NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves continuation of supply of free Fortified Rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July, 2024 to December, 2028

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Cabinet approves continuation of supply of free Fortified Rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July, 2024 to December, 2028

    In line with the Prime Minister’s address on the 75th Independence Day, the continuation of Rice Fortification initiative will complement the interventions adopted under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy of the Government of India

    Big step towards nutritional security in line with the PM’s vision

    Posted On: 09 OCT 2024 3:09PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved continuation of the universal supply of Fortified Rice under all schemes of the Government including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and Other Welfare Schemes etc. in its present form, from July 2024 and upto December 2028.

    The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Government of India as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation.

    Accordingly, in line with the Prime Minister’s address on 75th Independence Day on the necessity of Nutritional Security in the country, the initiative “Supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Other Welfare Schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (Erstwhile MDM) in all States and Union Territories (UTs)” to address anaemia and micronutrients deficiency in the country was taken up. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in April 2022, decided to implement the Rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024.  All three phases have been successfully completed and the target of universal coverage to supply fortified rice in all schemes of the Government was achieved by March 2024.

    According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels. Besides iron deficiency, other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12 and folic acid, also persist, impacting the overall health and productivity of the population.

    Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population. Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients in the Indian Context as 65% of India’s population consumes rice as a staple food. Rice fortification involves the addition of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) enriched with micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B 12) as per standards prescribed by FSSAI to regular Rice (Custom Milled Rice). 

    ***

    MJPS/BM/SKS

    (Release ID: 2063447) Visitor Counter : 57

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC), Lothal, Gujarat.

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 09 OCT 2024 3:16PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.  The project will be completed in two phases.

    The Cabinet also accorded in-principle approval for  Phase 1B and Phase 2, as per master plan by raising funds through voluntary resources/ contributions and their execution after raising of the funds.

    Construction of Light House Museum under Phase 1B will be funded by Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).

    A separate society will be set up, for development of future phases, to be governed by a Governing Council headed by Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, under Societies Registration Act, 1860 for implementation, development, management, and operation of NMHC at Lothal, Gujarat.

    The phase 1A of the project is under implementation with more than 60% physical progress and is planned to be completed by 2025.  Phases 1A and 1B of the project are to be developed in EPC mode and Phase 2 of project will be developed through land subleasing/ PPP to establish NMHC as a world class heritage museum. 

    Major impact, including employment generation potential:

    Around 22,000 jobs are expected be created in development of NMHC project, with 15,000 direct employment and 7,000 indirect employment. 

    No. of beneficiaries:

    The implementation of NMHC will boost growth and  immensely help the local communities, tourists and visitors, researchers and scholars, government bodies, educational institutions, cultural organisations, environment and conservation groups, businesses. 

    Background:

    As per the vision of the Prime Minister to showcase 4,500 years old maritime heritage of India, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterway (MoPSW) is setting up a world class National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal.

    The masterplan of the NMHC has been prepared by renowned architecture firm M/s Architect Hafeez Contractor and the construction of phase 1A has been entrusted to Tata Projects Ltd.

    NMHC is planned to be developed in various phases, wherein:

    • Phase 1A will have NMHC museum with 6 galleries, which also includes an Indian Navy & Coast Guard gallery envisaged to be one of the largest in the country with external naval artefacts (INS Nishank, Sea Harrier war aircraft, UH3 helicopter etc.), replica model of Lothal township surrounded by open aquatic gallery, and jetty walkway.
    • Phase 1B will have NMHC museum with 8 more galleries, Light house museum which is planned to be world’s tallest, Bagicha complex (with car parking facility for about 1500 cars, food hall, medical centre, etc.).
    • Phase 2 will have Coastal States Pavilions (to be developed by respective coastal states and union territories), Hospitality zone (with maritime theme eco resort and museuotels), Recreation of real time Lothal City, Maritime institute and hostel and 4 theme based parks (Maritime & Naval Theme Park, Climate Change Theme Park, Monuments Park and Adventure & Amusement Park). 

    ***

    MJPS/BM/SKS

    (Release ID: 2063454) Visitor Counter : 35

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves continuation of supply of free Fortified Rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July, 2024 to December, 2028

    Source: Government of India

    Cabinet approves continuation of supply of free Fortified Rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July, 2024 to December, 2028

    In line with the Prime Minister’s address on the 75th Independence Day, the continuation of Rice Fortification initiative will complement the interventions adopted under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy of the Government of India

    Big step towards nutritional security in line with the PM’s vision

    Posted On: 09 OCT 2024 3:09PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved continuation of the universal supply of Fortified Rice under all schemes of the Government including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and Other Welfare Schemes etc. in its present form, from July 2024 and upto December 2028.

    The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Government of India as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation.

    Accordingly, in line with the Prime Minister’s address on 75th Independence Day on the necessity of Nutritional Security in the country, the initiative “Supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Other Welfare Schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (Erstwhile MDM) in all States and Union Territories (UTs)” to address anaemia and micronutrients deficiency in the country was taken up. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in April 2022, decided to implement the Rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024.  All three phases have been successfully completed and the target of universal coverage to supply fortified rice in all schemes of the Government was achieved by March 2024.

    According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels. Besides iron deficiency, other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12 and folic acid, also persist, impacting the overall health and productivity of the population.

    Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population. Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients in the Indian Context as 65% of India’s population consumes rice as a staple food. Rice fortification involves the addition of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) enriched with micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B 12) as per standards prescribed by FSSAI to regular Rice (Custom Milled Rice).

    ***

    MJPS/BM/SKS

    (Release ID: 2063447) Visitor Counter : 102

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow Mayor Announces Completion of Kadashevskaya Embankment Improvement

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Sergei Sobyanin inspected the results of the comprehensive improvement work on Kadashevskaya Embankment.

    “One of the oldest embankments of the Moscow River is the Kadashevskaya Embankment, historical, and now it’s its turn. We connected the Ovchinnikovskaya Embankment, the Yakimanskaya Embankment, creating a single walking route. We widened the sidewalks, planted trees, installed new lamps, removed the wires. So you can really walk and enjoy the city,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    In recent years, 50 embankments of the Moscow River have been improved or built in the city. Their total length is about 77 kilometers.

    Kadashevskaya Embankment, approximately 800 meters long, is located in Zamoskvorechye, on the bank of the Vodootvodny Canal between Yakimanskaya and Ovchinnikovskaya Embankments.

    Work on the comprehensive improvement of the embankment, as well as the nearby Staromonetny and Pyzhevsky lanes, was carried out in May – October 2024. The total area of the territory where the improvement was carried out is 3.9 hectares.

    As a result, the pedestrian sidewalks on Kadashevskaya Embankment became more convenient for walking – they were widened and paved with granite tiles. The total area of paving is 8.5 thousand square meters.

    As part of the Clean Sky program, overhead cable lines were moved to underground collectors. Thanks to this, a panorama of the embankment opened up, and the operation of power lines became more reliable and safer. To prevent flooding, more than 100 linear meters of drainage network were additionally laid.

    For the comfort and safety of pedestrians, 113 lanterns with energy-saving lamps, 114 lamps and 100 benches and urns were installed on the embankment and in the alleys. 35 parking lots were equipped for cycling enthusiasts.

    As part of the landscaping work, more than 1.6 thousand square meters of lawns were laid out, 41 trees and 15 lilac bushes were planted.

    Thus, another comfortable walking space near the water has been created in Moscow.

    “This year’s landmark improvement project has been completed — Kadashevskaya Embankment in Zamoskvorechye. This is one of the oldest embankments in the capital. It is located on the bank of the Vodootvodny Canal between the Yakimanskaya and Ovchinnikovskaya embankments. Another place for recreation and walks has appeared next to the new building of the Tretyakov Gallery. At the same time, the embankment has retained its transit function,” the Moscow Mayor wrote.

    in his telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    Bicycle parking and wide sidewalks: how Kadashevskaya embankment is being improved

    Improvement of the Moscow River embankments

    The total length of the Moscow River coastline within the Moscow Ring Road is about 200 kilometers.

    As of 2010, the capital’s embankments did not meet modern requirements for accessibility and comfort. The central granite embankments were used as highways and were inconvenient for pedestrians. Due to the deterioration of the infrastructure, the few pedestrian embankments remained inconvenient. A significant part of the coastal areas, especially in the lower reaches, were ordinary, unimproved river banks.

    Since 2011, the Moscow Government has been implementing a comprehensive improvement program for the embankments of the Moscow River. During this time, 50 embankments (including Kadashevskaya) with a total length of about 77 kilometers have been put in order, including almost all the historical granite embankments in the city center. Thus, today 40 percent of the Moscow River coastline meets modern standards of accessibility and comfort.

    The first to be improved was the Crimean embankment, which became one of the main promenades of the capital.

    A single comfortable pedestrian route has been created in the city center from Moscow-City to Taganskaya Square, including Krasnopresnenskaya, Novodevichya, Kremlevskaya, Moskvoretskaya and other embankments. In addition, a route has appeared from the House of Music to Vorobyovy Gory along Ozerkovskaya, Ovchinnikovskaya, Krymskaya, Pushkinskaya and Andreyevskaya embankments. The total length of these routes is more than 27 kilometers.

    In the upper reaches of the river, historical parks and beaches near the water have been landscaped – these are “Northern Tushino”, Northern River Terminal, Fili Park, Stroginskaya Poima and others.

    In the lower reaches, new landscaped parks have been created near the water, including the park in the Kapotnya district, the 850th Anniversary of Moscow Park, the Brateyevskaya Poima Park, and others.

    The plans include the improvement of 36 embankments with a total length of over 80 kilometers by 2030.

    In addition, Moscow has begun to build new embankments in areas previously inaccessible to city residents – mainly in reorganized industrial zones. They are built according to modern rules with a significant retreat of the roadway from the water, which allows for maximum use of the recreational potential of coastal areas.

    The largest new embankment in Moscow is the Marc Chagall Embankment on the territory of the former ZIL. In addition, construction work is underway on the Krutitskaya, Shelepikhinskaya, Simonovskaya, Karamyshevskaya embankments, as well as embankments in the southern part of ZIL and the Novinki backwater, on sections from the Fili Park to the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre and from the Kursk direction railway bridge of the Moscow Railway to the Brateevsky Cascade Park with a total length of about 21 kilometers.

    Improvement of city facilities in 2024

    In 2024, it is planned to improve more than 2.5 thousand objects. Among them are large city parks, including Gorky Park, Sokolniki and the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve. The first stage of work is ongoing in all of them. The embankments of the Yauza and more than 20 large public spaces in the center and other administrative districts of the capital will also be put in order, including the Kadashevskaya Embankment with Staromonetny and Pyzhevsky Lanes, the section of the embankment from the Moscow Ring Road to the Stroginsky Bridge, the territories of the Bolshoy and Maly Stroginsky Backwaters.

     

    In addition, two sections of the Yauza Park along Tenisty Proezd and Selskokhozyaistvennaya Street (the work is already in the second stage), the Lokomotiv Stadium, the Rosbiotech territory, the Aquarium Garden (Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, Building 14), the park near the Church of St. Euphrosyne (Nakhimovsky Prospekt, Building 8), the territory of the All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts (Delegatskaya Street, Building 3), the park of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University in front of the Lefortovo Palace and other iconic sites will be improved. New tram lines will run along Sergiya Radonezhskogo Street and Akademika Sakharov Avenue.

    Improvements will also be made to around 700 streets, over 1,700 courtyards, the territories of over 120 educational facilities, over 20 water bodies, including the 2nd Nikolo-Khovansky Pond (TiNAO), Olenyi Ponds (VAO), the pond on Chernomorsky Boulevard (South Administrative District), and the Bykovo Boloto Pond (ZelAO).

    Attention will also be paid to the territories of about 41 transport facilities, including 10 Moscow Metro stations, 10 Moscow Central Diameters stations, five transport hubs and others.

    In addition, the implementation of the lighting improvement program continues. Within its framework, it is planned to install 15 thousand new lamps in courtyards, on children’s and sports grounds.

    Sobyanin: A green embankment without cars will appear in the area of the “Yuzhny Port”

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11875050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release-Demolition of Iconic Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel Underway, Oct. 8, 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release-Demolition of Iconic Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel Underway, Oct. 8, 2024

    Posted on Oct 8, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR 

     

    DAWN CHANG 
    CHAIRPERSON 

     

    NEWS RELEASE 

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

    Oct. 8, 2024

     

    DEMOLITION OF ICONIC UNCLE BILLY’S HILO BAY HOTEL UNDERWAY

     

    (HILO, HAWAI‘I) – Demolition of the condemned and dilapidated Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel is underway, after a bit of an inauspicious beginning.

    As heavy equipment and their operators patiently stood by Monday morning for the start of what’s called “hard” demolition of what remains of the building, construction managers tried for more than an hour to find the owner of a car parked in a coned and taped-off section of an adjoining hotel. The concern was that once an excavator began knocking the first of two concrete structures down, debris could fall onto the vehicle. Eventually the car’s owner came out and moved it.

    Then, about 15 minutes into the demolition of the first hotel wing, the excavator sprung a hydraulic leak, shutting the demo down for another period. Barring further stoppages, it’s expected both wings will be brought to the ground within the next month.

     

    The hard demolition is nearing the final chapter of the saga of the once celebrated hotel and resort, originally built in the mid-1960s. In 2017, Hawai‘i County condemned the structure, citing public safety and health concerns. Since then, numerous arson fires and law enforcement sweeps of squatters added to the dilapidated specter of the hotel sandwiched between two of Hilo’s best-known hotels.

     

    The DLNR Land Division made numerous attempts to award a lease for renovation or demolition of Uncle Billy’s, but the state and private developers never came to terms.

     

    Last year, Governor Josh Green, M.D., issued an Emergency Proclamation which allowed Phase 1 of the demolition project to begin. Phase 2 will address removal of the paved sections of the property and any contaminated soil.

     

    DLNR Chair Dawn Chang visited the construction site late last week with county and state elected officials. “I’d like to acknowledge the progress from a year ago, in addressing a public health and safety hazard, complaints, unauthorized occupants and significant community frustration. This could not have happened without the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation and the collaboration of the state and Hawai‘i County. Isemoto Contracting has stayed on schedule and within the state’s budget,” Chang said.

    The ultimate use of the four-acre parcel has not been determined, but like many others, Nathan Kurohara, who is leading the demolition project for Isemoto Contracting, would like to see it developed into a public place for people to come and enjoy. “I hope they don’t make it a parking lot,” he said.

    The wooden lobby and restaurant structure were demolished several weeks ago and due to an agreement with the county, any wood or concrete debris must be cut into pieces smaller than one foot for disposal at the county landfill. In addition, as much of the concrete waste as possible will be diverted away from the landfill to be crushed and recycled. Combined, these measures significantly reduce the amount of landfill space needed for this project.

    The arm of the excavator looks like something out of a “Terminator” movie. Piece by piece and section by section it grabs concrete and steel in its teeth and rips it away. Water hoses are trained on the excavator to help keep the dust down.

    On Monday, plastic still covered one wing of the hotel, as demo crews waited for final air clearance that asbestos had been successfully removed from the building.

    Chang noted the patience of the community and added the demolition of the historic once iconic Uncle Billy’s is leading toward a future of great potential — to be determined.

    # # # 

     

    RESOURCES 

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR) 

     

    HD video – Uncle Billy’s hard demolition (Oct. 7, 2024):

    [embedded content]

    Photographs – Uncle Billy’s hard demolition (Oct. 7, 2024):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yeu8pzd6en1s23ohyegqi/ABE6p26swti8Wcm5kukgGcg?rlkey=t9sbyk185jv4m3f24mfykwpa3&st=bxq5idt6&dl=0

     

     

    Media Contact: 

    Dan Dennison 

    Communications Director 

    808-587-0396 

    [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New visitor facilities opened at Grandtully

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    The development, made possible through a £375,000 award from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF), aims to improve the experience of visitors to the Grandtully Station Park and the surrounding area.

    It aims to support sustainable tourism while minimising its impact on local communities, in line with Perth and Kinross Council’s Tourism Action Plan.

    The new facilities represent a collaborative effort between Perth and Kinross Council, Paddle Scotland (formerly the Scottish Canoe Association) and 12 other funding partners.

    The project aims to address the growing pressure on local infrastructure due to increasing visitor numbers in rural Scotland.

    The opening marks the completion of Phase 2, while Phase 3 has received additional funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for an education centre focused on water safety and outdoor skills training.

    This £1.3 million project has been driven by extensive consultation with the local community, which identified key issues such as car parking shortages and a lack of visitor facilities.

    Key features of the new facilities include:

    • An additional 40 car parking spaces to accommodate increased visitor traffic.
    • Accessible facilities, including six accessible toilets and a state-of-the-art ‘Changing Places Toilet’.
    • Toilets, showers, and changing rooms available for day visitors and campers alike.
    • Enhanced camping options and an active travel hub to promote sustainable tourism and reduce inappropriate camping.
    • Installation of six fast electric vehicle (EV) charging points, as well as a campervan service point.
    • Improved visitor information, including interpretation signage and a bike shelter with a maintenance point.

    Carol Anderson, General Manager of Grandtully Station Park, and Roger Holmes, Development Manager of the project, have worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the facilities support local needs.

    Councillor Jack Welch, Depute Convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: “The launch of the new Grandtully Visitor Management Facilities is a fantastic step forward for sustainable tourism in our region.

    “By enhancing accessibility and improving infrastructure, this development ensures that both visitors and the local community benefit.

    “The collaborative effort behind this project, supported by the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, reflects our commitment to balancing tourism growth with community needs. It’s a great example of how we can manage increased visitor numbers while protecting and preserving the character of rural areas like Grandtully.”

    Stephen Leckie, Chair of VisitScotland, said: “It’s a pleasure to support the official opening of these new facilities at Grandtully.

    “VisitScotland is focused on the responsible growth of tourism and events. To be a sustainable tourism destination, we need to ensure the right facilities are in place to cater for the ever-changing expectations of both visitors and residents. Community engagement is a key part of delivering our goal and the project at Grandtully is a fantastic example of how working together to improve the infrastructure can help both visitors and residents alike.

    “The new facilities will help alleviate pressure on parking, improve accessibility, and encourage visitors to get out and about and explore the area on bike or foot. All improvements that will help support responsible tourism and the long-term sustainability of the Perthshire destination.”

    Stuart Smith, chief executive of Paddle Scotland, emphasised the project’s focus on providing Paddlesport opportunities for all, in addition to contributing to the overall visitor experience.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cole Harbour — RCMP arrests two impaired drivers following a hit and run

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment arrests two impaired drivers following a hit and run in Cole Harbour.

    On September 25, at approximately 11:48 p.m., RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment responded to a hit and run that occurred in a parking lot on Merrimac Dr. While at the scene RCMP officers observed the vehicle of interest return to the scene and collide with a dumpster.

    RCMP officers completed a traffic stop on the Hyundai Elantra. The driver, a 25-year-old Dartmouth woman, exhibited signs of impairment and provided roadside breath samples into an approved screening device (ASD), which resulted in a “fail”. The driver was arrested for impaired driving.

    From the information and evidence gathered at the scene, it was determined that the rear passenger of the vehicle, a 28-year-old Cole Harbour woman, was the driver at the time of the hit and run. She also showed signs of impairment, and provided a breath sample into an ASD resulting in a “fail”. The woman was arrested for impaired driving.

    Both individuals were transported to the Cole Harbour RCMP Detachment and provided breath samples. The 28-year-old woman provided breath samples of 300 mg% and 280 mg%. and the 25-year-old woman, who struck the dumpster, provided breath samples of 200 mg% and 220 mg%.

    They were both later released and will appear in court at a later date.

    File # 24-132068

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ambulance transfer drill carried out

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, in collaboration with the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, completed a drill today for the Pilot Scheme for Direct Cross-boundary Ambulance Transfer in the Greater Bay Area.

    The Health Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR explained that the drill was aimed at testing the routing of the cross-boundary ambulance between Macau’s Conde S. Januario Hospital (CHCSJ) and Hong Kong’s Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), as well as the immigration arrangements.

    After departure from CHCSJ, the ambulance headed to PMH and returned to CHCSJ by making use of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for both journeys.

    Further to the successful completion of the drill conducted by the Hong Kong SAR Government with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government on August 23, today’s drill was also carried out smoothly in general, the bureau said.

    It added that relevant departments of the two SAR Governments will review the cross-boundary ambulance arrangement, with a view to launching the pilot scheme within 2024.

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau noted that the pilot scheme will start with a direct ambulance transfer of patients from designated hospitals in Shenzhen and Macau to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong.

    He said: “I am glad that the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Macao SAR Government have also made today’s drill a success through concerted efforts, further streamlining the flow of a direct cross-boundary ambulance transfer to get better prepared for the launch of the pilot scheme.”

    In addition to the entry arrangement of vehicles into Hong Kong, the Health Bureau is in discussion with Macau authorities on the implementation details regarding the entry of medical items and personnel on the direct cross-boundary ambulance into Hong Kong.

    In particular, as CHCSJ will deploy healthcare personnel to escort patients with clinical needs on the ambulance, the Hong Kong SAR Government will ensure compliance by the doctors concerned with Hong Kong laws, such that they can continue to carry out the necessary medical procedures on board the ambulance upon entry into Hong Kong.

    In this connection, the Hong Kong Medical Council has issued a promulgation regarding limited registration in accordance with the Medical Registration Ordinance.

    Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority is making limited registration applications for the Macau doctors who will provide support aboard the direct cross-boundary ambulances.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: SECNAV Del Toro As-Written Remarks at the USS Richard McCool Commissioning

    Source: United States Navy

    Thank You/Introduction

    Good morning, everyone! It is an absolute honor to be here with you today in Pensacola, Florida—“The Cradle of Naval Aviation”—to commission our fleet’s newest warship, the USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD 29), the first ship named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Captain Richard M. McCool, Jr, United States Navy.

    Congressman Gaetz, thank you for your partnership and collaboration in supporting the thousands of Sailors, Marines, civilians, and their families who are stationed and train here in Pensacola to defend our nation across all domains in which we operate.

    Mayor Reeves, thank you for joining us today and for your support of our service men and women in this great city.

    Admiral Franchetti and General Mahoney, thank you both for your presence here today, and for your leadership of our Navy-Marine Corps team.

    This warship before us represents the combined power of our two naval services, and so it is fitting to have leaders from both services here today to welcome it into our Fleet and our Force.

    To the crew of USS McCool, the rest of our Navy team, and our partners in industry: thank you for your unwavering support—this commissioning was made possible only by your tireless efforts.

    Multi-Ship Procurement Announcement

    As 78th Secretary of the Navy, my mission is to provide combat ready forces and capabilities to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, and our Combatant Commanders.

    And it is inherent within my duties as Secretary to identity and rectify delays within our shipbuilding efforts.

    Last fall, I announced my vision for a new National Maritime Statecraft to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

    Maritime Statecraft encompasses a national, whole-of-government effort to restore the maritime capabilities of the United States.

    I have forcefully advocated to revive our Nation’s shipbuilding capabilities and capacity.

    And so, today I am proud to publicly announce that the Department of the Navy is pursuing the award of the Amphibious Multi-Ship Procurement Contract for a total of three San Antonio Class amphibious ships—just like USS Richard M. McCool Jr.—along with an America Class amphibious assault ship.

    I meet often with industry leaders to discuss the challenges that prevent us from moving forward faster in shipbuilding.

    They respond that fluctuations in demand make it difficult to maintain a stable production schedule.

    This agreement sends still yet another steady demand signal to our shipbuilding industrial base.

    And this agreement also demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to maintaining 31 Amphibious warfare ships and our prudent measures taken with taxpayer funds.

    I am proud to make this announcement today, as we—just as CNO says—welcome another “player to the field,” manned by an all-volunteer force of Sailors and Marines, who have dedicated their careers and their lives in service to our nation, much like this ship’s namesake.

    Captain Richard M. McCool, Jr.

    Like myself and several in the audience today, Captain McCool began his naval service as a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, though he joined in 1941, right at the outset of World War II.

    While his dream was to be a naval aviator, shortly after his graduation from USNA in 1944, he found himself as the commanding officer of USS LCS 122, a landing craft support ship, leading 65 officers and sailors.

    And in the spring of 1945, McCool and his crew found themselves sailing throughout the Pacific Theater, supporting Marines ashore during the Battle of Okinawa.

    LCS 122 and her sister ships were charged with guarding the radar picket destroyers stationed off the coast of Okinawa against Japanese kamikaze attacks, armed with rocket launchers and 40mm guns to repel threats from the sky.

    But on June 10th, 1945, a kamikaze struck LCS 122 below the conning tower where then-Lieutenant McCool was manning his battle station, knocking him unconscious.

    When he came to, he took charge of the situation, coordinating damage control efforts and the evacuation of his crew.

    Despite his severe wounds from the blast, including a collapsed lung, he endeavored to rescue as many of his crew as he could who were trapped in blazing compartments.

    His actions saved LCS 122—which was returned to service after repairs—as well as a majority of his crew.

    For his actions, President Truman presented McCool with the Medal of Honor.

    After World War II, Captain McCool continued to serve in our Navy during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, retiring in 1974 after 30 years of honorable service as both a Surface Warfare Officer and Public Affairs Officer.

    Even after his retirement from the Navy, Captain McCool continued to serve the Seattle community through volunteer work, as well as serving two terms as a Kitsap County Party chairman.

    And while Captain McCool is no longer with us, we take solace in knowing that he is watching over our next generation of naval leaders from his final resting place at the Naval Academy cemetery, and that his strength, his courage—his spirit—lives on through his family present here today.

    Ship Sponsor

    Shana, on behalf of this crew and our Navy, thank you for serving as ship sponsor for the USS Richard M. McCool, Jr.

    In this role, you will forever be the connection between this warship, her crew, and your grandfather’s legacy of service.

    It is my hope that you will continue to share your stories and memories of your grandfather with the crew, giving them a deep appreciation for the man whose name adorns their uniforms.

    Closing

    Captain McCool’s leadership in the face of grave danger and his acts of heroism to save the crew and the ship our nation entrusted to him are indeed an example for all throughout our Navy and Marine Corps to follow.

    To the Sailors and Marines of the USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. and your families, you are about to embark on a great adventure as you bring this ship to life.

    On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you all for the work and sacrifices you have already made, and for everything you will do in the coming days to as you work towards your maiden deployment.

    May God continue to watch over this ship, her crew, and grant them with fair winds and following seas wherever they may sail.

    Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: European court ruling finds just cause to award soccer players greater freedom of movement

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stefan Szymanski, Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    A ruling that Harry Kane may be happy about? James Gill/Danehouse via Getty Images

    Many of us have quit a job at some point in our lives – but how many have wondered if they had “just cause” to do so? Were you acting on a whim? Did your departure make life difficult for your employer? And did your desire to move on really outweigh the loss this meant for your boss?

    Just cause can be a real problem for professional soccer players who want to change teams. Under the soccer transfer system created and operated by FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, players who quit without showing just cause – that is, who fail to show that their employer treated them in manner that is demonstrably unfair – can be subject to significant financial and disciplinary penalties.

    But that could soon change. On Oct. 4, 2024, the European Court of Justice took a major step toward dismantling an employment system that placed undue burden on employees and, thankfully, was dispensed with for the rest of us long ago.

    As a sports economist, I have written about this subject for several years now, and I know of no system outside of sports that restrains the rights of the employee to a comparable extent.

    An object lesson for FIFA

    The legal case is complicated, but the essence of it is that Lassana Diarra, a star player for Lokomotiv Moscow back in 2014, got into a dispute with the Russian club while under contract and quit. He then got a job offer from a Belgian club but was unable to take it because of the FIFA transfer regulations.

    Europe’s top court ruled in favor of former French international Lassana Diarra.
    Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

    Under the governing body’s rules, not only was Diarra expected to pay damages to Lokomotiv amounting to US$11.5 million plus interest, but he was unable to take a job with any club until the dispute was settled. A formal suspension was not enforced, because Diarra had already been unable to work for 11 months.

    But Diarra countersued, claiming the regulations of FIFA unreasonably restricted his employment rights. The case has passed through many stages, until the highest court in Europe finally delivered its decision.

    The court struck down two specific parts of FIFA’s regulations: the rule that an International Transfer Certificate, required by a player to move from one country to another, cannot be issued until the dispute is settled; and the stipulation that any new employer of the player is jointly and severally liable for any damages against the player due to the old club, regardless of whether that employer played a role in the dispute.

    The court, which has historically been deferential toward sports governing bodies and their regulations, was highly critical of FIFA’s transfer system. It declared the rules anti-competitive “by object” and not just “by effect.” In the view of the court, the rules were not merely aimed at ensuring an orderly market for soccer player services, but amounted to a “non-poaching agreement,” arguing that they were intended to restrain competition for players in order to benefit the clubs.

    An end to transfer fees?

    The decision means that FIFA will have to rewrite its transfer rules in a way that demonstrates that the system has a clear and legal purpose. The regulations will be deemed legitimate, the court said, for the purposes of guaranteeing “contractual stability” and ensuring that clubs have the right to receive compensation when there’s breach of contract.

    A player who quits while under contract will still need to demonstrate just cause – unfair treatment by the club – or else be liable to pay a fine or penalty. But the new system will look very different, and it is hard to see how the payment of transfer fees can survive.

    Last summer alone, clubs in the top five European leagues spent around $5 billion on player transfers. Frequently, there are moves between clubs in each direction, and so cash transfers are smaller than the big money moves that grab the headlines.

    The system deprives some star players of substantial potential earnings.

    Take England national team captain Harry Kane, for example. In 2023, German club Bayern Munich paid London-based Tottenham around $100 million to buy Kane out of the last year of his contract. Kane was being paid about $13 million a year at Tottenham, and he got a four-year contract at Bayern, paying him around $27 million a year.

    While his salary doubled, Kane received only half of what Bayern was prepared to pay to obtain his services, thanks to the FIFA regulations. The rest went to his former club.

    Here is what one might expect to happen from now on: Kane would unilaterally announce that he wanted to leave, and then a club like Bayern could make an offer. Tottenham would no longer have any enforceable claim over Bayern and so no transfer fee would be paid, and Bayern would offer to pay Kane something like $52 million a year.

    Kane would have to pay damages to Tottenham for breach of contract, and the court suggested that these damages might reasonably equal the wages that the club would have paid him for the remainder of the contract – so in the case of Kane, $13 million.

    Clearly Kane would have been much better off if the judgment had arrived a year or two ago.

    Don’t fall for the trickle-down myth

    Soccer fans will be worried that this means financial ruin for their club and increases inequality as the big clubs poach the big stars.

    But I see no reason to think that the sky will fall. As recent research has shown, the transfer system has a negligible effect on the distribution of resources among the clubs. Rather, transfer fee spending is more likely the source of financial instability than its remedy, as some clubs spend extravagantly with unrealistic expectations.

    It is true that club owners hoping to grow rich by developing young players and trading them in the market will believe that they now have fewer opportunities, but for most clubs, this has always been an illusion.

    Big clubs tend to tie up the potential stars in their teens, leaving few opportunities for small clubs to find diamonds in the rough.

    Major League Soccer, the U.S. professional league, for example, has ambitions to one day match the big European leagues and has committed significant resources to developing player talent.

    But recent figures suggest that the league is still a net importer of players – and not just superstars such as Lionel Messi.

    In fact, MLS might actually benefit from the end of the transfer system. There are plenty of talented players who might fancy a year or two in the U.S. if they are not unduly tied down by transfer regulations.

    Blowing the whistle on unfair practices

    But perhaps the biggest impact of the ruling will be on the mass of professional players who do not live in the spotlight.

    FIFA estimates there are around 130,000 professional players worldwide, and most of them earn little in comparison to the super-salaried stars of the world’s biggest clubs.

    Yet, these journeymen and -women players have been bound by the same restrictive system and are often denied the opportunity to change teams – not because they are being offered great riches, but because they want a change of scene, or to be closer to their families.

    FIFPro, the players’ union, has documented numerous cases of onerous employment conditions, which were possible under the repressive transfer system.

    Thanks to the European Court of Justice, those days may soon be over.

    In 2015 I wrote a report for FIFPro on the economic consequences of the transfer system

    – ref. European court ruling finds just cause to award soccer players greater freedom of movement – https://theconversation.com/european-court-ruling-finds-just-cause-to-award-soccer-players-greater-freedom-of-movement-240403

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why a pilot scheme removing peak rail fares should have been allowed to go the distance

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rachel Scarfe, Lecturer in Economics, University of Stirling

    A pilot removing peak fares on ScotRail trains has ended. Loch Earn/Shutterstock

    Commuters in Scotland faced a shock at ticket machines as the Scottish government abandoned a pilot scheme that removed peak rail fares. During the pilot, tickets were the same price all day. But now that it has ended, the increase in fares is significant. The cost of commuting at peak time from Glasgow to Edinburgh, for example, has gone from £16.20 to £31.40.

    The aim of the pilot, introduced in October 2023, was to encourage what’s known as a “modal shift” from cars to more sustainable transport.

    Defending its decision, the Scottish government made two claims: that the pilot increased passenger numbers by only 6.8% (when an increase of 10% was required for it to be self-financing) and that it mostly benefited wealthier passengers.

    These claims were widely reported, but are they correct? And what does this mean for similar schemes in other countries?

    Passengers using the train to get to and from work benefited most from the pilot, which made travel cheaper at peak times (early morning until around 9am and evenings until around 7pm). It is true that wealthier people in the UK tend to use trains and cars more, while poorer people are more likely to travel by bus.

    The graph below shows how much £100 of train and bus tickets, and £100 of petrol ten years ago would cost today.

    Cost of transport in the UK (2014-2024)

    The increase in train fares has been smoother, but mostly faster, than the increase in petrol prices. However, bus fares have increased faster than both. Scotland has not followed England in capping bus fares, a policy that might have benefited lower-income passengers more.

    In theory, a decrease in price for a product will result in an increase in demand. But it is impossible to calculate exactly how much passenger numbers increased due to the pilot, because we cannot know for sure how many passengers would have travelled anyway (the “counterfactual”).

    To estimate the rise in demand brought about by cheaper fares, we must make assumptions about the counterfactual, where peak fares remained in place. This is especially difficult for two reasons. First, the pilot began as passenger numbers were rising again after the COVID lockdowns.



    Read more:
    Catching public transport in Queensland will soon cost just 50 cents. Are cheap fares good policy?

    Statisticians must make assumptions about how much demand would have continued to rise in this case. Depending on these assumptions, the estimated effect of the pilot on demand for rail travel ranges from an increase of 16% to a fall of 5%, compared with the final figure of 6.8%. A change in assumptions can change the estimated rise in demand substantially.

    Second, the pilot spanned a period of disruption on the railways. Strikes in Scotland in 2022 may have put people off train travel, and again, we cannot know whether they would have returned in the counterfactual scenario.

    And bad weather in Scotland in early 2024 and disruption caused by strikes in England and Wales make it difficult to use the rest of Great Britain as a control group to compare against Scotland.

    To estimate the effects of a policy like the pilot, statisticians must make many other assumptions. For example, in April 2024 there was a big increase in fares across Scotland. The analysis underlying the report assumes that this would have happened even without the pilot.

    All these assumptions (and more) lie beneath the reported 6.8% increase in demand and make it impossible to be confident that this was the true number of passengers who shifted to rail travel because peak fares were axed.

    What’s happening elsewhere?

    Similar schemes have been piloted in other countries, including a flat rate €49 (£40) per month (increased from €9) rail pass in Germany, a 50 cent (30 pence) flat fare across all public transport in Queensland, Australia, and a £2 flat bus fare in England.

    As with the pilot in Scotland, it is difficult to determine whether these schemes have caused a modal shift. Some new evidence from Germany suggests that cheaper fares encouraged people to make more journeys overall, but that the shift from cars to trains was limited.

    However, we know that the elasticity (how much demand changes as prices change) of public transport fares is greater in the long term than in the short term. There is a danger that, as in Scotland, governments will cancel them before the long-term effects are clear.

    The SNP government in Scotland is facing difficulties balancing its budget. In these circumstances, any further subsidy to public transport seems unlikely. Instead, the government will have to find other ways to reach its net zero commitments.

    There is evidence that people respond more strongly to an increase in price than to a decrease. If this is the case, the pilot itself could even cause a long-term decrease in passenger numbers in Scotland, because the fall in people using the trains due to the reintroduction of peak fares might be greater than the increase during the pilot.

    It is impossible to tell yet, but in the long term this could make travelling on the railways more expensive for both passengers and for the government subsidising them.

    Rachel Scarfe is a member of the Labour Party.

    – ref. Why a pilot scheme removing peak rail fares should have been allowed to go the distance – https://theconversation.com/why-a-pilot-scheme-removing-peak-rail-fares-should-have-been-allowed-to-go-the-distance-240224

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why it’s so hard to kick fossil fuels out of sport

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Theo Lorenzo Frixou, PhD Candidate, Social Sciences, Loughborough University

    A 52 Super Series sailing race off Palma de Mallorca. Villegas Photo/Shutterstock

    Governments and public relations firms are under pressure to, in UN secretary-general António Guterres’s words, stop “fuelling the madness” and ban fossil fuel advertising or cut ties with the industry.

    France, Amsterdam, Sheffield and Edinburgh have all restricted fossil fuel advertising to differing degrees in recognition of the industry’s responsibility for climate breakdown.

    People working in the advertising industry are among those calling for an end to working with fossil fuel companies. There is a reputational risk with continuing to represent these businesses. Four advertising agencies recently lost a sustainability certification for taking an oil company as a client.

    Oil and gas advertising is perhaps most prolific in sport. A recent report estimated that fossil fuel companies have invested more than £4 billion across 200 sponsorship deals.

    Fellow researchers have appealed for sport to be included in any further advertising bans. There is a precedent: a tobacco advertising ban came into force in the UK in 2002. Bear in mind, that ban took nearly 40 years of campaigning and tobacco executives have shown they’re capable of navigating its loopholes.

    Even so, the fossil fuel industry will prove significantly harder to purge than tobacco. Here’s why.

    ‘No fossil fuels, no sport’

    Human development is largely a story of increasing energy use. Oil in particular has transformed everyday life beyond comprehension.

    Whether it be in the form of high-profile sponsorship deals, sporting equipment made from petrol-based products like carbon fibre or flying to meet the demand for ever more fixtures, modern sport reflects society’s oil dependency.

    Sport is entwined with high-carbon industries.
    Parkdolly/Shutterstock

    The fossil fuel industry knows this. Despite the longstanding scientific consensus that fossil fuels must be phased out, the industry seeks to convince the public that oil and gas will still be needed for a very long time.

    Analysis of one oil company’s sustainability reports identified how its communications strategy shifted from denying the results of climate science to more subtle efforts to delay an energy transition. These included the argument that fossil fuels are an irreplaceable precondition for “the good life”.

    Sport is a vehicle for perpetuating this argument. In 2021, an oil and gas trade association in the US launched a campaign showcasing sports products made from petroleum, the implication being that people cannot enjoy sport without fossil fuels.

    Sport is poised for corporate piggybacking because it evokes connection, pride and security in fans and spectators – feelings the fossil fuel industry is keen to capitalise on. An analysis of the Canadian oil industry’s advertising between 2006 and 2015 documented a shift from images of the natural environment to those depicting family life and domesticity.

    This kind of pernicious messaging, which entrenches fossil fuels within the things people hold dear, will be hard for legislators to reverse.

    Oil change

    Imre Szeman, a professor of human geography who specialises in the energy transition, urges us to comprehend just how deep our relationship with oil runs.

    Addressing climate change is not simply a technical matter, but a cultural one as well. An issue of how we grasp what is so often taken for granted in everyday life.

    Change will not only require acknowledging the severity of the environmental crisis, but to recognise how its primary causes have shaped society, including in elite sport. It’s crucial to understand modern societies as oil societies if we are ever to envisage one no longer dependent on it.

    Sport sponsorships reflect the infiltration of fossil fuels in modern society.
    Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock

    So, considering sport, the first step is to remove the cognitive dissonance that surrounds modern elite sporting culture, the nature of its oil dependency and the consequences of climate change.

    Sporting organisations can start by saying no to fossil fuel sponsorship. There are examples of this happening already in tennis, rugby and the Olympics, with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo indicating an oil company was not welcome as a sponsor of the 2024 Games.

    Change happens by disaster or by design. It’s time to recognise the decades long influence wielded by the fossil fuel industry.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Theo Lorenzo Frixou 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. Why it’s so hard to kick fossil fuels out of sport – https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-hard-to-kick-fossil-fuels-out-of-sport-239620

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Man ordered to clear illegal waste site

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A man has been ordered to clear illegally dumped waste from a site near Saltburn in a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency. 

    Images shows dumped waste on the site.

    Martin Booker, 60, of Woodside in Brotton, operated an illegal waste site on unregistered land, burnt it and ignored warnings from the Environment Agency to stop.

    He appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court last month for sentencing and having previously denied the allegations, changed his plea to guilty to three offences of operating a waste site without an environmental permit.

    The court heard the land, which is at the end of Gladstone Street in Brotton, is next to council-owned allotments and does not have an environmental permit or a registered exemption, which are required by law to manage waste operations.

    Booker was fined £648 and will pay a victim surcharge of £259. A remediation order was made against Brooker for him to clear the site of all waste. If he fails to comply he could be subject to further action.

    Booker ‘largely ignored’ warnings

    Gary Wallace, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

    Environmental permits are in place to protect the public and environment and we told Booker a number of times that he must stop his activities and clear the waste from the site.

    He largely ignored these warnings, showing a disregard for law.

    Illegal activity such as this undermines legitimate businesses that work hard to operate within the regulations, as well as putting the environment at risk and impacting on the local community.

    In February 2022 an Environment Agency officer visited the land and saw waste including scrap electricals such as fridges and washing machines, as well as shopping trollies and scrap vehicle parts. There were clear signs of burning.

    Enquiries led the officers to Booker, and a letter was sent instructing him to cease all activity and clear the site.

    By May 2022 most of the waste had been cleared, but Boooker resumed waste activity on the land. By October the same year waste was again strewn across the site and the pathway access to the allotments – including a pram, a three piece suite and a TV.

    In January 2023 the Environment Agency gave Booker one month to clear the site, but a month later it was still full of waste – again with evidence of burning.

    When he was interviewed in May 2023 Booker said he’d owned two garages on the land that he knocked down.

    He said he’d brought rubble to the land to develop it, but that people fly tipped the plot and he cleared it by putting it into residents’ bins or throwing it in the allotments.

    He denied being responsible for disposing and burning waste. He also claimed not to have a vehicle but evidence from the council confirmed he was seen in a scrap van in Saltburn in October 2023.

    A final visit on 19 March 2024 saw the site still had waste present, with evidence of burning.

    Law is there to protect communities

    Cllr Adam Brook, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said:

    Our officers work closely with colleagues in the Environment Agency and other partner agencies every day to protect the public.

    The decision to go to court is never taken lightly. However, if the law which is clearly there to protect our residents, visitors, businesses and the environment we all share is disregarded in this way this action must be taken and I fully support the EA.

    I would like to thank the Environment Agency and everyone else involved for their hard work on this case.

    Illegal waste activity can be reported to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.

    Share this page

    The following links open in a new tab

    • Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)
    • Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springdale — Impaired driver arrested by Springdale RCMP

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 23-year-old man was arrested by Springdale RCMP for impaired driving on October 5th, 2024.

    At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, police observed a vehicle on Little Bay Road with a burnt-out headlight and conducted a traffic stop. The driver showed signs of alcohol impairment, failed a roadside breath test, and was arrested. Back at the detachment, the man provided breath samples that were above the legal limit.

    He was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

    The vehicle was seized and impounded and the man’s driver’s licence was suspended.

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon anuncia nueva ronda de apoyos para pequeñas empresas

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon anuncia nueva ronda de apoyos para pequeñas empresas

    • A través de Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, las pequeñas empresas pueden acceder a cursos gratuitos en inglés y español, capacitación con expertos en pequeñas empresas y la oportunidad de solicitar un apoyo de $10,000.
    • La plataforma también se ha asociado con Next Street para compartir un “Mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas”, donde los propietarios de empresas pueden buscar oportunidades de préstamos y subvenciones según sus necesidades comerciales.
    • El programa ha llegado a más de 350,000 empresas en todo el país, de las cuales el 51% son propiedad de mujeres y el 62% son propiedad de personas de color o hispanas.

    BASKING RIDGE, NJ – Como el acceso a capital es un desafío común para los emprendedores, Verizon anuncia nuevas oportunidades de financiamiento de subvenciones de $10,000 disponibles para pequeñas empresas a través de la plataforma Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Los propietarios de pequeñas empresas que se registren en la plataforma pueden recibir acceso gratuito y personalizado a más de 50 cursos en línea en inglés y español, oportunidades de tutoría con expertos de la industria, entrenamiento de expertos personalizados y en grupo, eventos comunitarios virtuales y en persona y la oportunidad de postularse para obtener financiamiento mediante subvenciones.

    El programa es operado en asociación con Next Street y Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Hasta la fecha, Small Business Digital Ready ha apoyado a más de 350,000 pequeñas empresas en todo el país, de las cuales el 51% son propiedad de mujeres y el 62% son propiedad de personas de color o hispanas.

    Hasta el 13 de diciembre de 2024 a las 11:59 p.m. (hora del Pacífico), las pequeñas empresas pueden acceder a la solicitud para esta ronda de financiamiento de subvenciones registrándose primero en el portal Verizon Small Business Digital Ready y completando al menos dos cursos, capacitación o eventos comunitarios, en cualquier combinación entre 1 de julio de 2024 y 13 de diciembre de 2024 a las 11:59 p.m. PT. Las pequeñas empresas que completen la solicitud serán elegibles para recibir una subvención de $10,000.

    “Las pequeñas empresas son el pilar de las comunidades y tenemos la responsabilidad de ayudarles a prosperar”, dijo Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer de Verizon. “Verizon Small Business Digital Ready se creó para impulsar a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas a través de capacitación en habilidades digitales, y estamos orgullosos de ofrecer otra oportunidad de apoyo a esta comunidad diversa y en crecimiento de propietarios de pequeñas empresas en todo el país”.

    La plataforma también está lanzando el “Mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas”, un repositorio de oportunidades de financiación y préstamos disponibles para pequeñas empresas, y ha lanzado “Learning Paths”. Rutas de aprendizaje como “Mejora tu acceso al capital” y “Construye tu marca única” invitan a los usuarios a completar una serie de recursos para ayudarlos a acercarse a lograr un objetivo comercial. 

    Verizon no es un prestamista ni un corredor. El mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas es proporcionado por Next Street Financial LLC. No todas las solicitudes son aprobadas. Todas las decisiones de financiación las toman terceros proveedores de capital. Las calificaciones, los requisitos, la aprobación y los términos del préstamo varían según el tipo de préstamo, las calificaciones del solicitante y el estado.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese high-speed trains roll with innovation progress

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

    BEIJING, Oct. 8 — During the week-long National Day holiday ending on Monday, China’s high-speed railway stations were often bustling with crowds. Some passengers could be seen lined up in an orderly fashion as they prepared to board, while others could be spotted browsing their smartphones or using laptops when waiting for their boarding calls.

    The country’s railway sector experienced a surge in passenger traffic on Monday as travelers returned home from their holiday destinations.

    A total of 13,103 trains were in operation on Monday, including 1,705 additional trains scheduled to meet the significant demand. This marked a historic high for a single day’s operational capacity, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

    China has built the world’s largest high-speed railway network to address the people’s growing demand for convenient and comfortable travel.

    The total operational length of China’s high-speed railway network has exceeded 45,000 kilometers, with Fuxing high-speed trains operating across 31 provincial-level regions nationwide.

    This growing volume of railway transportation is supported by innovations and high-quality development concerning China’s rail transit equipment. Notably, the Fuxing high-speed train project received the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award in June 2024.

    CHINESE RAILWAY INNOVATION

    Once upon a time, the slow train with its signature green color dominated the travel memories of many Chinese people.

    Since the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, with a design speed of 350 km per hour, entered operation in 2008, a fast-expanding modern high-speed railway network has been operating efficiently in the world’s second-largest economy.

    Now it takes just over eight hours to travel from Hong Kong in south China to Beijing in the north by high-speed rail, a Canadian passenger with the Xiaohongshu username Lao Han, shared on his social media platform this April, while adding that he enjoyed the different views from south to north during the journey.

    Previously, a train connecting the two cities took more than 24 hours to complete a one-way trip.

    Such a rail experience is not confined to the Hong Kong-Beijing trip, with many bullet trains running across the country, reaching a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour. CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province, one of China’s major rail transit equipment enterprises, has long been contributing to the speeding up of the country’s railway travel options.

    Since the 1990s, China’s railway running speed has been repeatedly and significantly increased, with CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles introducing a number of upgraded and innovative products to provide equipment support for these accelerations.

    Notably, this company produced China’s first subway train and first group of high-speed trains. The country’s first aluminum alloy subway train, stainless steel subway train, monorail train, low-floor light rail vehicle, linear electric locomotive and automatic subway train were also manufactured in the factories of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles.

    In July 2024, the company introduced a high-speed built-in bogie that can meet the needs of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains at a speed of 400 km per hour.

    The high-speed built-in bogie serves as the running system and one of the core components of rail vehicles. “It acts as the legs of an EMU train,” explained Zhou Dianmai, a senior engineer of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles. Equipped with such a bogie, a train can run faster and more steadily, while also generating less noise.

    Compared with traditional external bogies, the built-in bogie reduces the weight of the train by 20 percent — which can cut energy consumption by 15 percent during the vehicle’s operation, lower wheel-rail wear by about 30 percent, and reduce wheel-rail noise by around two decibels. In addition, maintenance cost during the whole life cycle is slashed by approximately 15 percent. This product is expected to facilitate the green and energy-saving transformation of EMU trains.

    At the EMU bogie production line of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, a big data analysis platform features key information, such as management costs and resource consumption. Through the processing of real-time data, this platform can generate product design and management suggestions.

    “The big data analysis platform improved the equipment utilization rate by 10 percent and decreased operation and management costs by 10 percent,” said Zhu Yan, deputy chief designer of the Fuxing bullet train at CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles. Total average annual costs were reduced by more than 5 million yuan (about 700,830 U.S. dollars).

    Through learning from overseas advanced experience and customizing according to China’s unique conditions, the company has achieved both key technologies concerning rail transit equipment and capability in terms of R&D and manufacturing of full-range EMU trains.

    On March 21, 2024, the world’s first city train powered by hydrogen, independently developed by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, conducted its maiden speed test run. Previously, such a combination of hydrogen energy and rail transit equipment had not been achieved.

    Running at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour at full load, the train consumed only five KWh energy per kilometer, while the data measuring each system confirmed stability during the test.

    So far, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles has managed to build nine product platforms with advanced EMU, subway trains and maglev trains, covering R&D capabilities in terms of full-type and full-variety rail transit products.

    WELCOME ABOARD CHINESE TRAINS

    China’s high-speed trains, a successful example of independent innovation, are now regarded as a Chinese “calling card” and are welcomed globally.

    Indonesia’s Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) noted in July 2024 that it had carried 4 million passengers since it began commercial operations on Oct. 17, 2023. Indonesian drivers have successfully operated the trains serving the HSR at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

    This is the first overseas high-speed railway project fully utilizing Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components.

    The China Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS) has undertaken supervision and consultation concerning this high-speed railway, and has provided support in fields such as on-site quality control, drawing reviews and technical research.

    The 142.3-km high-speed railway has shortened the journey between Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, and Bandung, a famous tourist city, to only 40 minutes.

    Meanwhile, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, namely the China-Laos Railway, began operations in December 2021.

    “Before the China-Laos Railway opened, it took me two days to travel from Vientiane to Mongla by car,” said a Lao passenger. “Now, it takes me about five hours by train, which is very fast and convenient.”

    Another Chinese-built project, the Belgrade-Novi Sad high-speed railway, has transported nearly 8.8 million people between Serbia’s two largest cities since starting operation in 2022.

    At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October 2023, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles signed a purchase contract with Serbia to introduce China’s bullet trains to this country in Eastern Europe.

    Based on a mature and reliable technical platform, both design and production of trains are tailored according to local railway conditions and technical specifications.

    In recent years, the products of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles have been exported to 23 countries and regions. The company’s export business model currently covers the full life cycle service of vehicles, and it has set up 11 branches and subsidiaries worldwide.

    “China’s high-speed trains feature high levels of science and technology, strong brand influence and thriving innovation,” said Tao Guidong, a scientist of CRRC.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Release of The State of Canada’s Birds 2024 report

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    Developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada, The State of Canada’s Birds 2024 report provides accessible, scientific insight into the population status of 463 bird species that occur regularly in Canada.

    Developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada, The State of Canada’s Birds 2024 report provides accessible, scientific insight into the population status of 463 bird species that occur regularly in Canada.

    Population changes in Canada’s bird species since 1970

    • 168 species (36 percent) have decreased in population
    • 143 species (31 percent) have increased in population
    • 98 species (21 percent) have experienced little change in population
    • 54 species (12 percent) are data deficient (not enough information to determine a trend)
    Long Description

    A spaghetti chart showing the population change in Canada’s birds from 1970 to 2020. The graph shows Waterfowl increase by 46%, Birds of Prey increase by 35%, Wetland Birds increase by 21%, Marine Birds increase by 0%, Forest Birds decrease by 1%, Arctic Birds decrease by 28%, Long-Distance Migrants decrease by 29%, Shorebirds decrease by 42%, Aerial Insectivores decrease by 43%, and Grassland Birds decrease by 67%.

    Key findings from the report

    • Three bird groups have increased in population since 1970: waterfowl (46 percent), birds of prey (35 percent), and wetland birds (21 percent). From banning DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) to save the Peregrine Falcon campaign to conserving wetlands for birds like the Least Bittern, conservation action is having positive impacts on bird populations.
    • A crisis is unfolding in the Prairies. Grassland birds have declined by 67 percent since 1970, with no sign of levelling off. The destruction and degradation of native grasslands is the single greatest threat to this group of birds and biodiversity in general. Without urgent action to conserve their habitat, species like the Chestnut-collared Longspur and the Burrowing Owl may be lost from Canada, along with the ecosystem services that healthy habitats provide.
    • Shorebirds are continuing to decline, with a drop of 42 percent since 1970. The populations of some species, like the Hudsonian Godwit, have fallen by over 90 percent. Shorebirds face many threats, as many make perilous, long-distance migrations and breed in vulnerable habitats, like the Arctic and the Prairies.
    • Aerial insectivores—birds that hunt for insects in flight—have declined by 43 percent since 1970. Although the decline has subsided recently, populations are far lower than they were in the 1970s. Declines in insect populations have likely been one of the major causes, and reversing these declines could help save threatened birds like the Bank Swallow and the Chimney Swift.

    The threats birds face in Canada

    • Habitat loss threatens birds across Canada and affects migratory birds throughout their annual journeys. The destruction and degradation of habitats is driven by agricultural practices, urban development, natural resource extraction, and infrastructure.
    • Climate change is a significant and growing threat to birds in Canada. Northern birds are likely to be most affected, as the changing climate alters the timing of events like insect and plant emergence. An increase in extreme weather events like storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires also puts birds at risk.
    • Outdoor and feral cats kill more than 100 million birds in Canada annually.
    • Collisions with windows are estimated to kill more than 25 million birds in Canada every year, especially when migration brings many species into urban and suburban areas. Millions of birds are also killed annually through collisions with vehicles and power lines.
    • Contaminants and waste affect birds in all environments. Pesticides and other contaminants from agriculture and industry threaten both birds and their habitats. Ingestion of plastics also causes mortality, especially in marine birds.

    How Canadians can help protect birds

    • Create and protect habitats for birds. Plant native plants, reduce pesticide use, and make windows safer for birds.
    • Keep cats indoors or provide outside time with a leash or catio. Leash dogs in sensitive natural areas.
    • Help fight climate change. Use less fossil fuel, waste less food, use less energy at home, and eat less meat.
    • Volunteer for conservation. Take part in citizen science and support local, regional, and national organizations that work to conserve birds and their habitats. Participate in tree plantings, invasive species control, habitat creation, and restoration projects.
    • Choose bird-friendly products. If you are able, choose organic produce, bird-friendly coffee, certified paper products, sustainable seafood, and grass-fed beef.
    • Buy less and produce less waste. Use fewer single-use plastics, dispose of garbage and recycling properly, and help with clean-ups.
    • Learn more about birds, contribute to an inclusive and accessible birding community, and advocate for bird-friendly initiatives, policies, and conservation action.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Indiana Police Lieutenant Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Violation and Obstruction of Justice

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A federal jury convicted a former New Castle, Indiana, police lieutenant last Friday on multiple counts of using excessive force against people in custody and one count of obstruction of justice by witness tampering.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Aaron Jason Strong, 47, while a lieutenant at the New Castle Police Department, physically abused a suspect and two pretrial detainees and made false statements to an Indiana State Police detective who had been assigned to investigate an allegation against him.

    “Aaron Strong is a repeat offender who defied his oath and abused his law enforcement authority to violently and unlawfully assault multiple individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant put his fellow officers in danger and grievously injured people in his custody, whose wellbeing and rights he had a legal and moral duty to protect. Strong betrayed the law enforcement profession when he told lie after lie in an effort to cover up his crimes and derail an independent investigation. This unanimous jury verdict makes clear a core principle in our country – law enforcement officers are not above the law and will be held accountable for their crimes.”

    “Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to serve our communities. Their jobs are difficult, dangerous and noble,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Aaron Strong is not noble. He repeatedly and unlawfully abused his position of authority to inflict violence, injury and pain — with no lawful justification. He then lied to cover it up. Our community deserves better. Together with our partners at the Justice Department, the FBI and Indiana State Police, our federal prosecutors will continue to seek accountability for police who illegally assault those they are sworn to protect.”

    Evidence showed that, in August 2019, then-Lieutenant Strong responded to another officer’s report of a foot chase. As Strong arrived, the suspect stopped running, put his hands up, said “I’m done” and lowered himself to the ground. As another officer approached to take the suspect into custody, Strong ran up and struck the suspect at least 12 times with a metal police baton, nearly striking a fellow officer. The incident was promptly reported by other involved officers, and the Indiana State Police were called in to conduct an independent criminal investigation. During a meeting with the State Police investigator, Strong gave a false account of the incident in which he minimized his own use of force and exaggerated the danger posed by the suspect.

    Evidence also showed that, in July 2017, Strong, while acting in his capacity as the commanding officer of the Henry County, Indiana, SWAT Team, had abused two men being held in pretrial detention at the Henry County Transition Center, a low-security annex of the Henry County Jail. The SWAT Team had been requested to assist jail officers with moving a small number of inmates who had become intoxicated on contraband alcohol from the Transition Center to the main jail. While inside the Transition Center, Strong stomped on the head of a detainee who was complying with commands to lie on the ground. A few moments later, Strong approached a second inmate, who was kneeling, not moving, with his back to Strong, and shot him point-blank in the back with a less-lethal “beanbag” round, which Strong knew could cause death or serious bodily injury when used at short ranges. The impact from the round fractured the detainee’s spine.

    Numerous current and former New Castle and Henry County law enforcement officers testified for the prosecution.

    Strong was convicted of three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of witness tampering. A co-defendant, Strong’s nephew, was found not guilty of one count of witness tampering.

    Strong is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Indianapolis Field Office and Indiana State Police investigated the case, with assistance from the New Castle Police Department.

    Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Travelling for Thanksgiving long weekend? The CBSA gives tips for a smooth trip

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 8, 2024
    Ottawa, Ontario

    The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reminds travellers that it can be extra busy at the border over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

    Every day, the CBSA works hard to protect Canadians, support the economy and ensure the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across the border. In 2023, we welcomed over 86 million travellers and intercepted more than 72,200 kg of prohibited drugs, cannabis, narcotics, and chemicals, representing an increase of close to 30% from 2022.

    The CBSA is dedicated to planning and preparing for peak periods, including long weekends and summer months. We monitor traveller volumes and take measures to minimize border wait times at land ports of entry and at international airports, without compromising safety and security.

    Here are some tips to help you plan for your trip:

    • Check border wait times and expect delays.
      • Early mornings are the best time to cross the border to avoid wait times.
      • The Monday of  holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest.
      • Consider an alternative port of entry with shorter wait times or less traffic.
      • Check the port of entry’s hours of operation on the official CBSA Directory of Offices and Services.
      • If you are using a GPS application (such as Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze) to direct you to a port of entry, consider checking different navigation options (such as fastest and shortest routes) to determine the preferred route of travel.
    • Have your travel documents handy. This will speed up processing times at the border.
    • Be prepared to declare. Declare everything you have with you upon entry into Canada. If arriving by land, you are responsible for everything inside your vehicle.
    • When travelling with children, it is recommended that the accompanying adult have a consent letter authorizing them to travel with the child if they share custody or are not the parent or legal guardian. Border services officers are always watching for missing children, and in the absence of the letter, officers may ask additional questions.
    • Travelling with pets? Pets must meet specific requirements to enter Canada. Review Importing and travelling with pets before leaving.
      • Will you be going to the U.S. with a dog? As of August 1, 2024, there are updated documentation requirements for all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada. For more information, visit Dogs travelling to the United States.
    • Flying into Canada? Use Advance Declaration and make your customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of your arrival into Canada at participating airports.
    • Entering Canada by boat? You must report to the CBSA without delay. Review reporting requirements for private boaters before making travel plans. If you are the operator of a boat entering Canadian waters with the intent to disembark, you are responsible for reporting your goods on board.
      • Are you towing or transporting a watercraft or any water-related equipment (canoe, paddleboard, etc.) into Canada? If so, these items must be clean, dry, and free of any aquatic invasive plants or species. Learn more: Clean, Drain, Dry and Decontaminate.

    Are you bringing any of the following into Canada?

    Restricted and prohibited goods:

    Make sure you review the necessary information before attempting to bring certain items into Canada. If not, you risk having your goods seized or facing fines and prosecution.

    • Firearms: Leave them at home. You are encouraged not to travel with firearms. If you choose to do so, be sure to check the rules on importing firearms.
    • Weapons: Restricted and prohibited goods include pepper spray, switchblades, and butterfly knives.
    • Narcotics: Narcotics such as cocaine and heroin are illegal in Canada.  If you are found to be in possession of illegal drugs (on your person, in your vehicle, or in your luggage) you will be arrested and may be charged. The drugs will be seized.
    • Cannabis: Don’t bring it in. Don’t take it out. While cannabis is legal in Canada, bringing it across the border in any form, including oils containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), without a permit or exemption authorized by Health Canada is a serious criminal offence subject to arrest and prosecution. A medical prescription from a doctor does not count as Health Canada authorization.

    Not sure? Ask a CBSA officer. The best way to save time is to be open and honest with the border services officer. If you are not sure about what to declare, don’t hesitate to ask!

    For more information, visit the CBSA website or call us at 1-800-461-9999.

    For more information or to schedule an interview with a CBSA representative, please contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Indiana Police Lieutenant Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Violation and Obstruction of Justice

    Source: US State of Vermont

    A federal jury convicted a former New Castle, Indiana, police lieutenant last Friday on multiple counts of using excessive force against people in custody and one count of obstruction of justice by witness tampering.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Aaron Jason Strong, 47, while a lieutenant at the New Castle Police Department, physically abused a suspect and two pretrial detainees and made false statements to an Indiana State Police detective who had been assigned to investigate an allegation against him.

    “Aaron Strong is a repeat offender who defied his oath and abused his law enforcement authority to violently and unlawfully assault multiple individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant put his fellow officers in danger and grievously injured people in his custody, whose wellbeing and rights he had a legal and moral duty to protect. Strong betrayed the law enforcement profession when he told lie after lie in an effort to cover up his crimes and derail an independent investigation. This unanimous jury verdict makes clear a core principle in our country – law enforcement officers are not above the law and will be held accountable for their crimes.”

    “Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to serve our communities. Their jobs are difficult, dangerous and noble,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Aaron Strong is not noble. He repeatedly and unlawfully abused his position of authority to inflict violence, injury and pain — with no lawful justification. He then lied to cover it up. Our community deserves better. Together with our partners at the Justice Department, the FBI and Indiana State Police, our federal prosecutors will continue to seek accountability for police who illegally assault those they are sworn to protect.”

    Evidence showed that, in August 2019, then-Lieutenant Strong responded to another officer’s report of a foot chase. As Strong arrived, the suspect stopped running, put his hands up, said “I’m done” and lowered himself to the ground. As another officer approached to take the suspect into custody, Strong ran up and struck the suspect at least 12 times with a metal police baton, nearly striking a fellow officer. The incident was promptly reported by other involved officers, and the Indiana State Police were called in to conduct an independent criminal investigation. During a meeting with the State Police investigator, Strong gave a false account of the incident in which he minimized his own use of force and exaggerated the danger posed by the suspect.

    Evidence also showed that, in July 2017, Strong, while acting in his capacity as the commanding officer of the Henry County, Indiana, SWAT Team, had abused two men being held in pretrial detention at the Henry County Transition Center, a low-security annex of the Henry County Jail. The SWAT Team had been requested to assist jail officers with moving a small number of inmates who had become intoxicated on contraband alcohol from the Transition Center to the main jail. While inside the Transition Center, Strong stomped on the head of a detainee who was complying with commands to lie on the ground. A few moments later, Strong approached a second inmate, who was kneeling, not moving, with his back to Strong, and shot him point-blank in the back with a less-lethal “beanbag” round, which Strong knew could cause death or serious bodily injury when used at short ranges. The impact from the round fractured the detainee’s spine.

    Numerous current and former New Castle and Henry County law enforcement officers testified for the prosecution.

    Strong was convicted of three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of witness tampering. A co-defendant, Strong’s nephew, was found not guilty of one count of witness tampering.

    Strong is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Indianapolis Field Office and Indiana State Police investigated the case, with assistance from the New Castle Police Department.

    Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Has war increased online risks for Ukrainian children?

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 8 October 2024 at 13:00

    Initial analysis finds an almost three-fold rise in mentions on dark web since invasion

    Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) believe that Ukrainian children could be facing an increased risk of being exploited or sexually abused online because of the war with Russia and the opportunities the conflict has created for offenders.

    Initial analysis of the dark web by ARU researchers indicates that Ukrainian children are being discussed by offenders in online forums almost 300% more frequently than before the invasion in 2022. 

    Now ARU’s International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) has been awarded $250,000 of funding from US-based Safe Online to extend this work, which will be the first major European study to investigate the impact of war on the online safety of children. 

    Thanks to the funding, ARU is launching the Dity Online project – ‘dity’ is Ukrainian for ‘children’ – to survey and collect data from 1,500 Ukrainian children and their parents. 

    Around half of all Ukrainian children have been displaced from their homes and for these children, much of their education and socialising has moved online. The project aims to understand the nature and extent of online child sexual abuse in Ukraine, and the impact of conflict on children’s online behaviour and safety. 

    ARU will be working with partners including the Psychological Services department at the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, whilst also analysing dark web forums to understand how offenders are seeking to exploit opportunities created by the conflict to target children online.

    Professor Sam Lundrigan, the Director of the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) at ARU, said:

    “Since the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine, it is estimated that more than half of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children have been displaced, potentially increasing the risk of them being sexually abused or exploited online.

    “This is because the conflict has caused Ukrainian children to spend more time online to connect with their peers and to access education. Despite this, there is currently little understanding of the impact of living in a conflict situation on children’s risks of harm in the digital world.  

    “What’s more, our initial analysis of the dark web has shown that Ukrainian children are being discussed by offenders in online forums more frequently than before the conflict. Our initial research showed almost a three-fold increase.”

    Dr Anna Markovska, Deputy Director of the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) at ARU and the lead for the project, said:

    “All our research must lead to tangible, positive, real-world outcomes, so the final phase of the project will be the development of an education programme for schools to help raise awareness of the risks posed to children online and how to stay safe. 

    “We’re incredibly grateful to Safe Online for providing this funding, which will be instrumental in helping us protect more vulnerable children living through conflict.”

    Safe Online is the only global investment vehicle dedicated to keeping children safe in the digital world. For more information about Safe Online, visit https://safeonline.global

    More information about ARU’s International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) is available at https://www.aru.ac.uk/international-policing-and-public-protection-research-institute

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Verizon anuncia nueva ronda de apoyos para pequeñas empresas

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon anuncia nueva ronda de apoyos para pequeñas empresas

    • A través de Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, las pequeñas empresas pueden acceder a cursos gratuitos en inglés y español, capacitación con expertos en pequeñas empresas y la oportunidad de solicitar un apoyo de $10,000.
    • La plataforma también se ha asociado con Next Street para compartir un “Mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas”, donde los propietarios de empresas pueden buscar oportunidades de préstamos y subvenciones según sus necesidades comerciales.
    • El programa ha llegado a más de 350,000 empresas en todo el país, de las cuales el 51% son propiedad de mujeres y el 62% son propiedad de personas de color o hispanas.

    BASKING RIDGE, NJ – Como el acceso a capital es un desafío común para los emprendedores, Verizon anuncia nuevas oportunidades de financiamiento de subvenciones de $10,000 disponibles para pequeñas empresas a través de la plataforma Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Los propietarios de pequeñas empresas que se registren en la plataforma pueden recibir acceso gratuito y personalizado a más de 50 cursos en línea en inglés y español, oportunidades de tutoría con expertos de la industria, entrenamiento de expertos personalizados y en grupo, eventos comunitarios virtuales y en persona y la oportunidad de postularse para obtener financiamiento mediante subvenciones.

    El programa es operado en asociación con Next Street y Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Hasta la fecha, Small Business Digital Ready ha apoyado a más de 350,000 pequeñas empresas en todo el país, de las cuales el 51% son propiedad de mujeres y el 62% son propiedad de personas de color o hispanas.

    Hasta el 13 de diciembre de 2024 a las 11:59 p.m. (hora del Pacífico), las pequeñas empresas pueden acceder a la solicitud para esta ronda de financiamiento de subvenciones registrándose primero en el portal Verizon Small Business Digital Ready y completando al menos dos cursos, capacitación o eventos comunitarios, en cualquier combinación entre 1 de julio de 2024 y 13 de diciembre de 2024 a las 11:59 p.m. PT. Las pequeñas empresas que completen la solicitud serán elegibles para recibir una subvención de $10,000.

    “Las pequeñas empresas son el pilar de las comunidades y tenemos la responsabilidad de ayudarles a prosperar”, dijo Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer de Verizon. “Verizon Small Business Digital Ready se creó para impulsar a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas a través de capacitación en habilidades digitales, y estamos orgullosos de ofrecer otra oportunidad de apoyo a esta comunidad diversa y en crecimiento de propietarios de pequeñas empresas en todo el país”.

    La plataforma también está lanzando el “Mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas”, un repositorio de oportunidades de financiación y préstamos disponibles para pequeñas empresas, y ha lanzado “Learning Paths”. Rutas de aprendizaje como “Mejora tu acceso al capital” y “Construye tu marca única” invitan a los usuarios a completar una serie de recursos para ayudarlos a acercarse a lograr un objetivo comercial. 

    Verizon no es un prestamista ni un corredor. El mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas es proporcionado por Next Street Financial LLC. No todas las solicitudes son aprobadas. Todas las decisiones de financiación las toman terceros proveedores de capital. Las calificaciones, los requisitos, la aprobación y los términos del préstamo varían según el tipo de préstamo, las calificaciones del solicitante y el estado.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Moncton  — Have you seen this wanted man?

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Codiac Regional RCMP is asking for the public’s help to locate 29-year-old Riley Smith who is currently wanted on a warrant of arrest for robbery.

    On October 6, 2024, at approximately 7 p.m., The Codiac Regional RCMP responded to a two-vehicle collision near the junction of Hwy 2 and Hwy 15, in Moncton, N.B.

    The driver of one of the vehicles fled the scene after brandishing a firearm towards police, and forcefully stole another vehicle from a bystander at a nearby business. Police attempted to locate Riley Smith, but he fled the area. The vehicle was later recovered in the Harrisville Boulevard area.

    29-year-old Riley Smith is described as being approximately five feet six inches (168 centimeters) tall, and weighing approximately 170 pounds (77 kilograms). He has hazel eyes and brown hair.

    Riley Smith is known to police and is considered armed and dangerous. He should not be approached by members of the public.

    If you see Riley Smith, call 911 immediately. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Codiac Regional RCMP at 506-857-2400. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at http://www.crimenb.ca.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meisners Section — RCMP investigates ATV crash in Meisners Section

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Lunenburg District RCMP is investigating a serious injury ATV crash that occurred in Meisners Section.

    On October 7, at approximately 8:15 p.m., Lunenburg District RCMP, fire services, and EHS responded to a report of a side-by-side crash on a trail in Meisners Section. RCMP officers learned that the off highway vehicle lost control and rolled.

    The driver, a 27-year-old New Germany woman, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital.

    The two passengers, a 37-year-old man from Springfield, and a child both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were also transported to hospital by EHS.

    The investigation remains ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rubio, Scott to POTUS: Prepare for Hurricane Impacts to Port of Tampa Bay

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    Rubio, Scott to POTUS: Prepare for Hurricane Impacts to Port of Tampa Bay
    Oct 7, 2024 | Press Releases

    Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to potentially hinder or obstruct the Port of Tampa Bay, which receives more than 40 percent of Florida’s petroleum products. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite all requested measures to protect Florida’s economy and to ensure a swift recovery. 
    U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the direction of federal agencies to expedite plans to respond to this potential obstruction. 
    “​With Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida’s Gulf Coast, we request you direct federal agencies to expedite plans to respond to potential impediments or destruction of the Port of Tampa Bay and its associated federal channel. Long-term disruptions to the port would not only hinder disaster response and recovery, but have lasting consequences for Florida’s economy.” 
    The full text of the letter is below. 
    Dear Mr. President:
    ​With Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida’s Gulf Coast, we request you direct federal agencies to expedite plans to respond to potential impediments or destruction of the Port of Tampa Bay and its associated federal channel.  Long-term disruptions to the port would not only hinder disaster response and recovery, but have lasting consequences for Florida’s economy. 
    ​As you may know, more than 40 percent of the volume of petroleum products consumed in Florida, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, arrive through the Port of Tampa Bay, serving communities along the Gulf Coast and the I-4 Corridor. The port is also a major thoroughfare for aggregates and other construction materials that would be necessary for recovery and rebuilding efforts post-Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Due to the port’s location in Tampa Bay, the total length of the federal channels is approximately 70 miles, including portions that extend from the bay to beyond the barrier islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay.  This reality makes the channel susceptible to sand shoaling in normal conditions, but in severe hurricane conditions the port and channel could be otherwise obstructed by sediment and other storm debris.  The port’s location could also result in some of the most severe storm surge from Hurricane Milton impacting onshore facilities, including petroleum infrastructure.  Any extended disruptions to navigability of the federal or the operability of onshore petroleum infrastructure would have dire long-term consequences for the recovery of communities impacted by Helene and Milton as well as the Florida economy as a whole. Disruptions to the port would drive price increases and shortages of petroleum-based fuel products that could economically harm millions of Floridians.  
    ​To stave off long-term economic consequences that could be caused by impediments to navigation or the destruction of petroleum infrastructure at the Port of Tampa Bay, we urge you to expedite the finalization of plans to:
    Ensure U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assets are in place to assess the federal channel for sediment shoaling and debris immediately following the storm;
    If needed, prepare to mobilize the Army Corps of Engineers for emergency dredging and construction operations to remove sediment from the federal channel and assist port tenants in rehabilitating onshore petroleum infrastructure as quickly as possible using natural disaster response emergency authorities; and
    Utilize waivers, as appropriate, to facilitate interstate deliveries of petroleum fuel products via truck, rail, and maritime modes of transportation.
    In the event that a worst case scenario occurs due to Hurricane Milton, preparation to accomplish these actions prior to landfall will aid in recovery.
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six men arrested after drugs warrants in north London

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A total of six people have been arrested and large quantities of Class A drugs, cash, and a gun have been seized after a series of dawn raids in Camden, Islington, Newham and Croydon.

    The warrants form part of an intelligence-led operation in response to ongoing reports of drug dealing, drug use and associated criminality in Kings Cross.

    Today’s (Oct 8) raids mark another successful day of action for the ongoing efforts to suppress drugs supply and violence in the area.

    Officers arrested six men, aged from 18 to 30 years-old, on suspicion of offences including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of a firearm.

    All are in custody at north London police stations.

    During the operation, officers seized a large quantity of Class A and B drugs, cash, a vehicle and a firearm.

    Detective Inspector Zara Baker, said: “This morning’s warrants are another strong message to those involved in drug-related criminality and our commitment to tackling this issue.

    “These warrants were as a direct result of community concerns in Camden. We know that drugs are inextricably linked to violence and that people are exploited through drug supply. Through operations like this, we are able to further safeguard, reassure and reach vulnerable people who may be affected by this criminal activity.

    “Local officers will continue to work on the ground providing patrols in the area, ensuring that local residents can go to them for advice if they are affected by the disruption following this action.”

    As part of the A New Met for London plan, the Met is focusing on community crime-fighting and bringing more offenders to justice.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Charges Filed Against Alleged Stalker Who Distributed Revenge Porn, Threatened, and Fired Shots at Ex-Girlfriend

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

                WASHINGTON – A U.S. District Court grand jury returned a 27-count superseding indictment today charging Nahvarj Mills, 31, of Brandywine, MD, with stalking, disseminating non-consensual pornography, and numerous firearms charges related to three shootings. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Mills is charged with cyberstalking in violation of a protective order; cyberstalking; interstate stalking in violation of a protection order; interstate stalking in violation of a protection order – emotional distress, use of a dangerous weapon; two counts of interstate stalking in violation of a protection order – bodily injury, emotional distress, use of a dangerous weapon; interstate violation of a protection order; three counts of interstate violation of a protection, use of a dangerous weapon; three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; interstate communications with intent to extort; assault with intent to kill while armed; three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon; three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; and four counts of first degree unlawful publication.

                Mills has been detained since February 2024.

                According to court documents, Mills and the alleged victim, his former significant other, began dating in approximately December 2022. Mills physically abused the victim on multiple occasions. In approximately the summer of 2023, the victim ended the relationship with Mills. Angry about the breakup, Mills began contacting the victim by phone. He appeared uninvited at her workplace in Maryland and at her home in the District. Mills threatened to distribute sexually explicit images of the victim and then he made good on his threat.

                On November 23, 2023, the victim received text messages stating in part, “Got no job, got no kids, got no family. I have nothing to do. But what I do have, is the money to keep bothering you.”

                Around December 31, 2023, the victim received 30 phone calls from “No Caller ID.” The calls followed an attempt by the victim to meet up with Mills in an effort to make amends. Those efforts ended when Mills pulled out a gun and pointed it at the victim’s head.

                On January 2, 2024, the victim reported Mills’ conduct to the MPD and filed a petition for a Civil Protection Order (CPO). The victim’s mother subsequently electronically served Mills with a Temporary Protection Order at his known phone number. In the same conversation, Mills sent the mother numerous sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim. Mills also wrote, “I can easily pull this .40 trigger,” followed by photos of a firearm and ammunition that appear consistent with the .40 caliber firearm and ammunition later recovered from Mills’ home pursuant to a residential search warrant.

                Also in early January, Mills allegedly created a fake Instagram account in the victim’s name. The victim then received several messages from the account threatening to disseminate sexually explicit images and videos of her. Mills later made good on his threat and sent out the images and videos to several individuals who knew the victim. On January 6, 2024, Ring camera footage captured footage of a man believed to be Mills outside the victim’s home. The man spread typed-out paragraphs containing threatening messages along with explicit images. A few days later, on January 11, 2024, the victim found more sexually explicit photos on her lawn.

                On January 19, 2024, a D.C. Superior Court Judge granted a CPO, which ordered Mills to stay away from the victim, her home, her workplace, her vehicle, and her family.

                On January 20, 2024, Mills again spread sexually explicit images outside the victim’s home. On this occasion, the victim personally observed Mills in her front yard and saw him return to a vehicle along with another individual.

                Also on January 20, 2024, Mills allegedly spread sexually explicit images outside another victim’s home. He also reportedly sent numerous unwanted and threatening text messages and made unwanted calls to this victim. Mills is now charged with one count of cyberstalking in connection with this victim.

                The campaign of stalking and violence against the first victim escalated further in late January 2024. Three separate shootings targeted the victim’s bedroom on January 21, 22, and 23. The third shooting occurred after Mills called the victim and threatened to kill her.

                On January 26, 2024, Mills returned to the victim’s home where police arrested him and charged him with violating the protection order. Once again, the court ordered Mills to stay away from the victim and not contact her. Nonetheless, Mills made continued efforts to contact the victim.

                On February 7, 2024, Mills was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Mills has been detained since his arrest on February 7, 2024.On July 18, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned an initial seven-count indictment, and Mills was transferred to federal custody.

                This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington D.C., the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Metropolitan Police Department. 

               This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck, Marco Crocetti and Caroline Burrell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

    ##

    24cr332

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Company fined for workplace fatality

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    HTK Iron Works Ltd. pleaded guilty to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The company was sentenced on Oct. 2 in the Medicine Hat Court of Justice. The Crown withdrew four other charges under OHS legislation.

    The charges stem from an incident at a metal fabrication shop near Burdett on Feb. 1, 2023. A worker died after being struck by a fabricated windbreak panel that fell from a moving forklift.

    HTK Iron Works Ltd. has been fined $360,000 inclusive of the 20 per cent victim fine surcharge.

    Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.

    Alberta’s OHS laws set basic health and safety rules for workplaces across the province. They provide guidance for employers to help them ensure their workplaces are as healthy and safe as possible while providing rights and protections for workers. Charges under OHS laws may be laid when failing to follow the rules results in a workplace fatality or serious injury.

    Quick facts

    • Jobs, Economy and Trade does not provide sentence documents. These are available through the Medicine Hat Court of Justice.

    Related information

    • Convictions under OHS legislation
    • Charges under OHS legislation
    • OHS incident investigations

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Seeks Innovative Artemis Lunar Logistics, Mobility Solutions

    Source: NASA

    NASA is asking U.S. industry to submit innovative architecture solutions that could help the agency land and move cargo on the lunar surfaced during future Artemis missions. Released in September, the agency’s request for proposal also supports NASA’s broader Moon to Mars Objectives.
    Previously, NASA published two white papers outlining lunar logistics and mobility gaps as part of its Moon to Mars architecture development effort that augmented an earlier white paper on logistics considerations. The current ask, Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies, expects proposing companies to consider these publications, which describe NASA’s future needs for logistics and mobility.
    “NASA relies on collaborations from diverse partners to develop its exploration architecture,” said Nujoud Merancy, deputy associate administrator, strategy and architecture in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Studies like this allow the agency to leverage the incredible expertise in the commercial aerospace community.”
    Lunar Logistics Drivers, Needs
    Logistics items, including food, water, air, and spare parts, comprise a relatively large portion of the cargo NASA expects to need to move around on the Moon, including at the lunar South Pole where the agency plans to send crew in the future.
    The Lunar Logistics Drivers and Needs white paper outlines the importance of accurately predicting logistics resupply needs, as they can heavily influence the overall architecture and design of exploration missions.
    As the agency progresses into more complex lunar missions, NASA will require more and more lunar logistics as the agency increases mission frequency and duration. This current proposal seeks industry studies that could help inform NASA’s approach to this growing need.
    Lunar Mobility Drivers, Needs
    The white paper discusses the transportation of landed cargo and exploration assets from where they are delivered to where they are used, such as to locations with ideal lighting, away from ascent vehicle landing sites, or near other assets. These distances can range from yards to miles away from landing locations, and the ability to move around landing sites easily and quickly are key to exploring the lunar surface efficiently.
    NASA’s current planned lunar mobility elements, such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle and Pressurized Rover, have a capability limit of about 1,760 pounds (800 kilograms) and will primarily be used to transport astronauts around the lunar surface. However, future missions could include a need to move cargo totaling around 4,400 to 13,000 pounds (2,000 to 6,000 kg). To meet this demand, NASA must develop new mobility capabilities with its partners.
    Lunar Surface Cargo
    The Lunar Surface Cargo white paper characterizes lunar surface cargo delivery needs, compares those needs with current cargo lander capabilities, and outlines considerations for fulfilling this capability gap. While cargo delivery capabilities currently included in the Moon to Mars architecture — like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and human-class delivery landers — can meet near-term needs, there are substantial gaps for future needs.
    Access to a diverse fleet of cargo landers would empower a larger lunar exploration footprint. A combination of international partnerships and U.S. industry-provided landers could supply the concepts and capabilities to meet this need. The request for proposals doesn’t explicitly seek new lander concepts but does ask for integrated assessments of logistics that can include transportation elements.
    “We’re looking for industry to offer creative insights that can inform our logistics and mobility strategy,” said Brooke Thornton, industry engagement lead for NASA’s Strategy and Architecture Office. “Ultimately, we’re hoping to grow our awareness of the unique capabilities that are or could become a part of the commercial lunar marketplace.”
    This is the latest appendix to NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2). Solicitations under NextSTEP seek commercial development of capabilities that empower crewed exploration in deep space. NASA published the latest NextSTEP omnibus, NextSTEP-3, on Sept. 27.

    Request for Proposals
    https://sam.gov/opp/2291c465203240388302bb1f126c3db9/view

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Debunking Helene Response Myths

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11)

    Dear Friend,

    Over the past 10 days, I have been proud of how our mountain communities have come together to help one another. We have seen a level of support that is unmatched by most any other disaster nationwide; but amidst all of the support, we have also seen an uptick in untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos by sharing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and hearsay about hurricane response efforts across our mountains.

    While it is true, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to Hurricane Helene has had its shortfalls, I’m here to dispel the outrageous rumors that have been circulated online:

    1. Hurricane Helene was NOT geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock.
      1. Nobody can control the weather.
      2. Charles Konrad, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Regional Climate Center, has confirmed that no one has the technology or ability to geoengineer a hurricane.
        1. Current geoengineering technology can serve as a large-scale intervention to mitigate the negative consequences of naturally occurring weather phenomena, but it cannot be used to create or manipulate hurricanes.
      3. Local officials have confirmed the government is NOT seizing Chimney Rock.
        1. There was no “special meeting” held in Chimney Rock between federal, state or local governments about seizing the town.
    2. Local officials are NOT abandoning search and rescue efforts to bulldoze over Chimney Rock.
      1. Chimney Rock is NOT being bulldozed over.
      2. Rutherford County emergency services personnel are going to extensive lengths to search for missing people, including in debris by using cadaver dogs to locate any remains of individuals trapped in the debris.
      3. Just as every other community in Western North Carolina, Chimney Rock officials are focused first and foremost on recovery efforts, followed by plans to rebuild in the future.
    3. FEMA is NOT stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating or seizing supplies, or otherwise turning away donations.
      1. FEMA does not conduct vehicle stops or handle road closures with armed guards – all road closures are managed by local law enforcement who are prioritizing getting resources to their fellow community members.
    4. FEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid.
      1. Disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts.
        1. FEMA’s non-disaster related presence at the border has always been of major concern to me, even before Hurricane Helene, and I will continue to condemn their deployment of personnel to the southern border, but we must separate the two issues.
    5. FEMA is NOT going to run out of money.
      1. FEMA officials have repeatedly affirmed that the agency has enough money for immediate response and recovery needs over the next few months.
        1. Secretary Mayorkas’ statement indicating otherwise was an irresponsible attempt to politicize a tragedy for personal gain.
      2. In the coming months, Western North Carolina is going to need more disaster relief funding than is currently available to assist with recovery efforts.
        1. I’m confident that supplemental disaster relief funding, which I am already involved in the process of creating, will be considered in the House once we return to session in mid-November.
    6. FEMA cannot seize your property or land.
      1. Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land.
    7. The FAA is NOT restricting access to airspace for Helene rescue and recovery operations.
      1. Nobody seeking to fly resources into Western North Carolina will be prohibited from doing so by the FAA or North Carolina Emergency Management so long as they coordinate their efforts with NC Aviation.
        1. If you are looking to conduct an airdrop of resources but don’t know who to contact for approval, please reach out to my office and we will share that information with you.
    8. FEMA is NOT only providing $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.
      1. The initial $750 provided to disaster survivors is an immediate type of assistance called Serious Needs Assistance that may be made to individuals in need as soon as they apply for FEMA assistance.
        1. The $750 is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula and medication while FEMA assesses the applicant’s eligibility for additional funds.
        2. This award is just the first step of a longer process to provide financial assistance to disaster survivors in need of federal support.
      2. As an application moves through the review process, individuals are eligible to receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as temporary housing, personal property and home repair costs, etc.

    I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact. Please make sure you are fact checking what you read online with a reputable source.

    With my warmest regards,


    Chuck Edwards
    Member of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 500 501 502 503 504 … 532
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress