Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA, 14)
Following her successful town hall in Acworth, Georgia, part of the newest addition to Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is responding to false narratives pushed by local Democrats who claimed the arrests at the event were unjust.
“Local Democrats are spreading lies and claiming these were just innocent constituents, but they are not,” said Congresswoman Greene. “These individuals were arrested for serious crimes, and their social media shows exactly who they are.”
One of the individuals, Johnny Keith Williams, was charged with “Terroristic Threats and Actions” along with multiple other offenses.
The other two arrested, Andrew Russell Nelms and Kiyana Davis, have a documented history of posting extremist and dangerous content on their social media accounts:
Andrew Nelms praised the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive, stating it was an example of why the 2nd Amendment exists and hoped it would happen again.
Kiyana Davis made multiple posts encouraging political violence, including one explicitly calling for the assassination of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Elon Musk.
“This is sick. This is violent. And this is exactly who the Democrat Party has become,” Greene continued. “We are no longer dealing with political disagreements, we are dealing with deranged radicals who glorify violence and threaten public officials.”
Thanks to the heroic actions of local law enforcement, the town hall remained peaceful and productive. Congresswoman Greene praised the police and affirmed her commitment to fearless leadership:
“I will not be intimidated. I will not back down. The American people are watching, and they are tired of the double standard. Thank you to every police officer who played a part in ensuring the safety of my town hall’s attendees, including the protestors exercising their sacred First Amendment right peacefully outside.”
From left to right: Col. Gerald Kellar, Maj. John Eads, and Maj. Luis Pow Sang collect waste water from sewers at the Counter Insurgency, Terrorism, and Stability Operations Center during Exercise Justified Accord. (Photo Credit: Courtesy ) VIEW ORIGINAL
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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)
NAIROBI, Kenya – The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research – Africa conducted disease surveillance in support of Justified Accord 2025 from Feb. 10–21, in Kenya.
Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. The 2025 iteration involved more than 1,500 participants from 20 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. The exercise is designed to strengthen multinational cooperation as well as regional security.
WRAIR-Africa supported the exercise by identifying pathogens in the environment and coordinating with medical personnel to ensure appropriate protective measures. The team conducted daily vector surveillance, collecting mosquitos, sandflies and ticks for pathogen testing, as well as analyzing wastewater samples.
Maj. Eads and his team identify larvae of the Anopheles mosquito, the vector for malaria parasites, near the Justified Accord cantonment area. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the exercise, WRAIR-Africa identified nine major pathogen threats including the bacteria that causes Q fever, the bacteria that causes epidemic typhus, jingman tick virus, and norovirus. The findings were shared with Role 1 medical assets and health protection personnel to mitigate risks to participating service members.
“By telling the force health protection (FHP) and health service support (HSS) personnel that the pathogen is in the environment, you can keep the soldiers safe,” said Maj. John Eads, Chief of Entomology at WRAIR-Africa. “Something like norovirus is a particular threat–that’s the pathogen that takes out cruise ships all the time because of how easily it spreads. Identifying it before it spreads is essential to getting preventative measure in place and keeping service members healthy.”
Maj. Eads reviews tick specimens collected by the WRAIR-Africa Entomology team. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
WRAIR-Africa’s role in the exercise was essential to protecting force health, but it also provides a second major benefit: an opportunity to learn.
In addition to surveillance, WRAIR-Africa used the exercise as an opportunity to assess support needs for large-scale combat operations. This included evaluating the effectiveness of tools such as rapid diagnostic tests that don’t require cold-chain storage, which can be limited in austere environments.
Maj. Luis Pow Sang, Military Chief of Microbiology, performs initial validation and testing of BioFire film array for use in real-time exercise support. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
“Participation in Justified Accord embeds us with the warfighter so we can see where there are gaps,” said Eads. “During and after the exercise, we ask: what products are necessary in large-scale combat operations? It’s an opportunity to determine how WRAIR-Africa can further support force health protection and Health Service Support.”
Following the exercise, WRAIR-Africa compiled a report to inform future surveillance operations and refine its support strategies for forward-deployed environments.
About Justified Accord
Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and hosted in Kenya, Djibouti and Rwanda, this year’s exercise will incorporate personnel and units from 23 nations and five observer countries. This multinational exercise builds readiness for the U.S. joint force, prepares regional partners for UN and AU mandated missions, and increases multinational interoperability in support of humanitarian assistance, disaster response and crisis response.
Justified Accord content can be found on the official Justified Accord DVIDS feature page.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
CINCINNATI—A Mason man has been arrested by the FBI for possessing an unregistered destructive device.
James River Phillips, 20, was arrested today by the FBI Cincinnati Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) following federal court-authorized law enforcement activity at locations in Mason, Oxford, and Liberty Township, Ohio.
“The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested James River Phillips after he allegedly possessed a dangerous destructive device,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “The FBI and our partners worked together to ensure his actions were stopped before there was any risk to public safety.”
According to the criminal complaint, Phillips is believed to have possessed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that was discovered by a Lebanon Police Department patrol officer on September 22, 2024, at an outdoor sports complex. The device was collected by the Butler County Bomb Squad and the components were tested.
Charging documents detail that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was able to identify Phillips as the primary suspect who left the device at the sports complex. The JTTF has also been able to connect Phillips to other incidents where he is alleged to have possessed and detonated potential explosives.
The FBI is being assisted in this case by the Lebanon Police Department, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Mason Police Department, Oxford Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Dayton Police Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Rasheedul Mowla, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support or resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, Mowla faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.
“Mowla sought to join a violent foreign terrorist organization that has conducted and inspired terrorist attacks worldwide, killing numerous innocent victims, including American citizens,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of law enforcement, Mowla’s plan to join ISIS was thwarted. This Office remains steadfast in its efforts to pursue and bring to justice those who support terrorism.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for their outstanding work on the case.
“Rasheedul Mowla made a concerted attempt to travel to Syria to join ISIS and expressed his willingness to actively support their extremist ideologies with physical violence. He sought to jeopardize the welfare of his own country to align with a foreign terrorist organization known for killing American soldiers and innocent civilians,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This is evidence of the FBI’s enduring commitment to leveraging the NY JTTF to interdict any United States citizen seeking to participate in terrorist activities, and ensure they no longer pose a threat to this nation.”
“Rasheedul Mowla wasn’t just planning to join ISIS—he was ready to kill and die for them,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “That kind of threat demands a swift response, and thanks to the work of the NYPD and our federal partners, it was stopped before anyone got hurt. This case underscores the importance of constant vigilance and the critical role our investigators play in keeping New York and the entire country safe.”
As detailed in publicly filed court documents, the defendant traveled to Saudi Arabia in June 2017, purportedly to celebrate an Islamic religious holiday. Upon his arrival in Saudi Arabia, the defendant attempted to travel to Syria to join ISIS. He was apprehended before entering Syria and, on August 29, 2017, was deported back to the United States.
The defendant previously admitted to law enforcement authorities that, prior to traveling to the Middle East, he knew that ISIS was a terrorist organization that committed terrorist attacks and killed people. He further admitted that, had he successfully arrived in Syria to join ISIS, he was planning to shoot weapons and willing to die on behalf of ISIS.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith A. Arfa is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
FIU-IND and RBI sign MoU for enhanced coordination and information exchange The MoU will facilitate coordinated efforts towards effective compliance with Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Rules framed thereunder
Posted On: 17 APR 2025 6:14PM by PIB Delhi
The Financial Intelligence Unit- India (FIU-IND) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at New Delhi, today, as part of continued coordinated efforts in effective implementation of requirements of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Rules framed thereunder.
The MoU was signed by Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Director, FIU-IND and Shri R.L.K. Rao, Executive Director, Department of Regulation, Reserve Bank of India.
According to the MoU, FIU-IND and RBI will cooperate with each other in the areas of mutual interest including the following:
Each Party to the MoU will appoint a nodal officer and an alternate nodal officer to interact with the other party.
Sharing of relevant intelligence and information, available in their respective databases.
Laying down procedure and manner in which the regulated entities/ reporting entities report to FIU-IND under the PML Rules.
Conducting outreach and training for regulated entities /reporting entities.
Upgradation of Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) skills in the regulated entities / reporting entities regulated by RBI.
Assessment of Money Laundering/Terror Financing (ML/TF) risks and vulnerabilities in the relevant financial sub-sectors.
Identification of red flag indicators for Suspicious Transactions.
Supervising and monitoring the compliance of reporting entities regulated by RBI with their obligations under PMLA, PML Rules and RBI instructions.
Compliance with the relevant international standards.
Conduct of quarterly meeting to discuss and share information on issues of mutual interest.
Mr. Bedobani Chaudhuri, Additional Director, FIU-IND, Ms. Veena Srivastava, Chief General Manager, Department of Regulation, RBI; Mr. Avinash Kumar, Deputy Director, FIU-IND and Mr. Sanjoy Ghosh, FSE, FIU-IND, were also present on the occasion.
Abdullah Haji Zada, 18, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024 on behalf the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.
Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult. At sentencing, Zada faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.
Tawhedi is currently awaiting trial for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and receiving, attempting to receive, or conspiring to receive a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, if convicted. An indictment is merely an allegation and Tawhedi is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Abdullah Haji Zada, 18, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024 on behalf the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.
Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult. At sentencing, Zada faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.
Tawhedi is currently awaiting trial for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and receiving, attempting to receive, or conspiring to receive a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, if convicted. An indictment is merely an allegation and Tawhedi is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
What a difference a dictator makes. Some world leaders get a rough ride in their Oval Office meetings with Donald Trump – most famously, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who the US president and his entourage publicly disparaged in their now-notorious meeting at the end of February. But not El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the self-styled “world’s coolest dictator” – an autocrat whose country’s incarceration rate is the highest in the world – with whom Trump swapped a few friendly quips this week about authoritarian leadership.
“They say that we imprisoned thousands. I say we liberated millions,” said Bukele about his record of jailing people without due process, adding that: “To liberate that many, you have to imprison some.”
“Who gave him that line? You think I could use that?” replied Trump to general merriment.
Bukele has obliged Trump by incarcerating hundreds of Venezuelan and Salvadoran migrants deported from the US on suspicion of being members of criminal gangs – none of whom have had their day in court. One person of particular interest to the journalists was Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man deported due to an “administrative error”. The US Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to do everything in its power to “facilitate” his return to his wife and family in the US.
“Of course I’m not going to do it,” Bukele said, when asked if he would send Abrego Garcia back to the US, adding that it would be like “sending a terrorist back to the United States”. Smiles all round from the US officials. This apparently makes it a matter of foreign policy rather than a failure of US justice – or, just as crucially, an impending constitutional crisis over the Trump administration’s failure to obey a Supreme Court ruling.
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Bukele knows a thing or two about circumventing constitutional law, writes Amalendu Misra, a professor of international politics at Lancaster University, who has written extensively about Latin America for The Conversation. The Salvadoran president is serving a second term, despite his country’s constitution previously restricting a president from serving two consecutive terms.
Critics say Bukele used his considerable majority to replace five members of El Salvador’s Supreme Court in order to get the decision he wanted – which may also have raised him in the US president’s estimation.
Misra charts Bukele’s rise to power and his achievements in office, which include transforming El Salvador from the murder capital of the world to having one of the lowest homicide rates in the western hemisphere. But not without considerable infringements of human rights and civil liberties – something to which, as we’ve seen, Bukele unabashedly owns up.
Meanwhile, constitutional scholars are picking apart the US Supreme Court’s ruling in the matter of Abrego Garcia, who is currently sitting in El Salvador’s notorious Center for Terrorism Confinement (Cecot) mega-prison.
What exactly did the court mean when it instructed the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return to the US? The US attorney-general, Pam Bondi, offered her interpretation on Wednesday – saying the decision was completely up to Bukele, and that if he wanted to send Abrego Garcia back, “we would give him a plane ride back”.
Trump’s relationship with US constitutional law is already coming under a fair bit of scrutiny, as he and his senior officials have embarked on a concerted effort to push back against court rulings which seek to reverse or delay some of his policies.
“Trump’s approach seems to be one of testing the limits of the law,” writes Stephen Clear, a constitutional law expert at Bangor University. Clear believes that Trump’s second term is going further, faster, than his first in putting pressure on the system of checks and balances on which the US constitution depends.
Clear looks at Trump’s strategy of using executive orders to make policy – there have been 124 in his first 85 days (executive orders don’t need congressional approval). The federal courts are now examining many of these orders, which have been challenged on the grounds of unconstitutionality. The US Supreme Court is already facing an unprecedented number of emergency applications, and it remains to be seen when the justices will decide – and, crucially, how the administration responds to the Supreme Court’s decisions.
A federal court judge whose ruling regarding the deportation of 100 migrants to El Salvador was apparently disregarded by the Trump administration has released an opinion that this failure to comply constitutes “probable cause” to hold members of the administration in criminal contempt.
US district court judge James Boasberg wrote that a judicial order “must
be obeyed – no matter how erroneous it may be – until a court reverses it”. US legal scholar Cassandra Burke Robertson answers our questions about this matter.
In the end, the most reliable test of Trump and the Republican party is still at the ballot box. The mid-term elections, the first real test of the US public’s approval of Trump 2.0, are more than 18 months away. But how is the second Trump administration going down with Americans?
It depends who you ask, writes Paul Whiteley of the University of Essex. Whiteley, an expert scrutineer of public opinion, was interested to see whether the recent upheaval created by Trump’s tariffs plan had affected the way the US public views his performance.
Committed Republicans still tend to give credit to Trump that he knows what he is doing, while Democrats, as you’d expect, remain fundamentally opposed to the administration. And the same goes, broadly speaking, for their respective views on his handling of trade policy. But the big shift, Whiteley observes, is among people identifying as independents, where Trump’s approval rating has fallen considerably, particularly over the tariffs.
This is significant, Whiteley believes, because independents now make up the largest voter group in the US. He concludes: “If this shift continues, and independent voters support Democrat candidates in the 2026 mid-term elections, it means that the Democrats are likely to take control of Congress.”
Another Trump campaign promise is coming under increasing scrutiny: his pledge to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours”. The US president now insists he was “being sarcastic” when he made that claim – but, after nearly three months, Trump’s efforts to end the war are “struggling to get off the starting blocks”, writes Jennifer Mathers from Aberystwyth University.
Despite Zelensky having unconditionally accepted the initial proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and backing US efforts to establish a limited ceasefire – applying to energy infrastructure and on the ocean – Russia has redoubled its attacks. The recent Palm Sunday strikes, which killed at least 35 civilians in the border town of Sumy, appeared particularly gratuitous given that the two sides are supposed to be talking peace.
Mathers writes that Vladimir Putin is deliberately doing all he can to drag his feet over negotiations, while maintaining Russia’s original demands for huge swaths of Ukrainian territory, guarantees that Kyiv will drop its plan to join Nato, and for elections to be held in Ukraine. You’d have to imagine that Moscow will pull out all the stops to ensure the winner is more to its liking than Zelensky.
One of the main problems, as Mathers sees it, is that the various American diplomats keep repeating Putin’s demands, lending them legitimacy. It goes without saying that these demands find no favour with Kyiv, as they amount to virtually complete Ukrainian capitulation.
The other big diplomatic gambit involving the Trump White House is in Oman this weekend, as representatives from the US and Iran meet to discuss the possibility of a new deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. The initial signs aren’t good. Trump has threatened dire consequences unless Iran is willing to give up its nuclear ambitions. Iran refuses to countenance this idea.
But there are signs that behind the scenes, there may be some progress. Iran’s leaders are under heavy domestic pressure to get sanctions lifted as its economy continues to tank. And it has been reported that Trump refused to approve joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Simon Mabon from Lancaster University – a specialist in Middle East security and particularly the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran – examines what the talks mean for the broader stability of the Middle East. He believes the outcome of the talks are being watched particularly closely by China, which has its own ambitions for the region.
Last year’s election in India was the biggest democratic exercise the world has ever seen, involving upwards of 642 million people casting their votes in seven phases across this vast country. It was, in fact, the biggest election ever to be held in India, surpassing the first elections held in 1951-52 after the country achieved independence from Britain.
Tripurdaman Singh, a fellow of the University of London’s School of Advanced Study, has traced the progress of democracy in India from what he describes as “a moment of such staggering idealism and exuberance, a leap of faith so audacious, that the famous jurist and scholar Kenneth Wheare termed it ‘the biggest liberal experiment in democratic government’ that the world had seen”.
Singh takes a detailed look at this experiment in democracy, examining the fledgling country’s constitution and how it has been interpreted since. He finds that this “idealism” was more of an aspiration than an actuality, and that power has always been firmly held by the executive. But, he writes, the sheer diversity of the electorate has – in the main at least – successfully prevented tyrannical impulses from India’s leaders. At least, it has thus far.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Change of British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean: Simon Mustard
Mr Simon Mustard has been appointed British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. He will take up his appointment during May 2025.
Simon Mustard
Mr Simon Mustard has been appointed British High Commissioner to Barbados, and non-resident High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Simon will succeed Mr Scott Furssedonn-Wood MVO, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Mr Mustard will take up his appointment during May 2025.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: Simon Mustard
Year
Role
2021 to 2025
FCDO, Director East/Southern Africa
2019 to 2021
Freetown, British High Commissioner
2017 to 2019
FCO, Head, Southern and Central Africa Department and Special Envoy to African Great Lakes Region
2016
Lilongwe, British High Commissioner
2013 to 2016
Amman, Deputy Head of Mission
2011 to 2013
FCO, Head, Country-Casework Team and Deputy Head of Consular Assistance, Consular Directorate
2009 to 2011
FCO, Head, Regional Issues Team, Counter-Proliferation Department
2008 to 2009
FCO, Private Secretary to Minister of State, and also to the Secretary of State
2005 to 2008
Washington, Policy Lead on Counter-Terrorism and Strategic Threats
Change of British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean
Mr Simon Mustard has been appointed British High Commissioner to Barbados, and non-resident High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in succession to Mr Scott Furssedonn-Wood MVO who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Simon Mustard
Mr Simon Mustard has been appointed British High Commissioner to Barbados, and non-resident High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in succession to Mr Scott Furssedonn-Wood MVO who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Mr Mustard will take up his appointment during May 2025.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: Simon Mustard
Year
Role
2021 to 2025
FCDO, Director East/Southern Africa
2019 to 2021
Freetown, British High Commissioner
2017 to 2019
FCO, Head, Southern and Central Africa Department and Special Envoy to African Great Lakes Region
2016
Lilongwe, British High Commissioner
2013 to 2016
Amman, Deputy Head of Mission
2011 to 2013
FCO, Head, Country-Casework Team and Deputy Head of Consular Assistance, Consular Directorate
2009 to 2011
FCO, Head, Regional Issues Team, Counter-Proliferation Department
2008 to 2009
FCO, Private Secretary to Minister of State, and also to the Secretary of State
2005 to 2008
Washington, Policy Lead on Counter-Terrorism and Strategic Threats
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)
Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez(IL-03) released the following statement after sending a letter to the Committee on Homeland Security demanding an oversight visit to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador:
“Congress’ role is oversight. And when the Executive Branch decides to use a notorious, off-shore prison with a history of gross human rights violations as their staging location for mass deportations without due process and in violation of international law, Congress must act. That is why, today I requested that the Committee on Homeland Security conduct an official oversight visit to CECOT.
President Trump and Secretary Noem deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, Andry Hernandez Romero, Jerce Reyes Barrios and hundreds of others to CECOT with no due process, resulting in “administrative errors.” Their actions are illegal, unconstitutional and inhumane. In the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia we already know that the Supreme Court unanimously agrees that Trump and Noem must be held accountable and bring Kilmar home! If it takes Trump flying Air Force One to El Salvdaor to pick him up, so be it.
In the meantime, not one more US dollar should go to El Salvador to imprison people in their notorious hall of human rights abuses, no further deportation flights should be arranged, and the threats of locking up “homegrown” criminals must STOP.
Congress must be a check on the out-of-control, lawless Trump Administration. A Congressional delegation needs to urgently go to CECOT to check on the health and well-being of all political prisoners that have been sent to this heinous place, and Kristi Noem must resign.”
We’ve reviewed our travel advice for Denmark and advise exercise normal safety precautions.
Denmark’s domestic terror threat level is set to ‘significant’ (level 4 of 5). Terrorist attacks could occur anywhere and at any time. Terrorists may target tourist areas and attractions or other places frequented by foreigners. Take official warnings seriously and follow the advice of local authorities (see ‘Safety’).
The US president, Donald Trump, has unleashed a string of controversial policies since returning to the White House that have put his administration at odds with most of the world. He has, at the same time, forged an alliance with one country that is willing to do his bidding abroad.
This country is El Salvador, a tiny central American nation nestled between Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador has found itself at the forefront of overseeing Trump’s contentious drive to deport undocumented migrants.
In recent months, hundreds of foreign-born men have been deported from the US to the Center for Terrorism Confinement (Cecot) mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. This is part of an agreement between Trump and the self-declared “world’s coolest dictator”, Nayib Bukele.
Such is the warmth between Trump and El Salvador’s leader that the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, recently hailed their alliance as “an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere”.
The comment came shortly before Bukele met with Trump at the White House and said he will not return Kilmar Abrego García, a man that the US government admits was mistakenly deported. Bukele referred to the suggestion as “preposterous”.
This is despite a US Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration “facilitate” García’s return. The US government says a court does not have the power to order the release of a person in a foreign prison.
Bukele, the grandson of Palestinian Christian immigrants, is considered something of a maverick. His background is in advertising. Through his business, Obermet, Bukele advertised two election campaigns for the ruling Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) in the 2000s.
He joined the FMLN as a member in 2012, and was elected as mayor of El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, three years later. Bukele’s relationship with the FMLN soon became strained. After several public spats, he was expelled from the party. This included calling Luis Martínez, the country’s then attorney-general, a “gangster, very corrupt, [and] the worst of the worst”.
Bukele subsequently launched his own political front, Nuevas Ideas. And when the country’s electoral court refused to register the party for the 2019 presidential elections, he ran as the candidate for the right-wing Grand Alliance for National Unity. Bukele won with 53% of the vote and, since then, his political fortunes have been in constant ascent.
While many outside El Salvador see Bukele as a serial human rights abuser, his countrymen consider him a political messiah. His popularity is such that he won an unprecedented second presidential term in 2024 with over 84% of the vote.
The country’s constitution had previously restricted a sitting president from contesting two terms in a row. Bukele’s critics say he circumvented the rules by using his congressional majority to replace Supreme Court judges.
The court later ruled that the president can serve two consecutive terms in office. In the past, Bukele has remarked that restrictions on re-election only exist in developing countries.
Bukele’s popularity stems from having rid his country of gang violence. El Salvador was once known for having the highest per capita homicide rate in the world, with 105 murders per 100,000 people in 2015. But under Bukele’s leadership, it is now considered a haven of peace in an otherwise unstable region.
In 2022, after a spate of gang killings, Bukele declared a state of emergency. The decree curtailed the right to be informed of the reason for arrest and access to a lawyer upon being detained. It also allowed for administrative detention of more than 72 hours.
Tens of thousands of people were rounded up and thrown in jail without trial. El Salvador now has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with roughly 110,000 people in jail. The proportion of its population that is incarcerated is twice that of the next nearest country, Cuba.
Many of the alleged criminals – as well as those deported from the US – are held in Cecot. The prison has been described by activists as “a black hole of human rights”. When Bukele first unveiled the facility, he said prisoners would receive “not one ray of sunlight”.
Bukele’s tough anti-criminal stance has been lauded across Latin America. Many regional leaders have embraced Bukele-style policies to tackle criminal violence in their respective countries. His policies have also clearly been appreciated by Trump.
Bukele and Trump share the same ideological persuasion. Both are conservative right-wing populists. But while there is a deep convergence in their ideology, their alliance is also one of convenience.
Trump wants to rid the US of undocumented migrants from south of the border. El Salvador has, so far, provided a convenient avenue to address his administration’s needs.
And for Bukele, it is financially worthwhile to house deportees from the US. The Bukele and Trump administrations have reportedly signed an agreement that will pay El Salvador US$20,000 (£15,000) per prisoner. This is a significant sum for El Salvador’s economy.
His alliance with Trump will also help him shore up his political position at home and consolidate his image as a “do gooder” in an otherwise violent continent.
Bukele’s security strategy has certainly rid El Salvador of gang violence. However, opening up El Salvador as a destination to address other countries’ criminality sets a bad precedent.
Encouraged by Bukele’s policies, more states could choose to violate human rights and ignore judicial process by simply dumping their own citizens and others in prisons abroad. This is a reality that more courts may soon struggle to prevent.
Amalendu Misra is a recipient of British Academy and Nuffield Foundation fellowships.
Firing Makes Clear Admin Expects DOJ Employees to Lie to Judges, a Violation of State Law Governing Courtroom Candor
Goldman Argues Lawyers Should Not be Forced to Choose Between Their Jobs and Following the Law
Members Urge Bondi to Facilitate the Return of Garcia Back to America
Read the LetterHere
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today led a letter with 5 of his colleagues urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to reinstate Erez Reuveni, Acting Deputy Chief of the Office of Immigration Litigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer who first represented the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Abrego Garcia v. Noem, the federal case concerning the Trump administration’s unlawful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
While representing DHS in court, Mr. Reuveni acknowledged that DHS’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was an “administrative error.” One day later, Deputy Attorney General Blanche placed Mr. Reuveni on indefinite leave and later fired him, citing his failure to “follow a directive from [his] superiors.” Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Mr. Reuveni was suspended for failing to vigorously advocate on behalf of his client.
“While an attorney must balance their obligation to persuasively present their client’s case within their duty of candor to the tribunal, under no circumstances may the attorney “allow the tribunal to be misled by false statements of law or fact or evidence that the attorney knows to be false.” Here, Mr. Reuveni had no choice but to abide by his duty of candor to the court,” the Members wrote.
Under Maryland’s Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers cannot lie in a court of law or present statements that they know to be untrue or misleading. None of the statements Mr. Reuveni made during the April 4th hearing on the Abrego Garcia v. Noem were false, yet he was fired anyway, making clear Attorney General Bondi has prioritized the administration’s talking points over every attorney’s duty to present the facts as they understand them.
“That Mr. Reuveni was fired because he had the human decency to recognize that there was no defense for the Administration’s position underscores the danger that your firing of Mr. Reuveni presents to attorneys throughout the Department, who are now put in a position where they may have to choose between their jobs and their bar license,” the Members wrote.
The members also argue that there is no legitimate justification for the administration’s failure to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return from the El Salvador prison he was unlawfully and erroneously deported to, as the Supreme Court ruled in a 9-0 unanimous decision.
“In order to correct your improper employment action, and to set an appropriate message for other attorneys representing the Department, we request that you immediately reinstate Mr. Reuveni. As the legal advisor for the Executive Branch, we further encourage you to advise the President that he must follow the Supreme Court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” Mr. Abrego Garcia’s safe return from El Salvador, including, if necessary, by stopping payments to El Salvador for Mr. Abrego Garcia’s detention,” the Members concluded.
Read the LetterHere or below.
Dear Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche,
We write with grave concern about your removal and firing of Acting Deputy Chief Erez Reuveni of the Office of Immigration Litigation on unethical and improper grounds. Further, we are deeply troubled by the Hobbesian choice you have created for the attorneys in the Department of Justice (DOJ), who may be forced to choose between their jobs and their oath of candor to the courts. We therefore request that you reinstate Mr. Reuveni and clarify that Department attorneys must always be honest and forthright with the court, even if that undermines the Department’s position.
This specific incident stems from Abrego Garcia v. Noem, a case before Judge Paula Xinis in the Maryland District Court, in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DOJ’s client, admitted to the court that it improperly and unlawfully deported Mr. Abrego Garcia, a resident of the State of Maryland and husband to an American citizen, to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador – a prison whose conditions would violate an inmate’s constitutional rights if it were in the United States.
At a hearing on April 4, Mr. Reuveni admitted error on behalf of DHS, which failed to follow an order prohibiting Mr. Abrego Garcia’s removal to El Salvador. Specifically, Mr. Reuveni made the following statements during the April 4 hearing:
“We have nothing to say on the merits. We concede he should not have been removed to El Salvador.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 25: 13-14.
“There’s no dispute that the order could not be used to send Mr. Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 25:6–7.
When asked by Judge Xinis why Abrego Garcia was held in CECOT, Mr. Reuveni replied “I don’t know. That information has not been given to me. I don’t know.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 34:25-35:5
“This person should – the plaintiff, Abrego Garcia, should not have been removed. That is not in dispute.” Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 19:11–13
When asked by Judge Xinis why Mr. Abrego Garcia cannot be returned, Mr. Reuveni replied “Your Honor, I will say, for the Court’s awareness, that when this case landed on my desk, the first thing I did was ask my clients that very question. I’ve not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory.” Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, at 35–36.
“I am also frustrated that I have no answer for you on a lot of these questions. The government made a choice here to produce no evidence.”
None of these statements were incorrect. In fact, on March 31, Robert L. Cerna, Acting Field Office Director at DHS, submitted a declaration to the court which stated: “Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador. This was an oversight.” Even until today, after the case has gone up to the United States Supreme Court and back to Judge Xinis, the Department has not provided the courts with any legitimate reason why Mr. Abrego Garcia cannot be returned to the United States in light of the government’s error and the fact that the United States is paying El Salvador to keep him in CECOT.
Yet the day following the court conference, on April 5, Deputy Attorney General Blanche placed Mr. Reuveni on indefinite leave, citing his failure to “follow a directive from [his] superiors.” The following day, Attorney General Bondi appeared on Fox News Sunday and claimed that Mr. Reuveni’s suspension was justified because he had not vigorously advocated on behalf of his client, stating that “[h]e did not argue. He shouldn’t have taken the case. He shouldn’t have argued it if that’s what he was going to do.”
Yesterday, public reports revealed that you outright fired Mr. Reuveni, who has spent 15 years dedicating his life to government service and was recently elevated to a supervisory position and commended for his work.
Under Rule 19-303.3 (a)(1) of Maryland’s Rules of Professional Conduct regarding candor toward the court, an attorney shall not knowingly “make a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal.” While an attorney must balance their obligation to persuasively present their client’s case within their duty of candor to the tribunal, under no circumstances may the attorney “allow the tribunal to be misled by false statements of law or fact or evidence that the attorney knows to be false.” Here, Mr. Reuveni had no choice but to abide by his duty of candor to the court, which conflicted with a “directive from his superiors.”
Further, Maryland’s Rule 19-303.3 (a)(4) prohibits an attorney from offering evidence known by that attorney to be false. The Rules also allow an attorney to refuse to offer evidence that the attorney “reasonably believes” is false under (3.3) (c). In response to the court’s questions, Mr. Reuveni either stated that he did not have answers or that the information provided to him by the Department was not “satisfactory.” In either case, the Rules require Mr. Reuveni to adhere to his obligation of candor to the court.
Attorney General Bondi further clarified that “every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States,” and “[a]ny attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences.” While Ms. Bondi is correct that DOJ attorneys have a duty to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States, that directive must yield to every attorney’s independent obligation to be candid and honest with the court, as required by the rules authorizing that attorney to practice law. In other words, if the Department takes a position that is either unlawful or unsupported by the facts and circumstances of a case, the attorney is prohibited from zealously arguing for that position.
In this case, however, Mr. Reuveni was improperly suspended, and eventually fired, for doing just that.
Having admitted error in this case, there is simply no legitimate justification for refusing to request that El Salvador return Mr. Abrego Garcia to his family in Maryland where he can receive due process and proceed through the immigration system according to the law. That Mr. Reuveni was fired because he had the human decency to recognize that there was no defense for the Administration’s position underscores the danger that your firing of Mr. Reuveni presents to attorneys throughout the Department, who are now put in a position where they may have to choose between their jobs and their bar license. This is unacceptable.
In order to correct your improper employment action, and to set an appropriate message for other attorneys representing the Department, we request that you immediately reinstate Mr. Reuveni. As the legal advisor for the Executive Branch, we further encourage you to advise the President that he must follow the Supreme Court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” Mr. Abrego Garcia’s safe return from El Salvador, including, if necessary, by stopping payments to El Salvador for Mr. Abrego Garcia’s detention.
Industry Veteran Joins Draganfly to Drive Innovation at the Intersection of Public Safety and Technology
Tampa, FL, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, is proud to announce the formation of its Public Safety Advisory Board. This new initiative reinforces Draganfly’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge, mission-critical technologies that support enforcement and public safety agencies worldwide. Renowned global public safety expert and Homeland Security advisor Paul Goldenberg will serve as the inaugural Chair of the Board.
With more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, global security, and national intelligence, Goldenberg brings unparalleled expertise to the role. Recently named America’s Most Influential Person in Homeland Security, he has advised U.S. Presidents, members of Congress, and international security bodies on counterterrorism, cybercrime, and public safety. As a former senior member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), Goldenberg led pivotal initiatives, including the DHS Cybersecurity Task Force and the Countering Foreign Influence Task Force. He currently serves as Chief Advisor for Policy and International Policing at the Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow for Transnational Security at the University of Ottawa, and a member of the National Sheriffs’ Association Southern Border Security Committee.
Goldenberg’s career also includes directing the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) transitional policing mission, working on the ground in regions such as Kosovo, Bosnia, Ukraine, and France. His efforts focused on strengthening police responses to extremism and fostering collaboration between law enforcement agencies and vulnerable communities.
“Draganfly’s commitment to utilizing technology to enhance public safety and law enforcement aligns with my lifelong mission to improve security and foster trust between agencies and the communities they serve,” said Goldenberg. “Given the challenges law enforcement agencies face, including recruitment and retention issues, drones have become an invaluable tool that helps officers protect both themselves and the communities they serve.”
Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly, emphasized the significance of Goldenberg’s appointment: “Paul’s vast experience in homeland security, counterterrorism, and law enforcement makes him the ideal choice to lead our Public Safety Advisory Board. His leadership will be instrumental in advancing Draganfly’s mission to deliver innovative, AI-powered drone technologies that improve situational awareness and operational efficiency for law enforcement agencies across the globe.”
Goldenberg’s past roles have included serving as the first Chief of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for Hate Crime and Domestic Terrorism Investigations, managing major organized crime cases, spending six years deep undercover as part of the South Florida Task Force, and leading one of the United States’ largest social service and juvenile justice systems. His work has directly influenced modern policing strategies and shaped national and international policy.
The creation of Draganfly’s Public Safety Advisory Board marks a pivotal step in the Company’s continued efforts to strengthen public safety and law enforcement capabilities, offering innovative solutions that support officers in the field.
About Draganfly
Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO; CSE: DPRO; FSE: 3U8A) is a pioneer in drone solutions, AI-driven software, and robotics. With over 25 years of innovation, Draganfly has been at the forefront of drone technology, providing solutions for public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections, security, mapping, and surveying. The Company is committed to delivering efficient, reliable, and industry-leading technology that helps organizations save time, money, and lives.
This release contains certain “forward looking statements” and certain “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “plans” or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Public Safety Advisory Board advancing Draganfly’s mission to deliver innovative, AI-powered drone technologies that improve situational awareness and operational efficiency for law enforcement agencies across the globe. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on the Company’s business, operations and financial condition; the successful integration of technology; the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates; the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions; and liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors“ in the Company’s most recent filings filed with securities regulators in Canada on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on EDGAR through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements’ best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
Have your say on a new proposed Anti-Terrorism Traffic Regulation Order (ATTRO) for the Plymouth Hoe area. This measure is designed to enhance public safety during large events and in response to potential threats.
Following a request from the local Police, an ATTRO allows the police and designated partners to close off or restrict access to certain areas and roads within the ATTRO footprint when necessary, ensuring the safety and security of residents and visitors.
Most of the time, the ATTRO will remain dormant, only being activated when needed. It covers a large area, including Plymouth Hoe, the Barbican, and surrounding locations, to ensure comprehensive coverage for various events. It will not affect daily activities unless activated, and it will replace most of the existing Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs) for events.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, explains: “While there’s no specific threat to Plymouth at this moment, crowded places can be targets for terrorism. We have all seen the awful events that have happened in other around the world, from the tragic attack on London Bridge in 2017, and more recently the Magdeburg car attack in Germany.
“Having an ATTRO in place means we’re prepared to act swiftly to protect everyone. It’s about being proactive and ensuring we have the right tools to safeguard our community.”
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, added: “The ATTRO will help us manage traffic and pedestrian access effectively during large events, ensuring that emergency services can operate without hindrance. This is a crucial step in maintaining public safety and smooth operations in our city.”
The ATTRO is a vital tool for keeping Plymouth safe while allowing us to enjoy our events and gatherings with peace of mind.
It is a permanent measure that will lay dormant until needed for security purposes associated with large gatherings and planned events, or if there is an immediate need to protect the public from harm such as a terrorist attack. To be clear;
The ATTRO is not the pedestrianisation of an area.
The ATTRO will not see the installation of any permanent barriers or permanent vehicle mitigation measures within the highlighted map area.
The ATTRO will not change the overall base layout of roads or public pathways, nor will it result in any roadworks.
The ATTRO will not affect day-to-day business operations unless activated.
Any pre-planned road closures put in place as part of the ATTRO and large scale events would be communicated in advance to residents and businesses.
If you wish to offer comments on the proposed Order, please send them in writing to: Service Director for Street Services (Plymouth Transport and Highways), Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ or by emailing: [email protected] Quoting reference Amd.2025.2137339 ATTRO by 14 May 2025
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Kennedy Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (April 16):
Question:
Regarding measures to attract inward investment, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of applications received, approved and rejected by the authorities under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) since its enhancement measures took effect on the first of last month, together with a breakdown by the applicants’ place of domicile and total investment amount; and the reasons for rejecting applications under New CIES;
(2) whether it has compiled statistics on, among the approved applications mentioned in (1), the number of successful applicants who have already made investments in Hong Kong; whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the enhancement measures for New CIES in promoting the development of family offices in Hong Kong;
(3) as it has been reported that the delegation of Hong Kong deputies to the National People’s Congress has proposed to establish a dedicated remittance mechanism called “Property Purchase Capital Connect” to allow residents of the Mainland and Hong Kong to make cross-boundary remittances for purchasing properties in Hong Kong or on the Mainland, with a view to further facilitating the flow of talents and economic integration between the two places, whether the authorities will look into this proposal and communicate with the relevant Mainland authorities in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as it has been reported that even though the policies adopted by some countries to combat investment immigrants’ money laundering are more stringent compared to Hong Kong, such money laundering still exists in those countries, how the authorities strike a balance between anti-money laundering on the one hand and facilitating the entry of and attracting investment immigrants to Hong Kong on the other; and
(5) as it is learnt that while persons who have been granted visas under New CIES may apply to become Hong Kong permanent residents after meeting the relevant requirements and having resided in Hong Kong continuously for seven years, there is no such arrangement for the major asset managers of family office who have also come to Hong Kong for investment, whether the authorities will consider putting in place an identical arrangement for the aforesaid major asset managers with reference to New CIES; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Immigration Department (ImmD) and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) and (2) Since the implementation of the enhancement measures for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (the Scheme) from March 1, 2025 up to end-March, a total of 174 applications have been received. The applications are being processed and no application has been rejected so far. Under the Scheme, applicants must invest a minimum of HK$30 million in the permissible investment assets. If all the aforementioned applications are approved, it is estimated that they will bring more than HK$5.2 billion to Hong Kong. Besides, since the Scheme opened for application from March 2024, a total of 1 092 applications have been received, having a positive impact on attracting more new capital to Hong Kong and strengthening the development of our asset and wealth management business, financial services and related professional services.
In accordance with the application procedures under the Scheme, after InvestHK has verified that the applicant fulfills the net asset requirement, he/she may submit to the ImmD an entry application for a visa/entry permit to enter Hong Kong for residence (entry application). Upon “approval-in-principle” after assessment from the immigration perspectives, the ImmD will grant a visa/entry permit to the applicant for entering Hong Kong as a visitor for not more than 180 days for making the committed investment within the period. Among the 174 applications received in March, InvestHK has approved 99 applications for Net Asset Assessment, and the ImmD has received 65 entry applications. The ImmD will generally complete the assessment of “approval-in-principle” in around three weeks, upon receipt of all needed documents. Since no application has been granted “approval-in-principle” so far, applicants have yet to commence their investments in Hong Kong. The detailed breakdown of the 65 entry applications received by the ImmD is set out in the table below:
Entry applications received by the ImmD
Guinea-Bissau
41
Vanuatu
15
Hungary
2
New Zealand
2
Australia
1
Canada
1
France
1
Greece
1
Malta
1
Total
65
Since the enhancement measures under the Scheme have only been implemented for a short period of time, the Government will continuously review the applicants’ investment arrangement and suitably evaluate its effectiveness.
(3) The Government has maintained communication with financial regulatory authorities in the Mainland on various cross-boundary remittance arrangements to seek to provide more facilitation arrangements for the convenience and benefit of the public and the business sector while ensuring that the risks are manageable. On facilitation for cross-boundary property purchases, the facilitative payment arrangement for Hong Kong and Macao residents purchasing properties in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), announced in January 2024, has been implemented. This arrangement applies to both newly built and second-hand residential properties purchased by individual Hong Kong and Macao residents, and allows them to remit funds in Renminbi or foreign currencies from outside the Mainland for property purchases and repayment of mortgage loans in the Mainland following the relevant procedures for settlement and payment.
For cross-boundary remittance arrangements (including that for property purchases) for Mainland residents or Mainland talents admitted to Hong Kong, since it involves different regulatory regimes (including requirements for capital inflows and outflows), the Government has been, with regard to their practical needs, exploring facilitation arrangements with the Mainland authorities concerned, with an aim to explore a gradual approach for seeking suitable policies and solutions through close collaboration between the two places within their regulatory framework and existing practices. Any facilitation arrangements will be announced in due course.
(4) Under the Scheme, an applicant is required to appoint eligible financial intermediary(ies) to manage the permissible investments in his/her designated account(s). The appointed financial intermediary(ies) is/are required to carry out customer due diligence and fulfill relevant anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), and report to InvestHK on the applicant’s continuous compliance with the Scheme Rules. When processing the applications for Assessment on Investment Requirements, InvestHK will also check the fund flow and investment arrangement of the applicant, and examine contract notes/reference letters, etc as provided by the applicant or issued by the appointed financial intermediary(ies). If necessary, InvestHK will also request the applicant to provide other supporting documents and information to certify that the applicant’s investment complies with the requirements of the Scheme.
(5) Since the enhancement measures to the Scheme effected in March 2025, applicants may make investments through eligible family-owned investment holding vehicles or family-owned special purpose entities. The Government has included experienced management professionals in asset and wealth management under the Talent List to promote the development of Hong Kong as an asset and wealth management hub. Outside talents who meet the eligibility criteria for the relevant profession (including family office professionals and asset managers) may apply for entry under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the General Employment Policy or the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals. Persons admitted under the above various talent admission schemes who have ordinarily resided in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode in the HKSAR in accordance with the law.
Siblings Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Pez, Pescado, and Mojarra — and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Fresa, El Feyo, and La Fruta — both of Guerrero, Mexico, and co-leaders of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl knowing those controlled substances would be imported into the United States, conspiracy to import those controlled substances into the United States, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute those controlled substances.
The indictments were returned in September 2024 and recently unsealed. Prior to his indictment, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga was designated as a Consolidated Priority Target (CPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Both Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico. In addition, today the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions against Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga and their siblings, LNFM members Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State also announced the designation of LNFM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Additionally, the Department of State announced a Narcotics Rewards Program offer of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.
Franco Tabares Martinez, 51, of Guerrero, Mexico, a high-ranking member of LNFM was charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and related substantive counts of drug trafficking. The indictment was unsealed against Franco Tabares Martinez on July 7, 2023, after which he was sanctioned by OFAC. On June 20, 2024, his brother Uriel Tabares-Martinez was also sanctioned by OFAC. Another brother, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Their sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez — also known as Yosel Medrano Hernandez and Lupe — of Mableton, Georgia, has now been charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to commit international money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business, and related substantive counts. The indictment was returned on April 8 and recently unsealed.
“Today’s indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“These cartel members are allegedly responsible for importing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to the Atlanta area and across the United States, and then wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from distributing those drugs back to Mexico,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia. “These federal indictments, in conjunction with the imposition of OFAC sanctions, send a strong message that we will tirelessly investigate, prosecute, and defund individuals around the globe who choose to import deadly drugs into, and risk the lives of the members of, our communities.”
“Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.”
“President Trump has promised to crack down on the flow of deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). “And today, working with the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State is delivering on that promise by offering rewards totaling up to $8 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Hurtado brothers.”
“Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs and violence impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent indictments demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking organizations.”
“The indictment of senior leaders of this brutal Mexican cartel and subsequent OFAC sanctions makes one thing clear, we are coming after these criminal networks and utilizing every weapon in our arsenal,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Through aggressive interagency coordination, HSI and our law enforcement partners are not only seizing their drugs and arresting their members, but we are also cutting off their money, dismantling their infrastructure, and bringing their leaders to justice. This operation underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from violence and addiction.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie for the Northern District of Georgia, the indictments, and other information presented in court: In 2021, agents of the DEA and HSI began an investigation of LNFM cartel members importing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States, including into the Northern District of Georgia. As part of the investigation, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez as a then-high-ranking member of the LNFM cartel who allegedly distributed multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the metro Atlanta area.
In addition, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez’s sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, as an Atlanta-based money launderer allegedly helping her brother and other drug traffickers by picking up bulk currency and then using her money service business, Noyola Multiservice, to transmit those drug proceeds to drug trafficking associates in Mexico. Through the investigation, agents also identified Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga as the cartel’s co-founders and kingpins, who conspired with cartel members in Mexico and throughout the United States to import heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border for distribution in various cities and states, including Atlanta.
This case is being investigated by the DEA and HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Bethany Rupert for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers, Franco Tabares Martinez and Guadalupe Tabares Martinez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia provided valuable contributions to the investigation of Guadalupe Tabares Martinez.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (the Strike Force) is to degrade and dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations (DTMLOs) in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS; as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Siblings Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Pez, Pescado, and Mojarra — and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Fresa, El Feyo, and La Fruta — both of Guerrero, Mexico, and co-leaders of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl knowing those controlled substances would be imported into the United States, conspiracy to import those controlled substances into the United States, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute those controlled substances.
The indictments were returned in September 2024 and recently unsealed. Prior to his indictment, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga was designated as a Consolidated Priority Target (CPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Both Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico. In addition, today the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions against Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga and their siblings, LNFM members Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State also announced the designation of LNFM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Additionally, the Department of State announced a Narcotics Rewards Program offer of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.
Franco Tabares Martinez, 51, of Guerrero, Mexico, a high-ranking member of LNFM was charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and related substantive counts of drug trafficking. The indictment was unsealed against Franco Tabares Martinez on July 7, 2023, after which he was sanctioned by OFAC. On June 20, 2024, his brother Uriel Tabares-Martinez was also sanctioned by OFAC. Another brother, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Their sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez — also known as Yosel Medrano Hernandez and Lupe — of Mableton, Georgia, has now been charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to commit international money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business, and related substantive counts. The indictment was returned on April 8 and recently unsealed.
“Today’s indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“These cartel members are allegedly responsible for importing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to the Atlanta area and across the United States, and then wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from distributing those drugs back to Mexico,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia. “These federal indictments, in conjunction with the imposition of OFAC sanctions, send a strong message that we will tirelessly investigate, prosecute, and defund individuals around the globe who choose to import deadly drugs into, and risk the lives of the members of, our communities.”
“Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.”
“President Trump has promised to crack down on the flow of deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). “And today, working with the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State is delivering on that promise by offering rewards totaling up to $8 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Hurtado brothers.”
“Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs and violence impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent indictments demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking organizations.”
“The indictment of senior leaders of this brutal Mexican cartel and subsequent OFAC sanctions makes one thing clear, we are coming after these criminal networks and utilizing every weapon in our arsenal,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Through aggressive interagency coordination, HSI and our law enforcement partners are not only seizing their drugs and arresting their members, but we are also cutting off their money, dismantling their infrastructure, and bringing their leaders to justice. This operation underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from violence and addiction.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie for the Northern District of Georgia, the indictments, and other information presented in court: In 2021, agents of the DEA and HSI began an investigation of LNFM cartel members importing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States, including into the Northern District of Georgia. As part of the investigation, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez as a then-high-ranking member of the LNFM cartel who allegedly distributed multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the metro Atlanta area.
In addition, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez’s sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, as an Atlanta-based money launderer allegedly helping her brother and other drug traffickers by picking up bulk currency and then using her money service business, Noyola Multiservice, to transmit those drug proceeds to drug trafficking associates in Mexico. Through the investigation, agents also identified Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga as the cartel’s co-founders and kingpins, who conspired with cartel members in Mexico and throughout the United States to import heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border for distribution in various cities and states, including Atlanta.
This case is being investigated by the DEA and HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Bethany Rupert for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers, Franco Tabares Martinez and Guadalupe Tabares Martinez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia provided valuable contributions to the investigation of Guadalupe Tabares Martinez.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (the Strike Force) is to degrade and dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations (DTMLOs) in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS; as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10) sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer requesting authorization for a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) to visit Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT). The maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, is illegally holding Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and resident of Maryland who held legal status. The letter can be found here.
“In a unanimous decision in Noem v. Abrego Garcia, the United States Supreme Court ordered “the government to ‘facilitate’ Mr. Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been, had he not been wrongfully deported.” A Congressional delegation would allow Committee Members to conduct a welfare check on Mr. Abrego Garcia, as well as others held at CECOT, such as Andry José Hernandez—a 30-year-old LGBTQ makeup artist who passed a ‘credible fear’ interview during his legal asylum process before being deported,” wrote the lawmakers.
Congressman Garcia remains committed to reforming our immigration system, creating fair pathways to citizenship, and treating immigrants with respect and dignity. In July 2024, Congressman Garcia introduced the SHIELD Act, which allocated grants through the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to local and state governments to support the recruitment of staff and attorneys to ensure that immigrants receive quality, affordable representation in immigration court. Last Congress, Congressman Garcia led investigations into fundamental integrity and credibility issues within the DHS, including identifying what actions have been taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. Congressman Garcia has also defended humane immigration procedures and condemned extreme rhetoric on immigration and border security that dehumanizes migrants legally seeking asylum. Congressman Garcia has also investigated the use of inappropriate language and behavior among Border Patrol agents within ICE toward immigrants following reports from the Huffington Post. Congressman Garcia also continues to champion legislation that increases resources and efficiencies for vital government departments and agencies.
Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development
Statements by M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, at his hearing before the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee (excerpts) (April 2, 2025)
(…)
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to outline the diplomatic track record of the first 100 days of François Bayrou’s government.
UKRAINE
The first point, unsurprisingly, relates to Europe’s strategic reawakening and Ukraine’s security. Just over a month ago we entered the fourth year of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, which was a huge jolt for European nations. In recent weeks, as you’ve seen, we’ve made considerable progress towards what could be the resolution of this crisis and, more broadly, a European security architecture capable of deterring the threat for good.
The Franco-British proposal for a one-month ceasefire in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure was taken up by the Ukrainian President during his discussions with the United States, which, for its part, insisted on an immediate, complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The Ukrainians, for whom this is a significant compromise, accepted it. (…)
The Russians rejected the proposal, after suggesting they would abide by it. The situation is now clear: Russia is engaging in delaying tactics and wants to gain time. It hasn’t given up its territorial ambitions, it’s proceeding with further strikes on energy infrastructure, is continuing its war crimes and has even just launched the biggest conscription drive for 14 years – 160,000 young people expected to leave for the front. At this stage, it seems to me that Russia owes the United States, which is striving to lead the mediation, a clear response: yes or no.
LEBANON
The second point in our track record is support for Lebanon on the road to reconstruction. Although Lebanon was on the edge of the abyss, we managed to negotiate with our US partners a ceasefire that restored the country’s security and stability. It’s holding, despite the tensions, including the most recent ones. Israeli troops have withdrawn from 99% of the territories they had occupied.
We’ve helped bring an end to a two-and-a-half-year vacancy for the head of State’s role. President Joseph Aoun was elected in January; he met President Macron in Paris on Friday 28 March. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is working to give shape to the new hope for that country so close to France’s heart.
We’ll continue to support its economic recovery and the restoration of a sovereign State by organizing an international conference dedicated to Lebanon’s reconstruction, in Paris this autumn. Between now and then, we’re advising Israel to enter into talks with Lebanon with a view to a definitive withdrawal from the five points it still occupies and the resolution of border disputes.
SYRIA
The third point in our record is our clear-sighted and conditional engagement with Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s criminal regime. We’ve chosen a demanding engagement with the new Syrian authorities, whose past we are aware of, with two goals: to foster a peaceful and inclusive political transition in keeping with Syria’s pluralism, guaranteeing respect for the rights of women and all communities; and to ensure that our security interests, particularly the fight against Islamist terrorism, the destruction of chemical weapons and an end to drug trafficking, are taken into account.
This explains my visit to Damascus on 3 January and the organization of an international conference on Syria in Paris on 13 February. More recently, we encouraged the signing of an agreement on 10 March between the Damascus authorities and our Kurdish partners in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have spearheaded the fight against Daesh in recent years, so that their rights and interests are taken into account in the Syrian transition and we can continue the fight against terrorism. We also ensured that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) can be deployed in Syria to destroy the regime’s stockpile of illegal chemical weapons.
Our engagement is clear-sighted, demanding, conditional and reversible. We strongly condemned the massacres of Alawite civilians and let the Damascus authorities know that, in the absence of a fight against impunity, we shall not proceed with a lifting of sanctions.
AFRICA
The fourth point in the record is the renewal of our partnerships in Africa. At the end of November, the President of Nigeria was welcomed to Paris to strengthen our ties with the continent’s leading demographic power. It was the first state visit to France by an African head of State since 2017. In mid-January we hosted a state visit by the President of Angola, which took over the presidency of the African Union (AU) a month later.
I personally have made several visits to sub-Saharan Africa: to the Sudanese border, to demonstrate our unfailing mobilization in the face of the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis; to Addis Ababa, headquarters of the AU, to revitalize, five years after the last session, our strategic dialogue with this new G20 member – because the AU has been admitted as a fully-fledged member; to Thiaroye in Senegal, to speak the truth about our shared history; to Johannesburg, to make France’s voice heard at the G20, whose presidency South Africa holds this year; and to Kinshasa and Kigali, to call on the Congolese and Rwandan heads of State to prioritize diplomacy rather than weapons.
CHINA/TRADE
Fifth point in the record: progress on trade negotiations in China. My visit last weekend was a first step towards resolving our dispute on Cognac and Armagnac. Before my visit to Beijing, the industry was under threat of an immediate imposition of definitive tariffs ranging from 34% to 39% on Cognac and Armagnac and the definitive closure of access to duty-free shops.
The demanding dialogue we’ve been conducting has enabled us to maintain this access for goods that have already arrived in China and delay by three months any imposition of definitive tariffs. This significant reprieve allows us to continue this demanding dialogue with China in order to put this dispute behind us. Next step: high-level dialogue between the Economy and Finance Minister and his Chinese counterpart on 15 May.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The sixth point in the record is the success of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit, held in Paris in January with more than 100 countries. Co-chaired by France and India, whose prime minister paid an official visit to France on the occasion, it concluded with a statement tackling, for the first time, the challenges of AI in their entirety – environmental, social and democratic. We also managed to secure an announcement of private investment in France to the tune of €109 billion, to benefit our businesses and fellow citizens, which will be followed up with a €50-billion investment by the European Commission, testifying to France’s attractiveness when it comes to this promising technology.
IRAN/FRENCH HOSTAGES
The seventh point in the record is the release of several French hostages. On 17 March, after months of active efforts and four conversations with my counterpart, we secured the release of Olivier Grondeau. It was an especially moving moment, shared by the nation’s elected representatives during a tribute paid on 25 March to him and our two other compatriots, Jacques Paris and Cécile Kohler, who are still being held after more than 1,000 days.
To free them, we’ll be stepping up the pressure on the Iranian regime. First of all, in the coming days, probably during the European Foreign Affairs Council on 14 April, we’ll be adopting additional European sanctions against those Iranians responsible for the state hostages policy. Secondly, given the unacceptable violations of our two compatriots’ right to consular protection, which are sadly just one aspect of their harsh conditions of detention, we’ll be lodging a complaint against Iran with the International Court of Justice, for violating the right to consular protection. (…)
What makes our diplomacy strong is precisely that it has a more extensive arsenal than others, ranging from dialogue to sanctions, and that it uses it wisely, having learnt from decades and even centuries of French diplomatic successes.
It’s this strength that I’ll be harnessing in the next 100 days to defend and promote French interests.
GAZA
The first area on which we’re focusing efforts is the search for a lasting political solution in Gaza. We’re working for a permanent ceasefire enabling the release of all the hostages and the massive delivery of humanitarian aid, blocked for several weeks, to the civilian population, who are in a tragic situation. We’re convinced that there’s no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In particular, annexation, the forced displacement of people, and settlement activity are a dead end and a threat to the security of Israel itself.
We’ll continue to work to find the path to a lasting political solution. In Gaza, we support the Arab plan, which proposes a reconstruction framework and credible security guarantees. It aims to establish a new Palestinian governance, in which Hamas must in no way take part. Outside Gaza, we’ll continue working with our Saudi partners, co-chairing an international conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York in the summer, aimed at restoring the prospect of a two-State solution, which alone guarantees peace and security to the Israelis and Palestinians.
SUDAN
The second area we’re focusing on concerns the crisis in Sudan, the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis in terms of its scale – 26 million children, women and men in a situation of absolute humanitarian distress. 15 April will mark the second anniversary of the conflict.
In 2024 we hosted a major international conference on support for Sudan and the neighbouring countries, which raised more than €2 billion in humanitarian commitments. On 15 April I’ll be visiting London for the second conference, co-organized with the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union and the AU. We’ll review the commitments made last year and call on those involved to shoulder their responsibilities, to ensure that the conflict does not see a third anniversary.
DRC/RWANDA
The third area of work concerns diplomatic and humanitarian support in the Great Lakes region. We’re making active efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis tearing apart the eastern DRC, where Rwandan troops are deployed supporting the rebel group M23, in breach of Congolese sovereignty.
We’re pursuing this goal at several levels: bilaterally, President Macron is in close contact with his two counterparts and the region’s leaders; at the level of the European Union, which recently adopted new individual measures against military leaders from Rwanda and the M23 rebel group; and at the UN, where we played a key role and got the Security Council to adopt a historic resolution at the end of February, unanimously condemning the presence of Rwandan troops in the eastern DRC.
We’re also in contact with African mediators, who are working on the front line to secure a political resolution to the crisis – i.e. in practical terms, a lasting and mutually-agreed ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations. It’s a matter of urgency. The whole region’s stability is at stake, and the conflict has already led to the displacement of nearly a million people since the beginning of the year, and several thousand deaths. It’s the world’s second most serious humanitarian crisis. So I’ve decided, regardless of the budgetary constraints, to increase our humanitarian support package by €5.5 million.
IRAN/NUCLEAR PROGRAMME
Our fourth area of work concerns the search for a binding agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme. Despite the setbacks it has suffered in recent months – the heavy defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel’s aerial attack on its territory, a disastrous economic situation – Iran is continuing an agenda of destabilization, raising the stakes in its nuclear programme, which is reaching unprecedented levels, continuing its support for groups that destabilize the region such as the Houthis, supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine by delivering drones and missiles, and a policy of state hostages.
Ten years after the conclusion of the Joint Plan of Action (JPoA), we remain convinced that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. Our priority is to achieve an agreement that restricts its nuclear programme in a lasting and verifiable way. The window of opportunity is narrow: we have only a few months before the expiry of the JPoA, secured in particular thanks to French negotiators, to whom I pay tribute. In the event of failure, a military confrontation would become all but inevitable. Its cost would be very high, in that it would very badly destabilize the region. We’ve been doing everything to prevent that, for the past 10 years.
ALGERIA
Fifthly, we’re focusing our efforts on opening up diplomatic space with Algeria. The tensions between us, which we didn’t cause, serve neither its interests nor ours. We must reduce them rigorously and with honesty, without weakness. That was the approach behind the Prime Minister’s convening of an interministerial meeting on immigration control providing for a re-examination of the agreements reached between the two countries.
The telephone conversation between President Macron and his Algerian counterpart reopened a diplomatic space allowing the crisis to be resolved. We intend to take advantage of it to achieve results, in the interests of French people, as regards cooperation on migration, justice, security, the economy and remembrance. The two heads of State decided on some principles. They must now find a way to implement them. On Sunday I’ll be visiting Algiers for this. Other ministerial, and no doubt parliamentary, visits will follow.
WESTERN BALKANS
Sixth area where we’re focusing our efforts: the Western Balkans. Exactly 30 years ago, the region was in the grip of a very high-intensity war, right at the heart of the European continent, less than 2,000 kilometres from France. In Serbia, the authorities are facing unprecedented public unrest. The negotiations conducted for several months between President Vucic and the demonstrators have made it possible to announce the formation of a new government in the next few weeks, which is a first step towards calming down the situation. Last Saturday, during a conversation, President Macron had the opportunity to encourage him to move further along that path.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, since an arrest warrant was issued against him, the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, is stepping up his secessionist initiatives, which we have systematically condemned. We gave our consent to a strengthening of the European ALTHEA force, which is under French command, by some 600 additional personnel, so that it could be in a position to calm down the situation if it became toxic. (…)
We’re focusing on the European Political Community summit being held in Tirana on 16 May, providing President Macron with the opportunity to hold meetings with the authorities in the countries of the region – both the ones gripped by the crisis and those which, on the contrary, are making good progress on their pathway to the European Union, particularly Albania and Montenegro.
ARMENIA/AZERBAIJAN
The seventh area on which we’re focusing efforts is the Caucasus, particularly with our support for Armenia. We welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nothing stands now in the way of it being signed, which I hope will take place as soon as possible. France will continue to unfailingly support Armenia’s resilience and sovereignty. The determination of Nikol Pashinyan’s government to stay on the path of independence, democracy and peace is remarkable, especially as Russia is not hiding its hostility.
In this context, we are closely following the trial of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, which began on 17 January at the Baku Military Court. We are being very vigilant as regards the concerns expressed by human rights organizations about the fairness of trials and the treatment of defendants. We call for the release of all prisoners held arbitrarily in Azerbaijan and would like the normalization process between the two countries to allow the issue of prisoners and detainees to be resolved.
UN OCEAN CONFERENCE
Our eighth area of work concerns the organization of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice in June. A highlight of our international calendar, 10 years after the conclusion of the Paris climate agreement, it’s set to be its equivalent for the oceans. We’re aiming at several outcomes – one of them is being debated in the Chamber at this very moment – including the entry into force of the international treaty for the protection of the high seas and marine biodiversity, which requires it to be ratified by 60 signatory States. We’ve got to about 20. We’re making active efforts at every level, including that of your committee through Éléonore Caroit, whom I thank. We’ll be opening a ratification office in Nice during UNOC, to encourage countries that are delaying to submit their ratification instruments.
Allow me to say a word about the two main projects to transform the Ministry.
INFORMATION WAR
The first concerns rearmament in the face of the information war. In 2024 France was the European Union country most targeted by foreign interference, with 152 of the 505 cases detected in Europe between November 2023 and November 2024. That year, 2024, saw a great deal of evidence that operations of influence, particularly Russian ones, were being conducted against our civilian population. France has assets to defeat this, but must invest more in informing French people. More broadly, it must not only beef itself up to defend itself but also reinvent itself to make its voice heard, at a time when the information space has become fragmented.
FOREIGN MINISTRY AND THE PUBLIC
The second transformation project consists in focusing the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs more on French people and creating through this key State ministry – which is probably one of those least known by our compatriots – a link between diplomacy and nation such as that between the army and the nation. What happens beyond our borders has probably never had so much impact on our compatriots’ daily lives, and both you and I saw during scrutiny of the budget an insufficient understanding of the work we do in parliamentary and ministerial diplomacy to serve our compatriots.
This transformation project is very far-reaching and affects every dimension of our action. It’s about better assessing and developing the response the Ministry provides to French people’s concerns, for example in terms of employment, the ecological transition, health and immigration. It’s about activating links with French people by supporting economic diplomacy and decentralized cooperation – local authorities are the Ministry’s chief partner. It’s about taking resolute action, with elected representatives of the regions, departments and cross-border communities, to finally remove the many irritants facing the millions of our compatriots who have daily experience of the border. It’s about increasing the number of visits by the Minister within France, which is not customary but seems important in the period we are going through, because our compatriots are worried about what is happening abroad and need to be given some control. Finally, it’s about opening the Quai d’Orsay right up and increasing the number of visits there so that people can properly understand the professions of the diplomatic service, how it can change our compatriots’ lives and why it’s so useful on a daily basis. (…)./.
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LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting himself sexually abusing a toddler.
David Lisandro Perez Figueroa, 23, of Monrovia, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered Perez Figueroa to pay $2,799 in restitution and placed him on lifetime supervised release.
Perez Figueroa pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
From an unknown date until December 2023, Perez Figueroa recorded his sexual abuse of a 2-year-old child for the purpose of making a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct.
In July 2023, Perez Figueroa distributed the CSAM via the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an account linked to Perez Figueroa.
British law enforcement investigating a target in the United Kingdom discovered the X chat logs with CSAM and, soon after, notified federal law enforcement in the United States, according to court documents. Based on this information, federal agents executed a search warrant at Perez Figueroa’s residence on December 5, 2023 and arrested him.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna W. Long of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Mirelle N. Raza of the General Crimes Section, Amy E. Pomerantz of the Criminal Appeals Section, and Sarah E. Spielberger of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses the All India Forensic Science Summit 2025 organised by NFSU in New Delhi PM Modi’s vision changed the entire landscape of the country’s criminal justice system
The use of forensic science is imperative to stop borderless crimes
In the coming decade, India will have the highest conviction rate in the world
It is important to make forensic science a part of the criminal justice system so that no injustice is done to both the accused and the complainant
7 campuses of National Forensic Sciences University have been built across the country, 9 more campuses will be built in another 6 months
The government is trying to make the society crime-free by finding solutions to all challenges using forensic sciences
NFSU is promoting trained manpower, research and indigenous technology
Posted On: 14 APR 2025 6:00PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the All India Forensic Science Summit 2025 organized by the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in New Delhi today as the Chief Guest. The theme of the conference was ‘Role of Forensic Science in Effective Implementation of New Criminal Laws and Combating Terrorism’. The conference was attended by many dignitaries including Justice V Ramasubramanian, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Attorney General Shri R Venkataramani, Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman, Bar Council of India Shri Manan Kumar Mishra, Union Home Secretary Shri Govind Mohan and Vice Chancellor, NFSU Dr. J. M. Vyas.
Paying tribute to Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that Babasaheb worked to finalize the Constitution of India. It was a Herculean task to finalize the Constitution after thousands of hours of intense discussion on every subject, but Babasaheb composed the Constitution by incorporating all aspects keeping in mind the needs of the country and with the idea of maintaining the relevance of the Constitution for many years. Shri Shah said that our Constitution is not just a book. It has a system for the protection of the body, property and honor of every citizen and forensic science is now playing a very useful role in strengthening the criminal justice system associated with the protection of these three.
Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are striving to make the justice system people-centric and scientific. Efforts are also being made to ensure that those seeking justice get justice on time and also have the satisfaction of getting justice. Through this, our aim is to create a safe, capable and competent India. Union Home Minister said that to strengthen the criminal justice system, the Government of India has brought three new criminal laws in the form of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).
Union Home Minister said that forensics is not a new idea in our country. Its detailed description is found in Charak Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Kautilya’s Arthashashtra. Acharya Kautilya has guided the world in detail on topics like toxicology, identification of poison, body language of suspects, and identification of accused on the basis of speech.
Shri Amit Shah said that without forensic science, it is not possible to deliver timely justice and increase the rate of conviction. He said that the entire scenario of crime has changed today. Now criminals use different means of technology, information and communication, due to which crime has now become borderless. Earlier, crime used to happen in a small part of a district, state or country, but now crime has become borderless. Modern crimes now transcend city, state, national, and even international boundaries. In such a situation, the importance of forensic science has increased a lot. Shri Shah said that when PM Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and he was the Home Minister, the seed of Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, planted by Shri Narendra Modi in 2009, has now grown into a banyan tree in the form of the National Forensic Sciences University — the first university of its kind in the world. He said that it is a matter of joy for him that when the National Forensic Sciences University was established on 1 October 2020, Shri Narendra Modi was the Prime Minister and he was the Home Minister of the country.
Union Home Minister said that PM Modi’s visionary leadership has brought significant transformation to the country’s criminal justice system. He emphasized that a system has been established where neither the accused nor the complainant is subjected to injustice. To ensure this balance, integrating forensic science into the criminal justice process is essential. Shri Shah highlighted that the steps taken in 2009 and 2020 to establish the Forensic Science University are not only producing skilled professionals but also paving the way for research across various fields. He noted that the university has become a trusted institution for forensic analysis in complex cases and has also evolved into a hub for equipping the country’s forensic laboratories with modern technology. He further added that the university offers a wide range of programs, including degree, diploma, PhD, and research courses. Additionally, it has developed and adopted numerous indigenous technologies and has created toolkits to supply these innovations to police forces across the nation.
Shri Amit Shah underlined that following the directive of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to get rid the country of colonial-era laws, work on finalizing new criminal laws was carried out between 2019 and 2024. He noted that extensive discussions during this period revealed the extent to which the outdated laws were harming India’s criminal justice system. He emphasized that if laws are not updated in accordance with changing times, they become obsolete and irrelevant. He added that the original intent of the old criminal laws was not to deliver justice to Indian citizens but to uphold British rule. In contrast, the three new criminal laws introduced under PM Modi’s leadership have been crafted by Indians, for the protection and justice of Indian citizens. Shri Shah said that this represents the most significant legal reform of the 21st century. He further explained that the new laws provide a legal foundation for the use of modern technology and have been designed with a forward-looking approach — incorporating not only current technologies but also anticipating technological developments for the next 100 years.
Union Home Minister said that the new laws have formally defined e-documents and e-summons. He explained that the method of technology used is irrelevant as long as the law recognizes e-documents, and similarly, once people accept e-summons, the mode of delivery no longer matters. He emphasized that technology has been integrated at every stage of the criminal justice process — from the crime scene to investigation, and through to the trial. Forensic investigation has been made mandatory for all crimes that carry a punishment of more than seven years. He expressed confidence that these changes will lead to India achieving the highest conviction rate in the world in the coming decade.
Shri Amit Shah said that the conviction rate in the country is currently stands at 54 per cent. He said that terrorism has been defined in the new laws. Voice logs and digital voice mail have also been given a place. Arrangements have also been made in BNSS to give legal basis to audio, video recordings, videography of forensic evidence and digital records in interrogation. Arrangements have been made to ensure justice within the stipulated period by setting time limits for the police, prosecution and judicial system. He said that its results have also started coming. In some cases, the rapist was convicted in 23 days and within 100 days the triple murder case was solved and the culprit was punished. Union Home Minister said that this was possible because technical evidence was recognized in the trial. He said that efforts have also been made to digitize the digital system of the entire country.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today 100 per cent police stations in the country have been computerized through Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS). About 14 crore 19 lakh FIRs and their related documents have been made available online along with legacy data. 22 thousand courts have been equipped with the e-court facilities. Data of 2 crore 19 lakh is available through e-prison. Prosecution data of 1 crore 93 lakh cases is available through e-prosecution. 39 lakh forensic evidences are available online through e-forensics. He said that 16 lakh alerts have been generated from this. Fingerprints of 1 crore 53 lakh accused are available in the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). These fingerprints have been shared with every police station. National Database of Human Trafficking Offender is also available. Shri Shah added that this data is separate right now, but in the next few years, the Home Ministry will hand over this data to the investigating teams using Artificial Intelligence. He said that then it will become very easy to formulate a strategy to prevent crime and it will also be very beneficial in controlling crime.
Union Home Minister said that due to the farsightedness of PM Modi, we had established the National Forensic Sciences University in the year 2020 itself, while three new criminal laws came into force in 2024. He said that seven campuses of the National Forensic Sciences University have been established in different states of the country. 9 more campuses will be established in the next 6 months. Apart from these, the establishment of 10 more campuses is proposed. Shri Shah said that there will be no state in the country where there is no campus of National Forensic Sciences University. We will work to make each campus the best unit in the world by giving it one subject. The students of the university will be helped in research and development so that they achieve heights in research and make the campus the best in the allotted subject. Home Minister said that after its completion, every year 36 thousand diploma and degree holder youth will pass out from these campuses and strengthen our criminal justice system.
Shri Amit Shah said that there is a need for 30,000 trained professionals to visit every crime scene where the punishment is more than seven years. He noted that each year, around 36,000 students will graduate from the National Forensic Sciences University, many of whom will go on to work in private forensic laboratories as well. He further mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is working on an agreement between private and government Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs), allowing certain samples received by government FSLs to also be analyzed by private labs. He added that NFSU is advancing into several emerging fields, including drone forensics, smart city forensics, marine forensics, and corporate forensics. Shri Shah also highlighted the growing international presence of NFSU, stating that around 240 foreign students are currently enrolled, and that the university will continue to expand globally in the coming years.
Union Home Minister emphasized the need to categorize offenders into habitual criminals, those driven to crime by circumstances, and those who committed crimes out of necessity. He stressed the importance of providing psychological counseling to such individuals within jails, with the goal of encouraging them to become responsible citizens. He expressed confidence that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India will be able to develop a robust forensic science-based system for prisoner rehabilitation within the next couple of years. Shri Shah also said that a Modus Operandi Bureau has been established, which will play a vital role in controlling crime by analyzing criminal behavior patterns.
Shri Amit Shah acknowledged that the country faces numerous challenges, many of which can be addressed through the effective use of forensic science. He called for close collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Forensic Sciences University to work toward building a crime-free society through scientific solutions. Union Home Minister said that, during the conference, young individuals were recognized for their outstanding performance in the hackathon and their efforts to promote the use of the Hindi language.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Colleagues Condemn Trump’s Illegal and Unprecedented Invocation of Alien Enemies Act, Demand Answers About Deportees
Lawmakers to Trump: “The government should not be able to falsely accuse individuals in the United States, including U.S. citizens, of gang membership and send them to foreign prisons without any judicial review or remedy”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined 14 lawmakers in condemning President Trump’s unlawful invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The letter to President Trump follows the Supreme Court’s recent decision to only allow him to continue rapid deportations under the statute if individuals are given due process, including notice and an opportunity to challenge the deportation. Last week, Padilla, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07) issued a joint statement condemning the Court’s decision to lift a hold on removals under the Alien Enemies Act.
“We write regarding your unlawful invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, resulting in noncitizens being deported without any due process, not to mention violating the requirement that the statute be invoked only in response to an act of war, predatory incursion, or invasion by a foreign government,” wrote the lawmakers. “Our immigration laws can already hold gang members accountable and provide for their deportation. The government should not be able to falsely accuse individuals in the United States, including U.S. citizens, of gang membership and send them to foreign prisons without any judicial review or remedy.”
“By claiming a foreign ‘invasion’ or ‘incursion,’ you are clearly attempting to suspend due process for noncitizens and speed up your mass deportation campaign,” continued the lawmakers. “Circumventing immigration law, and its requirement of verifiable evidence, will result in people with no gang affiliation being incorrectly targeted and deported.”
In 1798, President John Adams signed the “Alien and Sedition Acts” which was comprised of four bills: The Naturalization Act; the Alien Friends Act; the Sedition Act; and the Alien Enemies Act (AEA). Today, the AEA is the only one that remains in effect. The AEA is a wartime authority that allows the president to target foreign nationals of a hostile nation or government to be “apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed” with limited due process during wartime. The United States is not at war today, and the Constitution outlines that only Congress has the power to declare war.
The AEA has only been invoked three times in American history: the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. In their letter, the lawmakers make clear that Tren de Aragua — a Venezuelan gang — does not qualify as an arm of the Venezuelan government.
The lawmakers further emphasized that the Trump Administration’s choice to deport individuals to El Salvador will likely subject people to human rights abuses as El Salvador’s prisons are notorious for their inhumane conditions, including denial of medical care, lack of food, and outright torture. More than 260 people have died in these Salvadoran prisons in just the past two and a half years, with some individuals facing significant physical abuse.
In their letter, the lawmakers also demand that the Trump Administration provide regular updates about the people who have already been deported, as well as information about them including their names, nationalities, and ages. They also asked about what evidence was used to determine whether an individual was a member of Tren de Aragua.
“Invoking the Alien Enemies Act does not make Americans safer,” concluded the lawmakers. “It endangers all of us, by removing due process protections and ignoring the plain text of the statute. We urge you to abandon this decision.”
U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05) led the letter. In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter was also signed by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), as well as Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), and Greg Casar (D-Texas-35).
Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric, including his attempted invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. Padilla issued a joint statement with Senators Durbin, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) slamming President Trump for his attempted invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport noncitizens without due process. He is also a cosponsor of the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, legislation that would repeal the antiquated Alien Enemies Act. Earlier this year, Padilla joined other Democratic immigration leaders in challenging the constitutional basis of President Trump’s sham “invasion” proclamation, which the President believes allows his Administration to circumvent federal immigration law and due process.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear President Trump:
We write regarding your unlawful invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, resulting in noncitizens being deported without any due process, not to mention violating the requirement that the statute be invoked only in response to an act of war, predatory incursion, or invasion by a foreign government. Our immigration laws can already hold gang members accountable and provide for their deportation. The government should not be able to falsely accuse individuals in the United States, including U.S. citizens, of gang membership and send them to foreign prisons without any judicial review or remedy. The Supreme Court, when confronted with the manner in which you conducted the removals, unanimously rejected the implementation and its corresponding lack of notice and opportunity to challenge individuals’ removals. Moreover, deporting these individuals to Salvadorian prisons will also subject them to inhumane conditions, further exacerbating the legal issues in invoking the Alien Enemies Act.
The Alien Enemies Act was passed as part of the infamous Alien and Sedition Acts, and it was used during World War II to detain tens of thousands of innocent Japanese, German, and Italian individuals based on nothing but their ethnicity. This wartime use of the Alien Enemies Act served as a precursor to Executive Order 9066, resulting in the incarceration of 111,000 Japanese Americans. Those who were caught up in that xenophobic panic, as well as organizations like the Japanese American National Museum, have condemned your recent invocation of the act.
We reiterate that the plain language of the law limits the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to two enumerated situations: times of declared war, and times of invasion or “predatory incursion” by a foreign nation or government. The Act has only been invoked three times in American history: the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. A Venezuelan gang does not qualify as an arm of the Venezuelan government.
By claiming a foreign “invasion” or “incursion,” you are clearly attempting to suspend due process for noncitizens and speed up your mass deportation campaign. Circumventing immigration law, and its requirement of verifiable evidence, will result in people with no gang affiliation being incorrectly targeted and deported. Multiple individuals who were subjected to the Alien Enemies Act had ongoing cases arguing that they were not members of Tren de Aragua. An attorney for one individual says that her client was mislabeled as a member of the gang due to a tattoo supporting the Spanish soccer team Real Madrid and for flashing the popular hand symbol for “rock and roll.” Another individual is a tattoo artist. A third individual was a make-up artist who was seeking asylum due to his sexual orientation.
Aside from these foregoing concerns, your choice of deportation sites will likely subject people to human rights abuses. El Salvador’s prisons are notorious for their inhumane conditions, including denial of medical care, lack of food, and outright torture. Over 260 people have died in those prisons in the last two and a half years, including some with signs of serious physical abuse. An Amnesty International UK report accused the Salvadorian authorities of a “systematic policy of torture towards all those detained.” The specific prison that will house the deported individuals, the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT), has been described as a place “to dispose of people without formally applying the death penalty.” According to a Times reporter who watched the individuals be transferred to CECOT, the “intake began with slaps.” When detainees fell due to how quickly they were being moved, they were kicked, slapped, and shoved. One person asked for his mom and cried. He was slapped again. We should not subject individuals to mistreatment and more, much less individuals who have had no due process and have not been found guilty of any crimes.
At this point, we request that you provide us with information and regular updates on the following:
1. The names, nationalities, and ages of the people sent to El Salvador to be imprisoned in CECOT, including the number of individuals under the age of 18;
2. What evidence was used to determine that each individual was a member of Tren de Aragua;
3. The overall estimated costs and sources of funding associated with detaining and deporting these individuals; and
4. The procedures for individuals to challenge your administration’s determination that they are a member of Tren de Aragua, either here in the United States or in El Salvador, including how much time you provide to individuals to mount a legal challenge.
In closing, invoking the Alien Enemies Act does not make Americans safer. It endangers all of us, by removing due process protections and ignoring the plain text of the statute. We urge you to abandon this decision.
“Wherever Palestinians have control is barbaric.” These were the words from New Zealand’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner Stephen Rainbow.
During a meeting with Philippa Yasbek from Jewish Voices for Peace, Dr Rainbow allegedly told her that information from the NZ Security Intelligence Services (NZSIS) threat assessment asserted that Muslims were the biggest threat to the Jewish community. More so than white supremacists.
But the NZSIS has not identified Muslims as the greatest threat to national security.
In the 2023 threat environment report, NZSIS stated that it: “Does not single out any community as a threat to our country, and to do so would be a misinterpretation of the analysis.
“White Identity-Motivated Violent Extremism (W-IMVE) continues to be the dominant IMVE ideology in New Zealand. Young people becoming involved in W-IMVE is a growing trend.”
Religiously motivated violent extremism (RMVE) did not come from the Muslim community, as Dr Rainbow has also misrepresented.
The more recent 2024 NZSIS report stated: “White identity-motivated violent extremism (W-IMVE) remains the dominant IMVE ideology in New Zealand. Terrorist attack-related material and propaganda, including the Christchurch terrorist’s manifesto and livestream footage, continue to be shared among IMVE adherents in New Zealand and abroad.”
To implicate Muslims as being the greatest threat may highlight Dr Rainbow’s own biases, racist beliefs, and political agenda. These false narratives, that have recently been strongly pushed by the US and Israel, undermine social cohesion and lead to a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism.
It is also deeply troubling that he has framed Muslim and Arab communities as potential sources of violent extremism while failing to acknowledge the very real and documented threats they have faced in Aotearoa.
The Christchurch Mosque attacks — the most horrific act of mass violence in New Zealand’s modern history — were perpetrated not by Muslims, but against them, by an individual radicalised by white supremacist ideology.
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow . . . “It is also deeply troubling that he has framed Muslim and Arab communities as potential sources of violent extremism while failing to acknowledge the very real and documented threats they have faced in Aotearoa.” Image: HRC
Since that tragedy, there have been multiple threats made against mosques, Arab New Zealanders, and Palestinian communities, many of which have received insufficient public attention or institutional response.
For a Human Rights Commissioner to overlook this context and effectively invert the victim-aggressor dynamic is not only factually inaccurate, but it also risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes and undermining the safety and dignity of communities who are already vulnerable.
Such narratives are inconsistent with the Human Rights Commission’s mandate to protect all people in New Zealand from discrimination and hate.
The dehumanisation of Muslims and Palestinians As part of Israel’s propaganda, anti-Muslim and Palestinian tropes are used to justify violence against Palestinians by framing us as barbaric, aggressive, and as a threat. We are dehumanised in order to normalise the harm they inflict on our communities which includes genocide, land theft, ethnic cleansing, apartheid policies, dispossession, and occupation.
In October 2023, Dan Gillerman, a former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, described Palestinians as “horrible, inhuman animals” and was perplexed with the growing global concern for us.
That same month Yoav Gallant, then Israeli Defence Minister, referred to Palestinians as “human animals” when he announced Israel’s illegal and horrific siege on Gaza that included blocking water, food, medicine, and shelter to an entire population, the majority of which are children.
In making his own remarks about the Muslim community being a “threat” in New Zealand as a collective group, and labelling Palestinians being “barbaric”, Dr Stephen Rainbow has shattered the credibility of the Human Rights Commission. He has made it very clear that he is not impartial nor is he representing and protecting all communities.
Instead, Dr Rainbow is exacerbating divisions within society. This is a worrying trend that we are witnessing around the world; the de-humanising of groups to serve political agendas, retain power, or seek public support for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Dr Rainbow’s appointment also points a spotlight onto this government’s commitment to neutrality and inclusiveness in its human rights policies. Allowing a high-ranking official to make discriminatory remarks undermines New Zealand’s commitment to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A high-ranking official should not be allowed to engage in Islamic and Palestinian racist rhetoric without consequence. The public should be questioning the morals, principles, and inclusivity of those currently in power. Our trust is being eroded.
Dr Stephen Rainbow’s comments can also be seen as a breach of human rights principles, as he is supposed to uphold equality and non-discrimination. Yet his beliefs seem to be peppered with racism, often falsely based on religion, ethnicity, and race.
Foreign influence in New Zealand This incident also shines accountability and concerns for foreign influence and propaganda seeping into New Zealand. The Israel Institute of New Zealand (IINZ) has published articles that some perceive as dehumanising toward Palestinians.
“The Left has found a new underdog to replace the Jews — the Palestinians — in spite of the fact that the treatment of gay people, women, and political opponents wherever Palestinians have control is barbaric.”
By publicising these comments, The Israel Institute of New Zealand signalled its support of these offensive and racist serotypes. Such statements risk reinforcing a narrative that portrays Palestinians as inherently violent, uncivilised, and unworthy of basic rights and dignity.
This kind of rhetoric contributes to what many describe as anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, and it warrants public scrutiny, especially when shared by organisations involved in shaping public discourse.
Importantly, the NZSIS 2024 threat report stated that “Inflammatory and violent language online can target anyone, although most appears directed towards those from already marginalised minority communities, or those affected by globally significant conflicts or events, such as the Israel-Gaza conflict.”
Other statements and reposts published online by the IINZ on their X account include:
“Muslims are getting killed, is Israel involved? No. How many casualties? Under 100,00, who cares? Why is this even on the news? Over 100,000. Oh, that’s too bad, what’s for dinner?” (12 February 2024)
“Fact. Gaza isn’t ‘ancestral Palestinian land’. We’ve been here long before them, and we’ll still be here long after the latest propaganda campaign.” (12 February 2024)
Palestinian society was also described as being “a violent, terror-supporting, Jew-hating society with genocidal aspirations.” (16 February 2025)
The “estimate of Hamas casualties, the civilian-to-combat death ratio could be as low as 1:1. This could be historically low for urban warfare.” (21 February 2025)
“There has never been a country called Palestine.” (25 February 2025)
Even showing a picture of Gaza before Israel’s bombing campaign with a caption saying, “Open air prison”. Next to it a picture of a completely destroyed Gaza with a caption that says “Victory.” (23 February 2025)
“Palestinian society in Gaza is in my eyes little more than a death loving cult of murderers and criminals of the lowest kind.” (28 February 2025)
Anti-Palestinian bias and racism Portraying Muslims and Palestinians as a threat and extremist reflects both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias and potential racism. These statements risk dehumanising Palestinians and are typical of the settler colonial narrative used to erase indigenous populations by denying our history, identity and legal claim.
The IINZ has published content that many see as mocking the deaths of Palestinian Muslims and Christians, which is not only ethically questionable but can be seen as a complete lack of empathy.
And posting the horrific images of a completely destroyed Gaza, appears to revel in the suffering of others and contradicts basic ethical norms, such as decency and compassion.
There also appears to be a common theme among pro-Israeli organisations, not just the IINZ, that cast negative connotations on our national symbols including our Palestinian flag and keffiyeh.
In an article on the IINZ webpage, titled “A justified war”, they write “chorus of protesters wearing keffiyehs, waving their Palestinian and terrorist flags, and shouting about Israel’s alleged war crimes.”
It seemingly places the Palestinian flag — an internationally recognised national symbol– alongside so-called “terrorist flags,” suggesting an equivalence between Palestinian identity and terrorism. Many view this language as dehumanising and inflammatory, erasing the legitimate national and cultural characteristics of Palestinians and feeding into harmful stereotypes.
The Palestinian flag represents a people, their identity, and national aspirations.
There is nothing wrong with our keffiyeh, it is part of our national dress. The negative connotations of Palestinian cultural symbols have to stop, including vilifying other MPs or supporters who wear it in solidarity.
This is happening all too often in New Zealand and must be called out and addressed. Our keffiyeh is not just a scarf — it is a symbol of our Palestinian identity, our resistance, and our rich, historic and deeply rooted cultural heritage.
Pro-Israeli groups attack it because they aim to delegitimise Palestinian identity and resistance by associating it with violence, terrorism, or extremism.
In 2024, ISESCO and UNESCO both recognised the keffiyeh as an essential part of their Intangible Cultural Heritage lists as a way of safeguarding Palestinian cultural heritage and reinforcing its historical and symbolic importance.
As a safeguarded cultural artifact, much like indigenous dress and other traditional attire, attempts to ban or demonize it are acts of cultural erasure and need to be called out as such and dealt with accordingly.
In the same IINZ article titled “A Justified War”, the authors present arguments that appear to defend Israel’s military actions in Gaza, including the targeting of civilians.
Many within the community (most of us have been affected), including survivors and those with direct ties to the region, have found the article deeply distressing and feel that it lacks compassion for the victims of the ongoing violence, and the framing and tone of the piece have raised serious ethical concerns, especially as some statements are factually incorrect.
The New Zealand Palestinian communities affected by this unimaginable genocide are suffering. Our family members are being killed and are at threat daily from Israel’s aggression and illegal war.
Unfortunately, much rhetoric from this organisation aligns with Israeli state narratives and includes statements that some view as racist or immoral, warranting further scrutiny from the government.
There is growing public concern over the association of Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow with the IINZ, which promotes itself as a research and advocacy body.
A Human Rights Commissioner requires neutrality and a commitment to protecting all communities from discrimination; aligning with Israel and publishing harmful rhetoric may lead to bias in policy decisions and discrimination.
It is also important to remember that we are not a monolithic group. Christian Palestinians exist (I am one) as well as Muslim and historically Jewish Palestinians. Christian communities have lived in Palestine for two thousand years.
This is also not a religious conflict, as many pro-Israeli groups wish the world to believe, and it is not complex. It is one of colonialism, dispossession, and human rights. A history that New Zealand is all too familiar with.
“A Human Rights Commissioner requires neutrality and a commitment to protecting all communities from discrimination; aligning with Israel and publishing harmful rhetoric may lead to bias in policy decisions and discrimination.” Image: HRC screenshot APR
The need for accountability Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith’s inaction and disrespectful response, claiming that a staunchly pro-Israeli supporter can be impartial and will be “very careful” from now on, hints that he may also support some forms of racism, in this case against Muslims and Palestinians.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith . . . “There needs to be accountability for Goldsmith. Why has he not removed Dr Rainbow from office and acted appropriately?” Image: NZ Parliament
You cannot address only some groups who are discriminated against but then ignore others, or accept excuses for racist, intolerable actions or statements. This is not justice.
This is the application of selective principles, enforced and underpinned by political agendas, foreign influence, and racism. Does Goldsmith understand that justice is as much about human rights, fairness and accountability as it is about laws?
Without accountability, there is no justice at all, or perhaps he too is confused or uncertain about his role, as much as Dr Rainbow seems oblivious to his?
There needs to be accountability for Goldsmith. Why has he not removed Dr Rainbow from office and acted appropriately? If Dr Rainbow had said that Jews were the biggest threat to Muslims or that Israelis were the biggest threat to Palestinians, would this government and Goldsmith have sat back and said, “he didn’t mean it, it was a mistake, and he has apologised”?
Questions New Zealanders should be asking are, what kind of Human Rights Commissioner speaks of entire peoples this way? What kind of minister, like Paul Goldsmith, looks at that and does very little?
What kind of Government claims to champion justice, while turning a blind eye to genocide? This is betraying the very idea of human rights itself.
Although we are a small country here in New Zealand, we have remained strong by upholding and standing by our principles. We said no to apartheid in South Africa. We said no to nuclear weapons in the Pacific. We said no to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
And we must now say no to dehumanisation — anywhere. Are we a nation that upholds justice or do we sit on the sidelines while the darkest times in modern history envelopes us all?
The attacks against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims must stop. We have already faced horrific acts of violence against us here in New Zealand and currently in Palestine. We need support and humanity, not dehumanisation, demonisation and cruelty. This is not what New Zealand is about, we must do better together.
There needs to be a formal enquiry and policy review to see if structural biases exist in New Zealand’s Human Rights institutions. This should also be done across some government bodies, including the Ministry of Education and Immigration NZ, to determine if there has been discrimination or inequality in the handling of humanitarian visas and how the Education Ministry has handled the complaints of anti-Palestinian discrimination at schools.
Communities have particular concern at how the curriculum in many schools deals with the creation of the state of Israel but is silent on Palestinian history.
Public figures should be held to a higher standard, with consequences for spreading racially charged rhetoric.
The Human Rights Commission needs to rebuild trust in our multicultural New Zealand society. The only way this can be done is through fair and just measures that include enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, true inclusivity and action when there is an absence of these.
We are living in a moment where silence is complicity. Where apathy is betrayal.
This is a test of whether New Zealand, Minister Goldsmith and this government truly uphold human rights for all, or only for some.
Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to France: Sir Thomas Drew KCMG
Sir Thomas Drew KCMG has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the French Republic.
Sir Thomas Drew KCMG has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the French Republic in succession to Dame Menna Rawlings DCMG CVO. Sir Tom will take up his appointment in August 2025.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: Thomas Drew
Year
Role
2020 to 2024
FCDO, Director General, Defence and Intelligence
2020 to 2024
Trustee, British Council
2016 to 2019
Islamabad, British High Commissioner
2015
McKinsey and Company, Visiting Fellow (on secondment)
2012 to 2014
FCO, Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2010 to 2012
FCO, Director, National Security
2008 to 2010
Home Office, Director, Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism
2006 to 2008
Islamabad, Political Counsellor
2004 to 2006
FCO, Europe Directorate, Head of Enlargement and South-East Europe Group
2002 to 2004
FCO, Europe Directorate, Head of Intergovernmental Conference Unit
In a major breakthrough against drug trafficking, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), in a joint overnight operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on April 12-13, 2025, seized over 300 kg of narcotics (methamphetamine) worth approximately Rs1,800 crore.
Based on a corroborated input from Gujarat ATS, an ICG ship from the Coast Guard Region (West), which was on multi-mission deployment off North Maharashtra/ South Gujarat area, diverted and intercepted an attempted transshipment in proximity of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). On realising the approaching ICG ship, the suspect boat dumped its narcotics consignment in sea before it started fleeing towards the IMBL. The alert ICG ship deployed its sea boat immediately for recovery of the jettisoned consignment whilst commencing a hot chase of the suspect boat.
The proximity of IMBL and the initial separation between the ICG ship and the boat at the time of its detection helped the perpetrator to evade interception before it crossed over the IMBL within a short time. The cross over resulted in termination of the hot chase and precluded the ICG ship to apprehend the suspect boat. Meanwhile the ICG team in a sea-boat, after thorough search in the tough night conditions, recovered the sizable amount of narcotics that was dumped into the sea.
The seized narcotics have been brought to Porbandar by the ICG ship for further investigations. The jointness of ICG and Gujarat ATS, which has led to 13 such successful law enforcement operations in recent years reaffirms the synergy for national objectives.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
What is the essence of hybrid quantum-classical artificial intelligence? In which high-tech areas are quantum computing already being piloted today? And when might high-performance quantum computers appear in Russia? Anton Guglya, an employee of the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, told participants of the SPbPU seminar on artificial intelligence about this.
Anton Pavlovich in his review focused on the practical application of quantum computing for the implementation of business projects. In Russia, there are already the first experimental versions of quantum computers and a cloud interface for accessing them, although none of the domestic quantum computers can yet solve industrial-scale problems. At this stage, businesses and scientific groups have the opportunity to carry out research and pilot projects using quantum computing emulators – “digital twins” of quantum computers that use new algorithmic approaches, but operate on traditional CPU and GPU architectures.
The financial, oil and gas and other industries need business effects, they need results, not just advanced technology. If their tasks are solved using traditional methods, they will not invest in advanced equipment, new software and obtaining additional competencies. But if they see the benefit, even if it is delayed in time, from using quantum computing, then, of course, they will prefer to use it, the speaker emphasized.
Anton Guglya spoke about the technical features of hybrid quantum-classical neural networks, describing their advantages over classical ones:
quantum algorithms will be able to solve some classes of problems faster and more accurately than classical analogs; it is possible to process a larger volume of information with less energy consumption; a smaller set of hyperparameters for training a neural network when working with noisy data.
The MISiS specialist presented a typical process for developing an industrial quantum algorithm and launching it on an emulator, as well as several cases from his practice. For example, a credit scoring algorithm was implemented using quantum neural networks. The resulting model, based on data, calculates the probability of the return of funds received from the borrower to the bank.
Another popular area is image classification. Using hybrid quantum-classical neural networks, this task can be performed faster and with greater accuracy. Also, with the help of a quantum neural network, the task of generating new drugs is performed more efficiently. At the same time, the learning speed of quantum neural networks is much higher than that of traditional ones.
The second presentation at the seminar was devoted to the prospects of creating “virtual cities”. Ivan Dorokhov, a research fellow at the AI Center of Novosibirsk State University, spoke about the integrated system for modeling “virtual cities” that he and his colleagues from SPbPU and SPbSU are proposing.
According to the speaker, unlike digital twins, which directly reflect the physical environment, virtual twins can simulate a wide range of objects or scenarios for various purposes and are not conceptually limited to digital computing.
Our results show that such virtual environments can facilitate the emergence of societies consisting of AI agents, i.e. subjects with artificial intelligence, in which governance mechanisms such as decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) and artificial collective consciousness (ACC) provide ethical and normative control, said Ivan Dorokhov.
Agent-based AI systems are already on their way to engaging in cultural, economic, and political activity, shaping the social fabric of cities, and researchers must address how to make their impact as beneficial to people as possible. This will require understanding how advanced rendering and procedural generation techniques can provide the high realism required for complex simulations, how IoT data and predictive modeling can make these environments more responsive and adaptive, and what ethical and legal frameworks will be needed when AI agents gain autonomy. Answering these questions is important to realizing the potential of virtual worlds as platforms for innovation, experimentation, and sociotechnical evolution.
Both presentations raised many questions and a lively discussion, which you can join at the next seminar on April 23, which was announced by the Head of the Department for Support of Scientific Projects and Programs Natalia Leontyeva.
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.
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