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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Files False Claims Act Complaint Alleging Genetic Testing Medicare Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against AIMA Business and Medical Support, LLC (AIMA), a company that provides medical billing and compliance services, for allegedly submitting or causing the submission of false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic laboratory tests.

    AIMA is registered as a Florida limited liability company and offers medical billing and compliance services in the United States. AIMA’s CEO, Aaron Liston, was based in the United Kingdom, AIMA’s employees were based in India, and AIMA provided services to customers in the United States, including billing the Medicare Program on behalf of healthcare providers and suppliers. The United States’ claims arise from AIMA’s alleged conduct in offering Medicare billing advice and submitting bills to Medicare on behalf of a Miami-based diagnostic laboratory called Excellent Laboratories Inc., which did business as Selecta Laboratory (Selecta).

    The United States contends that from August 2018 through August 2019, AIMA billed Medicare Part B approximately $ 15,178,946.00 for genetic tests on behalf of Selecta, even though AIMA knew or should have known that the tests were not medically necessary and were not ordered by the beneficiary’s treating physician. Medicare does not cover the costs of genetic tests that are not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness. To be covered by Medicare, a diagnostic laboratory test, including a genetic test, must be ordered by the physician who is treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem and who uses the results in the management of that problem.  As a result of AIMA’s conduct, Selecta received Medicare funds to which it was not entitled and, correspondingly, paid AIMA for its services.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Clarissa Pinheiro is handling the matter, with the HHS-OIG conducting the investigation.

    The investigation and prosecution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims asserted in the government’s complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cv-22507.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Caught Twice with Guns and Drugs Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught twice with guns and drugs to 14 years in prison.

    Evidence and testimony during the February trial of Antonio Dixson, 37, of St. Louis, showed that Dixson was caught with two guns and drugs on Dec. 1, 2020, in Wentzville, Missouri. Dixson was in the rear seat of a Honda SUV that had fled from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers two weeks earlier. When Dixson stepped out of the vehicle, a Glock pistol fell from his waist to the ground. A Taurus Judge revolver, loaded with two.45 caliber rounds and three .410 shotgun shells, was visibly protruding from his pocket. Police then found ammunition and drugs in his pockets. He had 31 tablets of clonazepam laced with PCP, 100 capsules containing a mixture of para-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and morphine, eight tablets containing fentanyl, 0.5 grams of cocaine and 5.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a sentencing memorandum says. He also had six cellular phones and over $700 cash. Due to COVID-era restrictions, Dixson was booked and released from custody, the memo says.

    Dixson was undeterred by the arrest, and was arrested again on Feb. 25, 2021, by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers who spotted a Mercury Villager driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Officers found a .45 caliber Colt model 1911, a 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol, and drugs in Dixson’s pants pockets. Those drugs included tablets containing meth, 6.76 grams of crystal meth and 0.63 grams of cocaine base.

    Both the drugs and weapons Dixson possessed presented a great danger to the public, the memo says. Dixson has also repeatedly been convicted of various crimes and “remains unrepentant even now,” the memo says, adding that in the last 19 years, Dixson has spent more than 16 years either behind bars or under court supervision.

    In February, jurors found Dixson guilty of two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a defaced firearm.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wentzville Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Dunkel and Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rock Hill Man Sentenced to 15 Years Federal Prison for Fentanyl Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — Justin Lee Payne, 31, of Rock Hill, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Payne was arrested by York County sheriff’s deputies for trafficking fentanyl. During the arrest, investigators executed a search warrant on Payne’s home and located more than 280 grams of fentanyl and 4 grams of methamphetamine.

    United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Payne to 180 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston D. Holliday is prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charleston Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon Violation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Claude Michael Barrs, 45, of Charleston, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    Evidence presented in court showed that on September 29, 2023, Berkeley County sheriff’s deputies stopped Barrs after observing him driving erratically. During the stop, Barrs appeared extremely nervous and admitted that his license was suspended. When asked to exit the vehicle, he attempted to discreetly discard a bag on the ground. Deputies recovered the bag and found 6 grams of methamphetamine inside.

    A search of the vehicle uncovered an additional 0.85 grams of methamphetamine under the driver’s seat and a 9mm pistol in the trunk. Barrs admitted the drugs and firearm belonged to him. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. He was also eligible for a sentencing enhancement based on prior convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses.

    At the time of this arrest, Barrs was out on bond for state charges of armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a weapon by a violent offender.

    United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Barrs to 180 imprisonment as part of a negotiated agreement between the parties to be followed by fives years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Romanian National Sentenced for Defrauding Banks and Leaving Hundreds of Banking Customers as Victims in His Wake

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Romanian national illegally present in the United States who is described in court documents as being an “undeterred serial scammer” who left hundreds of victims in his wake after stealing and using their personal banking information has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison and will face deportation proceedings, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Mario Demarco, a/k/a Marius Lupu a/k/a David Adamec, 30, pleaded guilty in January to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 33 months in federal prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Additionally, Demarco was ordered to pay restitution totaling $16,567.06.

    An immigration detainer has been lodged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Court documents reflect that for more than two years, beginning in October 2022, Demarco traveled up and down the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic installing skimming devices on ATMs. These devices intercepted hundreds of customers’ debit card and banking information, which Demarco used to create fraudulent debit cards. The bogus cards were then used to make unauthorized cash withdrawals, attempted withdrawals, and purchases.

    Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Demarco installed skimming devices on at least ten ATMs and compromised at least 952 cards. Demarco owes restitution to fifteen different banks.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor A. Dean and Ly T. Chin.

    The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Warwick, RI, Police Department, Cranston, RI, Police Department, East Greenwich, RI, Police Department, North Kingstown, RI,  Police Department, East Providence, RI, Police Department, Boston, MA, Police Department, New York City Police Department, and the Stratford, CT, Police Department.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Interrelated Drug Rings Taken Down in Series of Arrests Following Wiretap Investigation

    Source: US FBI

    Follows earlier arrests focused on dealers in International District and “the Jungle”

    Seattle – Fourteen people were indicted in late May and eleven were taken into custody in coordinated arrests last week as part of an ongoing investigation of drug traffickers with ties to drug trafficking in Seattle’s International District and homeless encampments, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The defendants are charged in two separate indictments with trafficking cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California into the Western District of Washington.  In addition to searches of Washington locations, search warrants were executed in Oregon and Southern California. The defendants have detention hearings over the next few days.

    “The indictment of five defendants in January 2025 was just the first step,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “Now we are prosecuting fourteen additional defendants. Law enforcement partners continued to pursue drug traffickers even after the initial arrests in January to address the importation of substances like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into western Washington generally and the International District in particular.” 

    “For years, this criminal organization preyed on the homeless and drug addicted. They terrorized people living and working in the Chinatown-International District and South Seattle,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon F. Barnes. “I am proud of the work our detectives and federal partners have done to put these criminals behind bars where they belong.”

    The seven defendants named in the first indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin are:

    Octavio Salazar Palma, 33, of Federal Way, Washington, a U.S. citizen

    Luis Soto Lara, 47, of Vancouver, Washington

    Juan Ramirez Recinos, 41, of Burien, Washington, sought by law enforcement

    German Juarez-Otanez, 34, Bothell, Washington, sought by law enforcement

    Alexander Emilio Cozza, 42, of Seattle

    Marco Antonio Bobadilla, 33, Pacific, Washington

    Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 55, of Everett, Washington

    The seven defendants in the second indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine are:

    Daniel Ibarra Loera, 31, of Kent, Washington

    Jose Garcia Corona, 61, of Seattle

    Leonardo Rojas Cruz, 53 of Federal Way, Washington

    Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, 31, of Algona, Washington

    Juan Lopez Roblero, 43, of Tukwila, Washington

    Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, 46, of Issaquah, Washington

    Sang Su, 44, Seattle, a U.S. citizen, sought by law enforcement

    In this investigation in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics is nearly $3 million.

    “Thanks to the sustained investigative efforts of the FBI and our partners, we are continuing the work we began in November 2023 by first intercepting the flow of dose quantities of dangerous drugs into the International District and homeless encampments in Seattle,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Since January 2025, when we arrested five Washington-based members of this organization, we followed the investigation outside of Washington state as the traffickers made frequent trips into Oregon and California. We are now reaching sources of supply, further stopping these poisons—and the violence that accompanies them—from reaching our communities.”

    On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash

    Due to the quantities involved some of the defendants face mandatory minimum ten-year prison terms. Federal law enforcement is still determining the citizenship status of many of the defendants in this case.

    “This trafficking group was a major supplier of deadly drugs to the International District and other communities throughout the Seattle area,” said David F. Reames.  “The fentanyl powder and pills our team seized in this case could have yielded enough lethal doses to kill everyone in Seattle twice.  I am proud of our team and would like to thank the Seattle Police, the FBI, the IRS and the Washington National Guard Counterdrug program for their amazing partnership.”

    “Illegal drug trafficking devastates lives and affects us all. It is a huge issue that requires a forceful response,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “This investigation draws from the resilience of our communities, which drives the combined efforts of our law enforcement partners and of our agency. Together, we will push back and continue to make a positive, felt impact for all our friends and neighbors.”

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Based Nonprofit and Affiliated Nursing Homes Agree to Pay $3.61M to Resolve False Claims Act Liability

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    American Health Foundation (AHF), its affiliate AHF Management Corporation, and three affiliated nursing homes — Cheltenham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center (Cheltenham), The Sanctuary at Wilmington Place (Wilmington Place), and Samaritan Care Center and Villa (Samaritan) — have agreed to pay $3.61 million to resolve claims related to billing Medicare and Medicaid for grossly substandard skilled nursing services between 2016 and 2018. AHF is a nonprofit corporation that is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, and owns and controls nursing homes in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Cheltenham is a 255-bed nursing home located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Wilmington Place is a 63-bed nursing home located in Dayton, Ohio; and Samaritan is a 56-bed nursing home located in Medina, Ohio.

    “Nursing homes are expected to provide their residents, which include some of our most vulnerable citizens, with quality care and to treat them with dignity and respect,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna Jenny of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will not tolerate nursing homes — or their owners or managing entities — abdicating these responsibilities and seeking taxpayer funds to which they are not entitled.”  

    The United States’ complaint, filed in June 2022, alleged that the aforementioned three AHF nursing homes provided grossly substandard services that failed to meet required standards of care in various ways. For example, the United States alleged that each facility failed to follow appropriate infection control protocols and had problems maintaining adequate staffing levels. The United States also alleged that Cheltenham housed its residents in a dirty, pest-infested building; gave its residents unnecessary medications, including antibiotic, antipsychotic, antianxiety, and hypnotic drugs; deprived its residents of their dignity by subjecting them to verbal abuse, leaving them without meaningful activities or stimulation, and failing to safeguard their possessions, including money, clothing, and other personal items; and failed to provide needed psychiatric care. The United States similarly alleged that Wilmington Place had repeated failures relating to resident mediations, including the provision of unnecessary drugs, and persistently failed to create and maintain crucial resident care plans and assessments. Finally, the United States alleged that Samaritan had repeated failures related to resident care plans and assessments, and housed residents in a building and on grounds that often were not safe and sanitary.

    Contemporaneously with the settlement announced today, the AHF entities agreed to enter into a chain-wide, quality of care Corporate Integrity Agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, which will remain in effect for five years and address quality of care and resident safety within the AHF entities’ skilled nursing facilities.

    The case is captioned United States v. American Health Foundation Inc.; AHF Management Corporation; AHF Montgomery Inc. doing business as Cheltenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; and AHF Ohio Inc. doing business as The Sanctuary at Wilmington Place and doing business as Samaritan Care Center and Villa, Case No. 2:22-cv-02344 (E.D. Pa.).  

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. This matter was handled by Fraud Section attorneys Ben Young and Susan Lynch.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions bipartisan bill to address suicide epidemic among students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today reintroduced the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, which would require colleges and universities to provide the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line and a campus mental health center on student identification (ID) cards. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is the lead Senate cosponsor of the bill. 
    “Young Americans are dealing with historic mental health challenges and often aren’t sure where they can turn for help. My Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act would add important hotline numbers to their student ID cards, making sure our young people always have the resources they need at their fingertips,” said Kennedy.
    “As someone who worked at a peer counseling center in college, I saw firsthand how many students suffer from feelings of hopelessness and depression. This bill will make mental health resources more accessible by placing critical support lines directly into students’ hands. We must ensure that young people have the resources they need to know they’re not alone and where to get help if they need it,”said Booker.
    The bill passed the Senate unanimously in the 117th and 116th Congresses.
    Reps. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.
    “Too many of our young people are taking their own lives, and we’ve got to push forward to address this worsening mental health crisis. Adding crucial suicide prevention information to Student IDs and college websites will ensure that at-risk students have options. I’m grateful to my colleagues for stepping up, joining together, and working across the aisle to address this growing youth suicide epidemic—to give every young person a shot at the future they deserve,” said Correa.
    “Our college students are facing unprecedented mental health challenges, and we need to ensure they have immediate access to life-saving resources. By requiring universities to include crisis hotline information on student ID cards, we’re taking a straightforward but critical step to protect our young people and show them they’re never alone during difficult times,” said Bacon.
    The Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act would:
    Require colleges and universities to provide the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988, Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741), and a campus mental health center, if applicable, on student ID cards.
    Require colleges and universities to list the information on their websites if the school does not offer physical ID cards to students.
    Background: 
    The National Institute of Mental Health deems suicide a major public health concern.
    In the U.S., suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 10- to 24-year-old age group. 
    Suicide rates for this age group increased 52.2% between 2000 and 2021. 
    In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that four in 10 students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and two in 10 seriously considered attempting suicide.
    Active Minds, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Crisis Text Line, Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness support the bill.
    “Active Minds is thrilled to see the reintroduction of the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act by Senators Kennedy and Booker and Representatives Correa and Bacon. This bipartisan legislation represents the power of student voices driving real policy change. For over a decade, Active Minds chapters across the country have been advocating for exactly this solution—putting life-saving mental health resources directly into students’ hands through their ID cards. This bill embodies Active Minds’ core belief that young people are not just the beneficiaries of mental health policy, but the architects of solutions that work. What started as grassroots advocacy from our student leaders has passed the Senate twice by unanimous consent—it is up to Congress now to pass it into law,” said Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director at Active Minds.
    “As suicide continues to be a leading cause of death among young people, far too many college students are struggling with their mental health in silence. The Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act is a simple yet powerful step toward connecting students with lifesaving resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. By ensuring this critical information is visible on student ID cards and school websites, we can reduce stigma, promote help-seeking, and make it easier for students to access support when they need it most. AFSP is proud to support this bipartisan legislation and urges Congress to act swiftly to pass it,” said Laurel Stine, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
    “Young people today are navigating a mental health crisis that can deeply affect their well-being, education, and sense of safety. We’re proud to support the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act because every student deserves to know that help is always within reach. Adding the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and campus mental health resources on the back of new student ID cards is a simple, compassionate step that can make a life-changing difference in a moment of need,” said Courtney Hunter, Vice President of Public Policy at Crisis Text Line.
    “Mental Health America (MHA) applauds Representatives Correa and Bacon for their leadership in introducing the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, which is an important step forward in addressing the growing mental health needs of college students. Roughly one in five people taking an online mental health screen on MHA’s website are college-aged, and they have expressed a need for resources and tools to manage their mental health. This bill ensures that students have quick access to potentially life-saving information for crisis and suicide help,” said Mary Giliberti, Chief Public Policy Officer at Mental Health America.
    Full text of the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “The ability to cope with difficulties helps to build a reliable and strong solution”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    This year, the winner of the “Your Project” competition in the “innovation” category was a team from Novosibirsk: Alena Kozich, Ilya Kateshov, Artem Tretyakov and Nikita Konstantinov. In the fall, they will begin their studies in the “Managing research, development and innovation in the company” Artem and Nikita shared how the work on the case went and why they are looking forward to starting their studies at HSE.

    — What did you like about the competition, and what caused difficulties?

    — I liked the freedom to choose the topic for the scenario study, the task included many industries for the application of UAS, from agriculture and the oil and gas industry to transport and logistics work and medicine, which is what we chose. I also liked the clearly formulated task, which at the same time did not limit the space for research. The number of companies to be studied could be chosen independently: at least 1 company, at least 20 companies, it all depends on the strength of the team. Of course, when solving a complex task, difficulties arise, but it is the ability to cope with them that helps build a reliable and strong solution, so there is no point in being afraid of difficulties, they must be overcome.

    — How did you distribute roles in the team?

    — My team and I have been taking part in case championships since the first year of our bachelor’s degree and we are the organizers of a case club within our university, so during the time of solving cases we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Each team member was responsible for their own unique part of the work, and everyone’s skills helped us apply our efforts to the solution as effectively as possible.

    The task was complex, so it was necessary to conduct a large block of analysis. After that, we moved on to forming a solution. At the analysis stage, we identified two main areas: analysis of foreign practices and analysis of the current situation in Russia for the implementation of new practices.

    Two people looked for foreign practices, two analyzed the current situation. After that, they moved on to implementation. Implementation was also divided into several parts: calculating solutions and assessing their impact on business and the situation in Russia as a whole.

    — Was the case difficult?

    — The task was clearly formulated, from the very beginning the team understood what to do. The case turned out to be interesting, with the main focus on the study of scenarios and practices, as well as the argumentation of initiatives. The Zipline company website contained 90% of the information we needed, except for the financial statements, which we found in open sources. During the analysis, we actively maintained a board in Figjam (analogous to Miro for Figma) and recorded every potentially useful information.

    In parallel, we analyzed federal laws and draft laws, and looked at the current situation of using UAS (unmanned aerial systems – Ed.) in Russia, because experience is also a limiting factor. Using UAS in specific regions is legally permitted, but consumers do not have active demand for the product, so it is necessary to think in a different direction. After all the practices were collected and the risks were analyzed, we began to generate ideas for using practices taking into account the limitations.

    Some practices, as expected, could not be implemented due to restrictions at the regional level. We deleted some initiatives, but others that we thought were potentially profitable, we reworked in such a way that they did not affect the restrictions.

    For example, delivery of first aid supplies using drones has been legally permitted in the Magadan Region since February 2025, so we decided to apply this practice specifically in the Magadan Region.

    After generating initiatives and creating a strategy for their application, we began calculating financial models taking into account the economic context of the regions and the method of drone delivery. The last day, as befits true case study specialists, we devoted ourselves entirely to creating a presentation and additional analysis of the final solution.

    — What are your expectations for the upcoming Master’s degree at HSE?

    — Since last year, we have been planning to enroll in the innovation program. We expect a lot of practical work, but most of all we are looking forward to meeting cool guys in order to start doing something together and simply broaden our horizons.

    Evgeniy Savelenok, Academic Director of the program “Management of Research, Development and Innovation in the Company”

    “Initially, when preparing the case, colleagues had a request to monitor information from foreign sources about the state of affairs in the UAV industry with an emphasis on new technologies and products. As a result of the discussion, we supplemented the task with a creative part – generating a scheme and logistics for using UAVs in Russia, including calculating economic costs. The case turned out to be complex and practically applicable – our partners considered all the solutions, and applicants have the opportunity to present their developments to the company’s specialists.

    The special thing about the competition is that you know the people who are going to defend their theses. This knowledge helps us to make a more informed assessment at the defense: we look at the work in the chat, and at the finished product, and at the individual achievements of the participants. As a rule, the more organized, united and active teams win. That is, we get applicants with whom we can get to know each other throughout the competition, watch them in action, observe their work. This is the right idea.”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Province, First Nations take next step to grow economy through partnerships, planning, conservation in northwestern B.C.

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship –

    “The northwest strategy will provide clarity for First Nations, industry and the public, and will advance our goal of protecting 30% of the land by 2030 on some of the most biodiverse and rugged land and watersheds in Canada. It will also create tens of billions of dollars in investment and thousands of good, family-supporting jobs for British Columbians.”

    Jagrup Brar, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals –

    “This strategy builds on years of co-operation between our government, First Nations and industry to strike the right balance between conservation, reconciliation and economic development. Partnerships like this will deliver the critical minerals the world needs while better protecting the air, land and waters that First Nations have stewarded since time immemorial.”

    Beverly Slater, president, Tahltan Central Government –

    “Phase 1 land-use plan is a significant step toward sustainable development and reconciliation. Ensuring our culturally sensitive land is off limits to development, that our air, fish, land, water and wildlife will be protected, and establishing co-management protocols for responsible resource development within Tahltan territory is not only in the best interest of the Tahltan Nation, but also in the best interest of all British Columbians.”

    Jíník, Charmaine Thom, spokesperson, Taku River Tlingit First Nation –

    “This long-awaited commitment marks a significant step toward right relations between the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the Government of British Columbia, focused on land and water stewardship in the globally significant Taku watershed. We welcome this opportunity to build on our T’akú Tlatsini IPCA, rooted in the direction of our elders and citizens and based on generations of knowledge and decades of research and work. Through respectful collaboration and partnership, we look forward to working with the Province, stakeholders and all who care for or depend upon our territory to build a robust and thriving shared future.”

    Chief Stephen Charlie, Liard First Nation​ –

    “The Kaska have a long-held vision for the protection of our ancestral lands, consistent with our values and laws, and we are eager to see the provincial government affirm that vision through collaborative land-use planning. Safeguarding the heartlands of our territory in B.C. and building a thriving conservation economy will benefit future generations of Kaska and all people of the region.”

    Tara Marsden/Naxginkw, Wilp sustainability director, Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs –

    “Today, we are moving forward together to protect critical salmon habitat in the Meziadin, building on decades of collaborative land-use planning. This renewed certainty will support continued economic growth in fisheries, eco-tourism and mineral exploration in less sensitive areas.”

    Eva Clayton, president, Nisga’a Nation, Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government –

    “The Nisga’a Lisims Government administration will be delighted to work with B.C., Canada and our neighboring First Nations across the northwest. Many of us have shared interest when it comes to our natural resources and economic vision. We look forward to reviewing the data from the multiple experts and state-of-the-art land-assessment procedures. With 25 years experience in land assessments, waterways and sustainable resource management, we are prepared to bring our best to the table and contribute to economic excellence.”

    Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation –

    “The shared vision we have for the northwest is centred on reconciliation as envisioned by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, conservation and economic growth. By building and strengthening government-to-government relationships with the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Kaska Dena, Gitanyow and Nisga’a Nations, appropriately planning for and protecting the land and environment, and providing predictability and transparency in this work, we will create opportunities for good jobs and a strong economy. My gratitude and thanks to all involved.” 

    Tori Ball, conservation director, lands and freshwater program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) –

    “CPAWS-BC is heartened that the Province is acting on its commitment to protecting the lands, waters and ways of life that make B.C. special through land-use planning carried out in partnership with First Nations. Collaborative planning has the potential to meet the dual challenge of ecological crisis and economic uncertainty by putting ecosystem and community health at the core of decision-making. We have a generational opportunity to bring people together to work toward a shared vision of a healthy future for wildlife and British Columbians alike.”

    Nikki Skuce, director, Northern Confluence Initiative –

    “This northwest announcement is putting commitments into action that help B.C. meet its conservation goals, while also providing greater certainty to industry through land-use planning. This ambitious pathway will help us in the northwest move forward with responsible development that protects our salmon watersheds and makes us more resilient to climate-change impacts. We look forward to participating in meaningful public engagement as planning moves forward in co-operation with Indigenous governments.”

    Justin Himmelright, senior vice-president, external affairs, Skeena Gold & Silver –

    “Skeena looks forward to engaging in this process. As a near-term producer of precious and critical minerals, we have first-hand experience with the work needed to permit and develop a mine in B.C.  Working with all parties to establish certainty on the land is an essential step in creating prosperity for First Nations and all British Columbians.”

    Rudi Fronk, CEO and chairman of the board, Seabridge Gold –

    “We support the land-use planning process and welcome its focus on collaboration and reconciliation. We look forward to working with the Province, the Tahltan and the Nisga’a Nation to finalize the plan.”

    Trish Jacques, board chair, Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) –

    “AME shares the government’s aspiration for certainty, including establishing clear areas for critical minerals and precious metals exploration and development. While there are good signs at this early stage, from the accelerated one-year land-use planning process to allowing Notice of Work permitting and existing tenures to continue throughout the planning area, mineral explorers have invested hard work and money in areas that may be considered sensitive. AME will continue to advocate to protect mineral exploration and development for the benefit of all British Columbians.”

    Katherine MacRae and Scott Ellis, co-chairs, Adventure Tourism Coalition –

    “The Adventure Tourism Coalition supports the collaborative approach to land-use planning in the northwest. This process is a critical opportunity to ensure long-term ecological integrity while also recognizing the economic importance of low-impact, nature-based tourism. We remain optimistic that through meaningful engagement and Indigenous leadership, this process can result in land designations that protect sensitive areas and sustain outdoor-recreation opportunities for generations to come.”

    Jeff Hanman, executive vice-president and chief strategy officer, Teck Resources –

    “Northwest B.C. has tremendous potential to responsibly supply critical minerals the world needs and create economic opportunity. Working in co-operation with Indigenous communities and local stakeholders is essential to responsibly unlocking this resource potential and advancing reconciliation.”

    Michael Goehring, president and CEO, Mining Association of British Columbia –

    “Northwest land-use planning can unlock generational economic development in the region and across the province through a balanced, informed and inclusive process that achieves conservation objectives while accelerating permitting for provincially or nationally significant mining projects in full partnership with First Nations. Creating greater certainty for investors will strengthen B.C.’s and Canada’s position as a leading global supplier of critical minerals and metals.”

    Abdul Rahman Amoadu, managing director, Africa-Canada business unit, Newmont –

    “With over a century of experience, Newmont has found that shared visions between industry and communities lead to the most successful outcomes. Gaining a clearer understanding of areas of cultural significance to Indigenous groups in northwest B.C. will support more informed and effective business decisions.”

    Louise Pedersen, executive director, Outdoor Recreation Council of BC –

    “We welcome this commitment to inclusive land-use planning in the northwest. Recreation users have strong connections to these landscapes, and it’s important that their voices are part of the conversation. Collaborative planning can help strike the right balance between public access, conservation, economic growth and Indigenous leadership so these places can be enjoyed and cared for by all.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Operation Results in More Than 70 Illegal Alien Arrests at Cartel-Run Night Club near Charleston

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    One of the illegal aliens arrested is a foreign fugitive wanted for homicide in Honduras

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released the following statement after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 72 illegal aliens at a nightclub run by a suspected member of the Los Zetas Cartel during an operation in the Charleston, South Carolina area over the weekend. Los Zetas, now formally recognized as Cártel del Noreste (CDN) was formally designated a terrorist organization by the Trump Administration in February 2025.

    Prior to the operation, ICE received information from a source that “The Alamo”-–an underground illegal nightclub-–was the location of weapons, narcotics, and human trafficking. ICE also seized cash, narcotics, and firearms during the operation. 

    During the operation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the unlicensed establishment, leading to: 

    • 72 arrests, including individuals with serious prior offenses.
    • 6 juveniles recovered and turned over to state social services for protection and care.  

    Arrests are still being processed.  

    One of the most high-profile arrests was of Sergio Joel Galo-Baca, a Honduran illegal alien and foreign fugitive with an active Interpol Red Notice for homicide in Honduras. 

    “Day in and day out, the brave men and women of ICE are working with local law enforcement to keep American communities safe. The successful operation that took place in the Charleston area resulted in more than 70 arrests of illegal aliens—including an international murder suspect and the dismantling of a nightclub run by a suspected cartel member where drug, weapon, and human trafficking were taking place,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, fugitives and law breakers are on notice: Leave now or ICE will find you and deport you.”  

    Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte led the operation with local law enforcement, which took place on June 1.

    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.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Supreme Court changes the game on federal environmental reviews

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By J.B. Ruhl, Professor of Law, Director, Program on Law and Innovation, and Co-director, Energy, Environment and Land Use Program, Vanderbilt University

    A pumpjack in eastern Utah extracts oil from underground. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

    Getting federal approval for permits to build bridges, wind farms, highways and other major infrastructure projects has long been a complicated and time-consuming process. Despite growing calls from both parties for Congress and federal agencies to reform that process, there had been few significant revisions – until now.

    In one fell swoop, the U.S. Supreme Court has changed a big part of the game.

    Whether the effects are good or bad depends on the viewer’s perspective. Either way, there is a new interpretation in place for the law that is the centerpiece of the debate about permitting – the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, known as NEPA.

    Taking a big-picture look

    NEPA requires federal agencies to document and describe the environmental effects of any proposed action, including construction of oil pipelines, renewable energy and other infrastructure projects.

    Only after completing that work can the agency make a final decision to approve or deny the project. These reports must evaluate direct effects, such as the destruction of habitat to make way for a new highway, and indirect effects, such as the air pollution from cars using the highway after it is built.

    Decades of litigation about the scope of indirect effects have widened the required evaluation. As I explain it to my students, that logical and legal progression is reminiscent of the popular children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” in which granting a request for a cookie triggers a seemingly endless series of further requests – for a glass of milk, a napkin and so on. For the highway example, the arguments went, even if the agency properly assessed the pollution from the cars, it also had to consider the new subdivisions, malls and jobs the new highway foreseeably could induce.

    The challenge for federal agencies was knowing how much of that potentially limitless series of indirect effects courts would require them to evaluate. In recent litigation, the question in particular has been how broad a range of effects on and from climate change could be linked to any one specific project and therefore require evaluation.

    With the court’s ruling, federal agencies’ days of uncertainty are over.

    The cover image of the 637-page environmental impact assessment shows a view of the region where a railway is proposed to be built.
    U.S. Surface Transportation Board

    Biggest NEPA case in decades

    On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court – minus Justice Neil Gorsuch, who had recused himself – decided the case of Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the first major NEPA dispute before the court in 20 years.

    At issue was an 85-mile rail line a group of developers proposed to build in Utah to connect oil wells to the interstate rail network and from there transport waxy crude oil to refineries in Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere. The federal Surface Transportation Board reviewed the environmental effects and approved the required license in 2021.

    The report was 637 pages long, with more than 3,000 pages of appendices containing additional information. It acknowledged but did not give a detailed assessment of the indirect “upstream” effects of constructing the rail line – such as spurring new oil drilling – and the indirect “downstream” effects of the ultimate use of the waxy oil in places as far flung as Louisiana.

    In February 2022, Eagle County, Colorado, through which trains coming from the new railway would pass, along with the Center for Biological Diversity appealed that decision in federal court, arguing that the board had failed to properly explain why it did not assess those effects. Therefore, the county argued, the report was incomplete and the board license should be vacated.

    In August 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed and held that the agency had failed to adequately explain why it could not employ “some degree of forecasting” to identify those impacts and that the board could prevent those effects by exercising its authority to deny the license.

    The railway developers appealed to the Supreme Court, asking whether NEPA requires a federal agency to look beyond the action being proposed to evalutate indirect effects outside its own jurisdiction.

    Petroleum-drilling equipment stands in the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah.
    AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

    A resounding declaration

    Writing for a five-justice majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered a ringing, table-pounding lecture about courts run amok.

    Kavanaugh did not stop to provide specific support for each admonition, describing NEPA as a “legislative acorn” that has “grown over the years into a judicial oak that has hindered infrastructure development.” He bemoaned the “delay upon delay” NEPA imposes on projects as so complicated that it bordered “on the Kafkaesque.”

    In his view, “NEPA has transformed from a modest procedural requirement into a blunt and haphazard tool employed by project opponents.” He called for “a course correction … to bring judicial review under NEPA back in line with the statutory text and common sense.” His opinion reset the course in three ways.

    First, despite the Supreme Court having recently reduced the deference courts must give to federal agency decisions in other contexts, Kavanaugh wrote that courts should give agencies strong deference when reviewing an agency’s NEPA effects analyses. Because these assessments are “fact-dependent, context-specific, and policy-laden choices about the depth and breadth of its inquiry … (c)ourts should afford substantial deference and should not micromanage those agency choices so long as they fall within a broad zone of reasonableness.”

    Second, Kavanaugh crafted a new rule saying that the review of one project did not need to consider the potential indirect effects of other related projects it could foreseeably induce, such as the rail line encouraging more drilling for oil. This limitation is especially relevant, Kavanaugh emphasized, when the effects are from projects over which the reviewing agency does not have jurisdiction. That applied in this case, because the board does not regulate oil wells or oil drilling.

    And third, Kavanaugh created something like a “no harm – no foul” rule, under which “even if an (environmental impact statement) falls short in some respects, that deficiency may not necessarily require a court to vacate the agency’s ultimate approval of a project.” The strong implication is that courts should not overturn an agency decision unless its NEPA assessment has a serious flaw.

    The upshot for the project at hand was that the Supreme Court deferred to the board’s decision that it could not reliably predict the rail line’s effects on oil drilling or use of the oil transported. And the fact that the agency had no regulatory power over those separate issues reinforced the idea that those concerns were outside the scope of the board’s required review.

    A train rolls along a stretch of track in Utah that could be connected with a proposed railway to carry oil to market.
    AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

    A split court

    Although Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote that she would have reached the same end result and upheld the agency permit, her proposed test is far narrower.

    By her reading, the federal law creating the Surface Transportation Board restricted it from considering the broader indirect effects of the rail line. But her finding would be relevant only for any federal agencies whose governing statutes were similarly restrictive. By contrast, Kavanaugh’s “course correction” applies to judicial review of NEPA findings for all federal agencies.

    Though the full effects remain to be seen, this decision significantly changes the legal landscape of environmental reviews of major projects. Agencies will have more latitude to shorten the causal chain of indirect effects they consider – and to exclude them entirely if they flow from separate projects beyond the agency’s regulatory control.

    Now, for example, if a federal agency is considering an application to build a new natural gas power plant, the review must still include its direct greenhouse gas emissions and their effects on the climate. But emissions that could result from additional gas extraction and transportation projects to fuel the power plant, and any climate effects from whatever the produced electricity is used for, are now clearly outside the agency’s required review. And if the agency voluntarily decided to consider any of those effects, courts would have to defer to its analysis, and any minor deficiencies would be inconsequential.

    That is a far cry from how the legal structure around the National Environmental Policy Act has worked for decades. For lawyers, industry, advocacy groups and the courts, environmental review after the Eagle County decision is not just a new ballgame; it is a new sport.

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

    – ref. Supreme Court changes the game on federal environmental reviews – https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-changes-the-game-on-federal-environmental-reviews-257881

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Fenchurch Legal Launches Secured Litigation Funding Strategy for Fixed-Income Investors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK , June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fenchurch Legal, a UK-based litigation funding specialist, today announced the launch of a structured secured lending strategy aimed at fixed-income investors seeking stable returns outside of traditional markets. With economic uncertainty challenging conventional income instruments, the firm’s high-volume consumer litigation model offers a predictable, uncorrelated alternative designed to deliver quarterly interest payments through a diversified portfolio of secured law firm loans.

    Structured like private credit, Fenchurch Legal’s litigation funding model turns legal claims into an income-generating investment opportunity.

    As economic volatility continues to test traditional markets, a growing number of investors are turning to alternative asset classes that promise stable risk-reward profiles. Litigation funding, once considered niche, is now emerging as a mainstream alternative investment, providing secure income generation.

    Fenchurch Legal, a UK-based specialist in litigation funding, is among the firms redefining  the landscape of alternative credit strategies by offering a secured, income-generating investment that is predictable and uncorrelated with traditional markets.

    A Secured Lending Approach to Litigation Funding

    Fenchurch Legal has structured its litigation funding offering through a secured lending model, offering investors a fixed-income product with a unique security structure designed to protect investor capital. Unlike large litigation funders who focus on a few high-value commercial cases, Fenchurch Legal funds a high volume of smaller consumer claims – including those related to financial mis-selling and mis-sold car finance. This high- volume strategy allows for broad diversification across numerous law firms and case types, helping to mitigate concentration risk and deliver consistent returns.

    The predictability of this model enables investors to receive fixed, quarterly interest payments, making it an attractive option for those seeking regular income through a disciplined, secured alternative to traditional fixed-income investments.

    Delivering Predictability in an Uncertain Environment

    One of the most attractive features of litigation funding is its low correlation with traditional markets and macroeconomic cycles, making it particularly appealing in volatile or downturn conditions. Unlike speculative alternative assets, high-volume litigation funding offers a structured and secured approach, ideal for investors prioritizing capital preservation and low volatility. Its predictability and resilience are what set it apart, with performance driven by legal outcomes rather than market sentiment or economic indicators.

    From Case Selection to Investor Returns: The Fenchurch Model in Action

    Real world case examples, such as PPI or mis-sold car finance, demonstrate how funding supports access to justice while delivering predictable outcomes for investors. These well-established, protocol-driven cases highlight the tangible benefits of Fenchurch Legal’s approach.

    Investor capital is pooled and deployed via secured loans to law firms, enabling them to pursue a high volume of these smaller consumer claims. These cases follow established legal protocols and have historically demonstrated repeatable outcomes. The loans are repaid by the law firms over time, with interest, regardless of individual case outcomes, all backed by After-the-Event (ATE) insurance for added downside protection. 

    This risk-managed structure has allowed Fenchurch Legal to consistently deliver investors with predictable, quarterly interest payments, ideal for income focused investors. By funding thousands of low-value claims across multiple law firms, the model achieves broad diversification and reduces exposure to any single case or firm. This risk-managed approach has historically delivered competitive returns, typically ranging from 11–13% per annum — making it well-suited to income-focused portfolios.

    Louisa Klouda, CEO and Founder of Fenchurch Legal, stated, “At Fenchurch Legal, we’ve designed a litigation funding model that mirrors the features fixed income investors value most — regular income, downside security, and a diversified, risk-managed portfolio.”

    “In today’s economy, stability is the new growth. Litigation funding provides exactly that — it’s an asset class with low volatility, high transparency, and a compelling risk-adjusted return,” she added.

    About Fenchurch Legal

    Fenchurch Legal is a UK-based specialist litigation financier, providing disbursement funding to small and mid-sized law firms pursuing consumer claims where outcomes are well-established and repeatable, including housing disrepair, financial mis-selling, and undisclosed commission cases. Founded in early 2020, Fenchurch Legal was established in response to growing demand for litigation funding in the smaller consumer claims segment—an underserved area of the UK litigation finance market. In parallel, Fenchurch Legal structures litigation finance investment products designed for investors, providing exposure to a non-correlated, secured investment class.

    Press inquiries

    Fenchurch Legal
    https://www.fenchurch-legal.co.uk/
    Laura Rinaldi
    laura@fenchurch-legal.co.uk
    Linen Hall,
    162-168 Regent St,
    London,
    W1B 5TB
    UK

    A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.youtube.com/embed/UpddM65EbTw%20

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple unveils winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple unveils winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

    June 3, 2025

    UPDATE

    Apple unveils winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

    Winners and finalists will be recognized for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement at WWDC25

    Today, Apple announced the winners and finalists of this year’s Apple Design Awards, celebrating 12 standout apps and games that set a high bar in design. This year’s winners include development teams spanning the world whose work was selected for excellence in innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.

    “Developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating apps and games that are not only beautifully designed but also deeply impactful,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We’re excited to celebrate this incredible group of winners and finalists at WWDC and spotlight the innovation and craftsmanship they bring to each experience.”

    The awards recognize one app and one game across six categories: Delight and Fun, Innovation, Interaction, Inclusivity, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics. The winners were chosen from 36 finalists from around the world who have all demonstrated outstanding design experiences across apps and games.

    Delight and Fun

    Winners and finalists in this category provide memorable, engaging, and satisfying experiences enhanced by Apple technologies.

    App: CapWords

    Developer: HappyPlan Tech (China)

    CapWords is a dynamic language learning tool that transforms images of everyday objects into interactive stickers — helping learners explore new words in a more intuitive and visual way. Supporting nine languages, the app is a delightful way to learn independently while immersing users in their surroundings.

    Game: Balatro

    Developer: LocalThunk (Canada)

    Balatro is a satisfying fusion of poker, solitaire, and deck-building with roguelike elements. Players combine poker hands with joker cards — each with their own unique abilities — to create varied synergies. Hallmarked by clever details, gripping gameplay challenges players to advance their scores by crafting original decks to beat devious blinds and secure victory.

    Finalists for this category include Lumy by Raja V; Denim by Feel Good Tech; Thank Goodness You’re Here! by Panic; and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Ubisoft Montpellier.

    Innovation

    Winners and finalists in this category provide a state-of-the-art experience through novel use of Apple technologies that set them apart in their genre.

    App: Play

    Developer: Rabbit 3 Times (United States)

    Play is a sophisticated yet accessible tool that lets users build interactive prototypes with SwiftUI frameworks. Its thoughtfully crafted user interface is both powerful and easy to navigate, helping designers create interactive prototypes and collaborate across Mac and iPhone, all synced in real time for seamless creativity.

    Game: PBJ — The Musical

    Developer: Philipp Stollenmayer (Germany)

    PBJ — The Musical is snack-based Shakespeare, a charming game that tells the story of Romeo and Juliet with condiments. PBJ creatively mixes rhythm-based gameplay with narrative storytelling and a wonderful soundtrack. And with haptic feedback, clever camera work, and fun dialogue, it’s joyful from the start.

    Finalists for this category include Moises by Music.AI; Capybara by Digital Workroom Ltd; Pawz by Bootloader Studio Holdings Private Limited; and Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB.

    Interaction

    Winners and finalists in this category deliver intuitive interfaces and effortless controls that are perfectly tailored to their platform.

    App: Taobao

    Developer: Zhejiang Taobao Network (China)

    Taobao offers a convenient and engaging shopping experience on Apple Vision Pro, providing incredible 3D models comparable to their real-life counterparts. The immersive experience enhances shopping for users, taking into consideration placement, position, controls, size, and function, and giving people the ability to compare items side by side from an extensive selection of products.

    Game: DREDGE

    Developer: Black Salt Games (New Zealand)

    DREDGE blends slow-burn horror with exploration and adventure. Players take the helm of a fishing boat to navigate eerie islands, uncover strange wildlife, and piece together a haunting mystery. The game offers seamless interactions and a fun world of hidden treasures across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

    Finalists for this category include iA Writer by Information Architects AG; Mela – Recipe Manager by Silvio Rizzi; Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB; and Skate City: New York by Snowman.

    Inclusivity

    Winners and finalists in this category provide a great experience for all by reflecting a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and languages.

    App: Speechify

    Developer: Speechify (United States)

    With support for hundreds of voices in over 50 languages, Speechify is a powerful tool that transforms written text into audio with ease. Designed with accessibility at its core, and by offering features like Dynamic Type and VoiceOver, the app serves as a vital resource for people with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision, as well as anyone who learns best by listening.

    Game: Art of Fauna

    Developer: Klemens Strasser (Austria)

    Beautifully illustrated and mindfully designed, Art of Fauna is a puzzle game that blends vintage-inspired wildlife imagery with a deep commitment to inclusivity and conservation. Players can solve puzzles by rearranging visual elements or reordering descriptive text, making gameplay uniquely interactive. With features like full VoiceOver support and haptic feedback, accessibility is woven throughout the experience.

    Finalists for this category include Evolve by GTA Solutions; Train Fitness by Train Fitness; puffies. by Lykke Studios; and Land of Livia by Split Atom Labs.

    Social Impact

    Winners and finalists in this category improve lives in a meaningful way and shine a light on crucial issues.

    App: Watch Duty

    Developer: Sherwood Forestry Service (United States)

    During devastating wildfires in Southern California, Watch Duty once again served as a lifeline, delivering up-to-the-minute updates, evacuation information, and critical resources with clarity and reliability. The app reports information like active fire perimeters and progress, wind speed and direction, and evacuation orders.

    Game: Neva

    Developer: Developer Digital (United States)

    Visually stunning and emotionally resonant, Neva is an action-adventure tale that follows a girl and her wolf companion through a beautiful world in decline. As the seasons shift, so does their relationship — offering a quiet meditation on care, connection, and the cost of environmental loss. With themes of friendship and leadership, players guide the pair through breathtaking landscapes, and a story that is as moving as it is timely.

    Finalists for this category include Ground News by Snapwise; Opal by Opal OS; Ahoy! From Picardy by Daniel Jones; and Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser.

    Visuals and Graphics

    Winners and finalists in this category feature stunning imagery, skillfully drawn interfaces, and high-quality animations with a distinctive and cohesive theme.

    App: Feather: Draw in 3D

    Developer: Sketchsoft (South Korea)

    This drawing tool allows users to transform 2D designs into 3D masterpieces. Developed with a focus on creativity and user experience, Feather makes it easy for people of all skill levels to build advanced 3D modeling designs on iPad, drawing on touch and Apple Pencil interactions to help users bring their imaginations to life.

    Game: Infinity Nikki

    Developer: Infold Games (Singapore)

    With its enchanted realm of color, detail, and rendering, Infinity Nikki is a true visual achievement. This cozy open-world adventure challenges players to collect wonderful things, and is packed with magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and unexpected moments.

    Finalists for this category include Vocabulary by Monkey Taps; CellWalk by Timothy Davison; Control Ultimate Edition by Remedy Entertainment PLC; and Neva by Developer Digital.

    To learn more about the Apple Design Award winners and finalists, visit developer.apple.com/design/awards or the Apple Developer app.

    Press Contacts

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    News of the spectacular “spiderweb” mass drone attack on Russian air bases on June 1 will have been uppermost in the minds of delegates who assembled the following day for another round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. The attack appears to have been a triumph of Ukrainian intelligence and planning that destroyed or damaged billions of pounds’ worth of Russian aircraft stationed at bases across the country, including at locations as far away as Siberia.

    Ukraine’s drone strikes, much like Russia’s intensifying air campaign, hardly signal either side’s sincere commitment to negotiations. As it turned out, little of any consequence was agreed at the brief meeting between negotiators, beyond a prisoner swap, confirming yet again that neither a ceasefire nor a peace agreement are likely anytime soon.

    But the broader context of developments on the battlefield and beyond can offer important clues about the trajectory of the war in the coming months.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    At an earlier meeting in Istanbul in May, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to draft and exchange detailed proposals for a settlement. The Ukrainian proposal restated the longstanding position of Kyiv and its western allies that concessions on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country are unacceptable.

    In other words, a Russian-imposed neutrality ruling out Nato membership and limiting the size of Ukraine’s armed forces is a non-starter for Kyiv. So is any international recognition of Moscow’s illegal land-grabs since 2014, including the annexation of Crimea.

    The Ukrainian proposal is for an immediate ceasefire along the frontline as “the starting point for negotiations”. Any territorial issues would be discussed “after a full and unconditional ceasefire”.

    In substance, this is very similar to the peace plan presented by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky in late 2022. This was received warmly by Ukraine’s main western allies, but failed to get traction with the broader international community.

    Russia’s proposals, meanwhile, are also mostly old news. Russia maintains its demands for full recognition of Russian territorial claims since 2014, Ukrainian neutrality.

    These stringent Russian demands in return for even a temporary ceasefire are hardly any more serious negotiation positions from Ukraine’s perspective than Kyiv’s proposals are likely to be to Moscow. In fact, what the Kremlin put on the table in Istanbul is more akin to surrender terms.

    Ukraine is in no mood to surrender. The spiderweb drone attack against Russia’s strategic bomber fleet is a significant boost for Ukrainian morale. But, like previous drone strikes against Moscow in June 2023, it means little in terms of signalling a sustainable Ukrainian capability that could even out Russia’s advantages in terms of manpower and equipment.

    The state of the conflict in Ukraine as at June 3 2025.
    Institute for the Study of War

    Closer to the frontlines inside Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces also struck the power grid inside Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. This may delay any Russian plans to expand its control over the two regions. But, like the latest drone strikes inside Russia, it is at best an operation that entrenches, rather than breaks the current stalemate.

    There is no doubt that Ukraine remains under severe military pressure from Russia along most of the more than 1,000 mile frontline. The country is also still very vulnerable to Russian air attacks.

    But while Russia might continue to make incremental gains on the battlefield, a game-changing Russian offensive or a collapse of Ukrainian defences does not appear to be on the cards.

    International support

    Kyiv’s position will potentially also be strengthened by a new bill in the US senate that threatens the imposition of 500% tariffs on any countries that buy Russian resources. This would primarily affect India and China.

    These are the largest consumers of Russian oil and gas, and if New Delhi and Beijing decide that trade with the US is more important to them cheap imports from Russia, the move could cut Russia off from critical revenues and imports.

    But, given how indecisive Donald Trump has been to date when it comes to putting any real, rather than just rhetorical, pressure on Vladimir Putin, it is not clear whether the proposed senate bill will have the desired effect. The bill has support of over 80 co-sponsors from both the Republican and Democratic caucuses, meaning the senate could overturn a presidential veto. But any delay in imposing tougher sanctions will ultimately play into Putin’s hands.

    By contrast, European support for Ukraine has, if anything, increased in recent months. For example, EU leaders adopted their 17th sanctions package against Russia on May 20. A week later, Germany and Ukraine announced a new military cooperation agreement worth €5 billion (£4.2 billion).

    It still falls short of what Kyiv would require for a major shift in the balance of power on the battlefield. But for now it is enough to prevent Russia from becoming militarily so dominant that Moscow’s current settlement proposals would present the only option for at least some part of Ukraine to survive as an independent state.

    The war remains in a stalemate. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv appear to have the capacity to escalate their military efforts to the degree necessary that would force the other side to make substantial concessions.

    Both sides are playing for time in the hope that their fortunes may change. For Ukraine, this would mean more US military support coupled with more sanctions pressure on Russia, while Europe follows through on building up its own and Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

    Russia’s calculations will be different. Putin will need to keep his few remaining allies – China, Iran and North Korea – on side while trying to make a deal with Trump. This may be impossible to achieve.

    In this case, the Russian dictator’s best hope might be that Trump does not impose any serious sanctions on Russia or its trade partners, let alone lean into increasing military support for Ukraine.

    For both sides, a lot still hinges on Washington. The unpredictability of the Trump White House, much like the self-imposed restraint under Biden, not only makes it unlikely that the war in Ukraine moves beyond the current stalemate, it has become a major, and perhaps the decisive road block that enables both Moscow and Kyiv to dream of victory in a war that has become unwinnable.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

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

    – ref. Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-spiderweb-drone-strike-fails-to-register-at-peace-talks-as-both-sides-dig-in-for-the-long-haul-257927

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The strategic defence review means three new approaches for the UK

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David J. Galbreath, Professor of War and Technology, University of Bath

    The UK government’s new strategic defence review has laid out a blueprint aimed at making Britain “secure at home, strong abroad”.

    The review represents a change in how the government thinks about the UK’s defence amid a rapidly changing geopolitical picture. The Labour government launched the review in July 2024 shortly after taking office, as a first step in reassessing UK armed forces in the face of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged at the time: “We live in a more dangerous and volatile world.”

    The government has accepted the review’s 62 recommendations. The most eye-catching parts are investment and development of new weapons: expanding the UK’s nuclear capabilities, drone swarms and long-range missile systems, new F-35 and updated Typhoon fighter jets and autonomous weapon systems.

    Unlike past reviews, this one was conducted by experts outside of the government: former Nato secretary general Lord Robertson, former US National Security Council member and former White House adviser Fiona Hill, and retired British Army officer General Sir Richard Barrons.

    In addition to practical measures of investment and expansion, the review lays out the more difficult changes that are needed to respond to security challenges, namely Russian threats to Europe. Here are three key aspects to understand.

    1. War-fighting ready

    The review says the UK must be “ready to fight and win” a full-scale war. Importantly, it suggests that the UK is no longer in an era of going to war when it chooses – but instead is facing the possibility of being forced into war.

    Academic Mary Kaldor made the distinction between the two types of wars in her book New Wars and Old Wars, stating that old wars are “wars of necessity”, and new wars are “wars of the willing”. Published a few years after the end of the cold war, it’s easy to see why Kaldor made this distinction.

    But the strategic review paints a different picture – that wars of necessity are once again the UK’s primary security concern. This means the UK must be on a different war footing than it has been since 1991.

    As such, the government and the UK armed forces will have to change and become more innovative to meet this challenge. To do this, the review lays out plans for an “integrated force” model (rather than joint forces). It describes this approach as leading to “a more agile and lethal combat force”.

    The review also calls for a “whole society approach”, including expanding the voluntary under-18 cadet forces, protecting national infrastructure and public outreach.

    2. Pace of innovation

    The review includes a host of recommendations for digital innovation and munitions production, and suggests that the defence industry could be an even bigger contributor to growing the economy. But, it notes, the UK’s defence industry is currently “stuck in cold war-era procurement cycles” and processes.

    It points to a need to speed up planning and procurement and improve partnerships with the commercial sector.

    Many digital innovations are being driven by industry in the US and China, such as the work on AI, nanotechnologies, robotics and automation. The challenge for the UK will be how to build good relationships with those countries on innovation which does not have a strong presence in UK digital industries.

    Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey visit the warship HMS Glasgow.
    Lauren Hurley/Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    3. Nato first

    The reelection of Donald Trump in 2024 shocked many into thinking that the trans-Atlantic relationship was fast dissolving, though the change has been going on for some time . This review acknowledges that in setting out a “Nato first” approach:

    There is an unequivocal need for the UK to redouble its efforts within the Alliance and to step up its contribution to Euro-Atlantic security more broadly – particularly as Russian aggression across Europe grows and as the United States of America adapts its regional priorities.

    It states that Europe and the transatlantic area will be the UK’s primary reference for security. This marks a shift from the previous “Indo-pacific tilt” defence focus laid out in the 2021 integrated review.

    The Nato-first approach seems to be at odds with the direction of Nato’s largest and most powerful member, the US. Since the end of the 1990s, US presidents have repeatedly sought to realign US grand strategy towards China and away from Europe. Had the Russian Federation not invaded Crimea in 2014, the Obama administration may have been able to carry out this pivot.

    As it stands, with the second Trump presidency and its repeated calls for increasing defence spending from European states (in addition to what has often been seen as less than resolute intentions towards Russia), one might think Nato should be counting its days, rather than being placed at the centre of a new strategic review.

    However, regardless of Trump’s actions, the UK will still matter for Washington for the foreseeable future, because it remains an ally and it does defence well. Nato still remains the way to do coalition-building because it has been around for so long and has built up the institutions to do high-level defence cooperation and coordination.

    The review recognises the direction of travel for Washington, and how much it requires the UK and other European governments to invest in their own defence.

    David J. Galbreath has received funding from the UKRI.

    – ref. The strategic defence review means three new approaches for the UK – https://theconversation.com/the-strategic-defence-review-means-three-new-approaches-for-the-uk-258002

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Moby-Dick doesn’t deserve the ‘difficult’ label – this sea romance was once loved by office workers, sailors and children

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward Sugden, Senior Lecturer in American Studies, King’s College London

    I am currently writing a biography of Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, Moby-Dick. The most important thing I have learnt is that Moby-Dick is not – as is often presumed – a difficult book. I claim this on the basis of those who read it, how they did so and what they took from it in the first decades of its life.

    Moby-Dick has a fearsome reputation: dense, time-consuming, boring and bizarre. This reputation (although not absolutely unfair) was initially fabricated by a subset of “elite” Anglo-American academic readers in the 1920s to separate it from the very people who had previously sustained its existence.

    In 1994, literature professor Paul Lauter wrote an article that showed how nationalist scholars, looking to forge an American tradition, elevated Moby-Dick to the status of a classic to exclude non-specialist readers.

    But earlier readers knew Moby-Dick for what it was: an extreme and ambitious form of popular genre fiction, like science fiction or fantasy, known as the “sea romance”.

    This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.

    A romance meant something different in 1851 to what it does now. According to Noah Webster’s Dictionary, then the go-to reference, a romance was “a fabulous relation or story” that went “beyond the limits and facts of real life, and often of probability”.

    Melville was at this time a literary celebrity after his loosely non-fictional debut Typee (1846) became a transatlantic bestseller for its exotic descriptions of South Pacific captivity. In a letter to his publisher, he wrote that Moby-Dick was a “romance of adventure, founded upon certain wild legends in the southern sperm whale fisheries”.

    Herman Melville as painted by Joseph Oriel Eaton in 1870.
    Houghton Library/Harvard University

    You could assume that Melville was being cynical – to sell the book, he misrepresented it as having more commercial potential than he thought it did. But I think he was in earnest.

    The novel’s initial public was, broadly, found among the professional middle classes in America, who had a taste for this genre, dreaming of faraway places while chained to their desks. I know this because I have tracked down around 150 first editions of this book and, with the help of genealogical websites, signatures, dates and locations, worked out who some of the owners were and what they did.

    In the 1860s, Moby-Dick almost disappeared from the historical record, a situation not helped by a fire at his publisher’s works. But silence and absence are different things. There were many readers who still enjoyed Moby-Dick, though they only glancingly show up in print.

    Moby-Dick’s early readers

    My research has found that children read and lived with Moby-Dick in the 19th century. It pops up in memoirs, reminiscences, fictions and juvenile literature.

    They played games based on the book; they took it out from libraries and made it dog-eared; they scrawled odd and eerie images on it; they and elder generations read it out loud together; and Moby-Dick (evidently a familiar character) himself featured in a Christmas tale about mermaids called The Merman and the Figure-Head (1871) by Clara Florida Guernsey.

    If we take children as its audience, rather than scholarly readers, a quite different Moby-Dick appears. The novel’s plot becomes straightforward and exciting, its tone blithe and consumable, its function to teach and to entertain.

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    Other non-specialist readers sustained its reputation on similar terms. It seems very likely working-class sailor readers enjoyed it. That’s because its basic plot appears in a number of dime novels (mass-produced thriller fiction) such as Robert Starbuck’s The Mad Skipper (1866) and Captain Barnacle’s Péhe Nu-é (1877), written by and for such readers.

    It also, sporadically, appears on deck, with one sailor, the future sea fiction writer Louis Becke, learning of it in Apia in the Samoan islands via “a small and sweet-natured English lady” who came on board with it and read it aloud with the captain. Becke recounts this episode in an introduction to Moby-Dick in a reissue of 1901.

    The last known image of Melville.
    New York Public Library

    As time went, on these foundational readers found extra fellow enthusiasts among socialists, queer people, outcasts and travellers, even if things continued much as they always had done. Literature professor Hershel Parker’s “historical note” to the Northwestern-Newberry edition tracks some of these readers down.

    In the early decades of the 20th century, Moby-Dick moved up in the world. But, generally, even if it cultivated a bourgeois reading audience, it did so as a perfect example of the historically remote form of the sea romance, rather than as a classic.

    The major event in Moby-Dick’s reputation in the 1920s was a popular silent film adaptation, The Sea Beast (1926). Collectively, readers thought of it less in analytical terms, than as something that offered guidance on how to live. I have found hundreds of off-hand, ordinary (and moving for that fact) references to it in travel narratives, letters, diaries, novels, poems and anecdotes from this era.

    Making visible these early readers who viewed Moby-Dick as mass cultural genre fiction creates a picture of a substantially different novel. It ceases to rise, Everest-like and admonitory, amid the peaks of the canon. Instead, it descends from the heights to subsist, amiably and openly, in the ardours and passions of the everyday.

    Beyond the canon

    As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is Edward Sugden’s suggestion:

    I often wonder “what is the Moby-Dick of the 20th century?” I would nominate Gene Wolfe’s science fiction masterpiece, The Fifth Head of Cerberus novellas (1972). The novelist Ursula Le Guin once called Wolfe “our Melville”, so I’m in good company.

    The three novellas are set on the fictional planets Sainte Croix and Sainte Anne. They are about the relationship between (possibly) human settlers and a (possibly) shape-shifting indigenous population who may or may not have existed.

    In a dense, cryptic, visionary, philosophical and astonishingly crisp style, these novellas explore cloning, evil, dreamworlds, alien life, identity, fate, ritual, ethnology and much more besides in ways that defy summary and which far exceed any plot synopsis. It feels – in spirit and in terms of its reception – something like Moby-Dick.

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

    – ref. Moby-Dick doesn’t deserve the ‘difficult’ label – this sea romance was once loved by office workers, sailors and children – https://theconversation.com/moby-dick-doesnt-deserve-the-difficult-label-this-sea-romance-was-once-loved-by-office-workers-sailors-and-children-252764

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN Green Climate Fund to Allocate $280 Million to Kazakhstan for Eco-Projects

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    ALMATY, June 3 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) will finance environmental projects in Kazakhstan worth $280 million, the Kazinform news agency reported on Tuesday.

    The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nysanbayev, announced the new financing program during parliamentary hearings on the implementation of the best available technologies.

    According to the minister, the funds received will be used to develop renewable energy sources, stimulate the introduction of low-carbon technologies in the industrial sector, and support the development of electric vehicles.

    E. Nysanbaev said that in 2024, in order to promote green projects for the UN GCF, a country program was prepared, including 7 projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector, increasing the sustainability of centralized water supply systems in rural areas, modernizing livestock farms, and supporting private sector initiatives in the field of green financing.

    The total budget for these projects is more than $1 billion, of which the fund is expected to provide $630 million in funding. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sirens: the dark psychology of how people really get drawn into cults

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Joy Cranham, Lecturer in the Department of Education, University of Bath, University of Bath

    Like other quirky TV shows that explore coercively controlling groups, Sirens leans into the “wackiness” of cult life. Set on a remote island, an affluent community exists under extravagant rule of Michaela Kell aka Kiki (Julianne Moore). Her devoted followers – many of whom are employed by her – are committed to ensuring her every whim is met.

    This carefully curated existence appears bizarre but flawless, until outsider Devon (Meghann Fahy) arrives looking for her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) and begins to illuminate the control and cult-like behaviour being used as tools of oppression.

    It is easy to laugh along with Sirens, to get caught up in the eccentric characters and absurd rituals – from assistants being instructed to sext Kiki’s partner to rituals around perfuming her underwear drawer each morning. We shake our heads at the characters’ choices and reassure ourselves: “I would never fall for that, I would just leave.”

    But the uncomfortable truth is it’s not that simple.

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    What portrayals of cult communities in sitcoms often miss, or gloss over, is the deeply manipulative psychology behind why leaving a cult is incredibly difficult.

    Research into cult experiences has shown, cults do not just trap people physically. They entrap them mentally and emotionally too.

    I have seen this in my own research into how to help children and their families resist exploitative and coercively controlling individuals and groups. We do see such entrapment in Sirens but it is often obscured by the wackiness of Michaela’s cult-ish community.

    Isolation and love-bombing

    In the real world, entrapment starts with isolation. New recruits are gradually cut off from their support networks, separated from their friends and family.

    We see this in Sirens between Simone, who is Kiki’s assistant, and her outsider sister Devon. In one episode, for instance, Simone makes it clear to Devon that their matching sister tattoos were no longer valuable to her.

    What was once a show of love has become viewed as “trashy” by Simone. This is a reflection of how Simone was being manipulated away from her previous values.

    Rejecting the importance of familial relationships is a tool often used by cult leaders, enabling them to construct rifts between the person in the cult and their loved one on the outside.

    In Sirens, we see a sisterly relationship become ruptured at the instruction of the powerful Kiki, who exploits the vulnerability of Simone to her own advantage.

    Then comes the love-bombing – a flood of praise, attention, and affection. It feels amazing, especially to someone who has been overlooked or undervalued.

    When the person expresses surprise, the group responds with lines like, “that’s because we truly see you” or they belittle the person’s previous relationships.

    The message from the group is clear: only we value you. Only we understand the real you.

    Fear and dependence

    But the honeymoon phase does not last. Soon, the fear of being cast out takes hold. The group convinces the person that they can only become their best self within the group, that they are fulfilling a higher destiny by being guided by the leader.

    Leaders in cults use authoritarian tactics, often portraying themselves as messianic figures with mystical powers. They demand unwavering loyalty and devotion. Questioning their authority is not tolerated. Any concern or question is reframed as a personal failing rather than as legitimate concern.

    Punishment for dissent reinforces the leader’s dominance and sends a clear message to the rest of the group: Do not question. The leader and their doctrines are irrefutable.

    This sort of control can lead people to do things they never imagined they would.
    Take the scene where Simone willingly chews gum that has just been in Kiki’s mouth. We might cringe at this, think it’s gross and abnormal, but it’s symbolic of something much bigger: it depicted total control being exerted over another.

    Here we watch as Kiki insults Simone, telling her her breath stinks. Instead of being seen as cruelty it is perceived as care, and Kiki then giving Simone the gum she has just chewed to rectify the problem, is perceived as kindness. Simone is grateful and doesn’t question it at all.

    Simone’s mind has been manipulated. Devon asks her: “Does Michaela have her talons so deep in your brain you cannot tell, you are in trouble?” Through using thought reform techniques, cults hack minds. They override critical thinking and replace it with fear and dependency.

    The constant sense of danger and fear keeps members in a state of acute stress, impairing their capacity to think clearly or make rational decisions. However, this constant fear is happening in a place they are repeatedly told and are convincing themselves is where they have never been happier.

    The cognitive dissonance of this can contribute to the group’s ability to retain members even when exposing them to prolonged psychological and or physical abuse. Even after someone leaves, the effects of this trauma can linger for years – sometimes a lifetime.

    Survivors often exit these groups with very few tangible resources. Education and employability may have been restricted and housing and financial independence are often tightly controlled by the group.

    Many survivors suffer from mental health issues and other stress induced physical ailments. As a result, survivors require various forms of support and different interventions over the cause of their recovery.

    And yet, in pop culture, cults are often played for laughs. The trauma is reduced to punch lines. To be fair, shows like Sirens effectively capture the bizarre nature of cult life and hopefully reading this piece has helped you look beyond the laughs to see the dark nature of how these groups operate. For survivors, cult life is not eccentric or surreal – it is traumatic.

    Joy Cranham volunteers for Faith to Faithless, an organisation that supports apostates who are often former members of high-demand religions or cult-like organisations. Faith to Faithless is connected to Humanist UK

    – ref. Sirens: the dark psychology of how people really get drawn into cults – https://theconversation.com/sirens-the-dark-psychology-of-how-people-really-get-drawn-into-cults-257759

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What if the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning? Our research suggests it may have taken place inside a black hole

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Enrique Gaztanaga, Professor at Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (University of Portsmouth), University of Portsmouth

    Vadim Sadovski/Shutterstock

    The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe — a singular moment when space, time and matter sprang into existence. But what if this was not the beginning at all? What if our universe emerged from something else — something more familiar and radical at the same time?

    In a new paper, published in Physical Review D, my colleagues and I propose a striking alternative. Our calculations suggest the Big Bang was not the start of everything, but rather the outcome of a gravitational crunch or collapse that formed a very massive black hole — followed by a bounce inside it.

    This idea — which we call the black hole universe — offers a radically different view of cosmic origins, yet it is grounded entirely in known physics and observations.

    Today’s standard cosmological model, based on the Big Bang and cosmic inflation (the idea that the early universe rapidly blew up in size), has been remarkably successful in explaining the structure and evolution of the universe. But it comes at a price: it leaves some of the most fundamental questions unanswered.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    For one, the Big Bang model begins with a singularity — a point of infinite density where the laws of physics break down. This is not just a technical glitch; it’s a deep theoretical problem that suggests we don’t really understand the beginning at all.

    To explain the universe’s large-scale structure, physicists introduced a brief phase of rapid expansion into the early universe called cosmic inflation, powered by an unknown field with strange properties. Later, to explain the accelerating expansion observed today, they added another “mysterious” component: dark energy.

    In short, the standard model of cosmology works well — but only by introducing new ingredients we have never observed directly. Meanwhile, the most basic questions remain open: where did everything come from? Why did it begin this way? And why is the universe so flat, smooth, and large?

    New model

    Our new model tackles these questions from a different angle — by looking inward instead of outward. Instead of starting with an expanding universe and trying to trace back how it began, we consider what happens when an overly dense collection of matter collapses under gravity.

    This is a familiar process: stars collapse into black holes, which are among the most well-understood objects in physics. But what happens inside a black hole, beyond the event horizon from which nothing can escape, remains a mystery.

    In 1965, the British physicist Roger Penrose proved that under very general conditions, gravitational collapse must lead to a singularity. This result, extended by the late British physicist Stephen Hawking and others, underpins the idea that singularities — like the one at the Big Bang — are unavoidable.

    The idea helped win Penrose a share of the 2020 Nobel prize in physics and inspired Hawking’s global bestseller A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. But there’s a caveat. These “singularity theorems” rely on “classical physics” which describes ordinary macroscopic objects. If we include the effects of quantum mechanics, which rules the tiny microcosmos of atoms and particles, as we must at extreme densities, the story may change.

    In our new paper, we show that gravitational collapse does not have to end in a singularity. We find an exact analytical solution – a mathematical result with no approximations. Our maths show that as we approach the potential singularity, the size of the universe changes as a (hyperbolic) function of cosmic time.

    This simple mathematical solution describes how a collapsing cloud of matter can reach a high-density state and then bounce, rebounding outward into a new expanding phase.

    But how come Penrose’s theorems forbid out such outcomes? It’s all down to a rule called the quantum exclusion principle, which states that no two identical particles known as fermions can occupy the same quantum state (such as angular momentum, or “spin”).

    And we show that this rule prevents the particles in the collapsing matter from being squeezed indefinitely. As a result, the collapse halts and reverses. The bounce is not only possible — it’s inevitable under the right conditions.

    Crucially, this bounce occurs entirely within the framework of general relativity, which applies on large scales such as stars and galaxies, combined with the basic principles of quantum mechanics — no exotic fields, extra dimensions or speculative physics required.

    What emerges on the other side of the bounce is a universe remarkably like our own. Even more surprisingly, the rebound naturally produces the two separate phases of accelerated expansion — inflation and dark energy — driven not by a hypothetical fields but by the physics of the bounce itself.

    Testable predictions

    One of the strengths of this model is that it makes testable predictions. It predicts a small but non-zero amount of positive spatial curvature — meaning the universe is not exactly flat, but slightly curved, like the surface of the Earth.

    This is simply a relic of the initial small over-density that triggered the collapse. If future observations, such as the ongoing Euclid mission, confirm a small positive curvature, it would be a strong hint that our universe did indeed emerge from such a bounce. It also makes predictions about the current universe’s rate of expansion, something that has already been verified.

    The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying ESA’s Euclid mission on the launch pad in 2023.
    https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid, CC BY-SA

    This model does more than fix technical problems with standard cosmology. It could also shed new light on other deep mysteries in our understanding of the early universe — such as the origin of supermassive black holes, the nature of dark matter, or the hierarchical formation and evolution of galaxies.

    These questions will be explored by future space missions such as Arrakhis, which will study diffuse features such as stellar halos (a spherical structure of stars and globular clusters surrounding galaxies) and satellite galaxies (smaller galaxies that orbit larger ones) that are difficult to detect with traditional telescopes from Earth and will help us understand dark matter and galaxy evolution.

    These phenomena might also be linked to relic compact objects — such as black holes — that formed during the collapsing phase and survived the bounce.

    The black hole universe also offers a new perspective on our place in the cosmos. In this framework, our entire observable universe lies inside the interior of a black hole formed in some larger “parent” universe.

    We are not special, no more than Earth was in the geocentric worldview that led Galileo (the astronomer who suggested the Earth revolves around the Sun in the 16th and 17th centuries) to be placed under house arrest.

    We are not witnessing the birth of everything from nothing, but rather the continuation of a cosmic cycle — one shaped by gravity, quantum mechanics, and the deep interconnections between them.

    Enrique Gaztanaga receives funding from the Spanish Plan Nacional (PGC2018-102021-B-100) and
    Maria de Maeztu (CEX2020-001058-M) grants.

    Enrique Gaztanaga is also a Professor at the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC/IEEC) in Barcelona and publishes a science blog called Dark Cosmos.

    – ref. What if the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning? Our research suggests it may have taken place inside a black hole – https://theconversation.com/what-if-the-big-bang-wasnt-the-beginning-our-research-suggests-it-may-have-taken-place-inside-a-black-hole-258010

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Exercise proves powerful in preventing colon cancer recurrence – new study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    SUPERMAO/Shutterstock.com

    New evidence has linked physical activity with improved colon health, underscoring the vital role of exercise in cancer prevention and care.

    The landmark international trial – the Challenge study – showed that structured exercise programmes can dramatically improve survival rates for colon cancer survivors.

    The study was unveiled at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Each June, cancer specialists from around the world convene in Chicago for the conference where new research is announced that pushes the boundaries of cancer treatment and this year’s conference featured a wealth of exciting discoveries.

    Conducted across six countries and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Challenge study tracked 889 patients for several years following chemotherapy. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one received standard post-treatment care, while the other took part in a three-year coaching programme that included personalised exercise plans and regular check-ins with fitness professionals.

    The results were striking. Those in the exercise group experienced 28% fewer cancer recurrences and 37% fewer deaths.

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    In the programme, people slowly built up how much they exercised, with most choosing to go on brisk 45-minute walks four times a week. Ninety per cent of the people who exercised stayed cancer free for five years, compared with just 74% of those who didn’t.

    This study provides the first strong evidence that exercise not only correlates with better outcomes but directly improves survival rates in cancer patients. While earlier observational studies found a link between being active and better cancer outcomes, this first randomised controlled trial helps show causation, meaning that exercise can directly benefit the survival of cancer patients.

    We don’t know yet if the same goes for other cancers like breast, prostate or lung, but it’s a big step forward.

    The programme’s success hinged on consistent support. Participants met with fitness coaches every two weeks at first, then monthly, which helped them stick to their routines even after treatment ended.

    While minor injuries such as muscle strains were slightly more common among those who exercised (19% compared to 12% in the control group), researchers emphasised that these issues were manageable and far outweighed by the significant survival benefits.

    Potential downsides to exercise?

    In contrast to the encouraging findings on structured exercise, a separate study presented in Chicago has raised questions about the potential downsides of extreme endurance training.

    Researchers tracking marathon runners found a higher rate of polyps (small growths in the colon that can sometimes develop into cancer) compared with the general population. This unexpected finding has sparked a fresh debate about the effect of high-intensity exercise on long-term colon health.

    However, context is needed. The study did not find higher cancer rates among runners, and most of the detected polyps were low risk.

    Several possible explanations have been offered: endurance athletes may simply undergo more frequent screenings, leading to increased detection, or intense exercise might temporarily raise inflammation markers. Crucially, the overall risk of cancer remains lower in active people than in those who are more sedentary, reinforcing the well-established protective benefits of regular exercise.

    Endurance athletes were found to have more polyps than the general population.
    MikeCPhoto/Shutterstock.com

    This apparent contradiction highlights the medical community’s evolving understanding of the “dose” of physical activity. While moderate exercise is consistently linked to significant health benefits, emerging data from endurance athletes suggests that extreme, high-intensity training may place different kinds of stress on the body’s systems.

    Researchers also suggest that factors such as dehydration during long-distance runs, changes in gut function, or the use of certain nutritional supplements common among endurance athletes could play a role in polyp development. These findings don’t diminish the well-documented benefits of physical activity, but instead point to the importance of personalised, balanced health strategies.

    For cancer survivors, the structured exercise study provides a message of practical hope. Participants aimed for the equivalent of about three hours of brisk walking per week, gradually increasing their activity levels over time.

    The programme’s social support was key, with fitness coaches helping participants tailor their routines to match their abilities and recovery needs.

    Exercise is believed to affect key biological processes – including insulin sensitivity, inflammation and immune function – that play important roles in cancer development and progression. Ongoing research is analysing participants’ blood samples to better understand these mechanisms and eventually create personalised exercise “prescriptions” based on an individual’s genetic profile.

    While the findings from marathon runners are less conclusive, they still offer practical takeaways. The research suggests that although vigorous exercise is generally beneficial, high-intensity athletes may face a higher risk of developing polyps and should therefore consider regular colonoscopies as a precaution.

    For the general public, these findings reinforce that combining moderate exercise with timely screenings offers the best protection against colon cancer, a disease that remains the fourth most common worldwide and is alarmingly increasing among young people.

    For both patients and athletes, these findings highlight a central truth: movement matters, but the right approach is crucial. Colon cancer survivors now have proven tools to reduce recurrence through structured exercise, while endurance enthusiasts gain motivation to pair their training with preventative care.

    As science continues unravelling the intricate dance between activity and biology, one message remains clear: whether recovering from illness or chasing personal bests, informed exercise combined with medical guidance is the most reliable path to long-term health.

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

    – ref. Exercise proves powerful in preventing colon cancer recurrence – new study – https://theconversation.com/exercise-proves-powerful-in-preventing-colon-cancer-recurrence-new-study-257983

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Your WhatsApp messages could get you sacked

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Lord, Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Employment Law, University of Salford

    Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

    It’s late evening and your phone vibrates with some banter from colleagues. You join the conversation and go to bed feeling part of the work community. You then wake up and have a feeling of apprehension as to how the messages will be perceived.

    WhatsApp might have started as a casual messaging app for friends, but it has now firmly become embedded in workplace communication – and increasingly in workplace conflicts, too.

    WhatsApp chats have also been used to corroborate or refute claims in employment tribunals. An employee might claim they were promised a pay rise or flexible hours via WhatsApp, for example. But on the other hand, employers have also used WhatsApp logs to prove misconduct. This evidence has included sharing confidential information.

    In the workplace, WhatsApp chats have replaced many casual real-life conversations. Colleagues create groups to coordinate work, message each other after hours and vent their frustrations in private messages. Although this feels informal, it can leave employees vulnerable.

    But when disputes escalate to legal action, these messages can help judges understand what really happened. Tribunals treat WhatsApp messages like any other document.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    We examined more than 2,000 cases brought to UK employment tribunal’s since 2019 that involved WhatsApp. The findings reveal a surprising range of ways in which these casual chats became evidence.

    WhatsApp conversations have increasingly played a crucial role in misconduct and discrimination disputes, being used as evidence of harassment or inappropriate behaviour. The messages are also cited in unfair dismissal and contract claims, especially where informal work communications and digital records were seen as central to the case.

    In 2018, 48 cases brought to employment tribunals involved WhatsApp messages. By 2024, that had climbed to 562. The cases span a wide range of jurisdictions, but unfair dismissal, contract breaches, harassment and discrimination were dominant. From the cases we examined, several themes were clear.

    1. Removal or exclusion from a WhatsApp group

    In the case of Ms B Djagbo v Women’s Health Dulwich Ltd, the claimant successfully brought a claim for unfavourable treatment due to pregnancy and maternity. This followed a series of incidents that took place after she informed her employer of her pregnancy.

    Several actions made her feel as though her employment was being prematurely ended, including being removed from the workplace WhatsApp group chat. The tribunal awarded her almost £20,000.

    2. Discriminatory messages or harassment via WhatsApp

    In the Mr D Robson v NGP Utilities Ltd case, the claimant is a gay man and brought a complaint of harassment. This included a series of inappropriate and offensive incidents at work, notably, a WhatsApp group message from a colleague.

    The message was part of a wider pattern of jokes targeting gay colleagues. The employment tribunal awarded him more than £36,000.

    3. Termination of employment via WhatsApp

    The case of Miss J Hodkinson v B&R Care Ltd highlights a pregnant care worker who was awarded more than £40,000 in compensation after being unfairly dismissed via WhatsApp. The fact the dismissal was carried out informally and insensitively supported the tribunal’s findings of “procedural and substantive unfairness”.

    4. WhatsApp communications submitted as evidence

    The Mr M D Black v Alain Charles Publishing Ltd tribunal noted that the claimant’s evidence was consistent with WhatsApp message screenshots included in the evidence bundle. As a result, compensation of almost £100,000 was awarded.

    Seized WhatsApp messages can provide an insight into workplace culture.
    Kafka Ibram/Shutterstock

    WhatsApp groups can also offer a window into workplace culture. Tribunals have seen examples of co-workers using WhatsApp to share sexist and racist jokes or to gossip about colleagues.

    With remote and flexible working, these chats illustrate a growing tension between constant connectivity and work burnout.

    The tribunal cases show just how deeply WhatsApp has become part of working life, blurring the line between personal and professional. Colleagues chat the way friends do.

    But when working relationships sour or rules are broken, each of these informal chats carries legal weight. What someone thought was a single throwaway remark in a private conversation can later be dissected as part of a wider body of evidence.

    There have been cases where an employer was ordered to hand over work-related WhatsApp exchanges, and others where an employee’s own messages were used against them.

    It’s a clear lesson. Privacy in digital communication is never guaranteed. Even encrypted messages can become public in a courtroom.

    WhatsApp dos and don’ts

    The volume of references to WhatsApp in tribunal cases frames some key lessons for both employees and employers. In a nutshell, if you wouldn’t write it in a company email or say it in a meeting, don’t put it into WhatsApp.

    Jokes can be misinterpreted and offensive remarks don’t just go away. Many have learned this the hard way.

    Using WhatsApp to share instructions and decisions might seem convenient, but it shouldn’t replace formal process.

    And for employers, it’s time to update communication policies, including guidelines on after-hours messaging, the use of group chats and respecting expectations of inclusivity.

    Banning WhatsApp might not be practical, but setting out expectations is important. Even a policy stating that any work-related communication on personal messaging apps should adhere to the company’s expected code of conduct is a start.

    Many people are unaware that a private chat can reappear as evidence. Knowing that a tasteless joke on WhatsApp could support a harassment claim potentially costing an unlimited fine, or that ignoring a late-night work message might be used as evidence of poor performance, will harden most people to conduct more mindful communication.

    Gordon Fletcher receives funding from InnovateUK.

    Jonathan Lord and Saad Baset do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Your WhatsApp messages could get you sacked – https://theconversation.com/your-whatsapp-messages-could-get-you-sacked-255073

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lethal humanitarianism: why violence at Gaza aid centres should not come as a surprise

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Irit Katz, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies, University of Cambridge

    At least 27 Palestinians were reported to have been killed on the morning of June 3 amid chaotic scenes at an aid distribution centre in the southern Gaza Strip. This follows a similar incident on June 1 when around 30 civilians were reportedly killed as people scrambled to get food supplies at an aid centre near Rafah in southern Gaza.

    The Israeli and US governments and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – the private contractor backed by Israel and the US to take over aid distribution in Gaza – previously denied reports that Israeli troops had fired on civilians queuing for aid. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticised what he called “reckless and irresponsible reporting by major US news outlets”.

    After the June 3 incident, however, the Israeli military admitted it had fired shots near a food distribution complex after noticing “a number of suspects moving towards them”. A GHF spokesperson said it was believed that the people had been fired upon “after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone”.

    The violence at these privately run aid distribution points should come as no surprise, given the situation. For weeks since the Israeli government imposed its aid blockade in early March, the humanitarian crisis in the Strip has become more acute. By April the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), a collaboration between numerous intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, was already reporting that Gaza’s whole population was experiencing critical levels of hunger.

    The aid distribution system put in place by GHF, meanwhile has been widely criticised. On May 25, the day before GHF began operations in Gaza its American director, Jake Wood, resigned. He said he believed the organisation would not be able to fulfil the basic humanitarian principles of “humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence”.

    Divide and control

    The GHF’s aid distribution plan is similar in character to a plan published in December 2024 by an organisation of many former high-ranking Israeli military officers, Israel’s Defense and Security Forum (IDSF). The group proposed to take control of aid distribution from the UN agency Unrwa, which was the main organisation overseeing aid distribution until it was banned by Israel earlier this year.

    The IDSF plan proposes that: “Israel will oversee the aid distributed by international organizations, effectively dismantling the distribution networks of UNRWA and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, guided by the principle: ‘The hand that distributes the aid is the hand that controls it’.”

    This would be achieved with the creation of tent cities for internally displaced people (IDP), described as “humanitarian zones”. About 90% of the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza are IDPs. The IDSF plan, acknowledging that “extensive built-up areas have been left destroyed, or are no longer inhabitable”, says that “it is currently neither feasible nor recommended that the IDPs return at the conclusion of the war”.

    Under the plan, parts of the Gaza Strip still inhabited by Palestinian civilians, will be divided by a “system of longitudinal and transverse axes”. Each “IDP city” created within these divisions will be managed as a “separate temporary administrative territory” following the principle of “divide and rule”.

    The plan calls for responsibility for humanitarian aid in Gaza to pass “to a Humanitarian Directorate based on IDP cities and biometric certificates”. This is called the “Day After Plan” by the IDSF, designed as a way to control Gaza’s population, while driving a wedge between civilians and Hamas in order to destroy it. This despite the fact that a senior Israeli military commander has said it is impossible to eliminate Hamas.

    The reality on the ground

    The way GHF is currently organising aid distribution fulfils some of the principles of the IDSF plan. It replaces UN aid distribution with a private outfit, backed by both Israel and the US, yet it provides aid through only four sites.

    These are located unevenly in the Gaza Strip, three in a small area southwest of Rafah, and the fourth south of Gaza City, in an area dominated by the Netzarim corridor, which is controlled by the Israeli military.

    People queuing for access to aid reportedly have to walk along a narrow fenced corridor into a larger aid compound. Once inside they are subject to ID checks and eye scans to further control the distribution for aid.

    This has reportedly resulted in long hours of waiting in the heat and led to chaotic scenes were people have broken down fences in a bid to get supplies. Among the people reported to have been killed on June 3 were three children and two women.

    The GHF scheme had already been criticised before the violent incidents by both Palestinians and international aid organisations. The placement of the distribution sites means that people sometimes have to travel considerable distances to receive aid.

    The UN children’s fund spokesperson Jonathan Crick asked: “How is a mother of four children, who has lost her husband, going to carry 20kg back to her makeshift tent, sometimes several kilometres away?”

    As someone who researches urban design, conflict, and displacement, it is clear to me that designing the entire aid distribution system around only four “mega-sites” in limited areas in the Strip leads to the sort of overcrowding and chaos that have made violence all but inevitable.

    In my opinion, in concentrating these sites while extensively demolishing habitable areas in the Strip, Israel is effectively weaponising essential civilian mechanisms against Palestinians. The aid scheme appears to prioritise political and territorial issues over the humanitarian distribution of aid.

    The GHF system enables Israel to further concentrate civilians into makeshift encampments. Here they face inadequate and unhygienic conditions and shelter. These are particularly unsafe for women and children, while also being vulnerable to attacks by the Israeli military.

    Palestinians also fear that the biometric screening will be used by Israel as a weapon of coercive control, rather than as a means to provide humanitarian relief.

    Now people trying to access aid are dying. The international community must urgently put pressure on both sides to agree a ceasefire and on Israel to open Gaza up for a rapid large-scale humanitarian operation. To maintain the current GHF system is to invite further tragedy.

    Irit Katz receives funding from the AHRC.

    – ref. Lethal humanitarianism: why violence at Gaza aid centres should not come as a surprise – https://theconversation.com/lethal-humanitarianism-why-violence-at-gaza-aid-centres-should-not-come-as-a-surprise-257908

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the federal government must act cautiously on fast-tracking project approvals

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mark Winfield, Professor, Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada

    The acceleration of federal approvals for “nation-building projects” was the major theme of this week’s first ministers meeting in Saskatoon. A rush to streamline approvals for resource development and infrastructure projects has been central to the Canadian response to United States President Donald Trump’s profound disruptions to longstanding trade and security relationships.

    At the provincial level, Ontario’s Bill 5 and British Columbia’s Bill 15 also propose to move aggressively to fast-track mining and infrastructure projects.

    These fast-tracking efforts are fuelling debate, particularly in terms of the implications for Indigenous rights and the implicit trade-offs pertaining to the environment and climate change.



    Read more:
    Mark Carney wants to make Canada an energy superpower — but what will be sacrificed for that goal?

    Regulations often a minor factor

    Project review and approval processes in Canada have already been aggressively streamlined over the past decade. The 2019 Federal Impact Assessment Act, also known as Bill C-69, was largely modelled on Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2012 Bill C-38 rewrite of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

    It’s important to determine why projects are delayed in the first place. Most move through assessment processes with little delay or controversy. Problems emerge when proposals are poorly designed, face serious technical or economic doubts, raise major environmental, climate or safety concerns, and spark significant social, political or legal conflicts over their costs, benefits and impacts.

    A recent study on mining approvals in B.C., for example, found that far more mines were approved than ever actually developed. The main cause of delays was changing economic conditions. Regulation was found to be only a minor factor.

    While there are always potential ways to improve review processes, the results of previous streamlining efforts suggest the need for caution about the potential for these initiatives to backfire.

    Impact assessment and similar processes emerged as more than a way to accurately assess projects and their risks and benefits. They also provided a framework for managing intense social and political conflicts those projects may generate.

    If these processes are streamlined too much, the conclusions of these assessments may seem illegitimate. There could be a trade-off between clear, certain outcomes and ensuring the approval process is fair and trustworthy.

    Exacerbating conflict

    The Harper government’s Bill C-38 reforms were intended to facilitate the construction of more oil pipelines. In the end, they only escalated the spiralling political and legal conflicts around projects like the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines.

    The accompanying Alberta-to-B.C. Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline was only approved after a tortuous process. That culminated in the federal purchase and completion of the pipeline at a cost to taxpayers of $34 billion.



    Read more:
    Why the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is a bad deal for Canadians — and the world

    A similar process unfolded under Ontario’s 2009 Green Energy Act. The legislation’s aggressive bypassing of local approvals reinforced a backlash against renewable energy projects in rural communities. The end result was a nearly decade-long de facto moratorium on renewable energy development. The situation has only recently eased.

    The political consequences of these efforts at streamlining are noteworthy. The Bill C-38 episode was seen as playing a role in the Harper government’s defeat in 2015. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s loss of his majority government in 2011 was also partly attributed to the rural response to the Green Energy Act.

    Checks and balances

    Aside from the political aspects, it’s important to recognize the value of thorough reviews for projects that are likely to be high-risk, high-cost and high-impact.

    When past reviews have been rushed or cut short, they’ve undermine confidence in the decisions made — especially when even faster processes could increase the risks and costs passed on to taxpayers.

    The Muskrat Falls and Site C hydro projects in Labrador and B.C., respectively, stand as testament to those risks. Both projects ran years behind schedule and billions over budget and continue to face major technical, environmental and economic challenges. Review processes can be important checks on poorly conceived, politically motivated projects.

    It’s also important to think carefully about the long-term economic rationales being presented for projects. Canada is a relatively high-cost fossil fuel producer, making it unlikely to be among the last standing in a decarbonizing world.

    That should raise serious questions about major investments in new fossil fuel export infrastructure. The irony of developing such projects as major wildfires, widely attributed to the impacts of climate change, burn in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba cannot be overlooked.

    Global markets for commodities like critical minerals are also uncertain and in deep flux.

    The high costs of nuclear projects, as demonstrated by recent experiences in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Europe, also make them unlikely candidates to form the foundation for clean energy superpower status.



    Read more:
    ‘Elbows up’ in Canada means sustainable resource development

    ‘Special economic zones’

    Ontario’s Bill 5 represents the most aggressive streamlining proposal seen so far. The legislation would exempt designated “special economic zones” and even trusted proponents — such as mining companies assigned to lead projects — from all applicable provincial and municipal laws and regulations.

    The province’s approach has raised fundamental questions about the rule of law, democratic governance and Indigenous rights, and jurisdictional boundaries.

    Some commentators have pointed out that these zones are common in authoritarian regimes like China’s, or in jurisdictions in deep economic distress.

    Others have accused Ontario of racing to the bottom in terms of health, safety and environmental standards, respect for the rule of law, Indigenous rights and basic democratic values.

    All of this suggests a need for caution in further streamlining review and approval processes for major projects. These are undertakings with risks and costs that could stretch far into the future and must be properly understood before they proceed.

    Mark Winfield receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

    – ref. Why the federal government must act cautiously on fast-tracking project approvals – https://theconversation.com/why-the-federal-government-must-act-cautiously-on-fast-tracking-project-approvals-257095

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian airfields could derail Russia’s war efforts

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    The drone attacks by Ukrainian Operation Spider’s Web forces on Russian airfields have called into question Russia’s supposed military strength.

    Russian authorities have acknowledged damage from the June 1 attacks — an unusual admission that suggests the strikes were probably effective, given Russia’s usual pattern of downplaying or denying the success of Ukrainian operations.

    The operation’s most significant target was the Belaya air base, north of Mongolia. Belaya, like the other bases targeted, is a critical component in the Russian Air Force’s strategic strike capabilities because it houses planes capable of long-range nuclear and conventional strikes.

    It’s also in Irkutsk, approximately 4,500 kilometres from the front lines in Ukraine.



    Read more:
    Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Ukraine’s ability to successfully strike Belaya — an attempted strike at the even more distant Ukrainka air base failed — probably won’t have much of a military impact on the war. But along with successful attacks on other Russian airfields and the strike at the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, Operation Spider Web’s successes could play a strategic role in the conflict.

    These attacks could shift what has become increasingly negative media coverage and public perception about Ukraine’s chances in the war over the last year. In a war of attrition, which the conflict in Ukraine has become, establishing a belief in victory is a pre-condition for success.

    Explosions hit the Kerch Bridge in Russia on June 3, 2025. (The Independent)

    Increased pessimism

    Policymakers and pundits, instead of recognizing their expectations of a Ukrainian victory in 2023 were unrealistic, have often declared that the war is unwinnable for Ukraine.

    This perspective was even more prevalent following United States President Donald Trump’s resumption of power in January 2025. In the Oval Office spat Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, he declared Ukraine did not “have the cards” to defeat Russia.

    This turned out to be false. Ukraine’s army may possess significantly less military hardware and fewer soldiers than Russia’s, but war is often a continuation of politics. Politically, Russia faces several issues that could derail its war efforts.

    Russian vulnerabilities

    Russia’s military capabilities are important to Russian nationalists, who make up Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s core constituency. Russian military forces have advanced along nearly all fronts in Ukraine over the last year.

    These advances, however, have largely been insignificant. Furthermore, they have emphasized Russia’s military weakness, which is an ongoing affront to Russian nationalists.

    Not only have Russian military advances over the last year not changed the war in a strictly military sense, but the pace of advance has been incredibly slow. Over the last year, Russian forces have captured 5,107 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This territory represents less than one per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war territory.

    In exchange for what amounts to negligible gains, Russian armed forces have suffered significant casualties.

    Both Russia and Ukraine carefully guard the number of casualties their forces have suffered in the war. The British Ministry of Defence, however, estimates that Russia will have suffered more than a million casualties in the war by the end of this month. The Russian casualty rate is also accelerating, with an estimated 160,000 casualties in the first four months of 2025.

    Russia attempts to compensate for this battlefield devastation in two ways.

    First, it’s isolated Ukraine by manipulating Trump’s desire for political wins and business deals. Russia, in appearing to seek an end to the conflict while offering no concessions, has stoked tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump, where there was little love lost between the two to begin with.

    Second, Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Large-scale bombing does little to help Russia on the battlefield. The attacks, in fact, put its forces at a disadvantage by redirecting munitions from military targets.

    Attacks on civilians

    The attacks on civilian infrastructure, however, are more about instilling fear in the Ukrainian population and demonstrating American impotence to a Russian audience.

    Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities also highlight Russia’s trump card: nuclear weapons. Russia, and specifically former Russian president Dimitry Medvedev, has repeatedly threatened nuclear war in an attempt to dissuade Ukraine’s supporters.

    By bombing Ukrainian cities, albeit with conventional munitions, Russia seeks to demonstrate its ability to deploy even more destructive weapons should the situation call for it.

    These Russian military missteps, combined with a Russian economy that is structurally unsound, means that Russia’s war effort is increasingly fragile.

    Weakening Asian alliances

    Ukraine’s attack on Belaya also signals Russian weakness to its nominal allies in Asia.

    Since the start of hostilities, Russia has relied on the tacit consent of China. This support has taken the form of China purchasing Russian crude oil to maintain the Russian economy and Chinese citizens unofficially fighting for Russia.

    Belaya has been a vital element of Russia’s deterrence strategy in Asia, which has come to rely more heavily on the Russian strategic nuclear threat. The inability of Russia to protect one of its key strategic assets from a Ukrainian drone attack, combined with the weakness of Russian conventional forces in Ukraine, erodes its ability to position itself as a key ally to China.

    In fact, some Russian authorities continue to view China as a major threat.

    At the same time, Operation Spider’s Web gives hope to the Ukrainian people. It may also cause Trump — who prefers to back winners — to ponder whether it’s Putin, not Zelenskyy, who lacks the cards to win the war.

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

    – ref. How Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian airfields could derail Russia’s war efforts – https://theconversation.com/how-ukraines-drone-attacks-on-russian-airfields-could-derail-russias-war-efforts-258049

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Annual report tracks Canada’s progress toward addressing the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Taking care

    Crisis support is available to individuals impacted by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line at 1-844-413-6649 (toll-free).

    June 3, 2025 — Ottawa, Ontario, Unceded Algonquin Traditional Territory — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern and Arctic Affairs Canada

    Violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people is a national crisis that must end. Responding to this national crisis requires all levels of government to work in true partnership with Indigenous partners to advance their solutions to improve safety, support healing from trauma, and ensure justice for all, especially those most impacted. Guided by Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQI+ people, and families and survivors, the Government of Canada is driving meaningful change that reflects Indigenous voices and leadership.

    The 2024–25 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report outlines the federal government’s progress to respond to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice. To date, the Government of Canada has taken concrete action on the Calls for Justice and has made significant efforts to advance the National Inquiry’s Final Report.

    Examples of progress include:

    • A Chief Advisor to Combat Human Trafficking was appointed with a mandate to collaborate with Indigenous partners to address the increased risk experienced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
    • Over 90 Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBQTI+ organizations received federal funding to increase their ability to prevent or address gender-based violence across Canada.
    • Engagement and co-development of the Red Dress Alert pilot, an emergency response system for missing Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, in a collaborative initiative from Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba and Giganawenimaanaanig—an Indigenous organization in the province.
    • 52 safety projects received support under the Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative, supporting distinctions-based and 2SLGBTQI+ safety priorities in urban, rural, and Northern communities.
    • 32 healing projects to provide culturally grounded supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis families experiencing grief and trauma were supported by federal investments.
    • More than 160 community-based projects were funded, and 14 regional First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations received continued support on the implementation of their long-term strategies to advance Indigenous self-determined priorities and Indigenous control over language revitalization, which is key to healing, identity, and addressing the root causes of violence.
    • 37 new shelters and 36 new transitional homes have been committed for Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ people seeking safety.

    In the year ahead, Canada will continue working with Indigenous partners to deliver tangible progress and strengthen the systems that keep people safe, as an essential part of collective efforts to build justice, healing, and lasting reconciliation.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • Shivraj Singh Chouhan interacts with farmers in Pune, announces tough measures against fake agro inputs

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    On the sixth day of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Narayangaon, Pune, where he engaged directly with farmers and agricultural scientists, reaffirming the government’s commitment to farmer welfare, innovation, and modernization in agriculture.

    Earlier in the day, Chouhan toured the Narayangaon APMC, the local tomato market, farms, and a cold storage facility, where he interacted with farmers cultivating tomatoes and other crops.

    During the interaction, the Minister announced that the government is preparing to enact a stringent law aimed at cracking down on the manufacture and distribution of fake fertilizers and pesticides. “Strict action will be taken against any company or individual involved in such malpractices,” Shri Chouhan said, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance approach to harmful agricultural inputs that jeopardize both yields and farmer incomes.

    Stressing the importance of practical support, Chouhan urged agricultural scientists to step out of their labs and into the fields. “Scientists must understand local conditions and advise farmers accordingly. Our 16,000 agricultural scientists must work hand-in-hand with farmers to deliver real impact,” he stated.

    He also directed scientists to focus on developing tomato and grape varieties with longer shelf life, and emphasized the need for increased research in agri-processing and adaptation to climate change.

    Chouhan also outlined the government’s revised Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for TOP crops—Tomato, Onion, and Potato. Under this initiative, the Central Government will bear transportation costs when farmers move their produce to other states offering better market prices. The scheme is designed to ensure farmers get remunerative prices while also helping stabilize retail prices for consumers.

    Praising the innovative spirit of Maharashtra’s farmers, the Union Minister noted their contributions to modernized farming practices and increased exports of grapes and bananas. He acknowledged the significant strides made in productivity and development of new crop varieties, affirming Maharashtra’s role as a leader in agricultural innovation.

    During the interaction, local farmers shared their views on critical issues such as Minimum Support Prices (MSP), losses due to unseasonal rains, and climate change impacts. They also raised concerns about timely access to seeds, equipment, cold storage, and agri-processing centres. Chouhan assured that these concerns will be addressed through collaborative efforts between the Centre and State Governments, and announced the creation of an area-wise agricultural roadmap.

     

  • MIL-OSI USA: For L-374 retiree, giving back is a way of life

    Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

    Community service isn’t something John Beebe does. It’s much more than that. It’s who he is. The Local 374 (Hobart, Indiana) retiree has spent a lifetime giving back, volunteering, helping others, selflessly going the extra mile and stepping up. It’s not a brag. He doesn’t need a pat on the back.

    It’s just who John Beebe is.

    Beebe is well known as a go-to volunteer and overall champion for the Lake Area United Way; Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana; the town of Highland and Lake County, Indiana, where he lives; the Northern Indiana Area Labor Federation-AFL-CIO, which he served as Boilermaker liaison for 61 years; his Methodist church disaster relief team; and Scouting America. Especially Scouting.

    Serving others may have taken root when he joined the Boy Scouts as a kid—and with 73 years of Scouting under his belt, those are some deep roots. 

    “What intrigued me was the outdoors,” he says of his venture into Cub Scouts in 1952. He also admits, “I didn’t want to stay at home, because my mother would have me washing dishes.”

    If avoiding work was part of his motivation, the irony is that Scouts propelled him many years on a path that would hone his dedication to discipline, hard work and service to others. He eventually earned his Eagle Scout, went into the Scout’s Exploring program and was working as a lifeguard when a fellow Scouting enthusiast and Boilermaker recruited him to work a shipbuilding job. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for a career, and he thought it could be a start. Turns out he had a knack for welding. After working a bit, then a short layoff and callback, he was told he’d be sworn in as a L-374 Boilermaker.

    Then came a war. Beebe was drafted and served in Vietnam. When he returned home, he took just a few weeks off before getting back to work. From then on, one job led to another, with his well-earned reputation as a good, hard worker and Eagle Scout serving him through the ranks.

    In one instance, he was called by a contractor to interview for a superintendent job he hadn’t applied to at Bethlehem Steele. They had his resume and wanted to talk to him, so he drove out and met with several gentlemen, one who sat against a wall and didn’t speak. At the end of it all, he was told to go get a cup of coffee. The silent man joined him and said, “Congratulations, you’re going to get hired. Those three guys work for me, and you’re getting hired because you’re an Eagle Scout. Eagle Scouts have leadership skills, and I know, because I’m an Eagle Scout.”

    Beebe has kept the cycle of goodwill going, volunteering his time with local Scouting throughout his life. Upon his return from Vietnam, he says the local program told him: “Boy we are glad to see you! You’re the new Scout advisor!”

    He’s remained close with the five men who earned their Eagle Scouts with him—they still get together once a month. His wife, who passed away in 1995, was an Explorer Advisor for the Scouts, and his kids were all into Scouting. He’s served the local Scouting Council and on the regional board.

    “It’s a good way to keep your kids off the street and out of trouble,” he says. “You never hear of an Eagle Scout getting into trouble.”

    With his background, it’s no surprise that organizations like United Way, area labor federation and other organizations have eagerly recruited Beebe over the years to fundraise, lend his leadership skills or literally lend a hand. 

    When areas of Munster, Indiana, flooded in 2010 and destroyed over 3,000 properties, Beebe was among multi-craft union members working side-by-side to clean up neighborhoods. He was also instrumental in assessing and reporting critical needs and where help was most needed. Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana gave him an award for that. 

    His contributions over decades with the Northern Indiana Area Labor Federation-AFL-CIO earned him the prestigious George Meanie Award. United Way presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s met an astronaut, former First Lady Laura Bush and former Vice President Mike Pence. He’s even been recognized as a “Distinguished Hoosier” by the then-Indiana State Governor Mitch Daniels.

    But that’s not why he’s done it all.

    “I give back as much as I can,” he says. “This is your home. This is where you live. We all need to take care of our community. Everything I do, I seem to have a lot of fun. I don’t want to be parked in front of a TV in a chair, so I stay busy.” 

    He has a solid reputation for staying busy helping others.

    “Brother Beebe is an example of what brotherhood means. He is someone Local 374, the labor movement and his community can count on—not out of obligation, but because he really cares about helping others,” says IVP-Great Lakes Dan Sulivan.

    When Beebe addresses families during Eagle Scout presentations, he encourages the Scouts’ parents to read the definition of the Citizenship Merit Badges and what it takes to earn them. Those badges focus on a person’s responsibility to their nation, the community and society.

    “Read them tonight or tomorrow, then go back and read them again in a few days to understand what your child went through,” he says is his advice. “They don’t teach that in school anymore.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RGA Statement on the Latest Liberal Democrat Entering Iowa’s Gubernatorial Race

    Source: US Republican Governors Association

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Republican Governors Association (RGA) released the following response to Julie Stauch entering Iowa’s gubernatorial race:

    “Stauch has been a part of the Democrat establishment for decades, railing against Iowa Republicans’ work to cut taxes, protect girls’ sports, and make government more efficient and effective,” said RGA Communications Director Courtney Alexander. “As the Democrat primary heats up, Iowans will see that Democrats only offer more of the same: higher taxes and a radically liberal, out-of-touch agenda.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to Seven and One Half Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Victim in Marin Headlands

    Source: US FBI

    SAN FRANCISCO – Esbin Ramirez-Garcia was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison for committing aggravated sexual abuse while on federal land.  Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed down the sentence.

    Ramirez-Garcia, 28, a national of Mexico, pleaded guilty on Feb. 25, 2025, to one count of aggravated sexual abuse in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a).  According to the plea agreement, Ramirez-Garcia admitted that late in the evening on Aug. 2, 2024, while giving the victim, with whom he had a prior relationship, a ride from her workplace in his truck, he asked her to get back together with him.  The victim refused to resume their relationship and asked to be let out of the vehicle, but Ramirez-Garcia grabbed her with his hand and continued driving, forcing her to accompany him.

    Ramirez-Garcia deviated from the route to the victim’s home and drove his truck to a parking lot in the Marin Headlands, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  Ramirez-Garcia forcibly placed his body on top of the victim’s body while she sat in the passenger seat and sexually assaulted her.

    United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Acting Special Agent in Charge Betsy Smith made the announcement.  

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup also sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release and ordered that he participate in a sex offense-specific treatment program, among other conditions.  The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Chen and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Wistar Wilson prosecuted the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery, Maureen French, and Fernanda Gonzalez.  This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –