Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned an Indictment charging six defendants with offenses related to human trafficking. The indictment was unsealed on Friday, March 21. Eduardo Jose Perdomo, Michel Martinez-Gonzalez and Alfredo Zambrano-Hurtado are all charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit human trafficking from December 16, 2024, through January 7, 2025. The same three defendants are also charged with two counts of sex trafficking minors or by force, fraud, and/or coercion. Sumit Chaudhari, Kavankumar Patel, and Vishal Goswami are all charged with two counts of sex trafficking minors or by the use of force, fraud, or coercion relating to events alleged to have occurred January 3 through January 6, 2025. All charges related to human trafficking carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to life, and special assessments of $100 and $5,000. Eduardo Jose Perdomo and Michel Martinez-Gonzalez are further charged with two counts of child enticement from December 16, 2024, through January 6, 2025. The maximum possible penalty for each child enticement count is 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, lifetime supervised release, and special assessments of $100 and $50,000.
The prosecution of major cases, such as this case, always requires collaboration with multiple agencies. The Douglas County Attorney’s Office has been a significant contributor to the team effort to move this case forward. We thank them for their assistance in furthering the investigation, and in taking swift action in bringing initial charges.
Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Headline: Microsoft at 50: The journey and future of the partner ecosystem
As we celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, our annual State of the Partner Ecosystem moment is a great opportunity to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared with our partners, employees and customers. Together, we’ve harnessed technology as a force for good, transforming industries and communities. From our early days of revolutionizing personal computing to leading the way in cloud innovation and now AI, our shared milestones highlight the power of collaboration and reinvention.
Fifty years ago, Microsoft started with a bold idea: the belief that technology could change the world. Thanks to the largest partner ecosystem in the industry, numbering 500,000 and growing, that vision became a reality, and I know we are just getting started. From the early days of distributing Windows PCs and Office to now delivering AI transformation strategies that solve the most complex customer challenges, our ability to stay at the forefront of innovation as technology evolves is a testament to our culture of continuous reinvention.
According to IDC, for every $1 of Microsoft revenue, services partners earn $8.45, and software partners earn $10.93. This underscores the immense opportunity available to partners of all types. As we look ahead to the future, we know that generative AI (GenAI) is forecast to grow exponentially faster than the overall IT market. Partners generating at least 25% of their Microsoft-related revenue from AI can expect higher margins and revenue growth, unlocking even more potential for transformation and success.*
Microsoft has always been a partner-led company. Our partners are core to our heritage and our future. Their innovation and collaboration have driven real transformation and customer success and will continue to shape the future of industries around the world. As we commemorate this historic moment, I want to take the opportunity to say Thank You to our partners for being on this incredible journey with us.
Here are just a few ways you can join us to celebrate this milestone:
Watch this video from Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Microsoft.
Join the Microsoft AI Skills Fest for 50 days of learning and discovery starting April 8! Gain skills that will empower you and your team to build innovative AI solutions with Microsoft’s apps and services.
“For decades, Intel’s partnership with Microsoft has sparked innovation and delivered value to our customers. Together, we’ve revolutionized industries and established new benchmarks for excellence. We look forward to collaborating for the next 50 years — and beyond.”
— Jim Johnson, Senior Vice President, Client Computing Group, Intel
Preparing for the future with the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP)
Microsoft succeeds when our partners succeed. MAICPP has evolved to enable partners worldwide to deliver customer outcomes across every industry, from small businesses to the largest enterprises. Our program is designed to provide our partners with the most relevant tools and resources they need to thrive in a rapidly changing market, and it serves as the home for all partner types.
“As a proud Microsoft alum, I’ve seen firsthand how our collaboration has evolved to drive meaningful change for businesses across industries. From strategy through engineering and implementation, PwC and Microsoft drive innovation and deliver real business outcomes for clients worldwide.”
— Stephanie Mosticchio, Principal, US and Global Microsoft Alliance Leader, PwC
Through MAICPP, all partners can access updated benefits packages designed to accelerate growth and meet specific business needs. Software development companies are encouraged to explore ISV Success, a pathway offering additional benefits to expand development capabilities and shorten time to market. Whether building, publishing or growing sales, partners can leverage targeted offers to get the support they need.
“As someone who has led global partnerships at several of the world’s leading technology companies, I am impressed by how Microsoft has leaned in with their partner ecosystem and taken a leadership position in cloud computing and AI. We, at Snowflake, are excited to continue to strengthen our partnership in the years to come, and we look forward to jointly driving customer success in the age of enterprise AI. Congratulations!
— Tyler Prince, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Alliances & Channels, Snowflake
Depending on business goals, partners may pursue a Solutions Partner designation or specialization, both of which provide tailored benefits to help differentiate their business in a competitive market. Achieving a designation unlocks valuable go-to-market resources, sales support, new incentives and product benefits to help expand customer reach, sharpen skills and drive growth. For software development companies, becoming a Solutions Partner** with certified software*** further enhances market presence by validating software capabilities in high-demand areas.
“Having worked alongside every CEO of Microsoft in my career, I would like to personally congratulate Microsoft for its 50 extraordinary years of driving relentless innovation.”
“Lenovo is proud to be a major part of this amazing journey with Microsoft and we are committed to this partnership for many more decades to come.”
— Yuanqing Yang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lenovo
For partners holding an Azure designation or Azure specialization, additional incentives are available through Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate — both underpinned by Azure Essentials. With comprehensive resources, extensive coverage across scenarios and tailored incentives in one easy-to-navigate hub, Azure partners can better support customers from migration to innovation. Learn more in What’s new for Azure partner-led offerings: ISV Success and specialization updates.
Our program offers benefits for partners aligned to their growth stage and across all customer segments. We have recently made the process of obtaining an Azure Solutions Partner designation more aligned to our partners who specialize in working with small and midsize customers. We are also expanding access to Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate incentives for SMB pathways. Read more about the SMB path to Azure Solutions Partner designations.
Cloud Solution Provider is our partner hero motion for small and medium enterprises
In November at Microsoft Ignite, we highlighted the $661 billion total addressable market (TAM) opportunity for SME&C customers in FY25 and beyond. Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners are the trusted advisors who serve these customers and accelerate their AI transformation with the value-added services and solutions that create real business impact. CSP is our hero motion that enables those partners to drive this business transformation.
“Our Microsoft partnership has evolved to meet the needs of our business and our partners. Together we’ve been able to support our partners to deliver true solution and value selling, leveraging the robust resources available through Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and benefitting from the rich incentives. It has enabled us to drive innovation and deliver exceptional experiences for our partners through our ArrowSphere platform and broader enablement programs to ensure they’re empowered to deliver real customer outcomes. Together, we’re enabling the channel to deliver solutions that deliver real impact for customers around the world.”
— Brendan Murphy, Global Director, Public Cloud, Arrow Electronics
We strive to provide CSP partners with the skilling, capabilities and investments to make this opportunity a reality. So far in FY25, we have:
focused our incentives to clearly align to our five strategic priorities — Copilot on every device across every role, AI design wins with every customer, securing the cyber foundation of every customer, a focus on migrations and Microsoft 365 execution
dedicated 70% of our total incentive spend to partners that serve the Small and Medium Enterprise and Customer (SME&C) segment
introduced a series of new promos, including a new-to-Microsoft 365 E5 offer to enable CSP partners to win new customers
Expanding our portfolio of CSP offers and capabilities is an ongoing priority. We share updates as they become available.
Capturing the marketplace opportunity
As customers increasingly centralize their solution procurement, marketplaces have become the preferred buying platform. For software companies, adopting cloud marketplaces accelerates deal closure and increases deal sizes. Serving as a global B2B commerce engine, our marketplace empowers Microsoft partners to provide solutions to customers worldwide. It offers various sales models: digital direct, through partners or with Microsoft — providing flexibility to align with how customers want to buy and how partners want to sell. Learn more in this recent blog.
Unlocking success through skilling and events
The speed of technology innovation requires continuous learning. To support this, we offer our partners a variety of skilling opportunities, such as our popular in-person Microsoft AI Partner Training Days, designed to help partners develop both technical and sales capabilities.
We are also streamlining and simplifying our skilling portals through initiatives like Microsoft Sales Titan (currently in private preview for CSP Accelerate partners and available for all partners in summer 2025), a program tailored to equip sales professionals with in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Threat Protection SKUs, empowering them to position themselves as industry leaders. Discover these and other skilling opportunities.
Looking ahead, we invite our partners to join us at Microsoft Build, taking place May 19–22, 2025. This flagship event offers an exclusive opportunity to explore the latest advancements in AI, learn how to work smarter and elevate your projects. Connect with peers, industry experts and Microsoft leadership while diving into the code and innovations that will shape the future.
“Schneider Electric and Microsoft have been driven by a shared vision of a world that is more electric and digital. We’re thrilled to celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary and excited to continue pioneering innovative solutions together, harnessing the transformative power of AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers and shaping a sustainable future for generations to come.”
— Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice President, Energy Management, Schneider Electric
Looking forward – the next 50 years
As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we remain focused on and optimistic for the future. We continue to innovate, collaborate and empower our partners to thrive in the era of AI and beyond. The past 50 years have been defined by shared success, and this will continue for our future. Together, we will unlock new opportunities, drive transformation and shape the future of technology.
Throughout this journey, stories of innovation have inspired us. A few examples of how partners are celebrating our 50th anniversary are included in this blog. See the full list of partner quotes on the Microsoft 50th Anniversary celebration site.
Thank you for being an integral part of our story. We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together next!
*IDC: Microsoft Partners: Driving Economic Value and AI Maturity
**“Solutions Partner” refers to a company that is a member of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and may offer software, services, and/or solutions to customers. Reference to “Solutions Partner” in any content, materials, resources, web properties, etc. and any associated designation should be not interpreted as an offer, endorsement, guarantee, proof of effectiveness or functionality, a commitment or any other type of representation or warranty on the part of Microsoft. All decisions pertaining to and related to your business needs including but not limited to strategies, solutions, partner selection, implementation, etc. rest solely with your business.
***A certification is (A) specific to the solution’s interoperability with Microsoft products and (B) based on self-attestation by the solution owner. Solutions are only certified as of the date the solution is reviewed. Solution functionality and capability are controlled by the solution owner and may be subject to change. The inclusion of a solution in marketplace and any such designations should not be interpreted as an offer, endorsement, guarantee, proof of effectiveness or functionality, a commitment or any other type of representation or warranty on the part of Microsoft. All decisions pertaining and related to your business needs including but not limited to strategies, solutions, partner selection, implementation, etc. rest solely with your business.
Tags: AI, Azure, Build, Ignite, Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, Microsoft AI Partner Training Days, Microsoft AI Skills Fest, Microsoft Partners
Eating undercooked meat is never a good idea – it can give you a nasty case of food poisoning within 24 hours. And there are other, longer-term risks to be wary of too.
Spare a thought for the patient who attended a Florida hospital to be X-rayed following a fall – only to discover he was riddled with parasitic eggs that had turned into thousands of cysts inside his body.
Sam Ghali, an urgent care doctor from the University of Florida, recently shared an image of the X-ray on social media, explaining that the patient had developed the condition after eating undercooked pork infected with tapeworm larvae.
Pork can carry taenia solium larvae, a parasitic tapeworm. After eating infected pork, the larvae get into body tissues where they form cysts – a condition called cysticercosis. The larvae can travel anywhere in the body including muscles, liver, lungs and kidneys before decaying, which can lead to infections.
While in many tissues the larvae may develop undetected, in the skin or muscles noticeable bulges may appear.
Cysticercosis can be diagnosed through a variety of tests, including imaging, blood tests and potentially a lumbar puncture to look at cerebrospinal fluid.
In the final stage of the disease, the cysts degenerate and die, leaving a small calcified scar behind. This remnant often invokes an immune response in the body which can further increase calcification – the buildup of calcium deposits in body tissues. Calcified brain scars can contribute to symptoms including seizures long after the cyst has degenerated.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s claim in his 2012 divorce deposition that previous health issues were “caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died” is a now notorious example of possible neurocysticercosis.
RFK Jr. also described the effects of the parasite in his deposition: “I have cognitive problems, clearly. I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me.”
Intestinal infection by an adult tapeworm is called taeniasis. In humans, although the tapeworm can cause an upset stomach, it can also be asymptomatic – apart from rice grain-sized eggs in the faeces.
There are three tapeworms that can lead to taeniasis: taenia saginata, taenia solium and taenia asiatica. Taenia saginata is transmitted by cattle whereas taenia solium and taenia asiatica are transmitted by pigs. Once in the intestines, these tapeworms continue to grow. After approximately four months, they release hundreds of proglottids (fertilised eggs) into the host’s gastrointestinal tract. These proglottids are expelled from body in faeces but are instantly infectious.
Anthelmintic drugs, including praziquantel and niclosamide, either kill or paralyse the tapeworm, making it easier for the body to expel it through faeces.
But some studies report that approximately 38% of cysts calcify after taking anthelmintic drugs, worsening symptoms. Anti-inflammatory drugs may be used to treat neurocysticercosis cases, to prevent additional calcification occurring as part of the inflammatory response.
In developing regions of the world, or where some of these drugs are not licensed or less accessible, more traditional remedies may be used to kill tapeworms or expel them from the body, while preventing infectious proglottids from being released. Studies show that eating a combination of pumpkin seeds and areca nuts allowed almost 80% of people with intestinal tapeworms to pass them whole.
To avoid contracting a tapeworm or cysticercosis, observe basic hygiene measures such as regular hand washing. Also wash and peel your vegetables in clean water before eating them.
If seeing the effects of cysticercosis hasn’t put you off pork for good, avoid the risk of infection by ensuring your pork is properly cooked to at least 80°C for ten minutes to kill all tapeworm eggs. Lower temperatures work too, but require longer cooking times. Of course, cooking meat thoroughly like this should also help you avoid any nasty cases of food poisoning.
Adam Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
How did Muhammad Ali Jinnah go from being a secular young man appalled by Indian interference in the Ottoman Caliphate crisis to the moving spirit behind the demand for Pakistan – a new Islamic nation which, he claimed, would be capable of defending Muslims abroad?
These are the kinds of questions that kept me awake at night for years. The result of that insomnia is my new book, East of Empire: Egypt, India, and the World Between the Wars.
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These partitions took place barely six months apart, between 1947 and 1948. They remain at the heart of horrific state violence on both continents, not to mention intergenerational trauma and rancorous historical debate.
For much of the period my book deals with, from 1919 until the mid-1930s, the division of territory between religious or ethnic blocs would have been difficult for most people living in the Middle East and South Asia to fathom. There were no obvious frontiers that could be drawn between local communities. Particularly in cities and towns, neighbours of different ethnicities and faiths lived cheek by jowl.
In fact, it was precisely during this time, between the first and second world wars, that Egyptians and Indians came to think of their movements for self-determination as shared across communal divides.
Artists, politicians, activists and intellectuals described a thick and flexible web of interconnections – some spiritual or linguistic, others cultural and geopolitical – which together made up something called the sharq, orient, or “east”. This was said to transcend all kinds of barriers, depending on who you asked – creed, language, ethnicity, nation, gender and class, for starters.
Many historians writing about this period have picked up this “easternism” for closer inspection – only to swiftly place it back down again. They argue it is too vague, amorphous and internally contradictory to be of much use as an analytical category. They are not wrong. Between the 1920s and ’40s, there were many (perhaps even countless) visions of the east in circulation.
There was the east of orientalists – foreign, exotic and “other”. There was the anti-colonial east, a geography of allies in the battle against foreign domination. Then there was the spiritual east, often contrasted with the materialist west. There was the Islamic east, a region populated largely (though never exclusively) by Muslims. There was also the cosmopolitan east, a rich tapestry of cultures bound together by commerce and exchange of ideas. Finally, there was the strategic east, a geopolitical bloc or bulwark that might counter other constellations of power.
It is important to underscore that none of these concepts were mutually exclusive. Instead, proponents of easternism tended to connect several “kinds” of eastern ideas together into a personally appealing hybrid.
Thus in his memoir, Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, revisited his long-cherished dream of an eastern bloc of Muslim nations, serving as both a moral compass to the world and a healthy check on the power of Europe and the United States.
For the Egyptian feminist Huda Shaarawi, the east was unapologetically anticolonial. In the pages of her magazine, l’Egyptienne, it was frequently ancient and exotic – but also, crucially, a stage upon which women from many cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds would together forge the future in their own image.
Given the dizzying array of potential easts, it was never what academics would call a coherent ideology. But this did not prevent it from being a highly prominent feature of both political debate and action in Egypt, India and the broader Arab-Asian region throughout the interwar period.
Beginning in the 1920s and deep into the ’30s, various eastern visions flowed in and out of alignment with one another as headlines changed, alliances evolved, and priorities shifted. With the onset of war in Europe in 1939, however, the stakes of these ideological differences began to spike.
Subjected to the unrelenting pressure of war, the many strands of easternism began to splinter, putting paid to the more fluid and open-ended possibilities that had animated preceding decades.
In their stead emerged postwar ideologies with sharper edges, hardened national frontiers, and – following years of globally cataclysmic violence – little faith in the pacifist and humanist ideals of a bygone era. This almost chemical transformation is the backdrop against which votes affirmed the partitions of India and Palestine in 1947.
Here, then, is the story told in East of Empire: how visions of a transnational, fluid and nonconformist east shaped the interwar politics of India and Egypt, and why these visions gave way to a more rigid, militant nationalism by the end of the second world war.
The book revisits a near-forgotten chapter in the rise of anticolonialism and the end of the British empire across the Middle East and South Asia. And it explains the conditions under which these bold and optimistic visions buckled – unleashing torrents of violence we have yet to staunch, almost 80 years later.
Erin O’Halloran has received funding from the British Academy and UK Research & Innovation.
In 2024, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe by passenger numbers and the fourth busiest worldwide. Nearly 84 million passengers passed through its five terminals during the year. These figures highlight the scale of disruption caused by its recent complete closure after a fire at an electricity substation.
Airlines with just a limited number of flights to and from Heathrow are likely to have experienced only minimal disruption – something airlines face regularly as part of standard operations. But the impact on airlines that use Heathrow as a main hub will turn out to be severe. For these airlines, which operate on very slim margins, the associated costs can be so high that they may wipe out several months’ worth of profits.
And this is something airline bosses will have been painfully aware of when news broke of the closure. Their first consideration, however, will have been for safety.
From an operational perspective, the primary objective in a situation like this is to ensure that all flights already in the air can safely complete their journey, either by landing at an alternate airport or returning to their departure airport.
The decision depends on a flight’s position and the amount of fuel the aircraft has left on board. As part of standard procedure all flights have a designated alternate airport – usually chosen based on proximity.
However, in the specific Heathrow case, the sheer volume of diversions quickly saturated the UK’s diversion capacity, forcing many flights to reroute to airports overseas.
This challenge was compounded by the nature of Heathrow’s traffic. As a major hub for long-haul flights operated by wide-body aircraft, these planes can only be diverted to large airports capable of handling their size and requirements. For instance, Heathrow is one of the main hubs for the Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world. Due to its size, it can operate at only a limited number of airports.
Although the Heathrow closure came out of the blue, airlines do of course have emergency plans setting out guidelines and procedures for various types of crises, which are regularly updated. Each airline has its own operations control centre, usually within its headquarters, which is responsible for activating and overseeing these plans.
But in the case of a major crisis or disruptive event, such as when a hub like Heathrow shuts down, the company’s top management along with the heads of its operational departments will hold emergency meetings to enable rapid and effective decision-making.
Airlines also have dedicated crisis rooms for this purpose. Throughout the crisis, the situation is continuously monitored and decisions are focused on minimising both operational and financial impact.
Schedules planned months in advance
Of course, when a disruption of the magnitude of the Heathrow shutdown occurs, the entire airline schedule is thrown into disarray.
Planning and scheduling airline operations is a complex, lengthy process that begins up to two months before the day of the flight. It involves numerous operational aspects, including aircraft assignment, crew scheduling and maintenance.
And for legacy air carriers, this process is complicated by the nature of their operations within a global network of often complex connected journeys. These airlines operate a diverse fleet of aircraft with hundreds of connecting flights.
Pilots are qualified to fly only specific aircraft types, and passengers often travel to a hub such as Heathrow to continue their journey to their final destination. These operations are incredibly intricate, so in the event of a major disruption it becomes necessary to restart the process from scratch. This often leads to numerous flight cancellations.
Given the high costs involved – including expenses for passenger rebooking and accommodation – each flight must be analysed individually to determine the most appropriate course of action.
The Heathrow shutdown left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded or unable to travel. It is a legal priority for the airline to offer them alternative options to reach their destination. Typically, passengers can be rebooked on flights operated by either the same airline or other carriers, or offered hotel accommodation until the next available flight.
In the end, Heathrow was up and running at full capacity again far quicker than many observers anticipated. But a shutdown at such a major global transport hub will leave airlines – and other businesses – counting the costs for some time to come.
Guglielmo Lulli receives funding from Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes.
Young boys play volleyball at an NGO centre in Zaatari camp, Jordan, in 2016.Melissa Gatter
When news of Bashar al-Assad’s downfall broke on December 8 2024, 13 years after the beginning of the Syrian uprising, Syrians around the world rejoiced.
We rejoiced along with them, having spent the last decade in conversation with Syrians displaced to the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, where we research humanitarian aid in refugee camps and revolutionaries in exile.
The days and weeks following Assad’s ousting were spent on the phone with the people we have gotten to know since their lives changed drastically in 2011 – hoping that 2025 would be the turning point in a very long and harrowing odyssey. One of us (Charlotte) also travelled to Syria in January 2025 to see what was happening and speak to people trying to navigate the new reality there.
“Syrians everywhere, inside Syria and outside Syria, did not ever imagine we would reach this stage,” said Qasim, 42, speaking from his home in Zaatari camp, the world’s third largest refugee camp, in northern Jordan. “No one ever expected that Assad would fall and leave the country.”
Like the 80,000 others in the desert camp, Qasim has spent the last decade starting his life over again in Jordan. Since fleeing Daraa, in southwest Syria, in 2013, he worked a series of freelance jobs and created a network of clients. He has put food on the table with cash-in-hand work for aid organisations in the camp and offering painting and plastering services outside the camp.
But in Syria, he said, “There’s no home, there’s no work, there’s nothing.”
His family of four grew to 11, and his daughters who left Syria as young children have entered their final years of high school.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
Now, with Assad gone seemingly overnight – and the revolution marking its 14th anniversary in March – the dream of returning home or simply the possibility to end a decade of exile is suddenly within reach. But this dream now comes with existential, practical and legal questions. After a decade in exile, how do you uproot yourself and your family yet again? How do you explain the return to the youngest, who have only known life outside Syria? What kind of life waits on the other side of the border?
Qasim’s family has outgrown the home he left behind. While life in the camp, with its electricity shortages and economic hardships, is nowhere near perfect, Qasim at least manages to get by.
Returning to Syria also comes at a price – for Qasim’s family of 11, it would cost US$550 just to cross the border – and many Syrians in exile have not been afforded sufficient economic stability to prepare for the costs of return. For many, the return to Syria remains a distant dream they must work to save up for.
Syria’s critical condition
What is left of Syria in Assad’s wake will take years of recovery. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that Syria is not ready to receive returnees. US president Donald Trump imposed a freeze on US-funded foreign aid in January, affecting up to 90% of humanitarian activities in some areas in Syria, according to the UN’s emergency aid coordination office (OCHA). That has created a devastating ripple effect across Syria and neighbouring host countries.
And yet western powers maintain their sanctions against Syria, where 90% of the population is already living below the poverty line and 70% are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, the security situation is still precarious in parts of the country. Things in the northwest have improved since the agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus’s provisional government, but March was marked by the killing of over a thousand mainly Alawi civilians in the coastal areas after attacks started from Assad loyalists. Israel has expanded its war against Palestine and Lebanon into parts of Syria, even bombing the capital city, as it looks to take advantage of a power vacuum.
At the start of the new year, 115,000 Syrians had already returned home from Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In December, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expected 1 million Syrians would return by June, but now predicts only 600,000 to return by September.
Unwelcome guests
Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon are not signatories of the 1951 refugee convention which means they are not obliged to recognise the displaced Syrians in their country as refugees with internationally-protected rights. The governments of these countries recognise displaced Syrians only as “guests”, but that does not necessarily mean they are welcome.
“We were not treated as guests in Turkey, people did not want us there,” Umm Ahmad said. She remembered her life in Gaziantep as one of constant humiliation, where she had to beg for assistance and her son was forced to work shifts of over 12-hours at a time in a clothing factory.
As guests, Syrians face social and legal obstacles in accessing services, education, healthcare, housing and jobs. They are often blamed for waning economies and scarce resources and face xenophobic discrimination as a result. Having to work without protected rights or permissions pushes Syrians like Umm Ahmad’s son to the informal labour market, where they are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
There are over 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey and their status is uncertain and or illegal because residency documents are hard to obtain and are not consistently delivered in some areas. “Refugee” status is reserved only for European citizens. If Turkey was long considered the most welcoming host country among Syria’s neighbours for its open-border policy and friendly position towards the Syrian opposition, the situation changed dramatically after the EU-Turkey deal led to the border closure in 2016. Syrians in Turkey have increasingly faced deportation since 2019, and there is no clear path to Turkish citizenship.
Around 1.5 million Syrians live in Lebanon where there is a long history of animosity towards them harking back to Assad’s occupation of Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war. But only 17% of those Syrians have obtained legal residency.
Umm Ayman, who has lived for ten years in Beirut’s Shatila camp, told us: “I can’t wait to go back to Syria. Our life here has been so hard.” But before she returns she wants “to wait to see how the situation evolves and if it’s safe to go back”.
Umm Ayman never managed to obtain legal status, which means having to home-school her children, who could not be admitted to the Lebanese school system – another reason she wants to go back. But she is still worried about the developing political situation that had taken her, as it did most Syrians, by surprise. Not knowing how the caretaker government would rule, and with no close relatives or home to return to in Syria, Umm Ayman is hesitant to commit to a final decision until she can visit her hometown of Homs to see the situation for herself.
In Jordan, where only about 20% of the 1.3 million Syrian refugees are estimated to live in official camps, refugees have felt the decline in international funding directed towards the Syrian crisis in recent years, even before the January US aid freeze. “Recently there’s been scarce aid in the camp,” Qasim said, “so people are only just managing to take care of themselves.” Now, the refugee-run marketplace in Zaatari has grinded to a halt as camp residents save up for the return. As his current job is coming to an end, Qasim is looking for his next one outside Zaatari, “if there is any”.
People driving through Jordan in January, returning to Syria with their belongings piled on the car. Charlotte Al-Khalili
Outside the camps, Syrians toughing it out in Jordanian cities have even less access to aid. And while the 2016 Jordan compact allowed Syrian refugees access to formal employment, it failed to live up to its potential due to the high prices of work permits and social security contributions.
Where is home?
On the other side of the border, however, for millions of people home has been flattened to the ground. So many refugees have nowhere to return to and will need time to save up for rebuilding a house that has been bombed, burned or vandalised.
Only those with the “money and the means”, as Qasim put it, will be able to return. He calculates that reconstructing and expanding his home to accommodate 11 family members will cost around US$5,000. “I don’t have the money to go back, where am I supposed to go, am I supposed to sleep on the street?” he said.
Others like Qasim in Zaatari camp spoke about how much money they have already spent on the upkeep of their caravan shelter (often thousands of dollars) suggesting that they might be able to return if they could sell their caravan or even bring it with them to Syria.
A view of Zaatari camp in Jordan showing how refugees have adapted their ‘caravans’. Melissa Gatter
Maryam, for example, is a schoolteacher living in Zaatari camp with her husband and four-year-old daughter. She explained that the lack of money was the one thing holding them back from the return: “We paid a lot for our caravan, so if someone could take our house in exchange for money, it would help us to go back right away, in a month or less.” But the UNHCR owns the caravans, even those that camp refugees have bought or replaced over years of wear and tear.
Returning to Syria requires transferring temporary ownership of the caravans back to the UNHCR – losing the years of investments they have made to live comfortably in the harsh desert environment. In Azraq camp, southeast of Zaatari, a woman called Shamsa, who has lived in the camp since 2016, believes that access to basic financial assistance in Syria would facilitate the return:
If the UNHCR helped give money for each individual in the family for things like groceries – like they do now in the camp – people say they will return … But they can’t just return us when there’s nothing for us there.
Many people are assessing the state of their homes and hometowns for themselves before committing to a long-term return.
For example, Umm Mohammad, a mother of five in her late fifties currently living in Beirut, plans to send her husband and eldest son first. She wants to ensure that conditions are suitable for the return before giving up what they have fought hard to obtain in the last decade in Lebanon. “If they see that we can all join, we will,” she said.
Work and school
At the front of many Syrians’ minds is the question of work and school. Many of our interviewees noted that critical economic conditions in Syria mean that work is hard to come by, especially for entrepreneurs like Qasim who rely on a steady presence of customers.
While the interim Syrian government has attempted to raise the cap on public sector salaries to stimulate the economy, those we spoke to were not optimistic about their prospects. “The economic situation is on the floor,” Shamsa said from Azraq camp.
Umm Ayman has a low-paying job in Beirut, but her husband, formerly a doctor in Syria, is not allowed to work in Lebanon and can only receive a few patients off the books. Adding to their anticipated costs in Syria is the difficulty of integrating into the job market as her husband approaches retirement age. “He will need to open a practice or find one, and we don’t have this kind of money,” she said.
A plot of empty caravans in Azraq camp’s ‘Village 5’ which has been under security lockdown since 2016 until recently. Melissa Gatter
After the Israeli bombing near their home last October, the family moved into a school sheltering other displaced families in Beirut. Umm Ayman feels that going back to Syria – even with the accompanying price tag – might offer a brighter future.
On the other hand, Rasha, a recent divorcee living in Turkey with her two children, is not ready to take the risk. “I cannot go back now,” she said. “My boys need to finish school first.” Her teenage sons, who are enrolled in Turkish schools, have become fluent in Turkish. Going back to Syria would mean adapting to a new curriculum – and having to learn formal Arabic.
Many Syrians around the age of Rasha’s sons who are enrolled in school also prefer to earn their high school diplomas before making the journey back to Syria. Maryam explained to us that this is not always a straightforward decision for her students because it depends on how many years of schooling remain: “The students are feeling a little lost.”
For Syrian students currently studying the first year of tawjihi (the final two years of high school in Jordan, assessed by exams that determine the direction of a student’s career) they must decide whether to stay in the country for one more year to complete their studies, and if this will be possible. For high school and university students alike, it is unclear how their studies will transfer to the Syrian system.
“But most of my students tell me they don’t want to return at all because they honestly don’t remember anything about Syria,” Maryam said. Like Rasha’s teenagers, Maryam’s students were only toddlers at the start of the war and have spent the majority of their life outside their home country. Maryam wishes for her own daughter to grow up in Syria and receive the same education she and her husband did.
But what kind of future would Syria offer them? A young mother of a toddler explained that there are no nurseries in her hometown of Daraa. As the only woman of her generation from her social circle left in the city, she was struggling to find childcare support and discourages her sister from returning with her children. “At least if she goes to Damascus she will find nurseries and good schools, but here there is nothing.”
Crossing into a ‘void’
For those who do wish to go home, returning to Syria involves committing to a one-way ticket – once you cross the border, there is little possibility of coming back. Host countries have introduced rules that ban re-entry for Syrians without legal status and residency permits (the case for most refugees).
“You exit into a void,” Lina, who returned to Damascus from Beirut, explained. “No one can guarantee you’ll be able to come back.” In December, Syrians returning from Lebanon received only an exit stamp as there was still no one working on the Syrian side of the border.
Ghada, a mother in her mid-30s, fled Shatila camp last October after Israeli bombing in southern Beirut intensified, returning to her village near Aleppo while her husband stayed behind to work in Beirut. She said:
My children are so scared of the jet sound … We left Syria so they would not go through the war there and these horrifying sounds, so I did not want them to live here.
Ghada was among the half a million people who fled Israeli bombing in Lebanon to Syria between October and November. Israel shelled all but one crossing point between Lebanon and Syria. In January, incidents between the Lebanese and newly established authorities in Damascus led to the temporary closing of the border, pushing Syrians to look for other routes back.
By then, Ghada was already planning to come back to Lebanon. She said: “We have a home, my husband works, and the kids have a good school in Beirut.” Life in her Syrian village had been difficult, as access to everyday services was severely limited.
But the Israeli war in Lebanon has not ended, as Israel refuses to respect the ceasefire agreement and parts of the country are still occupied.
In Turkey, crossing the border without the required authorisation to return means losing temporary protection status, as was the case with Umm Ahmad once she left Gaziantep for east Aleppo. She won’t be able to see her daughter, who is as a Turkish passport-holder, for the foreseeable future as she is not allowed entry to Syria.
At the moment, Syrians holding Turkish temporary status (kimlik) or residence permits can enter Syria if they apply for a permit. But the border crossing rules are constantly changing.
Syrians returning from Jordan must pay a US$50 fee and sign an agreement consenting to being banned from re-entry to Jordan for five years. But many in Azraq camp are scared they will be forced to return, even after the UNHCR sent an SMS message to camp residents reassuring them that the decision to return to Syria would continue to be “voluntary, safe, and dignified.”
The full SMS translation reads: “Refugees have the right to return to their homeland when they choose to of their own free will. The return will continue to be voluntary, safe, and dignified. The UNHCR works in cooperation with all concerned parties to address obstacles to refugee return in order to end their displacement.”
SMS message from UNHCR sent to Zaatari residents on December 8. Melissa Gatter
Fear is not a new emotion in Azraq, where a quarter of the camp’s nearly 40,000 residents lived under security lockdown for as many as six of the last ten years while the Jordanian government processed security clearance for each individual, deciding whether to accept or deport them.
Shamsa noted that, while Azraq camp has become less stringent in recent years, “Everyone is still very afraid of forced returns.” Shamsa, who has spent the past eight years trying to find ways out of Azraq, said that staying there would be “more comfortable than it would be to go back right now”.
A dignified return
In January, the town of Darayya, 90% of which had been destroyed by the Assad regime, was alive with people rebuilding their homes. A man perched on the third floor of a very damaged building was putting concrete blocks together, laundry hung to dry on washing lines, and brand new windows sparkled on seemingly uninhabited homes. Lines of cars and minivans packed with bags and furniture entered from the Jordanian border and winded up Syrian roads – Syrians were returning and ready for a fresh start.
Other cities have also seen their inhabitants return. Mohammad, a revolutionary who lived in exile in Turkey until Aleppo’s liberation on December 2, returned looking to reclaim justice and dignity – the core demands of the 2011 revolution. He said:
I can finally seek justice, I can finally look people in the eye, I am going back home with my head held high.
For those who supported the revolution, going back to a free Syria is an immense political and personal victory.
Internally displaced Syrians living in camps in the northwestern region of Idlib have also begun to return to their homes, bringing their tents to live among the rubble as they rebuild. Iman, a woman in her 50s travelling to her home city of Idlib, said that the tents offered more dignified living than the camps: “You have to imagine that in the camps you have no intimacy, you hear everything your neighbours do and say in their tents.”
But even in the relief of Assad’s absence, fear and mistrust is still rampant among refugees living in camps in Jordan. “People are expecting another downfall,” Qasim said, pointing to the number of coups preceding the Assad regime’s nearly 50-year history. What would happen if, upon returning, they must flee again?
“There is still no hope,” Shamsa said wearily over a WhatsApp voice note from Azraq camp. She repeated the words her mother had told her almost ten years ago in their home in northern Syria, encouraging her to try a new life outside: “There’s nothing for us in Syria.”
Drying laundry in the rubble of Darayya in January. Charlotte Al Khalili
Shamsa and her family await a final decision on their resettlement application to the US, which they expect to receive in April, just after the 14th anniversary of the start of the Syrian revolution. Assad’s departure has not changed their plans.
Despite the danger and uncertainty, some people are hopeful about the future of Syria and are taking a leap into the unknown to go back home. Umm Ahmad, a woman in her fifties, had been living in the city of Gaziantep, in southern Turkey, since 2012. She was among the first to go back to Syria. A mother of two martyred and three disappeared sons from the suburbs of Aleppo, Umm Ahmad decided to cross just a day after the fall of the regime, ecstatic to be able to reunite with her siblings who had not left Syria and whom she hadn’t seen for 13 years. With excitement in her voice, she told us:
This is our country, there is no reason to leave it again now that we got rid of Bashar al-Assad. Inshallah [God-willing] we are staying here.
Umm Ahmad’s life in Turkey, where she and her son’s family lived without residence permits, had been laced with hardship and financial insecurity. It did not matter to her that she would not be able to re-enter Turkey – she is happy to be home: “We visited our old flat yesterday. It is damaged but we will work on it with my husband and it should be ready to welcome my son and his family next month.” Back in Syria, Umm Ahmad can begin her quest to find her missing sons.
A few others we spoke to rushed to return to Syria in the same way: revolutionaries who had waited at the border for years to be reunited with family who had stayed behind; relatives of the detained and forcibly disappeared trying to find their loved ones; people with nothing to lose being banned from re-entering a host country who had not given them legal status to begin with.
A new blueprint for the return
Although the figures presented by the UNHCR are high – more than half a million expected to return in six months – the number of returnees from neighbouring countries has reached around 235,000 as of February, with 35,000 coming from Turkey and 22,000 from Jordan, while figures from Lebanon remain unclear.
The decision to return will not be a simple one for most, and the return will probably involve more than a single one-way trip. In many cases, young, single men are making this journey alone to test the waters on behalf of their families.
Syrians abroad have been starting over for the past decade, and an entire generation has grown up in displacement. Kept on a hamster wheel of survival and deprived of the opportunity to prosper in exile, Syrian refugees must be able to make their own informed decisions about making the return – or not – in their own time.
The idea of a “safe, voluntary, and dignified” return must account for the complicated logistical reality that repatriation to a country recovering from 50 years of an oppressive regime will not be a one-way journey for most. Rather than halting refugee programs and attempting to send as many Syrians back as quickly as possible, host countries should grant Syrian refugees freedom of movement to and from Syria.
The return to Syria will ultimately only be possible with international support in rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, services and economy to see a peaceful political transition. Returnees will need financial and material assistance as they re-establish themselves, especially in the fallout of the drastic cuts to US-funded humanitarian aid. Western countries must lift their sanctions and hold Israel to account if they are genuinely interested in the long-term sustainability of Syria and the surrounding region.
This moment is not only an opportunity for exiled Syrians to turn the page on displacement, it is also a rare opportunity for the international community to design a new blueprint for refugee returns in an age of criminalised migration. It is also a rare opportunity, then, for a cautious hope.
“As for me, I’m thinking of getting my PhD from Damascus University,” Maryam said. While living in the camp, she earned a master’s degree at Al Al-Bayt University in the nearby city of Mafraq.
Going back to Syria, her husband could return to his job as an IT engineer, and they could rent a flat while rebuilding their home in Daraa. Her daughter could start first grade in the Syrian school system. She is hopeful.
“We’re seriously considering going back. It’s just a matter of time.”
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Charlotte Al-Khalili receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust
Melissa Gatter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The issues of technological development of the Far East and preparations for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 were discussed at a meeting of the Council of the Far Eastern Federal District, which was held with the participation of the heads of regions under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.
“Technological development is acute today. The state of the economy and the security of the state as a whole depend on this. This week, the head of state, speaking at the Congress of the RSPP, noted that, according to the Ministry of Finance of Russia, more than 28 thousand sanctions were introduced against Russian companies and individuals. It is important to understand that sanctions are not just temporary restrictions. Their main goal is to weaken the economy of the state. That is why we must strive with technological independence in all directions with all our means. Already today we have positive changes. In almost all regions, drones gather, including civil purposes, in Yakutia, electric motorcycles are produced, in the Khabarovsk Territory – Baggi. Of course, these results were achieved, among other things, thanks to the action of the “Patriotic“ mechanism ”. The construction of an innovative scientific and technological center on the island of Russian is underway, and these are, in turn, the prospects for the development of such areas as biomedicine, information technology. Created the Vostok Venture Foundation. Highly technologies are being introduced, atomic stations of low power are built. Literally, literally, literally. Literally. Literally. The other day, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, for the first time, flying tests of the Superjate 100 aircraft were carried out with the domestic PD-8 engine. This is an important step towards technological independence. The economic development and safety of the macroregion and the country as a whole depends on the quality and speed of its solution, ”Yuri Trutnev opened the discussion.
Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko reported on the scientific and technological development of the island region. On behalf of the head of state, the construction of the international-level campus “SakhalinTech” is underway on Sakhalin. This year, the first stage of the campus will be commissioned – a student town for 1.5 thousand people, and in 2026 – a scientific and educational center. Construction is proceeding at an accelerated pace. In parallel with the construction, the university is being transformed into “University 4.0”. An advanced engineering school has been opened in the region. An electrical engineering laboratory operates on the basis of the SKB SAMI academic institute. An oil and gas chemical analytical laboratory is being created. A hydrogen cluster is being formed, where projects are already being implemented. The first stage of the Oil and Gas Industrial Park has been launched. A research and production center for the development of unmanned systems, accredited by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has been created on Sakhalin. A unified Far Eastern unmanned airline, Aurora BAS, was created on the basis of the Far Eastern airline Aurora. An aviation training center for manned and unmanned aircraft was opened. Eight more such training grounds will be created in the near future.
“It is important for us not only to develop the gas chemical cluster and the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the construction of which is proceeding according to schedule, but also everything related to the use of modern technologies. The implementation of such projects is facilitated by the regime of advanced development territories. Now we are planning to create an industrial park, the residents of which will, among other things, be engaged in deep processing of polymers. We are discussing the construction of a plant for the production of mineral fertilizers in the industrial park. The enterprise will be important not only for the agriculture of the Far East, it will be focused on exports to China and, as a result, will affect the development of the logistics industry,” said Vasily Orlov, Governor of the Amur Region.
“Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University has been participating in the Priority 2030 program for the third year. As part of it, we are rebooting the university, making it a university of entrepreneurs – with an emphasis on the expedition component and interaction with leading research centers in Russia. Specific projects have been launched with a number of leading Russian universities. Projects with practical implementation in the field of geothermal energy are being developed, including low-power geothermal stations. We are currently launching one of these projects for testing in Kamchatka, which is called a natural laboratory. We want to offer a unique format of a floating university, when leading researchers gather on a ship, study the features of aquatic biological resources, the dynamics of water temperature and salinity of the ocean, and generally outline the prospects for ocean research. Particular attention is paid to projects that help our victory. Thanks to the Patriotic Priority Development Area, we have launched the production of unmanned aerial vehicles. We are consistently increasing the depth of localization, moving from simple assembly to development,” said Kamchatka Krai Governor Vladimir Solodov.
The preparations for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War were discussed. “This is a special holiday for our entire country, our citizens. There is not a single family that was not affected by that war. The significance of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War for the fate of Russia is difficult to overestimate. Attempts are currently being made to falsify history, to diminish the significance of the feat of our ancestors. An important task for us is for the younger generation to know and remember the history of their country, their native region. The head of state has also declared this year the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland. Now our children, like their fathers and grandfathers, heroically and selflessly defend their homeland and their families. May 9 is a special holiday for every family in our country. As part of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the district, we have planned about 450 different events, including five events to be held abroad. Victory parades are planned in all regions. It is also important to ensure the safety of mass events. I ask all governors and representatives of law enforcement agencies to take this issue extremely seriously,” noted Yuri Trutnev.
The holding of ceremonial events and Victory parades in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok was considered. This year, Khabarovsk will host two anniversary Victory parades – on May 9 and September 3. The parade in September will be dedicated to the defeat of militarist Japan and the end of World War II. Primorsky Krai is preparing for the Victory Parade in Vladivostok in cooperation with the Pacific Fleet. The Immortal Regiment procession will take place in the capital of Primorye. An extensive program will be organized for residents and guests of the Far Eastern capital with a festive concert, thematic local sites, exhibitions, interactive activities, photo zones, and master classes. In Vladivostok, the key event on May 9 will be the holding of the “Victory Streets” campaign. Thematic banners and stands with photographs of veterans of the Great Patriotic War will be placed on the Tsarevich Embankment. An exhibition of captured equipment from the special military operation zone will be organized. And on September 3, a series of festive events are planned in Vladivostok on the territory of Primorsky Krai, including a large festive concert on the central square of Vladivostok, “Vladivostok Seasons”.
The progress of creating a museum on Shumshu dedicated to the Kuril landing operation, the last major battle of the USSR against militarist Japan, was separately considered. During the Great Patriotic War, Shumshu Island was the northern stronghold of Japanese troops on the Kuril Islands and was considered impregnable. The landing of Soviet paratroopers on Shumshu became a decisive event during the entire Kuril landing operation. “We are preparing an open-air museum. This is a bright page in the heroism of our soldiers, and we must support this memory. This initiative was supported by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Our task is simply to implement it. We will try to ensure that the first events on Shumshu dedicated to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War take place on May 9,” said Yuri Trutnev.
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.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
March 24, 2025
Construction of a transport interchange at the intersection of the Central Ring Road and Dmitrovskoe Highway
In the Moscow Region, construction is underway on a transport interchange at the intersection of the Central Ring Road and Dmitrovskoye Highway. At the site, they have begun to install the foundations of three overpasses of the future road structure complex, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.
“When developing the road framework, it is important to link the highways together so that drivers can comfortably build the necessary routes. In addition, a single connection and a sufficient number of interchanges help to free up the most congested areas and save travel time. One of such interchanges is being built near the intersection of the third launch complex of the Central Ring Road and Dmitrovskoye Highway in the Moscow Region. It will improve the accessibility of nearby areas, will increase the capacity of the A-107 Moscow Small Ring Road by redistributing vehicle flows from this highway to the Central Ring Road. The new road facility will also eliminate the intersection of traffic flows at one level and improve traffic safety. Specialists have begun to build the foundations of three overpasses of the future interchange, are rebuilding utility lines, and are working on installing culverts and a roadbed,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that the new infrastructure facility will meet all modern requirements, including being equipped with an automated traffic control system.
On one of the overpasses, 66 m long, all the piles have already been driven in, and workers have begun to install grillages. For the second overpass, 166 m long, 70% of the piles have been driven in, and for the third, 72 m long, 60%.
According to the Chairman of the Board of the state company Avtodor, Vyacheslav Petushenko, the construction of the transport interchange is divided into two stages.
“The first stage is currently being implemented. It includes the construction of four exits with a total length of about 2.7 km with the construction of three overpasses, as well as the reconstruction of a section of the federal highway A-107 “Moscow Small Ring” with a length of about 2.3 km,” noted Vyacheslav Petushenko.
Currently, there are about 150 people and about 60 units of special equipment and dump trucks involved in the project. The commissioning of the transport interchange is planned for 2026.
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.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev discussed issues of transport accessibility of the Kaliningrad Region with Governor Alexey Besprozvannykh. Particular attention was paid to the organization of air transportation, ensuring the availability of air tickets for residents of the region, as well as the development of sea transportation and its subsidies. These measures are aimed at strengthening the transport connection of the Kaliningrad Region with the rest of the country and ensuring stable supplies of necessary cargo and goods.
Vitaly Savelyev stated the federal center’s readiness to provide the region with support in solving these problems.
“The Kaliningrad Region traditionally occupies an important place in the focus of attention of the Government of the Russian Federation. For residents of the region, the issue of transport mobility and stability of cargo supplies is of fundamental importance. We will closely cooperate with the regional administration in terms of timely development of solutions to urgent problems,” Vitaly Savelyev emphasized.
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.
Residents of Port Alberni and surrounding areas are invited to review online materials showcasing the new roundabout to be constructed at the Highway 4 and Beaver Creek Road intersection.
The materials will provide information about the benefits of the new roundabout, which include improved traffic flow, reduced congestion, and enhanced safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Highway 4 is a critical route connecting Port Alberni to Highway 19 and popular Vancouver Island destinations, such as Tofino and Ucluelet. The proposed roundabout will create a safer, more accessible intersection, eliminate left turns to improve sightlines and enhance access to Clutesi Haven Marina, the only public boat ramp in Port Alberni.
The project is expected to be tendered in late summer 2025. Once work gets underway, construction is expected to take a year.
To learn more, residents can view the online materials here: https://gov.bc.ca/highway4beavercreek
The site will be open for input, allowing the public to voice concerns or ask questions from March 24 until April 25, 2025.
Headline: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 840 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Third week in March as part of Operation Take Back America
President Trump has been clear that securing the Southwestern Border of the United States is a priority of the absolute highest level. To that end, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transitional criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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).
On Perranporth beach in Cornwall, UK, a local outdoor swimming group called the Perranporth Bluetits is out in force. This group are determined to make the most of another chilly day as they plunge into the Atlantic for a dip. They emerge smiling. Their camaraderie and collective sense of achievement is clear to see.
Invigorating experiences like these have motivated community groups and the voluntary sector to begin to design “blue care” programmes connecting people with the water, and sometimes even more formalised prescriptions of “bluespace” activities from doctors or health professionals.
I, admittedly, stay drier than the Perranporth Bluetits. But my interest in open water swimming and its health benefits has motivated me and a team of researchers to look into these experiences. Previous research shows that open-water swimming and similar activities can be therapeutic.
But might certain swimming activities be particularly beneficial for mental wellbeing? With an international team of environmental psychologists, I have carried out the biggest survey of open-water swimmers to date, looking at data from across the globe. Our recent study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, outlines the mental wellbeing benefits of wild swimming, and suggests that satisfying psychological needs might underlie this.
As part of the EU-funded BlueHealth project, we surveyed around 20,000 adults in 19 countries across Europe, the US, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada about their interactions with blue spaces (outdoor aquatic environments) and their health and wellbeing. One thousand two hundred of these people reported swimming on their most recent visit to a blue space – some in open-air pools, others in more natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and the sea.
Any kind of outdoor swimming was associated with a wellbeing boost. However, wild swimming seemed to deliver significant benefits. Our study suggests that the key to this effect lies in experiencing feelings of autonomy and competence – freedom and mastery over the swimmer’s environment – two factors that are strongly linked to wellbeing.
Surprisingly though, social connection did not play as big a role in these mental wellbeing effects as we had expected, despite the proliferation of community swimming groups like the Perranporth Bluetits. At least in this international sample, personal achievement seemed to be more influential than community bonding.
There was another surprising nuance too. More skilled swimmers, drawn to adventurous and riskier locations, sometimes reported higher anxiety levels. This suggests that while wild swimming can be deeply rewarding, it may also push people into situations that challenge their comfort zones. As other research has noted, such challenging situations can be part of the appeal.
The findings extend previous research on open-water swimming by showing wellbeing benefits across an international sample of adults, the mechanisms by which these benefits come about and the magnitude of difference between natural waters and man-made outdoor pools. So, should we all be jumping in and prescribing such experiences for a mental health lift?
The research does not quite support that yet. We need to be realistic about some of the other challenges our oceans face in providing such experiences. Alongside ever-present risks such as drowning, polluted waters pose infection risks, something that any swimmer has to carefully negotiate to embrace their hobby.
Perhaps the main takeaway though is in how wild swimming delivers its mental wellbeing benefits – essentially through enhanced feelings of freedom. Perhaps, in a world of growing external pressures, this is the reason wild swimming is becoming so popular.
Swimming, sailing, even just building a sandcastle – the ocean benefits our physical and mental wellbeing. Curious about how a strong coastal connection helps drive marine conservation, scientists are diving in to investigate the power of blue health.
This article is part of a series, Vitamin Sea, exploring how the ocean can be enhanced by our interaction with it.
Lewis Elliott received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 666773.
The UK’s 2015 Modern Slavery Act is ten years old on March 26. When it was passed, it was billed as “world-leading” legislation – the first of its kind to introduce a dedicated legal framework to deal with modern slavery.
But ten years on, the evidence tells a different story. The numbers of people identified as potential victims are higher than they have ever been. Yet very few people have been prosecuted. What went wrong with this “groundbreaking” law?
The Modern Slavery Act was the final piece of legislation under the 2010-15 coalition government. Championed by then home secretary Theresa May, the act was primarily about beefing up the criminal justice approach. While criminal offences like human trafficking, forced labour, slavery and servitude were previously dealt with in different pieces of legislation, the act consolidated them into one place.
The aim was to make it easier to identify and prosecute traffickers (who May referred to as “the slave-drivers”), while offering some protection to their victims.
It also included a role for the private sector through a “transparency” clause. This required bigger businesses to report what they are doing to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains. And, it created an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to “encourage good practice”. Other new measures included a legal defence to victims who had been forced to commit crimes, and giving law enforcement new powers to confiscate assets from traffickers.
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However, the act did little to stop modern slavery happening in the first place. The prevention strategy mainly consisted of poster campaigns in airports and immigration processing centres.
Some argued that the act dodged the big issues around work and immigration. For example, by not addressing weaknesses in labour protections and the additional vulnerabilities migrant workers faced thanks to May’s “hostile environment” migration policies.
As prime minister, May touted the UK’s “world-leading” efforts on modern slavery to the global stage at the UN General Assembly. But a decade later, the impacts have been less than stellar.
What has been its impact?
The act has certainly raised the issue’s profile in the last ten years. Businesses now have to report on what steps they are taking to tackle modern slavery. But there are no penalties if they do not comply, and there has been limited progress on exploitation in supply chains. Recent cases involving McDonald’s and other supermarkets prove that businesses are not spotting the signs or acting effectively to prevent the issue.
The number of people identified as potential victims of modern slavery has increased significantly in the last ten years: 19,125 in 2024, nearly six times as many as in 2015. That’s at least partly because the act has improved awareness among frontline responders (organisations who refer potential victims for support).
But while more people who may have experienced modern slavery are being identified, prosecutions are very low. Only 64 adult offenders were sentenced between 2017-19 for over 22,756 potential victims of modern slavery identified over the same period. There are many reasons for this, but one is that victims may not come forward, fearing they may be detained or deported.
Immigration policies passed by the last Conservative government have also rolled back protections for modern slavery victims. In passing the Nationality and Borders Act and Illegal Migration Act, the government argued that people arriving on small boats were abusing the protections offered through the Modern Slavery Act to evade deportation. Far from world-leading, the UK became non-compliant with international anti-trafficking and human rights laws.
Many of the concerns raised during the drafting of the legislation have proven accurate. Despite repeated commitments to create a unified labour inspectorate, successive governments have dodged reform of labour market regulation.
The UK’s immigration and work visa system has also led to the potential for exploitation. Even legal migration routes and the sponsorship visa scheme have created conditions for people to be exploited. For example, in sectors such as agriculture or social care, where intermediaries sell false promises regarding employment and conditions in the UK.
Added to this, the system of support which recognised victims of modern slavery can access is creaking under pressure. It has expanded beyond what was envisaged in its original design, and there are backlogs in decision-making and questions over how appropriate it is. Thousands have declined formal identification and support because they do not feel it is worthwhile or appropriate for them.
Research has also shown that victims are not necessarily getting the support or legal defence they are entitled to. An unknown number of victims are likely to be in the UK’s prisons, where they may be subject to further exploitation.
Stopping modern slavery
The theory behind the Modern Slavery Act was that if you “get tough” on criminals and improve support for victims, you can reduce exploitation. But that hasn’t worked – modern slavery is still a huge problem in the UK.
Changing this means taking prevention seriously, and addressing the conditions and inequalities that lead to exploitation in the first place. Like other global challenges, modern slavery stems from issues like poverty, inequality and discrimination and gender-based violence.
My colleagues and I at the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre recently noted in our report on policy priorities that the government has an opportunity to prevent modern slavery through some of its other crime prevention efforts, as well as in forthcoming legislation such as the employment rights bill.
Without a clear and evidence-based strategy, modern slavery in the UK will persist or even grow, and the Modern Slavery Act will remain an innovative, but ultimately ineffective tool in the fight against exploitation.
Alex Balch is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool and is Research Director of the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) based at the University of Oxford. The Modern Slavery PEC is supported by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council and funds research to improve understanding of modern slavery and inform better policies to address it.
Turkey is in turmoil after Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading opposition figure and potential challenger to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested on March 19 on charges of corruption.
More than 1,000 people who protested against the arrest have also been detained as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in anger at what they say is a major blow against democracy. İmamoğlu, who denies all charges against him, has since been endorsed as the candidate for the 2028 presidential elections for the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Central to the allegations of corruption is what is known in Turkey as “naylon faturacılık”. This literally means “nylon invoicing” and refers to the issuing of fake invoices. It doesn’t refer to simple clerical errors or accounting mishaps, but deliberate attempts to fabricate transactions, inflate expenses, or obscure real beneficiaries.
Technically illegal, the practice is nonetheless widespread in Turkey. It forms part of what many see as the country’s informal economy.
The informal economy in Turkey spans everything from street vending and informal recycling to complex tax evasion schemes involving registered firms. Naylon faturacılık illustrates how corruption doesn’t always sit outside the system, but often thrives from within it.
It exposes a blurry boundary between formal and informal economic activity, revealing how some formal businesses manipulate legal frameworks to appear compliant while engaging in illicit practices. In September 2024, Turkey’s Ministry of Finance uncovered 3 billion Turkish Lira (£61 million) worth of fake invoices in an investigation targeting around 4,500 large taxpayers.
Over the past four years, I’ve interviewed more than 60 business owners, workers, and entrepreneurs across Turkey – from informal micro-enterprises to firms embedded in formal supply chains. One theme surfaced again and again: naylon faturacılık, or fake invoicing.
People described it not as an exception but as “just part of doing business” in an informal economy. In an economy shaped by patchy enforcement and institutional fragility, this practice has become normalised over the past decade. It’s not legally accepted, but has unfortunately become socially expected.
Under Turkish law, issuing or using fake invoices is a serious offence, punishable by three to eight years in prison. Yet many of my interviewees, especially those operating in or alongside the informal economy, saw fake invoicing as a necessary way of doing business. They described it as a viable response to rising costs, bureaucratic hurdles and a system that often punishes formality.
Opposition leaders, including CHP leader Özgür Özel, argue that İmamoğlu’s arrest is politically motivated – an attempt to discredit their candidate ahead of the presidential election. Özel condemned the operation as a “coup attempt” against Turkey’s democratic future.
In a press conference, he revealed that most of the people detained alongside İmamoğlu are linked to companies that won public contracts from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) under the control of İmamoğlu. Moreover, some of those arrested, he claimed, are students or relatives with no actual involvement in procurement decisions or public bids.
The key accusation is that these companies issued fake invoices – billing for work never done, or for services exaggerated or duplicated. Yet Özel contends that no concrete evidence has been presented thus far and much of the government’s case comprises testimony and vague associations from gizli tanık (secret witnesses).
One such witness reportedly named a communications or media firm that had worked with both İBB and the central government – including on campaigns commissioned by the presidency’s Directorate of Communications that work directly with Erdoğan. When the same activity, individuals or businesses, can be framed as legitimate under one administration and criminal under another, the line between legality and politics becomes dangerously thin.
While opposition mayors in Turkey face swift legal action against corruption, serious corruption allegations against former Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek, which he denies, involving nearly 46 billion Turkish lira in public losses remain uninvestigated. Gökçek was a member of Erdoğan’s government Justice and Development Party (AK).
A total of 97 complaints were filed over alleged misconduct during Gökçek’s tenure as mayor of Ankara until 2017, but nothing was done. Critics say this reflects politically selective justice.
One law for some
This isn’t just a story about fake invoices. It is about contexts where rules are unevenly enforced, where legal grey zones are abundant and where informality becomes a flexible instrument of control. A practice such as naylon faturacılık tolerated in one political moment can become a liability in another. A company can operate legally while it enjoys good relations with the government – and suddenly find itself under suspicion when that changes.
In Turkey today, the question is often not whether an act is legal or illegal. It’s more about who is involved and whose power is being threatened. The lines between formal, informal or illegal is not merely economic – it is profoundly political. That’s why the nylon invoicing issue is so revealing. Far from being a fringe practice, it exposes the everyday intersections of power, legitimacy and corruption.
In a climate of deepening polarisation and eroding institutional trust, many believe that who gets punished for corruption depends less on the act itself and more on which side of the political divide they fall.
Protests in Turkey callling for ‘rights! law! justice!’
Turkey’s democracy and justice system are being tested – not only by corruption, but by how selectively corruption is investigated and enforced. In this uncertain moment, the challenge is not only to hold people accountable, but to rebuild trust in institutions and ensure that justice is applied fairly. The protestors’ slogan“hak, hukuk, adalet” (rights, law, justice) carries a deeper warning: power is temporary, but justice must endure.
As many demonstrators in Turkey are now reminding the Erdoğan government: when the balance shifts, those in power today may find themselves in need of the very fair and independent legal system they are now so determined to undermine.
Tulin Dzhengiz research on the informal economy received funding from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Cannabis legalisation could raise £1.5 billion for the UK economy, according to a recent report from the charity Transform. But aside from this plant’s economic benefits, cannabis also has many ecological advantages.
My research into the potential role of cannabis in shaping a fairer and healthier world never fails to excite me. Cannabis flowers became legally allowed as a medicine in the UK in 2018, but its origins as a medicinal herb in Britain dates back to at least Anglo-Saxon times. Its popularity is evident in the many place names scattered across the country, from Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire to Littlehempston in Devon.
Hemp is a colloquial term for the cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa. Hemp often refers to strains of cannabis that have had its main psychoactive chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), bred out of the female flowers.
Due to the negative associations cannabis has picked up over the past 50 years of prohibition, hemp farmers have distanced themselves from using the term cannabis. In the UK, this association has resulted in strict conditions for growing hemp creating a barrier for farmers.
In recent years, cannabidiol (CBD), the main non psychoactive chemical found in female cannabis flowers, has become popular as a wellness product. CBD is abundant in low-THC hemp flowers, so it’s easy for the lines between hemp and cannabis to become blurred.
It’s all cannabis. This plant has some incredible environmental benefits, from improving soil health to storing carbon. Here are five ways that cannabis plants can contribute to a greener planet:
1. Productive harvests
Hemp stems have a woody core, known as shivs, that can be mixed with lime to make hempcrete, a carbon-neutral alternative to concrete. Concrete production is one of the major sources of global greenhouse gas emissions. Hempcrete could be used to build eco-friendly social housing across the UK.
Hemp is ideally suited to agroecology, but it’s not an easy crop to grow in the UK
because licensing laws make it very difficult for hemp farmers to tap into a global market worth billions.
Farmers at one community farm, Hempen in Oxfordshire, sowed their first hemp crop over an area of 30 acres. In 2019, Hempen were forced to destroy their CBD harvest as their licence wasn’t renewed.
In California, THC strains are allowed. One farming community started producing its own CBD-based medicines on just one acre of land. Others use the plant in other interesting ways, from rehabilitating formally incarcerated people to off-grid market gardens.
Hemp offers potential as a fast-growing crop that enriches soil health. MAR007/Shutterstock
A process known as phytoremediation cleans the soil of these toxic contaminants. Hemp’s deep roots have a high tolerance for absorbing dangerous heavy metals. It is also a great break crop – this is a way for farmers to rotate the types of crops they grow to keep the soil healthy.
Bioplastics made from hemp are biodegradable, composting down into organic matter leaving no microplastics. Hemp bioplastics are already being used by a number of commercial companies from building cars to packaging.
Bioplastics do not offer a complete solution, but with the right infrastructure they could help reduce the need to derive more plastics from fossil fuels.
4. Carbon storage
Trees and other plants remove carbon dioxide from the air through the process of photosynthesis. Hemp is great at this, storing twice as much carbon dioxide than trees.
It’s very difficult to store excess energy from renewable sources for use at a later date when the sun might not be shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Big batteries are one solution but these require mining precious metals.
Another solution are supercapacitors – mega-efficient energy storage solutions that can be as small as a coin. Graphene, a flat material stronger than steel, is an essential element in the production of supercapacitors but it’s expensive and energy-intensive to make.
The whole stem biomass (unused plant waste) from cannabis could provide a low-cost way to make graphene. Research shows that supercapacitors using hemp-based graphene perform much more efficiently than current commercial models.
Hemp has many other known uses, from textiles to paper. The UK could lead the way in hemp innovation. The previous UK government did announce some minor changes to hemp licensing. Now, further changes to legislation could help farmers to harness the potential of this wondercrop in the fight against climate change.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
WASHINGTON – Today on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) slammed Democrats for resorting to attacking Tesla cars and dealerships across the country because they refuse to accept that President Trump was delivered a mandate on November 5th to get our economy back on track and cut government spending with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
On the Destruction of Tesla Vehicles:
“It is Trump derangement syndrome.”
“I’m glad to hear the Attorney General say that this will not be accepted and that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Maybe that will stop this once they see the full weight of prosecution come down on them.”
“What DOGE is doing, what Elon Musk is doing is demonstrating some of the most egregious examples of wasteful spending.”
“I’m actually excited about the opportunities that this presents for us to do something about something we should have done a long time ago.”
On Comments from Democrats like Failed Candidate Tim Walz:
“Well, you can see now why [Tim Walz] lost the election, if that’s the best he has to offer.”
“They are unteachable, and certainly they didn’t learn anything from the election on November 5th, when their party and their platform was rejected by the American people.”
“I would prefer that they would engage constructively and try to work together with us to try to solve some of these problems, rather than just lose their mind and destroy an inanimate object like a Tesla vehicle.”
Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union, issued the following statement after testifying at the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) hearing on Section 301 regarding proposed remedies to China’s aggressive targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors:
“The IAM applauds USTR’s proposed remedies in response to China’s unfair and discriminatory practices. For decades, the People’s Republic of China has pursued dominance in the maritime sector, devastating U.S. shipbuilding capacity and weakening our defense industrial base. This must stop.
“As a former shipbuilder at Bath Iron Works in Maine, I must highlight the impact of China’s predatory policies on U.S. workers. Our members have dedicated their lives to mastering the highly specialized skills required to build and repair commercial and naval vessels, only to see their jobs disappear as U.S. shipyards shutter or struggle to compete.
“The IAM Union supports the USTR’s proposed multi-pronged approach, including meaningful relief measures and incentives for purchasing U.S.-built commercial ships. We recommend swift implementation, and that port service fees be directed into a trust fund to invest in shipbuilding infrastructure and workforce development. We also call for additional policy changes and investment to revitalize the shipbuilding industry.
“IAM Union members stand ready to build and maintain our 21st-century naval and commercial fleet. Without decisive action, the decline of U.S. shipbuilding will continue, jeopardizing economic stability and national security. We urge the USTR to move forward with strong, impactful relief measures to reinvigorate this critical industry.”
Click here to read IAM Union International President Brian Bryant’s full testimony.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.
Cleveland, OH – The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested David Wayne Garner (40) for aggravated murder. Garner was wanted by the East Cleveland Police Department after a shooting that took place on January 20, 2025, in the 1700 block of Shaw Ave. in East Cleveland.
It is alleged that Garner fatally shot Rashawn Brinkley twice in the head while Brinkley was sitting in a vehicle. Garner has since evaded police on multiple occasions while on the run. The NOVFTF adopted the case on February 19, 2025, and began to search for Garner. This morning, the NOVFTF was able to locate and arrest Garner in the 2200 block of Brockway in Cleveland Heights, OH.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said “This type of violence has no place in our community, and it’s a top priority to make sure violent criminals such as this are taken off the streets as quickly as possible. We are proud of the work of our team today.”
Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous. Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Cleveland Division is composed of the following federal, state and local agencies: U.S. Marshals Service, Cleveland Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department, Euclid Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Independence Police Department, Parma Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Solon Police Department, Cleveland RTA Police Department, Westlake Police Department, Bedford Police Department, Middleburg Heights Police Department, Newburgh Heights Police Department and the Metrohealth Police Department.
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that AUSTIN MORRISHOW pled guilty today to illegally possessing multiple rounds of ammunition in connection with a June 30, 2023, shooting in which MORRISHOW and his co-defendant, CURTIS WHITE, fired multiple shots on a residential street in the Bronx, striking and seriously injuring a five-year-old girl. MORRISHOW pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who also presided over WHITE’s guilty plea on February 5, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “On June 30, 2023, Austin Morrishow and his co-defendant, Curtis White, engaged in a brazen act of violence by firing several shots onto a busy residential street in the Bronx. As these shots rang out, panicked bystanders rushed for cover, and one child—a five-year-old girl—was struck by a bullet and seriously injured. Morrishow then tried to evade arrest, but he was tracked down by our law enforcement partners, and now faces time in prison for endangering our city with senseless gun violence.”
According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:
On June 30, 2023, MORRISHOW, WHITE, and several others were gathered on a residential sidewalk in the Bronx. After a car engine backfired, MORRISHOW took cover behind a parked vehicle, assumed a shooting stance, and fired several shots from a .40 caliber pistol at three cars idling nearby, which began fleeing from the gunfire. WHITE ran after the fleeing cars, firing shots from a .380 caliber pistol.
The shots fired by MORRISHOW and WHITE left at least seven .40 caliber shell casings, two .380 caliber shell casings, and two fired bullets in the street, as well as two bullet fragments, bullet holes, and shattered windows in vehicles parked on the street. One of these shots hit the five-year-old girl sitting in the back of a car, and she was rushed to the hospital.
MORRISHOW was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because of his prior federal conviction for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a narcotics conspiracy, and WHITE was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because of his prior state conviction for attempted first-degree assault with intent to cause serious injury with a weapon.
* * *
MORRISHOW, 27, and WHITE, 27, both of the Bronx, New York, each pled guilty to one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. MORRISHOW is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, and WHITE is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025.
The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, and also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance with the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry J. Fang is in charge of the prosecution.
Reference is made to the stock exchange notification published by Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (“EMGS” or the “Company”) on 15 January 2025 wherein EMGS announced that the Company had received a Letter of Award for a CSEM survey in India.
The Company is pleased to announce that the final contract has now been signed. Under the signed contract, the final contract value remains approximately USD 10 million, i.e. in accordance with the expectation under the Letter of Award.
Contact Anders Eimstad, CFO, +47 948 25 836
This information is published in accordance with the Norwegian Securities Trading Act § 5-12.
About EMGS EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company’s services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel. CSEM technology can also be used to detect the presence of marine mineral deposits (primarily Seabed Massive Sulphides) and EMGS believes that the technology can also be used to estimate the mineral content of such deposits. The Company is undertaking early-stage initiatives to position itself in this future market.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Speech
King’s Counsel appointments ceremony 2025: Lord Chancellor speech
Lord Chancellor’s speech at the 2025 King’s Counsel appointment ceremony, recognising those who have been formally appointed to the rank of KC and Honorary KC.
It is a great honour and a pleasure to be here today…
To preside over the formal appointment of those receiving the rank of King’s Counsel.
Those two letters – KC…
Do not just set you apart from your peers…
And widen the eyes of your bank manager and your clerks.
They are a public recognition, from the Crown …
Of your skill, expertise, and contribution to the law.
It is a momentous achievement.
For many, the pinnacle of a career that is as much a vocation as a profession.
My warmest congratulations to each of you.
And how fitting that we celebrate you here, in Westminster Hall.
After Magna Carta first decreed that the rule of law was greater than the rule of a King…
It was here that the principal courts of England first sat:
King’s Bench, Common Pleas, and Chancery.
Here, the ideal of justice became reality…
Laying the foundations of English and Welsh common law…
Which underpins not just our justice system, but those of so many other nations across the world.
These ancient walls have borne witness to some of the most defining cases in our history.
Here, Charles the First was tried…
The gunpowder plotters faced justice…
And one of my predecessors, Sir Thomas More, was handed down his grisly fate…
A warning, perhaps, to any Lord Chancellor who strays too far from the good graces of their premier.
Happily, reshuffles are a little less bloody these days.
Through the centuries, this hall has stood as a symbol of an unshakable principle:
That no one, however powerful, is above the law.
That principle has been defended, time and again, by advocates of the highest calibre.
And into that long line, you now enter.
As leaders in the law, and guardians of the rule of law…
It falls to you, to strengthen, and uphold its values.
To ‘take silk’ is a distinction earned not just through talent, of course – though we have that here in abundance.
It takes years – often decades – of dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice.
I know the journey to this moment has not been easy.
The road was paved by endless late nights, spent poring over a brief…
Hours upon hours of painstaking research…
Countless weekends lost to work…
Cancelled plans…
And the many times this career has pulled you away from the ones you love…
And who, despite your commitment to this vocation, still love you back – most of the time.
They are here today, cheering you on.
And I consider this honour as much a tribute to them, as it is to you.
Today is also about more than personal achievement.
The rank of King’s Counsel is not simply a mark of excellence…
It is a symbol of the strength of our legal system, recognised not just in this country but across the world.
It underpins the global reputation of our legal services sector…
Which stands as a guarantee of integrity, expertise, and the highest standards of advocacy.
And with this distinction comes a broader duty:
To ensure that cases are argued fairly…
To test and challenge the law, so it remains robust and just…
And, in doing so, to shape the legal precedents that will influence justice for generations…
As you hand it down to the next generation.
You are the guardians of the rule of law – and it falls upon my office to ensure you are protected.
That is why I have been so concerned, of late, to read reports of judges and lawyers being subjected to physical attacks – just for doing their jobs.
Recently, a family court judge was assaulted in his own courtroom…
And during the appalling riots of last summer, lawyers feared for their safety after threats, and their work addresses, circulated on social media…
Simply because of who they represent.
Now, in this country, there will always be room for opposing views…
For legitimate disagreements over policy.
To speak freely is a cornerstone of our democracy – part of what it means to be British.
Judges dispense the law – and we can all debate the law…
But as Lord Chancellor, what I will not accept…
What I will never countenance…
Are attacks on those who are doing their duty…
Upholding the law of our land.
Our legal profession and judiciary argue, and make decisions on, some of the most difficult issues of our time…
You must be able to do so free from undue influence…
And without risk to your safety and security.
Anything less is unacceptable.
Your job is to protect the law…
And we should protect you.
From the bar and the bench, you underpin the rule of law in this country.
But it is not only those who practice who do so.
That is why, alongside the 105 new Kings Counsel today…
We welcome nine King’s Counsel, Honoris Causa, to your number.
Each has been nominated for their outstanding contribution to the law outside of the courtroom.
Their work may often be behind the scenes…
But it has enriched our legal system immeasurably, and we thank you for it.
First, Professor Martin Dixon, nominated for his scholarship in property law…
Rebecca Hilsenrath, for her advocacy around equality, diversity, and human rights.
Rachel Horman-Brown, who has shaped both policy and the law around coercive control.
Dr Laura Janes, for her work on access to justice, and the rights of children in custody.
Susanna McGibbon, for her leadership in many high-profile cases and inquiries.
Professor Renato Nazzini , for his work in competition law.
Sue Willman, for founding the Asylum Support Appeals Project.
Douglas Wilson, for shaping the law around the use of military force, cyberspace, and investigatory powers.
And finally, Professor Adrian Zuckerman, for his contribution to civil law.
Thank you all for the enduring contributions you have made to legal thought and practice.
And I think that leaves me only to offer my warmest congratulations to all of you, Kings Counsel Honoris Causa and Pro Meritis.
You leave this room with the right to wear a very lovely full-bottomed wig…
A really rather strange monkey jacket…
And, of course, the eponymous silk.
But with great outfits, comes great responsibility.
You are the custodians of your profession…
Upholders of legal excellence….
And guardians of the rule of law.
But most importantly, today, you are husbands and wives…
Fathers and mothers…
Sons and daughters…
And I hope today you will raise a glass to those who helped you get here.
For years, the federal government has been targeting net zero by 2050 and putting in place an aggressive approach to reduce emissions as outlined in its Emissions Reduction Plan. This scheme, which included the carbon tax, emissions cap, electricity regulations and other initiatives, has drawn strong criticism from provinces, industry, business groups and Canadians.
A report by the Conference Board of Canada, commissioned by Alberta’s government, sheds new light on the negative impacts of the federal government’s punitive environmental approach. By 2050, Alberta’s GDP will shrink by 11 per cent, employment will decline by four per cent and the average person will have $3,300 less in disposable income – while Canada still misses its emissions target.
Alberta’s government is calling on the next federal government to permanently abandon the carbon tax, emissions cap and the entire flawed federal approach. Instead, the federal government should focus on reducing emissions without hurting the economy or making life harder for Albertan and Canadian families.
“These findings should send a message to whoever ends up being the next federal government. Our province remains firmly committed to protecting the environment and creating a future for our children, but that can’t be achieved by trampling on Canadians’ livelihoods. Ottawa has offered nothing but penalties and vague rhetoric. Instead of meaningful incentives to reduce emissions, we get carbon taxes, a production cap, and layers and layers of costly regulations, all burdening families and workers who are already stretched thin.”
The Conference Board of Canada assessed how Alberta businesses and consumers will react to the federal policies based on the costs and effectiveness of the technologies necessary to meet the federal targets.
It found that Alberta will be disproportionately impacted by the current federal plan, experiencing a deep recession in 2030 and subsequently slower economic growth going forward. According to the report, compared to the 2050 baseline scenario, Alberta’s GDP, jobs, revenue and incomes will significantly decline because of federal emissions policies:
GDP: Projected to be 11 per cent lower
Employment: Projected to be 4.1 per cent lower
Government revenues: Projected to be 9.3 per cent lower
Real (price adjusted) incomes: Down $3,300 (or 7.3 per cent) per person
Nationally, real GDP in Canada is estimated to fall 3.8 per cent in 2050. Canadian oil and gas production in 2050 would be 37 per cent lower, mostly due to the proposed federal oil and gas production cap.
On March 12, the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) – following on reports from S&P Global, Deloitte Canada and the Conference Board of Canada – released a scathing report outlining the negative impacts of the proposed federal oil and gas emissions cap. According to the report, the PBO estimates that the federal government’s cap alone will in fact slash oil and gas production by almost 5 per cent, all while these required production cuts reduce nominal GDP by $20.5 billion in 2032.
The PBO report also suggests this policy will reduce economy-wide employment in Canada by 40,300 jobs and full-time equivalents by 54,400 in 2032.
Alberta’s government continues to call for the next federal government to focus on policies that grow the economy, while working with provinces and respecting the Canadian constitution.
Quick facts:
The Conference Board of Canada scenarios assume oil and gas production grow to 9.7 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2050 with peak oil production of 9.9 million barrels per day in 2042, reflecting continued global oil demand.
Canada’s employment is estimated to be 2.6 per cent lower, consumer prices 2.5 per cent higher, and real GDP 3.8 per cent lower in 2050 under the federal plan (compared to the baseline scenario).
According to the report, Canada’s electricity sector would need to reduce emissions by 376 per cent below baseline in 2050, through significant investment in carbon capture and storage, to meet the federal net-zero commitment.
The Conference Board of Canada’s realistic scenario assumes carbon capture and storage (CCS) will be deployed at a slower rate than is generally assumed by the federal government.
Canada’s Emission Reduction Plan, released in March 2022, is a roadmap and its policies include the carbon tax, Clean Electricity Regulation, Clean Fuel Regulation, federal oil and gas emissions cap, methane reduction targets, zero emission vehicle mandates, and various other subsidy programs.
The Conference Board of Canada’s report on assessing the impact of the federal Emissions Reduction Plan was completed prior to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and does not include the impacts of potential U.S. tariffs.
U.S. tariffs have further illustrated the importance of market access to Canada’s energy security.
Related information
Assessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan
IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen and Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser recently addressed a group of high school seniors looking toward futures in the aviation industry.
The three-day annual program at the IAM’s Winpisinger Center brought together 27 high school seniors from Aviation High School in Queens, N.Y. The IAM has a long-standing partnership with the school to provide students with insights into future aviation careers through training, visits to transportation agencies, and scholarships.
“As the largest and most powerful airline union, the IAM plays a vital role in the past, present and future of the aviation industry,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnson. “Our partnership with Aviation High School gives students an inside look at how our union can benefit them as they begin their careers.”
Classroom studies also play an important role hearing from many speakers.
“We give the students a lot of information about our union, as it is imperative to educate students on the importance of having a union contract,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser. “The IAM has enjoyed a long partnership with Aviation High School, with an ongoing relationship since 2002.”
“The students were very busy with classroom studies,” said IAM District 142 Flight Safety Director Bud Brown. “We showed the students how the IAM handles and investigates an aircraft crash and how we assist work with the NTSB.”
On Tuesday, students traveled to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Virginia to see firsthand some of the world’s most historic aircraft. On Wednesday, the group visited the IAM’s International Headquarters to hear from departments and staff. The students will be graduating in June and then will take a final course to become fully licensed aircraft maintenance technicians.
BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal law enforcement partners apprehended 370 illegal aliens in Massachusetts during an enhanced targeted enforcement operation focusing on transnational organized crime, gangs, and egregious illegal alien offenders March 18-23.
“The Commonwealth is a safer place for our residents to live and work because ICE and our federal law enforcement partners arrested hundreds of alien offenders and removed them from the streets of Massachusetts,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around Boston. Our efforts resulted in 370 arrests throughout the commonwealth. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the homeland through the eradication of transnational criminal organizations, dismantling dangerous criminal gangs preying on the American public, locating and arresting criminal alien offenders, and making our communities a safer place to live.”
During the six-day enhanced operation, ICE and federal law enforcement partners targeted egregious criminal alien offenders including transnational criminal organizations known to operate in and around Boston and throughout Massachusetts. These organizations include the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios, and 18th Street gangs.
“This week’s enhanced enforcement operations with our partners from the FBI, DEA, ATF, DSS and CBP prove that we are taking a whole of government approach to protecting our communities from foreign nationals involved in transnational gangs, drug traffickers, child predators, violent criminals and dangerous individuals living in New England,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “ICE will use every resource and authority we have to prioritize the safety and security of our communities.”
“Everyone should agree that we cannot and will not tolerate individuals who not only violate our immigration laws but then commit crimes that endanger our communities. Those who enter and remain in this country unlawfully are breaking the law,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley. “My office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that dangerous individuals are identified, prosecuted, and removed, so that the people of Massachusetts can live and work in safe and secure communities.”
205 of those arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges. Six were foreign fugitives currently facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering
“Safeguarding the integrity of the immigration and citizenship process is critical. We simply can’t permit violent and dangerous criminals to enter or remain in the United States under false pretenses, with unknown allegiances and intentions. It’s a direct threat to public safety and our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Jodi Cohen. “There’s no question our communities are safer today because of this enhanced, targeted operation. FBI Boston, like all our federal partners, will continue to support ICE with these efforts.”
Law enforcement officials seized approximately 44 kilograms of methamphetamines, 5 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms and ammunition from illegal alien offenders during the operation.
“DEA is proud to have worked with our federal partners in this successful enforcement effort using all of the resources of the federal government to remove violent criminal aliens from our communities, said DEA New England Field Division acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau. “DEA has prioritized investigations on those involving violent, illegal criminal aliens responsible for flooding our communities with deadly and dangerous drugs. DEA’s core mission is to keep the American public safe by seizing deadly and dangerous drugs before they get into our communities, and to bring justice to the criminals responsible for manufacturing, distributing, and supplying these drugs.”
ICE and their federal law enforcement partners made many of the apprehensions after local jurisdictions refused to honor immigration detainer requests to turn over the offenders and instead chose to release aliens from custody, forcing officers and agents to make at-large arrests in Massachusetts communities.
“The successful outcome of this immigration enforcement operation demonstrates the dedication and collaboration of our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division James M. Ferguson. “By targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety, we are reinforcing our commitment to protecting our communities and upholding the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is fully committed to supporting the Administration’s priority to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system,” said Diplomatic Security Service Boston Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien. “This enhanced operation definitively made our communities safer. DSS proudly coordinates with our U.S. and international law enforcement partners to conduct passport, visa fraud, and human trafficking investigations and assist in apprehending fugitives to protect the integrity of U.S. borders and prevent illegal immigration.”
Among those arrested during the enhanced targeted operation include:
A Dominican alien who illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal charged with multiple drug distribution crimes, arrested in Boston.
A Dominican alien who illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal charged with trafficking fentanyl, arrested in Boston.
A Chilean alien convicted of 4 counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old, arrested in Marlborough.
A Brazilian alien charged with manslaughter, homicide by a motor vehicle, homicide while under the influence of liquor, breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a crime, and larceny, arrested in Worcester.
A Honduran alien who illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal convicted of rape of a child, assault and battery of a person over 14 and failure to register as a sex offender, arrested in Salem.
A Brazilian alien wanted for murder and convicted for firearms trafficking in his native country, arrested in Milford.
A Brazilian alien wanted for homicide in in his home country, arrested in Lowell.
A Russian alien charged with unlawful possession of ammunition and wanted in his native country for armed robbery and membership in a criminal organization, arrested in Medford.
A Dominican alien wanted for homicide in his native country, arrested in Dorchester.
A Brazilian alien wanted in his native county for failure to serve a sentence after his convictions for homicide and illegal possession of a firearm arrested in Marlborough.
A Salvadoran alien previously deported from the U.S. and documented 18th Street gang member convicted of assault and battery and sentenced to two and a half years committed arrested in Wakefield.
A Guatemalan alien charged with rape and convicted of enticing a minor under the age of 16, released by the New Bedford District Court without the ICE detainer being honored, arrested in New Bedford.
A Jamaican alien previously deported from the U.S. convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, armed robbery, possession of a firearm, and assault arrested in Pittsfield.
A Brazilian alien wanted for in his native country for drug trafficking, money laundering, membership in a criminal organization arrested in West Yarmouth.
Partner law enforcement participating in the operation were the Boston offices of the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and DSS, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston and @HSINewEngland.
The energy system is a cornerstone of the United States (US) economy and competitiveness. The country’s energy mix in 2022 was well-diversified, consisting of two thirds natural gas and oil, with the rest almost equal proportions of coal, nuclear and renewables. By using its vast reserves in fossil fuels and applying new extraction technologies, the US has managed to increase its fossil fuel production significantly over the past 10 years and, since 2019, it has become a net energy exporter for the first time in decades. US fossil fuel exports have increased further since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at a time when the EU has looked to close the gap created by its ending imports from Russia. The US is also the world’s largest producer of nuclear power, accounting for about 30 % of worldwide generation of nuclear electricity. During the Biden administration, the EU and the US were close allies and shared values on energy and the importance of energy transition. In this context, they cooperated through several channels and forums. At the same time, however, their initiatives (the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, the European Green Deal in the EU) showed that, while the goal (decarbonisation and generation of energy from renewable sources) remained the same, the visions and means to achieve them differed between the US and the EU. This created the conditions for both cooperation and rivalry. Since then, the new Trump administration has shown that it intends to conduct a more aggressive, fossil fuel-based energy policy. This could reduce cooperation and create tensions in energy relations between the partners, as was the case during President Trump’s previous term.
Ukraine is the second largest country on the European continent after Russia. Its oil, coal and gas reserves, as well as its geostrategic position, ensured its important role in energy trade, both during the Soviet Union and after its collapse. However, Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine (since 2014), followed by a full-scale war of aggression against the country, have had severe human and economic impacts. In the energy area, for example, Russia’s strategy has been to weaponise (e.g. the occupation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station) or destroy (hydro and coal-fired power plants, as well as electricity grid substations) energy infrastructure. As a result, Ukraine’s electricity generation capacity has been severely limited. Moreover, its choice to be less dependent on Russian energy, and to apply for EU membership, means that, within a short time frame, it must rebuild its energy grid and orient it towards a future with less fossil fuels; all this while being in a war. Energy relations between the EU and Ukraine are multifaceted (e.g. the Energy Community; the memorandum of understanding on energy in 2005, updated in 2016; the association agreement signed in 2014). In future, they are due to be reframed under the institutional arrangements for the enlargement talks (after Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in 2022). Since the Russian invasion in 2022, to help Ukraine cope with the multiple challenges its energy grid has been facing, the EU has used several mechanisms and initiatives, such as successfully synchronising the Ukrainian grid with the Continental European Synchronous Area; the EU civil protection mechanism; the Ukraine Facility; the Ukraine Energy Support Fund; and the European Investment Bank. The outcome of the war is uncertain, and some see recent statements by the new United States administration as a significant setback for Ukraine. Others focus instead on the possibilities for further collaboration between Ukraine and the EU. They bring as examples the country’s vast gas reserves and infrastructure both to transport and to store natural gas, nuclear power or green hydrogen, provided that the country engages in the development of relevant infrastructure.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Moldova 2024 presidential election and constitutional referendum: ODIHR election observation mission final report
Both rounds of the presidential election as well as the constitutional referendum were well managed, and contestants campaigned freely despite concerns over illicit foreign interference and active disinformation efforts. The election administration worked professionally and demonstrated impartiality in its decision-making. Voters were offered a variety of political alternatives among presidential candidates, who were registered in an inclusive process. However, the manner in which the presidential election and referendum campaigns were conducted simultaneously, and media coverage that favoured the incumbent, did not provide fully equal opportunities. The regulation of the short second-round period limited campaign opportunities and the effectiveness of legal remedies, while overly burdensome financial reporting requirements together with limited disclosure of actual donations and expenditures negatively impacted the transparency of campaign finances in the second round.
These are among the main conclusions from the final report published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report provides 25 recommendations to align Moldova’s election processes more closely with OSCE commitments and other international standards.
Key recommendations include:
Comprehensively and inclusively reviewing the legal framework to address all outstanding ODIHR recommendations and eliminating gaps and inconsistencies, including regulations on the second round of elections, and likewise reviewing the legal framework for referendums;
Providing the Central Election Commission with the necessary resources to ensure it can carry out its work, and strengthening its capacity to monitor campaign finance;
Effectively enforcing provisions on preventing the misuse of public resources and public office, and further enhancing initiatives to combat vote-buying and illicit campaign finance;
Removing restrictions on the right to vote based on intellectual or psychosocial disability;
Undertaking a comprehensive audit of the State Voter Register and strengthening inter-institutional cooperation to ensure its accuracy;
Providing an effective mechanism for challenging election results, and ensuring adequate access for voters to file appeals;
Providing clear safeguards for the genuine independence of the Audiovisual Council and the public broadcaster.
ODIHR’s election observation mission in Moldova opened on 12 September 2024 and remained in the country until 27 October.
All 57 participating States across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations. Further information on previous ODIHR recommendations and the extent to which they have been implemented so far can be found on p.36 of the report. ODIHR’s electoral recommendations database tracks the implementation of previous recommendations across the OSCE region.
President Trump has been clear that securing the Southwestern Border of the United States is a priority of the absolute highest level. To that end, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transitional criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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).
Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Western Texas, Southern Texas, New Mexico, Southern California, and Central California charged more than 840 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 217 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 91 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 103 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 15 cases against 23 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
The Central District of California filed charges against 17 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed. Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include assault with bodily injury. One of the defendants is suspected of murder while another was arrested on suspicion of committing assault with intent to rape. The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base penalty of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The Southern District of California filed more than 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.
The District of New Mexico brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 46 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation, four individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 27 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325).
The Southern District of Texas filed a total of 246 cases related to immigration and border security. Of those, 91 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 145 face charges of illegally entering the country, eight cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to other immigration matters and making false statements.
The Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 210 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases.
We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again.
Ben Lake MP outlines alternative fiscal options instead of wide-ranging cuts
Plaid Cymru’s Treasury spokesperson, Ben Lake MP, has written to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves ahead of the 2025 Spring Statement, urging the UK Government to reconsider planned spending cuts and ensure Wales receives fair funding.
The Spring Statement, set to be delivered in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 26 March, will provide an update on the UK economy, public finances, and the Government’s economic objectives. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish its latest economic and fiscal forecast alongside the statement, with expectations that the UK’s economic outlook will be downgraded.
Ben Lake MP has raised concerns that the UK Government’s response to this downturn – cutting public spending – will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities in Wales, exacerbating poverty and inequality.
He has also highlighted the potential financial implications for Wales of England-only decisions, such as the abolition of NHS England, which could reduce the funds allocated to Wales through the Barnett Formula.
In his letter, Ben Lake MP proposes several alternatives to the Chancellor’s current fiscal approach. These include:
Charging National Insurance on limited liability partnerships, such as large corporate law firms;
Closing tax loopholes that allow overseas-based online vendors to avoid VAT;
Ending subsidies for oil and gas companies.
The Plaid Cymru MP also calls on the Chancellor to address the longstanding funding disparities faced by Wales. He notes that Northern Ireland’s Barnett Formula allocation is 9% higher than that of Wales, leaving Welsh public services underfunded.
In his letter, Ben Lake MP writes:
“The Office for Budget Responsibility is widely expected to downgrade the performance of the UK economy, and I am concerned that the Government’s response to cut public spending will harm the most vulnerable in Wales by increasing poverty and exacerbating inequality.
“Spending decisions which apply to England only, such as the decision to abolish NHS England, will nevertheless have implications for Wales by potentially reducing the amount received through the Barnett Formula.
“I note that several practical alternatives have been proposed to raise additional revenue for the UK Government, and I would be grateful to understand whether they have been considered in advance of the Spring Statement. It has been estimated that charging National Insurance on limited liability partnerships such as large corporate law firms, for example, or closing loopholes allowing overseas-based online vendors to avoid paying VAT, in addition to cutting the subsides for oil and gas companies could raise billions to help meet the Government’s current fiscal rules without the need for further austerity.
“The Spring Statement is also an opportunity to give Wales financial parity with the devolved nations so that the Welsh Government has the economic levers to grow the economy and improve livelihoods. For instance, Northern Ireland’s Barnett Formula needs-based funding is 9% higher than Wales’s which means Welsh public services such as health and housing are missing out on additional funding. Wales also lacks the ability to invest in infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and transport projects given that the Welsh Government has an annual capital borrowing limit of £150 million compared to the Scottish Government’s £450 million. I would be grateful to know whether the UK Government will look to address these inequalities as part of its ongoing negotiations with the Welsh Government on the Welsh Government Fiscal Framework.
“I urge you to use this Spring Statement to fulfil the UK Government’s promise of not returning to a policy of austerity, and to introduce fair funding and investment powers for Wales.”
BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal law enforcement partners apprehended 370 illegal aliens in Massachusetts during an enhanced targeted enforcement operation focusing on transnational organized crime, gangs, and egregious illegal alien offenders March 18-23.
“The Commonwealth is a safer place for our residents to live and work because ICE and our federal law enforcement partners arrested hundreds of alien offenders and removed them from the streets of Massachusetts,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around Boston. Our efforts resulted in 370 arrests throughout the commonwealth. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the homeland through the eradication of transnational criminal organizations, dismantling dangerous criminal gangs preying on the American public, locating and arresting criminal alien offenders, and making our communities a safer place to live.”
During the six-day enhanced operation, ICE and federal law enforcement partners targeted egregious criminal alien offenders including transnational criminal organizations known to operate in and around Boston and throughout Massachusetts. These organizations include the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios, and 18th Street gangs.
“This week’s enhanced enforcement operations with our partners from the FBI, DEA, ATF, DSS and CBP prove that we are taking a whole of government approach to protecting our communities from foreign nationals involved in transnational gangs, drug traffickers, child predators, violent criminals and dangerous individuals living in New England,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “ICE will use every resource and authority we have to prioritize the safety and security of our communities.”
“Everyone should agree that we cannot and will not tolerate individuals who not only violate our immigration laws but then commit crimes that endanger our communities. Those who enter and remain in this country unlawfully are breaking the law,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley. “My office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that dangerous individuals are identified, prosecuted, and removed, so that the people of Massachusetts can live and work in safe and secure communities.”
205 of those arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges. Six were foreign fugitives currently facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering
“Safeguarding the integrity of the immigration and citizenship process is critical. We simply can’t permit violent and dangerous criminals to enter or remain in the United States under false pretenses, with unknown allegiances and intentions. It’s a direct threat to public safety and our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Jodi Cohen. “There’s no question our communities are safer today because of this enhanced, targeted operation. FBI Boston, like all our federal partners, will continue to support ICE with these efforts.”
Law enforcement officials seized approximately 44 kilograms of methamphetamines, 5 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms and ammunition from illegal alien offenders during the operation.
“DEA is proud to have worked with our federal partners in this successful enforcement effort using all of the resources of the federal government to remove violent criminal aliens from our communities, said DEA New England Field Division acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau. “DEA has prioritized investigations on those involving violent, illegal criminal aliens responsible for flooding our communities with deadly and dangerous drugs. DEA’s core mission is to keep the American public safe by seizing deadly and dangerous drugs before they get into our communities, and to bring justice to the criminals responsible for manufacturing, distributing, and supplying these drugs.”
ICE and their federal law enforcement partners made many of the apprehensions after local jurisdictions refused to honor immigration detainer requests to turn over the offenders and instead chose to release aliens from custody, forcing officers and agents to make at-large arrests in Massachusetts communities.
“The successful outcome of this immigration enforcement operation demonstrates the dedication and collaboration of our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division James M. Ferguson. “By targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety, we are reinforcing our commitment to protecting our communities and upholding the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is fully committed to supporting the Administration’s priority to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system,” said Diplomatic Security Service Boston Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien. “This enhanced operation definitively made our communities safer. DSS proudly coordinates with our U.S. and international law enforcement partners to conduct passport, visa fraud, and human trafficking investigations and assist in apprehending fugitives to protect the integrity of U.S. borders and prevent illegal immigration.”
Among those arrested during the enhanced targeted operation include:
A Dominican alien who illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal charged with multiple drug distribution crimes, arrested in Boston.
A Dominican alien who illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal charged with trafficking fentanyl, arrested in Boston.
A Chilean alien convicted of 4 counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old, arrested in Marlborough.
A Brazilian alien charged with manslaughter, homicide by a motor vehicle, homicide while under the influence of liquor, breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a crime, and larceny, arrested in Worcester.
A Honduran alien who illegally re-entered the U.S. after removal convicted of rape of a child, assault and battery of a person over 14 and failure to register as a sex offender, arrested in Salem.
A Brazilian alien wanted for murder and convicted for firearms trafficking in his native country, arrested in Milford.
A Brazilian alien wanted for homicide in in his home country, arrested in Lowell.
A Russian alien charged with unlawful possession of ammunition and wanted in his native country for armed robbery and membership in a criminal organization, arrested in Medford.
A Dominican alien wanted for homicide in his native country, arrested in Dorchester.
A Brazilian alien wanted in his native county for failure to serve a sentence after his convictions for homicide and illegal possession of a firearm arrested in Marlborough.
A Salvadoran alien previously deported from the U.S. and documented 18th Street gang member convicted of assault and battery and sentenced to two and a half years committed arrested in Wakefield.
A Guatemalan alien charged with rape and convicted of enticing a minor under the age of 16, released by the New Bedford District Court without the ICE detainer being honored, arrested in New Bedford.
A Jamaican alien previously deported from the U.S. convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, armed robbery, possession of a firearm, and assault arrested in Pittsfield.
A Brazilian alien wanted for in his native country for drug trafficking, money laundering, membership in a criminal organization arrested in West Yarmouth.
Partner law enforcement participating in the operation were the Boston offices of the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and DSS, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston and @HSINewEngland.
