where he sexually assaulted them. The two women left the area before police arrived.

    The witnesses described the women as white, in their early to mid-20s. One woman had blonde hair; the other was brunette.

    Detective Sergeant Thomas Barnes, leading the investigation in Islington, said: “While we understand the impact of incidents like this – and how difficult it can be to talk about – our officers are on hand to provide specialist support so we urge these two women to come forward with any information.”

    The man was described as in his 50s. He was wearing a beige long sleeved jacket with a dark scarf. He was arrested at the scene and released with no further action, pending further enquiries. Officers hope tracing the victims will assist with their investigation.

    If you have any information contact police on 101 and quote 0543/02FEB.

    + If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape or you have information about an offender, contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency – there are specially trained officers who will listen and investigate where needed. Advice and support can be found on our website.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Derville Rowland: Innovation and technology in financial crime 

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be with you today and to address a topic so crucial to the future of financial services: the utilisation of innovation and technology to conduct – and most importantly, combat – financial crime. 

    In the mid to late ’90s, when email truly took off as a global tool for commerce, I was a barrister working for the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service amongst others, dealing with various criminal cases including serious frauds. 

    Justified enthusiasm about the ability to connect the world more effectively and efficiently was subsequently dampened somewhat by use of the technology for all manner of deceptions, frauds and financial crimes. 

    Several decades later, we see the same pattern playing out in real-time with artificial intelligence, with criminals using AI tools to bypass customer due diligence controls and carry out fraud via social engineering. 

    These sophisticated methods, including the use of AI tools via text, images, and voice, present significant challenges for regulators and supervisors. 

    There’s a popular saying that the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, but the realist adjusts the sails. 

    As a regulator with hard-won experience of developing frameworks, building the teams to implement them, and deploying technology to combat financial crime and address misconduct, I’m very much a realist – albeit one who remains stubbornly optimistic. I don’t believe it’s an either/or scenario.  

    Put simply, I believe in the potential benefits of innovation and technology for consumers, investors, businesses and society – and want to see them realised. But this also means the risks must be effectively managed – we must, as it were, adjust the sails. 

    The importance of collective responses

    The risks, of course, need no explanation to this audience. The anonymity of virtual assets can be used to transfer illicit funds quickly and across borders, with criminals increasingly leveraging new technologies to commit fraud, launder the proceeds of crime, and carry out financing of terrorism. The speed at which funds can be moved across borders makes it easier for criminals to exploit the financial system. And so on. 

    Last month, the Central Bank of Ireland published statistics showing the value of fraud in payments in Ireland increased by a quarter in 2023 compared to 2022 – from €100m to circa €126m.1 Fraud was highest in credit transfers and card payments, with the biggest growth seen in money remittance. 

    This echoes trends across Europe, with a joint EBA/ECB report in August 2024 revealing that fraud losses are highest in credit transfer and card payments across the European Economic Area (EEA).2

    Financial crime, of course, recognises no borders. And so, given the scale of the challenge which regulators and law enforcement agencies face, collective action – a harmonised response – is imperative. 

    Which is why the EU’s AML package is so important – it provides the framework and the agency (AMLA) through which we will collectively meet the challenge head on. 

    The AML package is by design technology neutral.  It applies to traditional banking/financial models equally as it applies to crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), crowd-funding platforms and intermediaries. It obliges all types of firms that come within its ambit to comply with a set of AML/CFT rules that have now been harmonised across Europe.  

    How these firms comply with the rules is up to them, via traditional AML/CFT compliance programmes or by using regtech tools. What’s essential is that the means used are effective, and that such effectiveness can be demonstrated to supervisors. 

    This will be the case both for the 40 obliged entities that will be directly supervised by AMLA and the firms supervised by national AML authorities.3  

    Not waiting for the wind to change, the EU has addressed a number of emerging risks in the package. 

    To give some examples, the use of AI is acknowledged under the package, with an obligation on firms to ensure that human oversight is applied to decisions proposed by AI tools that may impact customers in certain areas.

    Additionally, details of Virtual IBANs which are linked to other payment accounts will have to be recorded in member states’ Bank Account Registers. This will allow law enforcement to trace any funds being moved by such Virtual IBANs.  

    Finally, the package introduces the concept of Information Sharing Partnerships. Through these, credit and financial institutions will be enabled to share information relating to high risk customers, subject to important guardrails including data protection assessments.  

    The lack of an ability to share such information has long been pointed to as a real weak link in the system, which could allow someone who had an account closed by one bank on ML/TF grounds to seek to open an account in another.  

    It is hoped that these partnerships will be a real game-changer in the fight to keep bad actors from accessing the financial system in order to launder ill-gotten gains. Tech solutions, including tools which can allow information to be shared between financial institutions in a manner that complies with GDPR, will be essential here.

    The package is also forward-looking in respect of sanctions. 

    Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine exposed some fault lines in the EU’s Financial Sanctions Framework. The package seeks to remedy this by imposing obligations on obliged entities to put in place frameworks to prevent and detect attempted breaches of EU financial sanctions. 

    It also requires obliged entities to ensure that prospective customers, and any person who owns or controls such prospective customers, are screened against the financial sanctions list prior to onboarding. Here again, we see the importance of effective technological solutions – the use of screening tools will be imperative for firms seeking to protect themselves from the possibility of breaching sanctions.

    Developing a wider approach to preventing financial crime

    Money laundering pre-supposes a predicate crime which has generated assets for a criminal. Looking more widely across the landscape, more work is required to put in place a comprehensive financial crime preventative framework that includes fraud.   

    The EU and member states have started thinking about fraud and money laundering more holistically, rather than two silos to be tackled independently. This is very welcome. 

    For our part, the Central Bank of Ireland is approaching AML, fraud, and sanctions through the lens of financial integrity of the system. We are building out a more integrated supervisory framework to look at risk in a more holistic way. We want to take a whole-of-sector, rather than piecemeal, approach, and so very much support emerging EU thinking in this area. 

    As a single market and economic and political union, the EU can point to work already under way and leverage further opportunities to confront the challenges involved. 

    Already, there are a number of other important EU developments aimed at protecting the financial integrity of the system and the citizens who depend on it. 

    PSD3 and the Payment Services Regulation will strengthen customer authentication rules and extending refund rights of consumers who have fallen victim to fraud, among other measures. 

    The EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCAR) includes rules relating to the information to be made available to prospective investors in crypto assets, partly in response to the proliferation of scams involving crypto asset issuance. 

    The amended Fund Transfer Regulation ensures that transfers of crypto assets by CASPs must now be accompanied by information on the sender and recipient, in the same way that credit transfers between banks must be.  

    The Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) obliges providers of standard and instant credit transfers to verify the payee at no additional charge to the payer. It also obliges PSPs offering instant credit transfers to screen their customer base against targeted financial sanctions lists at least daily. 

    The various regulatory and policy developments to tackle financial crime cannot succeed in isolation. For this reason, supervisors have been on a steady march away from reliance on traditional supervisory tools and are increasingly exploring ways to transform technology from an enabler of financial crime to a tool in the detection, disruption and successful prosecution of financial crime. 

    In that context, I’d like to mention a significant milestone in the Central Bank of Ireland’s innovation journey – the launch of our Innovation Sandbox Programme last December on the specific theme of Combatting Financial Crime. 

    About the sandbox

    This initiative offers a structured environment for firms to develop innovative solutions in a collaborative environment, ensuring that new technologies are introduced safely and effectively into the financial sector.

    The seven participants in the programme are employing new technologies and innovative methods to develop solutions that tackle financial crime, for the benefit of both the financial system and consumers.

    Participants are representative of a diverse spectrum of innovators from Ireland, across Europe and the UK and feature start-ups, scaling firms, partnerships and established financial services firms.

    Although it is still at an early stage in the programme, several key areas of focus have been identified such as:

    • The use of AI, machine learning, and pattern recognition to detect and prevent fraud; and
    • The use of technology to enable data sharing without compromising sensitive information, allowing real-time verification of identities and other credentials while ensuring full compliance with data protection regulations and the development of digital identity verification tools.

    The Central Bank is organising workshops for participating firms on specific topics relevant to theme of combating financial crime, facilitating bespoke engagement with dedicated relationship managers, and providing access to a data platform offering data sets and tools relevant to the theme. This will allow participants to test and develop their innovation. 

    We are hugely excited about the programme and look forward to sharing the results of it in due course. 

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, I was greatly struck by something Elizabeth McCaul of the ECB Supervisory Board previously said: “Technology is fundamentally a human activity- technology is neither good nor bad, but humans make it so.” 4 

    The reality is that no piece of legislation can contemplate every financial crime risk or typology or close every loophole. We can’t wipe out financial crime – any more than we can wipe out car theft, shoplifting or burglary. But what we can do is to become as effective as possible at reducing its impact.

    Hence, as technology evolves, it behoves regulators and supervisors to evolve too – continually adapting to keep pace with these changes and ensure that, collectively and individually, we are the forefront of protecting the integrity of the financial system and those who use it. 

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: First meeting of the GCC-European Directors General of Criminal Investigations

    Source: Europol

    The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives from both regions to exchange expertise and knowledge on cross-border security challenges. Participants also shared insights on emerging crime trends, working towards a more effective response to transnational crime. GCCPOL and Europol have been working together since signing a Letter of Intent on 14 July 2017 to enhance collaboration against organised crime and…

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian agencies unite to combat organized crime with support from INTERPOL and AFRIPOL

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    6 February 2025

    LYON, France – In a major blow to organized crime, 12 different Nigerian law enforcement agencies, supported by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, have launched a sweeping operation that has resulted in the arrests of 36 individuals and seizures worth USD 3 million.

    The operation (23-27 September 2024) brought together Nigerian authorities for a Nigerian law enforcement agencies and criminal justice stakeholders working on a broad range of crime areas were involved in the operation, including financial crime and cybercrime as well as drug and human trafficking.

    Following two months of preparation, national authorities carried out increased border checks, targeted raids at identified hotspots and followed up on actionable leads over five operational days.  Most arrests were made for cyber-enabled fraud and the vast majority of the detained suspects were under the age of 35, reflecting a trend of greater youth involvement in organized crime.

    Among the crimes uncovered, common tactics included ‘romance baiting’, in which criminals cultivate online relationships to manipulate victims into investing or transferring their money; investment and cryptocurrency scams, where perpetrators lure victims in fictitious financial schemes; and celebrity scams, which involve the impersonation of well-known figures to solicit money from fans. Three of the arrests were for sextortion, where the suspects were extorting money from victims to prevent the release of compromising or explicit material.

    Notable seizures from the operation included 19kg of cocaine, valued at 2.8 million USD; 51kg of cannabis; five cars; two weapons; and 215 rounds of ammunition. The action days also exposed cases of human trafficking, with the identification of 12 victims who had been lured abroad with promises of work but were instead forced into sexual exploitation or forced labour. The investigation led to the arrest of a female recruiter, who had posed as a victim to evade detection, and the seizure of USD 16,000 from her account.

    Cyril Gout, INTERPOL’s Acting Executive Director of Police Services, said:

    “West African Organized Crime Groups are considered to be among the most aggressive and expansionist criminal groups for their involvement in a broad range of illegal activities, from people smuggling, human trafficking, extortion and kidnapping to oil theft, cybercrime and money laundering. The success of this operation underscores the critical importance of sustained, multi-agency collaboration in disrupting these networks. By working together, at a national and international level we can effectively combat this global threat and bring justice to those affected by these crimes.”

    Ambassador Jalel Chelba, Acting Executive Director of AFRIPOL, said:

    “The success of this operation demonstrates the profound impact of coordinated efforts between national and international law enforcement bodies. AFRIPOL is dedicated to fostering partnerships that bridge the gaps in intelligence sharing and operational coordination, ensuring a united front against the complexities of transnational organized crime. This landmark initiative in Nigeria not only strengthens national capacities but also exemplifies the collective resolve of African member states to combat evolving criminal threats. Our close cooperation with INTERPOL was pivotal to the achievements of this operation and we will continue to work closely with our partners to promote security and stability across the continent.”

    The operation was supported by officers from INTERPOL and AFRIPOL

    Reinforcing national capacity to strengthen global security

    During the operation, coordinated by INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau and AFRIPOL’s National Liaison Office in Abuja, officers from both INTERPOL and AFRIPOL were deployed to support criminal intelligence analysis, assist operation coordination and to facilitate crosschecks against databases.

    The success of this operation was driven by the collaborative efforts among Nigerian law enforcement agencies, justice stakeholders and the partnership between AFRIPOL and INTERPOL. This joint effort demonstrates the results that can be achieved by effective intelligence sharing and coordinated action from all relevant agencies, paving the way for a new era of cooperation.

    The operation was delivered under the framework of the ISPA programme, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, to support AFRIPOL in strengthening its position as the lead institution in Africa for preventing and combating transnational organized crime, terrorism and cybercrime.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young people bring new life to Kirkdale park

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Primary school children have become the first in 2025 to plant new trees through a Liverpool City Council initiative.

    Pupils from Kirkdale St Lawrence Primary planted six new trees at Kirkdale Recreation ground, as part of plans to introduce 22 new trees to the green space. 

    Last week’s project is part of a wider Council scheme to work with primary schools across the City, getting young people involved in planting trees and learning about the importance of caring for the environment.

    Since October, the Council has planted 492 trees, with a further 144 planned by the end of March. These new trees will be planted across 16 different sites, including Princes Park, Lower Breck Field and Garston Park, taking the total number of sites during this period to 46.

    The Council’s tree planting programme takes place annually across autumn and winter to give the trees the best chance to grow through the warmer months. The programme is made possible through additional funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Mersey Forest.

    Each tree planted contributes to the Mersey Forest plan to reach 30% tree cover across Cheshire and Merseyside. Over the past five years, 2340 new trees have been introduced across Liverpool, bringing health and environmental benefits with them.

    Not only do trees reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and provide a natural habitat for a number of species, but they also help with cases of extreme heat and flooding. Research by Public Health England has highlighted further benefits of green spaces within urban areas, particularly on people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

    Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said: “Planting trees brings a wealth of benefits back into the City, from improving people’s health to helping to protect the environment from the effects of climate change.  

    “It’s fantastic to hear how excited the children were to join in and watch their trees grow over the coming months. They’ve done a brilliant job, and it’ll make such a difference to the recreation ground that they can be proud of for years to come.

    “Working with young people from our local schools is a fantastic way to offer hands-on education and work together to make Liverpool a greener, cleaner place to grow up in.”

    Emily Kealey, a teacher at St Lawrence Primary said: “Our children had a lovely afternoon planting trees in their community. It will be fantastic for them to watch them grow and look back with happy memories in the future! Thank you for the opportunity!”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: we don’t need an inquiry into the caravan affair but we do need some answers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The battle to contain antisemitism in Australia finds both sides of politics embracing measures they’d otherwise abhor.

    Spectacularly, the government capitulated this week to include mandatory minimum sentences of between one and six years in its hate speech legislation that passed the parliament on Thursday.

    That flip flop was done in a day. You need a longer memory to recall the Coalition’s insistence that free speech had to be preeminent over dealing with hate speech.

    Way back, when Tony Abbott was prime minister, there was a big (ultimately unsuccessful) push against Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. This civil law prohibits acts “likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone because of their race or ethnicity”. At the very least, libertarian Liberals wanted it reworded to remove “offend” and “insult”.

    Before entering parliament, James Paterson worked for the right wing Institute of Public Affairs, which spearheaded attacks on 18C. Even after becoming a senator in 2016, Paterson remained a strong critic of 18C (although he says he always supported laws against incitement to violence).

    Now as home affairs spokesman Paterson has been at the forefront of the opposition efforts to make the new hate speech law as strong as possible.

    Until mid week the government firmly ruled out giving in to opposition’s demands for mandatory sentences for hate crimes. The government’s resistance was unsurprising. The Labor party platform rules out mandatory sentences.

    But then late on Wednesday, leader of the house Tony Burke went into parliament with amendments including mandatory minimum sentences of between one and six years for various crimes under the anti-hate legislation.

    Teal MP Zoe Daniel, from the Victorian seat of Goldstein, was among several crossbenchers who voted against that amendment.

    She said later she supported the legislation but described the mandatory sentencing as “overreach”. “Community safety is paramount, and so is good policy-making. Mandatory minimum sentences do not reflect good parliamentary practice or good governance. Nor do they respect the sanctity of Australia’s constitution and separation of powers, and the importance of judicial independence.”

    The antisemitism crisis is, on a number of fronts, leading to the actual or advocated curtailment of civil liberties. The federal government has outlawed the Nazi salute and hate symbols. The NSW government is to bring in more anti-hate provisions.

    There is constant debate about the desirability of curbs of one sort or another on demonstrations. The antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, has said, “There should be places designated away from where the Jewish community might venture where people can demonstrate”.

    In our history we repeatedly see how government actions to confront perceived emergencies collide with civil liberties.

    For example, strong security laws introduced in the wake of September 11 2001 triggered arguments about the extent to which they struck down people’s rights. Going back to the Menzies era, the Communist threat prompted the government to try (and fail) to carry a referendum to ban the Communist Party.

    People of good intent will differ about the extent to which particular responses to a crisis are necessary and appropriate, or go too far, either being bad policy or an unjustified curb on civil liberties. Historical judgements may also differ from those made at the time.

    This is not to dispute that we should be taking the strongest action against antisemitism. It’s merely to point out that with each particular measure, it’s important to be confident the end justifies the means, taking into account possible unintended or adverse consequences as well as what is to be achieved.

    Having had a victory over mandatory minimum sentences, the opposition is pushing for an inquiry into when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was told about the caravan found at Dural, NSW filled with explosives and containing indications Sydney’s Great Synagogue and a Jewish museum could be targets.

    The caravan was parked for several weeks on a street before it came to police attention. NSW police alerted Premier Chris Minns the following day. But it is unclear when the prime minister found out.

    Albanese has steadfastly refused to say, citing operational reasons. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton suggested (without producing any evidence) the NSW police might have made a deliberate decision not to advise the Commonwealth “so that the prime minister wasn’t advised because they were worried he would leak the information”.

    Dutton is calling for an “independent inquiry” into the circumstances by “an eminent Australian from the criminal intelligence and law enforcement intelligence community”.

    The inquiry call is politically driven. The government is right in arguing it would have the downside of diverting resources. But nevertheless there are questions that need answering.

    There seems no logical reason why the PM cannot reveal when he was first briefed on the caravan, other than to avoid disclosing some embarrassing timing gap. Any explanation around operational reasons would surely not explain why Minns was briefed but Albanese was not. Alternatively, if Albanese was briefed promptly, why doesn’t he say so?

    When pressed at a parliamentary committee on Thursday, Australian Federal Police Force Commissioner Reece Kershaw would not be drawn, saying it was not appropriate to provide information about an ongoing investigation at a public hearing.

    Later Greens member of the committee, senator David Shoebridge, said: “The AFP telling us when they informed the PM could in no way prejudice any ongoing police investigation. We had half a dozen senior AFP officials [before the committee] including the Commissioner and zero serious answers.

    “This whole circus would be shut down by any half competent government by telling us when the PM knew with a simple explanation for any delay. Instead we get these bizarre performances from both the PM and the AFP.”

    One question that should be answered by the authorities is why Jewish leaders, including those connected with the synagogue and the museum, were not informed. Though operational reasons might be relevant, surely safety considerations suggest the Jewish leaders should have been told.

    The authorities believe the antisemitic attacks are not simply unconnected incidents. They say people are being paid to make them, suggesting some master minding behind them.

    Of course that justifies secrecy while investigations proceed, but operational needs should not be a cover for refusing to provide enough information to give the public confidence the various authorities are working effectively together.

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

    – ref. Grattan on Friday: we don’t need an inquiry into the caravan affair but we do need some answers – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-we-dont-need-an-inquiry-into-the-caravan-affair-but-we-do-need-some-answers-249275

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reappointments to the Civil Procedure Rule Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointments of Ben Roe and Ian Curtis-Nye as members of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Ben Roe as a Legal Member of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee (CPRC) for 3 years from 9 June 2025, and Ian Curtis-Nye as a lay member of the CPRC for 3 years from 24 October 2025.

    Ben Roe

    Ben Roe is a solicitor who is the Lead Knowledge Lawyer for Baker McKenzie’s Global Disputes and Compliance Group, responsible for knowledge management and training for litigation, arbitration and compliance lawyers. He is a member of the Association of Litigation Professional Support Lawyers and the Ministry of Justice Governance and Standards Board, overseeing the Witness Intermediary Scheme.

    Ian Curtis-Nye

    Ian Curtis-Nye is a Partner/Divisional Manager at Lyons Davidson solicitors, with overall responsibility for the civil litigation division and legal costs teams, also being a solicitor and costs lawyer. In addition, he is a trustee and chair at Citizens Advice Reading; providing support and advice to the local community on a wide range of issues. He has extensive experience in consumer affairs across both the legal and lay advice sector.

    The CPRC is the statutory body that governs the practice and procedure to be followed in the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the County Court.

    The appointment of members, of the CPRC, are made by the Lord Chancellor after consulting the Master of the Rolls and – in respect of legal members – the relevant professional body.

    Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: BaFin warns consumers about various websites advertising automated crypto trading bot

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about a series of platforms advertising an AI-controlled algorithm for trading in financial instruments and cryptoassets. Specifically, the following providers are under investigation:

    • zivaprofit7.com – ZivaProfit7 Ai
    • velmocoin.com – Velmo Coin AI
    • zolintex.com – Zolintex AI
    • luxigain.com – LuxiGain AI
    • grabcapital4u.com – GrabCapitaL4u Ai
    • tivanafund.com – TivanaFund AI
    • brixogain.com – Brixo Gain AI
    • brixofund.com – BrixoFund AI
    • pamborich.com – Pamborich Ai
    • zonocash.com – Zono Cash AI
    • econarix.com – Econarix AI
    • zorbofund.com – ZorboFund AI
    • gaintomo.com – GAINTOMO AI
    • trovafund.com – TrovaFund AI
    • gliporich.com – GlipoRich AI
    • viznofund.com – ViznoFund AI
    • grivogain.com – GrivoGain AI

    Anyone offering financial or investment services or crypto-asset services in Germany requires a license from BaFin. However, some companies offer such services without the required license. Information on whether a particular company is authorized by BaFin can be found in the company database.

    The information provided by BaFin is based on Section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (KWG) and Section 10 (7) of the German Crypto Markets Supervision Act (KMAG).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –