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  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Relief chief in Israel and Palestine: ‘We must be practical, innovative and persistent’

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    The top UN aid official arrived in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Monday for a week-long visit, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, has reported. 

    Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher is in the region as a fragile ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas continues to hold in Gaza, amid rising violence in the West Bank.

    He will engage with authorities, aid partners and those on the frontlines of the humanitarian response.

    “Humanitarian needs are huge – we must be practical, innovative and persistent,” he wrote in a post on the social media platform X.

    Understand obstacles, strengthen coordination

    Mr. Fletcher held discussions with Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and several Palestinian ministers.  

    He also met Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, to discuss the challenges that emergency responders are facing.

    “Palestine Red Crescent teams have been saving lives under impossible conditions, showing extraordinary courage – too many paying the ultimate price,” he wrote in another social media post.

    He’s also scheduled to meet Israeli and Palestinian officials and visit areas in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel to better understand obstacles facing aid partners, and strengthen humanitarian coordination. 

    © UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

    A car filled with belongings heads back to Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

    Aid scale-up

    The UN and partners are expanding life-saving aid operations as more humanitarian supplies enter Gaza. They are also assessing the needs of Palestinians across the enclave and adapting the response accordingly. 

    OCHA noted that displaced people continue to move between southern and northern Gaza as they reunite with family and start rebuilding their lives. 

    Latest figures indicate that more than 545,000 people are estimated to have crossed from the south to the north over the past week, while more than 36,000 people have been observed moving in the opposite direction.

    Keeping children safe

    Furthermore, partners working in the protection sector have distributed identity bracelets to more than 30,000 children under the age of four to help prevent family separation.

    “This effort was critical, as partners reportedly received more than 250 young children who had been separated from their caregivers while crossing to the north,” OCHA said.

    Protection and services

    In North Gaza governorate, protection partners said three temporary sites have been established in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabalya, each of which can host 5,000 people. 

    The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA has also reported the expansion of protection services for women in Jabalya, as well as in Gaza city.  

    The World Food Programme (WFP) noted that prices have started to fall since the ceasefire took effect and as more humanitarian commodities enter Gaza, although they still remain above pre-conflict levels. 

    One-third of households reportedly have better access to food, but consumption remains significantly below levels prior to the crisis. “For most households, the primary obstacle is lack of cash,” OCHA said.

    Meanwhile, partners working on education report that some 280,000 school-aged children in Gaza have registered in the e-learning programme run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA. 

    West Bank update

    OCHA also reported on the situation in the West Bank, where an ongoing operation by Israeli forces in Jenin and Tulkarm has expanded to nearby Tubas governorate, resulting in further death, destruction and displacement.

    The agency warned that “once again that lethal, war-like tactics are being applied, raising concerns over the use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards.”

    On Monday, Israeli forces raided El Far’a refugee camp and blocked the entrances. As a result, dozens of families have reportedly fled the camp, fearing a larger Israeli operation.

    This came a day after Israeli forces reportedly destroyed 20 residential structures in the Jenin refugee camp where more than 50 families were living.

    They also conducted house-to-house searches in the town of Tammun, displacing as many as 15 families and blocking the town’s entrance.

    OCHA reported that the Palestinian death toll in recent Israeli operations in the West Bank now stands at 39 since 21 January, the day when the operation in Jenin began.

    “Meanwhile, tight movement restrictions across the West Bank continue to hamper access to basic services, leaving Palestinians queuing for hours at Israeli checkpoints or forced to take significantly longer detours,” the agency said. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: More than a million receive food aid since the start of the ceasefire

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    Over one million people in the Gaza Strip have received food assistance since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect nearly three weeks ago, UN aid coordination office OCHA said in an update on Wednesday. 

    The temporary agreement to stop the fighting and release hostages brought an end to some 15 months of conflict and destruction in the Strip, following the brutal Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel of 7 October 2023.

    The truce came into force on 19 January and OCHA said the surge in the daily entry of supplies into Gaza since then, along with improved access conditions, have allowed humanitarians to meaningfully expand the delivery of lifesaving assistance and services across the enclave.

    Moreover, coordination with the Israeli authorities for humanitarian aid missions is mostly no longer required, except when entering buffer zones. 

    Food and healthcare delivery expands

    “As a result, humanitarian partners are adjusting their response in accordance with population movements, including by expanding their operational presence and services in areas that were previously hard or impossible to access, such as Rafah, Gaza and North Gaza governorates,” OCHA said.

    Needs remain dire in Gaza, where the war has left over two million people fully dependent on food assistance, homeless, and without any income.

    Over the past two weeks, the World Food Programme (WFP) delivered more than 10 million metric tonnes of food to the Strip, reaching roughly a million people through food parcel distributions to households. 

    This is in addition to expanding bread deliveries at bakeries and community kitchens and re-opening a community kitchen in North Gaza on 24 January.  

    WFP also delivered fuel that enabled the five bakeries in Gaza governorate that it supports to increase production capacity by 40 per cent to meet the growing demand.

    Furthermore, 25 emergency medical teams are operating as of Tuesday, with 22 in the centre and south, two in Gaza City, and one in North Gaza. 

    © UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

    Palestinian families travel back to their homes in the north of the Gaza Strip.

    On the move

    OCHA noted that since 27 January, population movements have continued across the Strip but have largely slowed down.

    Over 565,092 people have crossed from the south to the north, while more than 45,678 have been heading southwards due to the lack of services and the widespread destruction of homes and communities in the north.

    It is estimated that more than half a million people have returned to Gaza and North Gaza governorates, and the need for food, water, tents and shelter materials remains critical.

    Shelter concerns

    “Despite the entry of a large volume of supplies since the ceasefire took effect, priority was given to food during the first two weeks, significantly limiting the entry of shelter assistance,” OCHA said, citing partners working in the sector.

    Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported bringing at least 3,000 tents into northern Gaza on Monday, and an additional 7,000 tents are expected to arrive in the coming days.

    Highlighting other developments, OCHA said this past Sunday saw the start of medical evacuations through Rafah crossings into Egypt. Between 1 and 3 February, 105 patients, including 100 children, and 176 companions were evacuated. 

    Hostage releases continue

    The update also included details on hostage releases. Hamas and other groups killed around 1,200 people in the 7 October attacks on Israel. They also seized some 250 others, both Israelis and foreigners, who were taken to Gaza.

    OCHA said estimates indicate that 79 people currently remain captive, including hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld in Gaza.

    Over the past week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the third and fourth release operations since the ceasefire took hold.

    On 30 January, three Israeli and five Thai hostages were transferred from Gaza to Israeli authorities, and 110 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli detention centres. Among the Palestinian detainees were 30 children as well as 20 prisoners from the West Bank who were released to the Gaza Strip. 

    The following day, three Israeli hostages were transferred out of Gaza to Israel, and 183 Palestinian detainees were released from Israeli detention centres. The Palestinians freed included 111 people who were detained from the Gaza Strip after 7 October and seven detainees who were released to Egypt. 

    Overall, the ICRC has facilitated the return of 18 hostages and 583 Palestinian detainees since the ceasefire began. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: African schools gear up for the AI revolution

    Source: United Nations 2

    The emergence of cheap or free AI tools is being eagerly embraced by those with smartphones and the ability to get online. As governments and legislators struggle to get their heads around the implications of this powerful technology and work out how to bring in regulations for its safe use, millions of people are enjoying its ability to save time, helping them to transforming raw data into essays, exam answers, or, with a bit more work, even videos and podcasts.

    Even in developing countries where electricity and internet access is limited (it’s estimated that over 570 million people in Africa lack electricity), there is enthusiasm for the potential of AI. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for example, a nation riven by internal conflict, poverty and vast inequality, educators are seeing the impact of AI.

    “It is obvious that our country is lagging behind in terms of new technologies for one reason or another,” says Benjamin Sivanzire, a teacher in Beni, North Kivu Province. “Many parts of the DRC do not even have traditional methods of communication, or even radio or television.”

    UN News/George Musubao

    Benjamin Sivanzire, a teacher in Eastern DRC.

    However, even though Mr. Sivanzire and his students are not yet able to make use of AI in their classes, they are seeing it being used in the wider culture, often in a negative way, to manipulate public opinion.

    The teacher underlines the importance of educating people to distinguish between verifiable information and lies. “There are videos created by artificial intelligence that show images that are not real and have been created for propaganda purposes,” he explains.

    Bursting the Silicon Valley bubble

    One concern that is frequently raised is the extent to which the development of AI tools is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small group of people.

    Farida Shahid, the independent Special Rapporteur on the right to education, shares these concerns.

    “AI algorithms are being made by individuals who often sit in a particular location, such as Silicon Valley, where the people who make and test them have their own biases,” she says. “Often the algorithms don’t do well at recognizing people with dark skin. They also have great problems with people who are autistic and don’t like looking into cameras.

    “Another example is the UK where, recently, an AI programme was used to grade exam papers. This led to decisions that were biased against people from certain ethnic backgrounds. We really need to look at this issue more closely, starting with the human rights perspective, and I think that’s where the U.N. role comes in: if you increasingly rely on AI as the source of verification, you’re going to have problems because you are using a framework which privileges white males, and doesn’t reflect the whole gamut of people’s lives and experiences”.

    ©UNICEF/ Frank Dejongh

    The urgent need to expand the developer talent base has been identified by the UN as central to ensuring that a wide variety of voices are heard in the “EdTech” (educational technology) space.

    Shafika Isaacs, the head of technology and AI at the UN agency for science, technology and education (UNESCO), says that the number of African EdTech startups has been mushrooming in recent years, with entrepreneurs experimenting with the AI-enabled digital tools which could support learning and teaching across many different contexts, including in African languages, and local dialects.

    “I’ve personally engaged with a startup that matches high school students to career pathways, including choosing the right university, community college or even entrepreneurship programme. They have seen strong results because of their focus on children in underprivileged contexts and schools. Tech startups have also looked at developing AI-enabled mobile apps, including chat bots, that can support teachers in teaching literacy or teaching mathematics.

    “The challenge is that there’s often a disconnect between the public education system and tech startups We need educators to be proactive in engaging with those developing tools, and we encourage students and teachers to learn how to create and design technologies that are relevant to their linguistic and cultural contexts.”

    Soundcloud

    Many African governments are keen to adopt national AI strategies and integrate AI into their national policies on technologies in education. In Côte d’Ivoire, where AI is already being widely used in the private sector. Mariatou Koné, the Minister of Education, says that the country’s education system is undergoing a transformation, following a 2022 review which recommended a digitalization strategy.

    “We have put in place initiatives to ensure that everyone is aware of the issue of AI. It can provide individual learning programmes, and help struggling students to improve,” said Ms. Koné. “However, we are worried about potential abuses. We have to be able to protect personal data and ensure that learners are aware of the potential dangers.”

    The Minister agrees that, in order to guard against bias, the pool of engineers building AI tools needs to be expanded. “We need the right tools, adapted to the African context, to the Ivorian context. We have our own history, our own heritage. If we create our own industry, it has to be adapted to the realities of Côte d’Ivoire.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN agencies warn of worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    United Nations agencies on Friday called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between Government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group expands. 

    The rebels have already seized the provincial capital, Goma, and reports indicate that they are closing in on the key city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province.

    The hostilities are occurring in a mineral-rich region that has been volatile for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes over the years and seek safety in displacement camps.

    WFP

    A camp in eastern DR Congo provides security for some of the seven million displaced people in the country.

    Critical supplies dwindling

    UN humanitarians warn that the situation continue to worsen for civilians likely trapped by days of intense fighting in and around Goma, which has a population of over one million.

    Displacement camps on the city’s outskirts, previously hosting more than 300,000 people, are emptying out as people flee the violence. Medical services are overwhelmed by the number of injured, both civilians and military personnel.

    The World Food Programme (WFP) said water and food are running low, and the next 24 hours are crucial.

    “People are really running out of food, clean water, medical supplies and that’s a big concern. So, the supply chain has really been strangled at the moment,” said WFP Spokesperson Shelley Thakral.

    Several WFP warehouses have been looted and teams are taking stock of what they will need to procure locally and transfer by road to ensure they have provisions once operations resume in the critically affected areas.

    WFP’s priority is keeping its staff and their dependents safe, and only critical staff remain in the area who are getting ready to resume operations as soon security permits.

    Summary executions and sexual violence

    Meanwhile, the human rights crisis also continues to deepen in the east.  

    At least two sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been bombed, causing civilian casualties, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, reported.

    Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said OHCHR has documented summary executions of at least 12 people by the M23 between 26 and 28 January.

    The Office has also documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory, located in South Kivu.  

    It is also verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gangrape.

    Violations could worsen

    Meanwhile, in other areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, fighters have occupied schools and hospitals, forced IDPs out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour.

    Additionally, DRC officials report that at least 165 women were raped by male inmates during the mass prison break from Goma’s Muzenze prison on 27 January, as M23 began its assault on the town.

    Mr. Laurence recalled that conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, “is particularly concerned that this latest escalation risks deepening the risk of conflict-related sexual violence much further.“

    End the violence

    He said OHCHR continues to receive urgent requests from civilians for protection and is working with UN colleagues and other partners to ensure their safety. 

    “As M23 reportedly advances towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, the High Commissioner calls for an end to the violence and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.

    Recognize the crisis

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also voiced deep concern over the hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the heavy fighting and violence in Goma, some of whom were already previously displaced.

    IOM appealed to the international community to recognize the staggering scale of the crisis and support the humanitarian response. 

    “With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, an already dire situation is rapidly becoming very much worse,” said Director General Amy Pope. 

    “IOM joins the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access, so that we can rapidly scale up our response and ensure that life-saving aid reaches those in need.”   

    Appeal for support

    The UN agency has been supporting displaced and host communities in Goma and surrounding areas by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, among other aid.

    IOM warned, however, that both the agency and humanitarian partners are struggling to meet the urgent needs in the DRC.

    This year, humanitarians are seeking $2.5 billion for the country, with at least $50 million urgently needed to address the latest displacement, scale-up life-saving assistance, and prevent further suffering.

    Death and disease

    Humanitarian organizations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis, including the widespread looting of warehouses and the offices of aid organizations, the UN said on Friday.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners conducted an assessment with the Government over the past five days.

    They report that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured are receiving treatment in health facilities, though numbers are expected rise as more information becomes available. 

    On Friday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, and partners visited sites for internally displaced people in the areas of Bulengo and Lushagala, located on the outskirts of Goma.

    They found that water and healthcare services are still operational, but conditions remain dire. However, cholera cases have been reported and there are risks of an Mpox outbreak among displaced people.

    OCHA warned that without urgent action, the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks will continue to increase. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: What the UN is doing in DR Congo

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Eileen Travers

    Humanitarian Aid

    The current phase of fighting erupted in late January in the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between government forces and the armed M23 group.

    Despite security challenges, UN agencies and peacekeepers have pledged to stay and deliver amid rising deaths and injuries alongside an alarming spread of highly contagious mpox and other endemic diseases as the rainy season intensifies.

    Here’s what you need to know about how the UN, its peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies are helping on the ground in this central African country of 105 million people, many currently facing urgent multipronged crises.

    Humanitarian assistance

    Operating in DRC since 1960, when the country declared its independence from Belgium’s colonial rule and became a UN Member State, UN field agencies have served those in need, from education and lifesaving vaccines to food and shelter for people displaced by the current spiralling violence. The country has been caught in cycles of violence over the decades with an uptick of violence in the early 2000s and the emergence of the M23 armed group.

    Even though recent deadly clashes led to the deaths of peacekeepers and the temporary relocation of non-essential UN staff from North Kivu in the eastern region last week, the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, reports that teams are currently on the ground, where they say needs are growing.

    Just a few details for context:

    Food to shelter

    In a deteriorating environment, food insecurity is on the rise as other health, shelter and living conditions worsen. For example:

    • Currently, 2.7 million people face severe food insecurity in the eastern towns of Ituri and North and South Kivu, OCHA reported. As such, the agency is currently working with such partners as the UN food agency (WFP), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver lifesaving aid, from groceries to medical supplies and services.
    • The UN refugee agency, UNCHR, is providing protection and assistance to those forced to flee.
    • The UN human rights agency, OHCHR, is connecting those in need with UN partners.

    • Meanwhile, the UN migration organization, IOM, is supporting displaced and host communities in and around Goma by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services and camp coordination and management services. It is also monitoring population movements through its displacement tracking matrix, which informs humanitarian agencies of critical information for effective response efforts.

      © WHO/Guerchom Ndebo

      A three-week-old girl suffering from mpox in the emergency room at Kavumu Hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)

    Public health ‘nightmare’

    • The UN health agency reported that repeated mass displacement has created a public health “nightmare” with ideal conditions for the spread of many endemic diseases, from cholera to mpox, in camps and communities around North and South Kivu. WHO teams remain in place to deliver much-needed healthcare services as hospitals are overwhelmed by growing numbers of patients injured by the ongoing violence. Thousands of doses of mpox vaccines are stockpiled and ready to be administered.
    • The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is responding to urgent needs, including deliveries of emergency medical kits to hospitals in Goma to treat more than 50,000 people affected by the violence.
    • A breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has also led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications, and recurrent kidnappings, rape and exploitation continue to be wielded as weapons of war against women and girls, according to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
    • While the agency suspended staff travel to camps for displaced people due to the security crisis, UNFPA continues to provide lifesaving support, from mobile clinics to rapidly adapting to respond to the needs of the newly displaced. However, due to swiftly growing needs, these and other UN agencies are calling for urgent support to fund emergency operations.

    To support the DRC Humanitarian Fund, click here.

    Peacekeeping operations

    The UN peacekeeping mission, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, was mandated by the Security Council in 2010 to assist the Congolese Government in protecting civilians and humanitarians as well as help with its peace and stabilisation efforts.  Peacekeeping operations are often located in conflict areas but their responsibilities and those of the humanitarian agencies are distinct, although complementary, in terms of protecting and meeting the needs of civilians.

    Read our explainer on UN peacekeeping history in DRC, dating back to 1960, here.

    While the 11,500 UN Blue Helmets were meant to disengage by 2025, the Security Council renewed the mandate at the request of the government in late December.

    Weeks later, MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita told the Security Council in an emergency meeting held on Sunday, 26 January that “we are trapped.”

    Over the last week, M23 combatants have killed almost 20 peacekeepers serving with the UN and the South African Development Community (SADC) mission in the country, both mandated to provide combat support for the Congolese armed forces.

    MONUSCO/Aubin Mukoni

    UN peacekeepers patrol in Goma past discarded military uniforms.

    Working closely with Congolese authorities

    In line with its civilian protection mandate, the UN mission has enhanced its support to the Congolese armed forces, FARDC, and is actively participating in combat along with the SADC security mission in the country, the UN mission chief explained to the Council.

    Since then, the MONUSCO chief has held discussions with top officials, including the prime minister and the leaders of the army and police. A joint government-MONUSCO group has also been established to coordinate on various issues, including in the security, human rights, humanitarian and communications spheres as well as the legal status of the territories under the control of the M23.

    Learn more about MONUSCO here.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

    Residents of Bunia, DRC, protesting the capture by the M23 rebel group of Goma in 2012. (file)

    Addressing the roots of the crises

    The clashes in the east date back to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda. The sporadic fighting has been deadly and vicious, as shown in the Congolese military court’s landmark case against armed group leader Sheka, which was instrumental in recognising rape as a war crime.

    Watch our award-winning documentary on bringing a war criminal to justice here.

    The crisis remains partly rooted in the rare mineral deposits dotting the border areas of DRC and Rwanda. DRC’s vast deposits of precious metals, gems and rare minerals include gold and diamonds along with key components used in making mobile phones and other electronic devices.

    Coltan, tin, tantalum, tungsten and others are known as conflict minerals, which are mined and sold by armed groups to finance their militias.

    Find more details on this sinister trend in the December report of the Security Council’s group of experts on DRC here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Sudan: Top aid official warns against escalating violence in two states

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan are on the brink of catastrophe as violence continues to escalate at an alarming rate, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country said on Thursday in a statement. 

    Clementine Nkweta-Salami said the latest outbreak of hostilities in South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, has reportedly claimed at least 80 civilian lives and left scores more injured.

    She condemned the reported use of women and children as human shields there, along with the obstruction of humanitarian aid and the detention of civilians including children.

    Humanitarian needs also remain critical in Blue Nile, where the threat of violence and reports of mass mobilization for conflict again risks further violence.

    Deeper crises looms

    The worsening insecurity threatens to plunge both states into an even deeper crisis, according to the top aid official.

    She said that for too long, civilians have been unable to access life-saving assistance and basic services due to a severe lack of medical supplies, limited humanitarian access and the ongoing conflict.

    “This is a critical moment, as the consequences of food insecurity are already being felt in parts of South Kordofan, where families are surviving on dangerously limited food supplies, and malnutrition rates are rising sharply,” she stressed.

    More will suffer

    Ms. Nkweta-Salami warned that if the fighting continues, more people will be left without access to vital aid, human suffering will deepen, and more lives will be lost.

    The Sudanese army and military rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in deadly fighting for control of Africa’s third largest country since April 2023.

    Ms. Nkweta-Salami called for all parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allow humanitarians safe and unrestricted access to those in need. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 50,000 first home buyers in dream home under Minns Government stamp duty leg-up as support passes $1 billion

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 12 February 2025

    Released by: The Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Finance

    More than 50,000 first home buyers have found their dream home thanks to the Minns Labor Government’s signature stamp duty assistance program.

    The popular initiative has seen first home buyers save an average of $20,540, easing the pressure on the key task of saving for a deposit.

    Total stamp duty savings for first home buyers across NSW have topped $1 billion since July 2023.

    First home buyers are using the program to get a foot on the property ladder in a market heavily influenced by investors.

    The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme provides a full exemption from stamp duty for eligible buyers purchasing up to $800,000, and a concession for purchases between $800,000 and $1 million. This means first home buyers can save up to $30,529 in stamp duty.

    Of the more than 50,000 first home buyers who have received support under the Minns Government’s program, more than 37,000 first home buyer households received a full exemption and more than 14,500 received a concession.

    More than 3,200 buyer households in the City of Parramatta have saved a total of $74.1 million, while more than 2,100 on the Central Coast have saved a total of $47.3 million.

    The 50,000 households milestone coincides with the release of a helpful dashboard detailing the program’s impact suburb-by-suburb.

    The First Home Buyers Assistance Dashboard also provides program statistics by Local Government Area and regional classifications. It will be updated regularly and can be viewed here: https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/statistics/fhba-dashboard

    First home buyers can learn more about the program and calculate their potential stamp duty savings here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/home-buying-assistance/first-home-buyers-assistance-scheme/how-to-apply

    This program is part of a suite of reforms from the Minns Government to help address the housing crisis and ease cost of living pressures.

    This includes sweeping reforms of the planning system to deliver more housing, including establishing the Housing Delivery Authority to speed up approvals.

    Premier Chris Minns said:

    “We have now delivered more than $1 billion for first home buyers since coming to Government.

    “There is more to do on cost of living, but this is real relief that has helped 50,000 NSW singles, couples and families.

    “Our Government is helping more buyers to get a foot on the ladder, without having to leave Sydney or NSW.

    “This is the best first home buyer scheme in the country, and just one part of our plan to address the housing crisis and build a better NSW.”

    Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

    “This is an incredible milestone for this program.

    “50,000 families have been able to get into their first home sooner because of this essential stamp duty relief.

    “The savings mean more money in people’s pockets, easing pressure on households and giving crucial assistance in the task of saving for a deposit.”

    Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos said:

    “Families and households in NSW are feeling under pressure with increasing costs of living. We want to support families and households to realise the certainty of home ownership.

    “This shows our program is working, delivering real savings that can make a real difference for first home buyers.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Local knowledge vital to addressing regional crime

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 12 February 2025

    Released by: The Premier

    The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to create safer communities across regional New South Wales by addressing the concerning rates of youth crime, with over $4 million to support place-based efforts across Bourke and Kempsey.

    Government support for place-based initiatives reflects the fact that a one size fits all approach does not work for issues like youth crime in regional communities. This funding means local communities are empowered to make decisions, develop strategies, design programs and decide how resources are used to address local needs.  

    In Bourke and Kempsey, this funding will match the Commonwealth Government’s investment in the Stronger Places, Stronger People program, which supports community-led place-based responses to local issues.

    This funding will support the existing successful local teams in each community who work in tandem with Government to develop and implement projects to address identified issues.

    This program, which has run since 2019 in these communities has been recognised as having positive impacts including improved social, cultural, health, justice and economic outcomes.

    This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing work to crackdown on crime across the state, which has included:

    • Amending the Bail Act to include an additional bail test for young people between 14 and 18 charged with committing a ‘serious break and enter offence’ or motor vehicle offence while on bail for a similar offence.
    • Creating a new ‘post and boast’ offence under the Crimes Act, criminalising the filming and disseminating of footage of certain serious offences to publicise or advertise the commission of that offence.
    • Paying recruits to attend the Goulburn Police Academy and welcoming 294 probational constables to the NSWPF ranks in December, the largest class to graduate in a decade.
    • Passing and enacting ‘Jacks Law’ which provides NSW Police with powers to scan people for knives without a warrant and raised the age from 16 to 18 for the sale of knives to young people.
    • Doubling the maximum penalty for certain knife crimes.
    • Introducing new offences for repeated and serious breaches of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
    • Introducing Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders.
    • Modernising the definition of ‘stalking’ to include monitoring a person online.
    • Making it harder than ever for alleged domestic violence offenders to get bail.

    NSW Premier, Chris Minns said:

    “We know that what works in the middle of Sydney won’t work for our regional communities, which is why we are making this long-term investment to ensure local knowledge informs the action we take to address local issues.

    “We know there is no easy solution to address the issue of crime in our regional communities, but that is why we are pulling every lever possible from law reform to investing in local organisations. “

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Work continues to fix one of Sydney’s worst intersections while guaranteeing Revesby Police Station remains in Revesby

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 12 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism

    The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to address traffic concerns at one of Sydney’s worst intersections while retaining a police station in the Revesby area that is currently on the corner of the intersection.

    The corner of River Road and Marco Avenue has been ranked as the 6th most confusing intersection in Sydney and has been the site of many car crashes and near misses, including the tragic death of a young man in a car crash.

    Due to the location of the Revesby Police Station on the intersection it may not be possible to address issues with the intersection without relocating the police station.

    As a result, at the 2023 state election, the Member for East Hills Kylie Wilkinson committed to working with the local council and the Federal Government who have committed funding to fix the intersection.

    This commitment included the possible relocation of Police Station while keeping it in the Revesby area, acknowledging the critical role this station and it’s officers play keeping this community safe.

    The current Member for East Hills, Kylie Wilkinson is now working with all levels of government to finally fix this intersection and keep Revesby Police Station in the Revesby area.

    For 12 years, the former Liberal and National Government failed to address this issue with the former Member for East Hills completely missing in action on this while in parliament.

    Disappointingly the former Liberal Member who is now a Councillor has resorted to spreading misinformation in the community by falsely claiming that Revesby is set to lose a police station.

    The Minns Labor Government is working to deliver a real solution by fixing this nightmare intersection while also maintaining a Police Station in the area.

    This follows action already taken by the NSW Government including by providing historic pay rises to NSW Police and paying police to train – already delivering the largest graduating classes of police in a decade.

    Police Minister Yasmin Catley said:

    “For too long this intersection outside Revesby Police Station has put lives at risk and I am proud that our government is working with council and the federal government to upgrade this intersection while retaining a police station in the Revesby area.

    “It’s very disappointing that this Liberal councillor is spreading misinformation and playing politics with our police, all to stop a much needed upgraded to this dangerous intersection.

    Member for East Hills, Kylie Wilkinson said:

    “We shouldn’t have to choose between safe roads and a safe community. That’s why we’re fixing this dangerous and confusing intersection while keeping a police station in the Revesby area.

    “I’ve lost count of the number of people who have spoken to me about how dangerous this intersection is and I call on all local councillors to join us in fixing this issue once and for all.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government’s crackdown on rogue turf businesses to stop fire ants pays off

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 12 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional NSW

    Two Queensland businesses have been separately convicted in the NSW Local Court of breaching biosecurity regulations designed to protect NSW from red imported fire ants and in total ordered to pay $60,000.

    These successful prosecutions highlight the effectiveness of the Minns Labor Government’s surveillance and compliance activities in preventing fire ants into the state.

    Both businesses illegally moved turf, soil, turf underlay and compost from the Queensland fire ant infested area into NSW.

    Since being elected in 2023 the NSW Government has made biosecurity a priority and fighting fire ants a top order.

    This commitment to fight fire ants entering NSW was demonstrated by raising the funds to address the menace of the fire ants from the former Government’s low $15 million annually, to $95 million over four years, only a few months after the 2023 election.

    To strengthen the fight against fire ants entering NSW in mid-November last year, the NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty took the unprecedented step of banning the movement of any turf from the Queensland fire ant infested area into NSW.

    These recent successful prosecutions demonstrate that the Government’s crackdown on rogue businesses potentially spreading fire ants is working and is now sending a message.

    The importance of movement controls and the ability of the Minns Government’s restructured NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to trace carrier movements back to their point of origin is producing successful prosecutions.

    The first landscaping supply business was convicted on the 29 January and the second on Friday 7 February.

    The first business, Brytarbri Pty Ltd trading as Allenview Turf, was convicted of nine offences after moving soil, turf underlay and compost into NSW from the Queensland fire ant infested area without the required biosecurity certificates.

    The second business, Marlyn Compost, was convicted of 20 offences under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 for moving turf from the Queensland fire ant infested area into NSW without certificates.

    Early detection surveillance is continuing across NSW’s border state agencies with detection cameras and operations with Police and Department of Primary Industries and Regional NSW teams working together as exemplified by Operation Victa.

    So far four waves of Operation Victa have resulted in eight penalty notices issued and three warnings after stopping 352 vehicles, 156 of which were from fire ant infested areas, and ordering 12 vehicles back to Queensland, due to not meeting certification requirements.

    In addition, fire ant sniffer dogs are on patrol in Kyogle and Tweed Valley sites to monitor trucks, landscaping sites and target properties.

    The NSW Government’s fire ant team has completed the following since December 2023:

    • Checked 1,366 voluntary community reports of potential fire ant sightings
    • Received 12,750 Record of Movement declarations from businesses
    • Undertaken with 1,613 surveillance events

    NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

    “The Minns Labor Government is serious in stopping fire ants getting into NSW and in the three instances when they have got through the nets we have eradicated them quickly.

    “There will be no sympathy for a business who flouts our biosecurity controls and threatens our state’s land, homes and farms with fire ants. The full force of the law will be instigated to show this is very serious and will not be tolerated.

    “I urge everyone to do the right thing and comply with our biosecurity requirements to protect NSW from fire ants, or if you know someone is flouting the controls please let us know.

    “We are applying monitoring, CCTV, police, sniffer dogs, controls and border checks to address the fire ant situation as well as supporting the Queensland Government eradicate their infestation.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Greater Sydney is about to get a whole lot greener

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 12 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

    Councils in Greater Sydney and the Central Coast are invited to apply for a share of $4 million in grants to build more parks, playgrounds, walking tracks and restore local bushlands.

    The Metropolitan Greenspace Program 2024-25 is available to 34 councils for projects such as shared pedestrian and cycle pathways as well as open space strategies and master plans for future works.

    Established in 1983 by the Wran Labor Government, the Metropolitan Greenspace Program is the longest running open space grants program in NSW.

    Since 1990, more than $56 million has been provided for 680 projects.

    This funding will support the Minn’s Government’s planning reforms as we unlock more homes and deliver supporting community infrastructure and green space.

    Last year, the program awarded $3 million in funding supporting better access to open spaces for more than 31,000 homes within a 10-minute walk from residential areas.

    A panel of experts will assess applications against selection criteria designed to ensure funding is awarded based on merit and impact.

    Applications for the 2024-25 round of the Metropolitan Greenspace Program will open on 12 February and close on 31 March 2025.

    This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more green spaces, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to relax and play in the communities they choose.

    For more information on the Metropolitan Greenspace Program visit https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plans-for-your-area/infrastructure-funding/metropolitan-greenspace-program.

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “The NSW Government is fast-tracking the delivery of more homes, and these residential areas will need to be supported by more parks and green spaces.

    “The Metropolitan Greenspace Program helps councils provide more of these facilities where people can relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

    “The program has a strong track record of increasing and improving open space to create thriving places and connected communities.

    “I encourage eligible councils to apply for the next round of funding so they can build more high-quality green spaces for their residents and visitors alike.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Technical consultation open on the ban on the use of adverse genetic testing results in life insurance

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese government is progressing work to implement a total ban on the use of adverse genetic test results in life insurance underwriting.

    Consultation is now open on the legislative design and technical details including the definition of a genetic test, enforcement of the ban, and implementation.

    Genetic research is constantly evolving. The consultation is to ensure this legislation captures the intent of the Government’s decision and does not have unintended consequences.

    The Government’s decision to introduce a total ban is world leading and work is underway to legislate the ban as soon as practicable. Delivering this reform requires consideration of technical details of the legislation, which aren’t easily adapted from other jurisdictional laws.

    Where countries have adopted some form of ban on life insurers using genetic tests, they have defined ‘genetic test’ for the purposes of their own regime, which vary in complexity and specificity.

    The Albanese government is committed to providing Australians with the confidence to undergo potentially life‑saving genetic testing without fear of it affecting their life insurance.

    The Government encourages all interested parties to make a submission. The consultation paper can be found on the Treasury website.

    The government will release exposure draft legislation ahead of introduction to Parliament.

    Submissions will close on 12 March 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Outbound tourists encounter, enjoy Chinese New Year festivities abroad

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Although far away from home, Chinese tourist Ye Manning and her family could still feel the familiar Spring Festival vibes on their trip to Japan, as they came across red street banners and shopping window decorations there in tribute to the traditional Chinese holiday.

    Attracted by the convenient visa application process and convenient transportation services to this neighboring country, the family traveled to Japanese cities including Tokyo and Osaka, and enjoyed local cuisine, scenic spots and pop culture during the Spring Festival holiday, which ran from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 this year.

    Noting the presence of Spring Festival elements in Japan, Ye was quoted in an article by China Youth Daily as saying: “These details not only arouse a sense of belonging for Chinese tourists away from home during the holiday, but also mirror how far the Spring Festival culture has spread around the world.”

    Like Ye, post-1990 generation youth Zhang Yu also chose to spend the Spring Festival outside China, traveling to the resort island of Phuket in Thailand with his family. As a delightful surprise during this trip, another international tourist hailing from Europe greeted Zhang and wished him a “Happy Spring Festival.”

    “At that time, I felt this holiday also being celebrated in a foreign country, and that really touched my heart,” said Zhang.

    Against the backdrop of China’s inbound travel boom during the holiday, which saw a proliferation of “China Travel” content shared by international tourists on social media platforms, many Chinese people opted for outbound trips to overseas destinations in pursuit of diversified, cross-cultural experiences for the traditional holiday.

    According to China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA), during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, border inspection authorities across the country handled over 14 million entries and exits by domestic and international travelers, up 6.3 percent year on year. Among these, about 7.7 million entry-exit trips were made by Chinese mainland residents, up 5 percent year on year.

    According to Chinese online travel platform Qunar, Chinese tourists visited more than 2,100 overseas cities during the Spring Festival holiday this year, a surge of 50 percent compared with 2024.

    Data from another online travel platform, Trip.com, showed that Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore were among the most popular outbound destinations for Chinese travelers during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday.

    In particular, Japan stood out among short-distance overseas travel destinations as total tourism orders for trips to Japan had doubled compared to last year’s figure during the holiday season. As for long-haul travel, the most sought-after destinations such as the United States, Spain, Italy and France saw an increase of 53 percent, 82 percent, 56 percent and 50 percent in tourism orders, respectively, according to Trip.com.

    “With the recovery of the global tourism market, Chinese tourists continue to expand the radius of their trips during the Spring Festival,” said the China Youth Daily article. “From tropical Southeast Asian islands to ancient European towns and bustling North American cities, Chinese travelers can be found everywhere.”

    This year’s Spring Festival, which marked the start of the Year of Snake, was the first since its inscription on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. With the Chinese New Year becoming a festival celebrated worldwide, nearly 20 countries have designated the Spring Festival as an official holiday, while Spring Festival customs are celebrated in almost 200 countries and regions across the globe. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: View of kelp breeding area in China’s Shandong

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

    View of kelp breeding area in China’s Shandong

    Updated: February 12, 2025 08:25 Xinhua
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Folk art brings festivity in China’s Hubei

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

    Folk art brings festivity in China’s Hubei

    Updated: February 12, 2025 08:39 Xinhua
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge parade on the street in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. Lichuan Dengge, originated from Lichuan City of Hubei Province, is a vibrant traditional folk art performed during festivals with colorful props like dragon boats and lantern carts. It features lively songs and interactive performances, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Tujia ethnic group. In 2011, Lichuan Dengge was listed among the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists practice Lichuan Dengge in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge perform on the street in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge perform in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A folk artist of Lichuan Dengge makes preparation before performance in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge parade on the street in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge perform on the street in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge perform on the street in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Children watch Lichuan Dengge performance on the street in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Folk artists of Lichuan Dengge make preparation before performance in Baiyangba Town, Lichuan City, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Incident in Clutha comes to conclusion

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Otago Coastal Area Commander, Inspector Marty Gray:

    The man being sought by Police in Clutha for firearms offending has been located deceased.

    Police, including specialist squads supporting local staff, have been at a rural property overnight working to resolve the matter safely.

    The incident began about 9am on Tuesday, when Police began working to locate a person of interest in relation to alleged firearms offending in the Clutha area.

    This morning, Police made entry to the house around 10:15am and the man was located by officers inside, deceased.

    His death will be referred to the Coroner and Police will assist the Coroner with those inquiries.

    The man’s family are being supported at this very difficult time.

    While this is not the outcome Police would have hoped for, I want to thank the frontline staff and specialist teams for their hard work in responding diligently to this very lengthy incident.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Prairie Provident Announces up to $9.1 Million Brokered Equity Financing with $7.35 Million in Lead Orders and Basal Quartz Horizontal Drilling Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prairie Provident Resources Inc. (TSX:PPR) (“Prairie Provident” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”), for a brokered “best efforts” equity financing for aggregate gross proceeds of up to approximately $9,100,000, comprised of:

    (a) an offering up to 96,470,589 units of the Company (“Units”) at a price of $0.0425 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $4,100,000, on a prospectus-exempt basis pursuant to the ‘listed issuer financing exemption’ (LIFE) under applicable Canadian securities laws (the “LIFE Offering”), with (i) each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company (“Common Share”) and one Common Share purchase warrant (“Warrant”), and (ii) each Warrant to entitle the holder to subscribe for and purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.05 for a period of 36 months following closing; and

    (b) a private placement of up to 117,647,059 Common Shares at a price of $0.0425 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to $5,000,000, pursuant to available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws (the “Private Placement” and, together with the LIFE Offering, the “Offerings”). Warrants will not be issued to purchasers under the Private Placement.

    The Company’s principal and largest shareholder, PCEP Canadian Holdco LLC (“PCEP”), along with certain directors and officers of the Company, have indicated an intention to participate in the Offerings in an aggregate amount of approximately $7,350,000 (collectively, the “Lead Orders”). It is expected that the Private Placement will be fully subscribed through the Lead Orders, and that the balance of the Lead Orders not fulfilled under the Private Placement will be fulfilled under the LIFE Offering. All subscriptions on account of Lead Orders will be subject to insider participation limits under applicable Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) rules.

    Prairie Provident intends to use the net proceeds from the Offerings to drill two additional Basal Quartz horizontal wells in the first quarter of 2025 and for working capital and general corporate purposes, including expenses related to the Offerings. Including the above two Basal Quartz horizontal wells, the Company anticipates drilling a total of three Basal Quartz horizontal wells in the first quarter of 2025.

    Prairie Provident’s Basal Quartz Play in Michichi: A Unique Publicly Traded BQ Junior

    Prairie Provident has established its Basal Quartz (“BQ”) play in the Michichi core area as a significant growth driver, supported by robust well economics, an extensive drilling inventory, and strategic infrastructure. In December 2024, Prairie Provident reported strong initial results from its first two BQ wells, effectively proving the play concept. The first horizontal well achieved an IP30 (initial 30-day average production) rate of approximately 415 boe/d (66% liquids)1 and the second delivered an IP21 (initial 21-day average production) rate of approximately 375 boe/d (64% liquids).2 Continued production in the weeks following has yielded IP60 (initial 60-day average production) rates of approximately 333 boe/d (66% liquids)3 and approximately 305 boe/d (62% liquids)4, respectively. A focus on operational efficiency brought both wells on-stream within 25 days of their respective spud dates.

    Prairie Provident has a Michichi-area land position of approximately 153,000 net acres (239 net sections) on which it has identified over 40 horizontal BQ drilling opportunities, providing ample room for growth. None of the Company’s BQ drilling opportunities are booked locations to which any reserves were attributed in the most recent independent evaluation of Prairie Provident’s reserves data, effective December 31, 2023, by Sproule Associates Limited.

    Activity in the BQ play is primarily led by private operators. Prairie Provident has a unique position as the only publicly-traded company actively drilling in this play.

    Basal Quartz: A Top-Tier Play in the WCSB

    The BQ fairway, extending from Brooks to Drumheller (Michichi) in central Alberta, has rapidly become, in the Company’s view, one of the premier oil-producing plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). The availability of extensive 2D and 3D seismic data, along with legacy vertical wells penetrating the Mannville group, has significantly de-risked this play. Modern horizontal drilling techniques combined with enhanced frac completion designs have unlocked substantial economic potential, making the BQ competitive with other leading plays in the WCSB, including the Montney and Clearwater. Publicly-available industry data indicates that production along the BQ trend has surpassed 40,000 boe/d (77% liquids), with operators having drilled over 100 horizontal wells in 2024 alone, further de-risking the play. Offset competitor wells in analogous zones have demonstrated peak production rates exceeding 1,200 bbl/d, further validating the play’s potential.

    Basal Quartz Well Economics: High Returns, Quick Payouts

    The Company estimates that the average drill, complete, equip, and tie-in cost for a single BQ horizontal well in Michichi is approximately $3.5 million. The BQ play offers attractive returns and payouts, making it, in the Company’s view, one of the most competitive plays in the WCSB. Based on internal estimates, the Company’s BQ wells have the potential to deliver impressive internal rates of return (“IRRs”) greater than 300% (based on WTI US$70/bbl and AECO C$3.00/mcf) with payout periods of approximately eight months or less.

    Strategic Land Base with Multi-Year Inventory

    Prairie Provident holds a strategic and concentrated approximately 153,000 net acre (239 net sections) land base in Michichi and with multi-zone potential. In addition to the BQ, the acreage offers development opportunities in the Banff and other formations. With over 40 identified BQ drilling opportunities, Prairie Provident has the scalability to support long-term growth, benefiting from the de-risked nature of its lands due to offsetting competitor activity.

    Company-Owned Infrastructure and Significant Tax Pool Coverage

    Prairie Provident benefits from a combination of legacy and third-party infrastructure in the Michichi area, providing advantageous egress solutions. The Company owns two oil batteries (one LACT-connected) and two gas plants with a combined inlet capacity of 10 MMscf/d. Year-round access, existing surface leases and on-site facilities combine to facilitate cost-efficient operations with reduced downtime, supporting Prairie Provident’s development strategy.

    Prairie Provident has significant tax pool coverage with approximately $590 million in tax pools, including approximately $330 million of non-capital losses.

    Additional Financing Details

    The Agents will be granted an option to increase the size of the LIFE Offering by up to an additional 14,470,589 Units (up to $615,000), exercisable in whole or in part up to two business days before closing.

    Closing of the Offerings is expected to occur on or about February 24, 2025, or such other date or dates as Prairie Provident and the Agents may agree, and is subject to certain conditions including receipt by Prairie Provident of all necessary approvals from the TSX.

    The LIFE Offering will be made in accordance with the ‘listed issuer financing exemption’ in Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”), to purchasers in any province of Canada, except Québec. The Units issued and sold under the LIFE Offering will not be subject to a ‘hold period’ pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

    There is an offering document related to the LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company’s issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at www.ppr.ca. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

    The Private Placement will be made in reliance on available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, and the Common Shares issued and sold thereunder will subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

    In consideration for their services, the Agents will receive a cash commission of 8.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offerings (reduced for Lead Orders) and non-transferable broker warrants equal to 8.0% of the total number of Units sold under the LIFE Offering (except for Lead Orders). Each broker warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Unit at an exercise price of $0.0425 per Unit for a period of 36 months following closing.

    This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons or persons in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which, or to or for the account or benefit of any other person to whom, any such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. These securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“), or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons or persons in the United States except in compliance with, or pursuant to an available exemption from, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. “United States” and “U.S. person” have the meanings ascribed to them in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.

    ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT

    Prairie Provident is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta, including a position in the emerging Basal Quartz trend in the Michichi area of Central Alberta.

    For further information, please contact:

    Prairie Provident Resources Inc.
    Dale Miller, Executive Chairman
    Phone: (403) 292-8150
    Email: info@ppr.ca

    Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains certain statements (“forward-looking statements”) that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future performance, events or circumstances, are based upon internal assumptions, plans, intentions, expectations and beliefs, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or suggested therein. All statements other than statements of current or historical fact constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “budget”, “forecast”, “target”, “estimate”, “propose”, “potential”, “project”, “seek”, “continue”, “may”, “will”, “should” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or events or statements regarding an outlook.

    Without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to: Basal Quartz drilling opportunities, including estimated payout periods on potential Basal Quartz wells; completion of the Offerings; the expected closing date of the Offerings; the successful completion of the Lead Orders; the intended use of proceeds from the Offerings; and the intended number of Basal Quartz wells that are anticipated to be drilled by the Company in the first quarter of 2025.

    Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors, expectations or assumptions of Prairie Provident which have been used to develop such statements, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are inherently uncertain and depend upon the accuracy of such expectations and assumptions. Prairie Provident can give no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained herein will prove to be correct or that the expectations and assumptions upon which they are based will occur or be realized. Actual results or events will differ, and the differences may be material and adverse to the Company. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: results from drilling and development activities; consistency with past operations; the quality of the reservoirs in which Prairie Provident operates and continued performance from existing wells (including with respect to production profile, decline rate and product type mix); the continued and timely development of infrastructure in areas of new production; the accuracy of the estimates of Prairie Provident’s reserves volumes; future commodity prices; future operating and other costs; future USD/CAD exchange rates; future interest rates; continued availability of external financing and internally generated cash flow to fund Prairie Provident’s current and future plans and expenditures, with external financing on acceptable terms; the impact of competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which Prairie Provident operates; the general continuance of current industry conditions; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of Prairie Provident to obtain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results; the ability of the operator of the projects in which Prairie Provident has an interest in to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manner; field production rates and decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves through acquisition, development and exploration; the timing and cost of pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of Prairie Provident to secure adequate product transportation; the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which Prairie Provident operates; and the ability of Prairie Provident to successfully market its oil and natural gas production.

    The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance or promises of future outcomes and should not be relied upon. Such statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward- looking statements including, without limitation: reduced access to external debt financing; higher interest costs or other restrictive terms of debt financing; changes in realized commodity prices; changes in the demand for or supply of Prairie Provident’s products; the early stage of development of some of the evaluated areas and zones; the potential for variation in the quality of the geologic formations targeted by Prairie Provident’s operations; unanticipated operating results or production declines; changes in tax or environmental laws, royalty rates or other regulatory matters; the imposition of any tariffs or other restrictive trade measures or countermeasures affecting trade between Canada and the United States; changes in development plans of Prairie Provident or by third party operators; increased debt levels or debt service requirements; inaccurate estimation of Prairie Provident’s oil and reserves volumes; limited, unfavourable or a lack of access to capital markets; increased costs; a lack of adequate insurance coverage; the impact of competitors; and such other risks as may be detailed from time-to-time in Prairie Provident’s public disclosure documents (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and Prairie Provident’s current Annual Information Form dated April 1, 2024 as filed with Canadian securities regulators and available from the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) under Prairie Provident’s issuer profile).

    The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and Prairie Provident assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, or otherwise, except as may be required pursuant to applicable laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Oil and Gas Reader Advisories

    Barrels of Oil Equivalent

    The oil and natural gas industry commonly expresses production volumes and reserves on a “barrel of oil equivalent” basis (“boe”) whereby natural gas volumes are converted at the ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil. The intention is to sum oil and natural gas measurement units into one basis for improved analysis of results and comparisons with other industry participants. A boe conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead nor at the plant gate, which is where Prairie Provident sells its production volumes. Boe’s may therefore be a misleading measure, particularly if used in isolation. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency ratio of 6:1, utilizing a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of value.

    Analogous Information

    Information in this news release regarding initial production rates from offset wells drilled by other industry participants located in geographical proximity to the Company’s lands may constitute “analogous information” within the meaning of National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (NI 51-101). This information is derived from publicly available information sources (as at the date of this news release) that Prairie Provident believes (but cannot confirm) to be independent in nature. The Company is unable to confirm that the information was prepared by a qualified reserves evaluator or auditor within the meaning of NI 51-101, or in accordance with the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation (COGE) Handbook. Although the Company believes that this information regarding geographically proximate wells helps management understand and define reservoir characteristics of lands in which Prairie Provident has an interest, the data relied upon by the Company may be inaccurate or erroneous, may not in fact be indicative or otherwise analogous to the Company’s land holdings, and may not be representative of actual results from wells that may be drilled or completed by the Company in the future.

    Potential Drilling Opportunities vs Booked Locations

    This news release refers to potential drilling opportunities and booked locations. Unless otherwise indicated, references to booked locations in this news release are references to proved drilling locations or probable drilling locations, being locations to which Sproule Associated Limited (Sproule) attributed proved or probable reserves in its most recent year-end evaluation of Prairie Provident’s reserves data, effective December 31, 2023. Sproule’s year‑end evaluation was in accordance with NI 51-101 and, pursuant thereto, the COGE Handbook. References in this news release to potential drilling opportunities are references to locations for which there are no attributed reserves or resources, but which the Company internally estimates can be drilled based on current land holdings, industry practice regarding well density, and internal review of geologic, geophysical, seismic, engineering, production and resource information. There is no certainty that the Company will drill any particular locations, or that drilling activity on any locations will result in additional reserves, resources or production. Locations on which Prairie Provident in fact drills wells will ultimately depend upon the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal restrictions, commodity prices, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information and other factors. There is a higher level of risk associated with locations that are potential drilling opportunities and not booked locations. Prairie Provident generally has less information about reservoir characteristics associated with locations that are potential drilling opportunities and, accordingly, there is greater uncertainty whether wells will ultimately be drilled in such locations and, if drilled, whether they will result in additional reserves, resources or production.

    Type Well Information

    Information contained in this news release regarding estimated payout periods and internal rate of return (IRR) on potential Basal Quartz wells is based on the Company’s internally-defined type wells. Type well information reflects Prairie Provident’s expectations and experience in relation to wells of the indicated types, including with respect to costs, production and decline rates. There is no assurance that actual well-related results (including payout periods and IRR) will be in accordance with those suggested by the type well information. Actual results will differ, and the difference may be material.

    Payout

    Prairie Provident considers payout on a well to be achieved when future net revenue from the well is equal to the capital costs to drill, complete, equip and tie-in the well based on project economics. Forecasted payout periods disclosed in this news release are based on the following commodity price and CAD/USD exchange rate assumptions: USD $70.00/bbl WTI, CAD $3.00/Mcf AECO, CAD $1.35-to-USD $1.00.

    Initial Production Rates

    This news release discloses initial production rates for certain wells as indicated. Initial production rates are not necessarily indicative of long-term well or reservoir performance or of ultimate recovery. Actual results will differ from those realized during an initial short-term production period, and the difference may be material.

    Non-GAAP Measures

    This news release uses the financial measure internal rate of return (IRR). IRR is a non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws , which does not have a standardized or prescribed meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that non-GAAP measures should not be construed as a substitute or an alternative to net income or cash flows from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS. IRR is a measure used in financial analysis to estimate the profitability of potential investments and/or projects, and means the discount rate that makes the net present value equal to zero in a discounted cash flow analysis.

    1 Comprised of approximately 275 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 850 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    2 Comprised of approximately 240 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 800 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    3 Comprised of approximately 221 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 674 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    4 Comprised of approximately 189 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 697 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Presses Postmaster General to Withdraw Detrimental Rural Delivery Proposal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Tuesday, February 11, 2025

    Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy regarding a recent advisory opinion issued by the Postal Regulatory Commission that the Postal Service’s proposed Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) would further delay mail delivery for Americans in rural areas. 
    “I urge you to halt implementation of this plan for the sake of rural Americans who depend on the mail and in accordance with the Post Office’s mission to serve all Americans,” wrote Senator Hawley. “. . . [T]hese proposed changes will leave America’s rural communities—including many in my home state of Missouri—with further degraded mail service at a time when rural families already face significant challenges with their mail.” 
    Senator Hawley has fought for rural Americans’ mail delivery as the challenges have continued without relief. In a recent Senate hearing, Senator Hawley pressed the Postmaster General on this proposal before its release to urge his reconsideration. Senator Hawley also introduced the Rural Post Office Reconstruction Act to establish a clear timeframe for reopening rural post offices that experience closure due to natural disaster damage or other unforeseen circumstances. 
    Read the full letter here or below. 
    February 11, 2025
    Mr. Louis DeJoy 
    Postmaster General United States Postal Service 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW Washington, DC 20260 
    Dear Postmaster General DeJoy,
    On January 31, 2025, the Postal Regulatory Commission issued an advisory opinion concluding that the Postal Service’s proposed Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plan will degrade mail service in rural communities. To quote the report, the RTO plan will have “significant negative impacts on rural communities throughout the United States.” I urge you to halt implementation of this plan for the sake of rural Americans who depend on the mail and in accordance with the Post Office’s mission to serve all Americans.
    In its nearly 300-page opinion, the Regulatory Commission makes abundantly clear that the RTO’s proposed changes are built on forecasts of cost savings and efficiency gains that simply cannot be credited. Worse, these proposed changes will leave America’s rural communities—including many in my home state of Missouri—with further degraded mail service at a time when rural families already face significant challenges with their mail. Accordingly, the Regulatory Commission urged you to “reconsider whether the speculative, meager gains from this proposal outweigh the certain downgrade in service for a significant portion of the nation.”
    When you testified before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in December, I asked you directly whether you would stop implementation of the RTO plan if the Regulatory Commission advised against the plan. You suggested that you would move forward regardless. Now that the facts are in, I am counting on you to reconsider. To be clear: Rural Missourians and every other American from a rural area deserve a postal system that delivers dependable, high-quality service.
    Please answer the following questions:
    Will you adopt any of the recommendations in the Regulatory Commission’s opinion? If so, which ones?
    How specifically will you fix the Postal Service’s RTO plan to ensure that it does not have “significant negative impacts on rural communities throughout the United States?”
    How do you plan to reassure Americans living in rural communities that the Postal Service will not proceed with ill-conceived changes that would harm rural mail delivery?
    Sincerely, 
    Josh HawleyUnited States Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Lummis, Barrasso, Hageman Hold Tele-Townhall

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    February 11, 2025

    Washington, D.C. —  Last night, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), and Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) held a joint tele-townhall to speak directly with the people of Wyoming.
    The Wyoming delegation answered questions about how they are working with President Trump and his team to cut wasteful government spending, unleash Wyoming energy, lower costs for families, confirm an America First cabinet, and deliver real results for the American people. 
    “It’s always incredibly valuable to spend time with Senator Barrasso and Representative Hageman answering questions and talking with folks from across our state,” Lummis said. “Alongside President Trump, we will continue working to unlock Wyoming and America’s full and unlimited potential.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham, Blumenthal, Cotton, Rosen, Britt Introduce Resolution to Affirm Hamas Cannot Retain Control of Gaza

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Jackie Rosen (D-Nevada), and Katie Britt (R-Alabama) today introduced a bipartisan resolution to affirm that Hamas cannot retain any political or military control of the Gaza Strip.
    “One of the defining moments for the future of the Middle East and the world at large is to state directly and with moral clarity that Hamas – a terrorist organization – will no longer have political or military control of Gaza at the end of this conflict,” said Senator Graham.
    Senator Graham continued, “Hamas is responsible for the brutal and horrific October 7 attack against Israel and ruthlessly detaining hundreds of hostages, including many Americans. They have oppressed the Palestinian people under their control. They are corrupt and would push the world into further darkness if they could. Hamas exists to destroy Israel, not to bring a better life for the Palestinian people. I appreciate the bipartisan support for this resolution and believe it will receive overwhelming support in the U.S. Senate.”
    “Hamas is an anathema—to Palestinians and Israelis alike, indeed to all who live in the region,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Their barbarity and inhumanity is a terrorist scourge—demonstrated most tragically in the October 7 massacre—and a major barrier to peace and stability. Eliminating Hamas ought to be common ground as a paramount goal.”
    “Hamas is a group of murderous terrorists with American and Israeli blood on their hands,” said Senator Cotton. “The United States must back Israel to the hilt and help ensure Hamas isn’t allowed to retain any political or military control in Gaza.”
    “Hamas is a terrorist organization backed by Iran, and it is responsible for committing the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. In order to best ensure the safety and security of Israel, as well as the Palestinian people, Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in power in Gaza in any capacity,” said Senator Rosen. “It is imperative we continue to push for diplomatic solutions to the current conflict, which must make abundantly clear that there is no future for Hamas in the Middle East.”
    “It has been almost 500 days since Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel,” said Senator Britt. “I will continue to stand with my colleagues and call for our nation to use every tool in our toolbox to halt all sources of funding for Iranian-backed terrorists. Our support for Israel’s right to defend herself is unwavering as they work to bring every single hostage home. The threat of Hamas must be ended permanently. Only through strength can we achieve lasting, sustainable peace.”
    This resolution:
    Affirms that Hamas cannot be allowed to retain any political or military control in the Gaza Strip;
    Calls upon the President to use all economic and diplomatic tools possible to halt all sources of funding for Hamas from the Islamic Republic of Iran and all other sources of revenue; and
    Supports the State of Israel as it continues to defend its sovereignty against attacks from Hamas, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all other Iranian proxies.
    To read the full resolution text, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Encouraged by National Park Service Exemptions to Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    Published: February 11 2025
    This follows push from senators and other Democrats in Congress

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) reacted to reports that the National Park Service plans to exempt certain law enforcement positions, including law enforcement rangers and public safety dispatchers, from President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze. This follows a push from the senators and other Democrats in Congress.
    “President Trump’s hiring freeze on the law enforcement officers needed to keep Virginia’s National Parks safe jeopardized our parks’ ability to host visitors—and in turn posed a serious threat to the local economies that rely on them. That’s why we quickly wrote to the Administration urging them to exempt these positions and other seasonal staff from the freeze. We’re relieved that the Administration is heeding our call, and will continue to push for additional exemptions for National Park Service employees ahead of the summer peak season,” said Warner and Kaine.
    In 2023, Virginia attracted over 23 million park visitors, which supported 21,000 jobs and generated over $2 billion in economic output in the Commonwealth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Demands VA Secretary Defend Veterans’ Private Information from Elon Musk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a group of her colleagues called on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to take immediate actions to secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies from Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
    “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans,” wrote Baldwin and the lawmakers in a letter to VA Secretary Collins. “Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.”
    There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.
    A full version of this letter is available here and below.
    Dear Secretary Collins,
    Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.
    Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors.
    Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.
    These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.
    During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Statement on Right to Repair Victory in Massachusetts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    February 11, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Today, a federal judge in Massachusetts delivered a win for consumers by dismissing the automobile industry’s challenge of Massachusetts’s right-to-repair law. Massachusetts has been a leader in automobile right-to-repair for more than a decade. In 2020, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure by a three-to-one vote to prevent automakers from using new technologies to monopolize repairs.
    In response, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:
    “This big court win will save working people time and money by delivering on their right to get their cars fixed wherever they want — without being beholden to their auto dealership. The people of Massachusetts overwhelmingly voted for this years ago, and thanks to state leaders like Governor Healey and Attorney General Campbell tirelessly fighting to get this done, it’s finally a reality. Massachusetts is leading the way in showing that when government is on the side of working people, we get important things done.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Urges Opposition to Tulsi Gabbard; Cites Lack of Experience, Questionable Judgement, Capacity to Do the Job 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to speak on his opposition to Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s pick to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Senator Welch expressed concerns about Gabbard’s judgment, integrity, and character, and how her lack of independent thought and devotion to President Trump could endanger national security. 
    “On the basis of lack of experience, of questionable judgment, and lack of confidence that I think many of us have in the capacity of this person to be the Director of National Intelligence, I urge that we vote no on her nomination,” said Senator Welch. 
    Watch Senator Welch’s speech below: 
    Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:  
    Senate Committee on Finance  
    Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry 
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit  
    Senate Committee on the Judiciary 
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution  
    Senate Committee on Rules & Administration 
    Senator Peter Welch has spent the bulk of his life working to improve the lives of folks who too often get left behind. After fighting housing discrimination in Chicago, he enrolled in law school at the UC-Berkeley, and later settled in White River Junction, Vermont, where he worked as a public defender before founding a small law practice. He was first elected to represent Windsor County in the Vermont Senate in 1980. Peter was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served for 16 years before being elected to the Senate in 2022. In the Senate, he’s focused on lowering costs for Vermonters, making Washington work better for Vermont, and protecting civil rights and democracy in America and abroad. 
    Learn more about his work by visiting his website or by following him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Introduces Legislation to Cap the Cost of Prescription Medication

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Introduces Legislation to Cap the Cost of Prescription Medication

    The Capping Prescription Costs Act would cap annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs per year at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families
    The legislation builds on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act and extends out-of-pocket caps to the commercial health care market
    Senator Reverend Warnock successfully capped the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare recipients
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “When you are sick, nothing else matters, this is a moral issue that transcends partisan politics, and I will keep fighting until we get it done”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), introduced the Capping Prescription Costs Act. The legislation would lower prescription drug costs for millions of Americans by placing annual caps on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families with private insurance. 
    The Senator’s bill builds on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes the Senator’s provision capping prescription drug cost-sharing for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, extending the savings to the commercial health care market.
    “In my decades-long fight to lower medication costs and make health care more accessible, I’ve heard stories of people having to skip refills, ration prescriptions, and make financial decisions that risk their health just to afford the medications they need to survive,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “In a nation as rich and powerful as the United States, that should never be the case, which is why the Capping Prescription Costs Act is so important. When you are sick, nothing else matters, this is a moral issue that transcends partisan politics, and I will keep fighting until we get it done.”
    “No Nevadan – and no American – should have to negotiate against themselves when choosing between the medications they need to be healthy and food they need to survive,” Rep. Horsford said. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Warnock on the Capping Prescription Costs Act, and look forward to introducing the House companion bill. Our legislation would help Americans with private insurance save on needed prescriptions each year. The choice between health and survival is impossible – it’s beyond time we stop forcing Americans to make it.”
    Over 60 percent of American adults take at least one prescription drug, with 25 percent of adults taking four or more. Yet Americans often pay more for the same prescription drugs than people in other countries, and due to the cost burden, American patients often cannot afford their medications as prescribed. This results in patients skipping doses, cutting doses in half, or taking over-the-counter medications instead of their prescriptions. One study found that 31 percent of patients did not take their medications as prescribed due to cost. The new $2,000 cap on cost-sharing for individuals and $4,000 for families will apply to all of the 173 million Americans who have private health insurance.
    “This bill would provide desperately needed relief for patients with chronic conditions and many others that face prescription drug bills that total thousands of dollars in a given year. Capping out-of-pocket costs for medications in Medicare is popular and provides practical help for many, but millions more who rely on private insurance should have the same benefit. Congress should continue to address the underlying price of prescription drugs, while also capping out-of-pocket costs to provide practical relief to patients and families. We appreciate leadership from Senator Warnock to continue to lower daily and monthly costs for families that desperately need help accessing and affording care,” said Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Families USA.
    “By introducing the Capping Prescription Costs Act, Senator Warnock is fighting to help level the playing field for working families. As Republicans push to raise health care costs for Americans struggling to pay their bills, Democrats are fighting to lower prescription drug costs for millions of families nationwide. The contrast couldn’t be more clear: Republicans want to put profits over people and raise costs to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, and Democrats want to lower costs, improve care, and ensure that every American can afford the health care they need,”said Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care Chair.
    Senator Reverend Warnock has long championed efforts to expand affordable health care access, starting with his advocacy to close the health care coverage gap in Georgia. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Senator Warnock got two proposals included in the final version of the bill —provisions from his bill to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for Medicare patients, and his plan to cap the cost of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year. The Senator has been a years-long advocate for expanding Medicaid. In Washington he’s pushed for solutions to close the coverage gap. Senator Warnock is committed to preserving and protecting access to health care for the most vulnerable. Last year, Senator Warnock also introduced the Bridge to Medicaid Act, legislation to provide health care coverage to the hundreds of thousands of Georgians in the health care coverage gap. The bill would provide a temporary health care option for people in the Medicaid coverage gap to get subsidized private health care until non-expansion states like Georgia finally expand Medicaid.
    In addition to Senator Warnock, the Capping Prescription Costs Act was cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maritn Heinrich (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
    Full bill text of the Capping Prescription Costs Act is available HERE.
    A one-pager on the Capping Prescription Costs Act is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Rebuts Elizabeth Warren’s False Claim That CFPB is Only Cop on the Beat: “We Ought Not to Try and Scare Consumers Right Now”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    February 11, 2025
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, rebutted a false claim by Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is the only entity responsible for protecting consumers in the banking industry.
    “I want to address something that the Ranking Member started talking about, which was characterizing the CFPB as being the cop on the beat here,” Ricketts said. “But I can tell you, having been a Governor and having a Department of Banking that reported to me, that if any consumer would contact us and make a complaint about a bank, even a big bank like JP Morgan, we would investigate. As could the OCC, the FDIC, FTC. So to characterize it ‘no one is out there working for consumers’ is inaccurate. And we ought not to try and scare consumers right now that somehow this is the case.”
    During questioning of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Ricketts also highlighted his concerns about the expansion of the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet.
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    “The Fed’s balance sheet at the end of 2019, so before the pandemic, was about $4.1 trillion,” Ricketts said. “By May of 2020, the Fed expanded that to $7 trillion, and by 2022, the Fed’s balance sheet hit an all-time record of $8.9 trillion. Inflation peaked at 9.1% that year, a high we had not seen since 1981. Now, I’m encouraged by the actions the Fed has taken with quantitative tightening, to shrink the balance sheet down to $6.85 trillion, but $6.85 trillion is still too high.”
    Ricketts’ comments came in a hearing of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs entitled: “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress.”
    TRANSCRIPT:
    Senator Ricketts: “Well thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member for holding this important hearing and thank you Chairman Powell for being here today to talk about our economy and all of the things that are going on.
    “I want to address something that the Ranking Member started talking off about, which was characterizing the CFPB as being the cop on the beat here. But I can tell you, having been a governor and having a Department of Banking that reported to me, that if any consumer would contact us and make a complaint about a bank, even a big bank like JP Morgan, we would investigate, as could the OCC, FDIC, FTC.
    “So to characterize it ‘nobody’s out there looking for consumers,’ I think is inaccurate.
    “And we ought not to try and scare consumers right now that somehow, this is the case, because if you do have an issue, if you’re a consumer, please reach out to your state Department of Banking because those folks are going to look out for you.
    “I can tell you that because I used to have one of those Department of Banking, so they did a fantastic job of looking out for the consumers.
    “One of the things that has also impacted consumers is inflation. Prices under the Biden Administration were up 20%. An average household is paying $13,000 more today than they were for the same standard of living they had before Joe Biden got elected. We see that, grocery prices, for example, are up 22%, rents up 23%. Simply put, Nebraskans are economically worse off today than they were four years ago, and I expect that that’s part of the reason why we saw this change in the administration. They thought that that was not something that they wanted to continue to pursue. They didn’t want the same policies being followed. We have to end the reckless federal spending, rein in inflation and, you know, be responsible about how we make decisions to be able to grow the economy.
    “One of those areas that I’m concerned about is the expansion of the Fed balance sheet. The Fed’s balance sheet before, at the end of 2019, so before the pandemic was about $4.1 trillion. By May of 2020, the Fed expanded that to $7 trillion, and by 2022, the Fed’s balance sheet hit an all-time record of $8.9 trillion. Inflation peaked at 9.1% that year, a high we had not seen since 1981. Now, I’m encouraged by the actions the Fed has taken with quantitative tightening, to shrink the balance sheet down to $6.85 trillion, but $6.85 trillion is still too high. And one of my concerns with this, Chairman, is that, that’s kind of what are your tools, to be able to guard against a downturn in the economy or some sort of shock? Obviously used it during the pandemic. Looking ahead long term, will the Fed Reserve continue to this course of unwinding the balance sheet?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “Yeah. So, what we said is that we intend to slow and then stop the decline when reserve balances are somewhat above the level that we judge, consistent with so-called ample reserves. The most recent data and the feel of the markets is definitely the reserves are still abundant. They’re about the level that they were at when run off started because the, the run off is really happened out of the overnight repo facility, reverse repo. So yes, it’s, it’s an ongoing thing and we’re not, we’re not yet we’re where we’re headed.”
    Senator Ricketts: “So what kind of pace can we expect, and I know that obviously there’s going be a lot of factors like what happens to the economy over the course of next year, but if you were, if things were going to go along the way you are today, you’ve already said the economy’s doing well, inflation’s a little higher than we want it to be at 2.6%, but unemployment’s at 4%. If these conditions, and I think you use the word stable quite a bit, if these conditions were to remain stable throughout the course of the year, would you have a range to give us a where the balance you might be, if we were talking again here in January 2026?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “We basically we’re going to be, looking at reserve conditions, conditions in reserve markets, and trying to stop a little bit above what we consider ample. And we think we’re, you know, meaningfully above that now. We, we can’t put a number on it because you can’t directly know the demand for reserves other than by observing behavior in the market and then putting a little bit of a of a buffer on it. So I can’t give you an exact number. But for now, it’s ongoing and we have a ways to go.”
    Senator Ricketts: “What kind of conditions would happen, have to happen for you to start going back to quantitative easing?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “You know, so quantitative easing, so, you know, that’s a tool we, we tend to use when we’re at the effect of lower bound and we can’t cut interest rates anymore, so nothing like what you’re seeing in the current day. It’s a different test for stopping quantitative tightening, but we would use QE going forward only, only in a situation where when we’re rates are at zero and, you know, we’re a long way from zero now.”
    Senator Ricketts: “So that, you think that, again, just generally speaking, then if things remain stable, you’ll continue to unwind the balance sheet, you’ll continue to the quantitative tightening? Can’t give me a range on that, is that what I hear you saying?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “That’s right, that’s right.”
    Senator Ricketts: “Okay. Great. Well, I encourage you to keep doing that because, again, I think that’s important, to be able to make sure that you’ve got powder, for the next, issue that we may face. So, thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you being here.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Salmon, Professor of Human Factors, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Google Deepmind / Unsplash

    This week, France hosted an AI Action Summit in Paris to discuss burning questions around artificial intelligence (AI), such as how people can trust AI technologies and how the world can govern them.

    Sixty countries, including France, China, India, Japan, Australia and Canada, signed a declaration for “inclusive and sustainable” AI. The United Kingdom and United States notably refused to sign, with the UK saying the statement failed to address global governance and national security adequately, and US Vice President JD Vance criticising Europe’s “excessive regulation” of AI.

    Critics say the summit sidelined safety concerns in favour of discussing commercial opportunities.

    Last week, I attended the inaugural AI safety conference held by the International Association for Safe & Ethical AI, also in Paris, where I heard talks by AI luminaries Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Anca Dragan, Margaret Mitchell, Max Tegmark, Kate Crawford, Joseph Stiglitz and Stuart Russell.

    As I listened, I realised the disregard for AI safety concerns among governments and the public rests on a handful of comforting myths about AI that are no longer true – if they ever were.

    1: Artificial general intelligence isn’t just science fiction

    The most severe concerns about AI – that it could pose a threat to human existence – typically involve so-called artificial general intelligence (AGI). In theory, AGI will be far more advanced than current systems.

    AGI systems will be able to learn, evolve and modify their own capabilities. They will be able to undertake tasks beyond those for which they were originally designed, and eventually surpass human intelligence.

    AGI does not exist yet, and it is not certain it will ever be developed. Critics often dismiss AGI as something that belongs only in science fiction movies. As a result, the most critical risks are not taken seriously by some and are seen as fanciful by others.

    However, many experts believe we are close to achieving AGI. Developers have suggested that, for the first time, they know what technical tasks are required to achieve the goal.

    AGI will not stay solely in sci-fi forever. It will eventually be with us, and likely sooner than we think.

    2: We already need to worry about current AI technologies

    Given the most severe risks are often discussed in relation to AGI, there is often a misplaced belief we do not need to worry too much about the risks associated with contemporary “narrow” AI.

    However, current AI technologies are already causing significant harm to humans and society. This includes through obvious mechanisms such as fatal road and aviation crashes, warfare, cyber incidents, and even encouraging suicide.

    AI systems have also caused harm in more oblique ways, such as election interference, the replacement of human work, biased decision-making, deepfakes, and disinformation and misinformation.

    According to MIT’s AI Incident Tracker, the harms caused by current AI technologies are on the rise. There is a critical need to manage current AI technologies as well as those that might appear in future.

    3: Contemporary AI technologies are ‘smarter’ than we think

    A third myth is that current AI technologies are not actually that clever and hence are easy to control. This myth is most often seen when discussing the large language models (LLMs) behind chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

    There is plenty of debate about exactly how to define intelligence and whether AI technologies truly are intelligent, but for practical purposes these are distracting side issues.
    It is enough that AI systems behave in unexpected ways and create unforeseen risks.

    Several AI chatbots appear to display surprising behaviours, such as attempts at ‘scheming’ to ensure their own preservation.
    Apollo Research

    For example, existing AI technologies have been found to engage in behaviours that most people would not expect from non-intelligent entities. These include deceit, collusion, hacking, and even acting to ensure their own preservation.

    Whether these behaviours are evidence of intelligence is a moot point. The behaviours may cause harm to humans either way.

    What matters is that we have the controls in place to prevent harmful behaviour. The idea that “AI is dumb” isn’t helping anyone.

    4: Regulation alone is not enough

    Many people concerned about AI safety have advocated for AI safety regulations.

    Last year the European Union’s AI Act, representing the world’s first AI law, was widely praised. It built on already established AI safety principles to provide guidance around AI safety and risk.

    While regulation is crucial, it is not all that’s required to ensure AI is safe and beneficial. Regulation is only part of a complex network of controls required to keep AI safe.

    These controls will also include codes of practice, standards, research, education and training, performance measurement and evaluation, procedures, security and privacy controls, incident reporting and learning systems, and more. The EU AI act is a step in the right direction, but a huge amount of work is still required to develop the appropriate mechanisms required to ensure it works.

    5: It’s not just about the AI

    The fifth and perhaps most entrenched myth centres around the idea that AI technologies themselves create risk.

    AI technologies form one component of a broader “sociotechnical” system. There are many other essential components: humans, other technologies, data, artefacts, organisations, procedures and so on.

    Safety depends on the behaviour of all these components and their interactions. This “systems thinking” philosophy demands a different approach to AI safety.

    Instead of controlling the behaviour of individual components of the system, we need to manage interactions and emergent properties.

    With AI agents on the rise – AI systems with more autonomy and the ability to carry out more tasks – the interactions between different AI technologies will become increasingly important.

    At present, there has been little work examining these interactions and the risks that could arise in the broader sociotechnical system in which AI technologies are deployed. AI safety controls are required for all interactions within the system, not just the AI technologies themselves.

    AI safety is arguably one of the most important challenges our societies face. To get anywhere in addressing it, we will need a shared understanding of what the risks really are.

    Paul Salmon receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths – https://theconversation.com/nobody-wants-to-talk-about-ai-safety-instead-they-cling-to-5-comforting-myths-249489

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human rights expert welcomes clemency for Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The UN independent expert on the rights of Indigenous Peoples on Thursday welcomed the decision by outgoing US President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous leader who has spent nearly 50 years in prison under controversial circumstances.

    The Executive Grant of Clemency, signed on Sunday just hours before Mr. Biden left office, commutes Mr. Peltier’s life sentences to home confinement, allowing him to receive proper medical care and reconnect with his community, the Special Rapporteur said in a statement.

    The Human Rights Council-appointed expert Albert Barume praised the decision, describing it as “an important gesture by the United States toward the country’s Indigenous Peoples”.

    Decades of advocacy

    Mr. Peltier is a member of the Chippewa and Lakota Nations, who was convicted of murder in 1977, in connection with the deaths of two FBI agents during a confrontation with Indigenous activists at Pine Ridge reservation. He received two life sentences following his trial after being extradited to the US from Canada in December 1976.

    “Over the years, Mr. Peltier has maintained his innocence, and concerns have been raised about the fairness of his trial and about his legal representation,” the Special Rapporteur said.

    His trial raised serious concerns about due process, with international human rights bodies, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, calling for his release.

    In its 2022 findings, the UN Working Group determined that Mr. Peltier’s detention constituted arbitrary imprisonment.

    Previous UN Special Rapporteurs, including a 2012 report on Indigenous rights in the US, had called for clemency for Mr. Peltier, framing his case as emblematic of the systemic injustices faced by Native Americans.

    “Mr. Peltier has also suffered from serious health conditions, which prison authorities have been unable to properly address,” Mr. Barume noted.

    Step toward reconciliation

    “Although this clemency cannot restore the decades of life he has lost, it provides an opportunity for him to receive proper medical care and reconnect with his People,” said the independent expert.

    Mr. Barume underscored that while the clemency decision does not absolve Mr. Peltier’s conviction, it represents a critical acknowledgment of past wrongs.

    “States have a duty to ensure due process for all defendants at every stage of criminal proceedings, including parole hearings, as required by international law”, he said.

    The decision also aligns with broader calls for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in the US, including addressing historical injustices such as forced removals, cultural erasure and disproportionate incarceration rates.

    Mr. Peltier’s early life reflects this history: forcibly removed from his family at age nine and placed in a government-run boarding school, he endured the systemic severance of Indigenous children from their culture.

    His case has since become a symbol of the need for justice and reconciliation.

    Looking ahead

    While Mr. Peltier’s clemency has been celebrated by advocates, it also underscores the need for continued reforms to ensure fairness and equity in the US justice system.

    The decision “highlights the importance of addressing systemic issues within the criminal justice system, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, are afforded their fundamental rights”, Mr. Barume affirmed.

    As Mr. Peltier transitions to home confinement, the Special Rapporteur called for the clemency decision to be a turning point in efforts to address historical and ongoing injustices.

    Special Rapporteurs and other independent rights experts are not UN staff, receive no salary and are independent of any government or organization.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres calls on US to exempt development and humanitarian funds from aid ‘pause’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    The UN Secretary-General on Monday called on the US Government to consider “additional exemptions” to a directive which pauses nearly all foreign aid for 90 days.

    President Trump’s executive order a week ago called for all foreign aid to be re-evaluated to ensure that it complies which his new foreign policy priorities.

    The immediate scope of the order was not clear but on Friday, according to news reports, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an order putting any new funding on hold, pending review.

    The State Department directive reportedly clarifies that funding for existing programmes is also suspended until it has been reviewed.

    The only exceptions were reportedly for military assistance to Israel and Egypt and emergency food aid.

    Concern over aid freeze

    “The Secretary-General notes with concern the announcement of a pause in US foreign assistance,” said the statement issued on behalf of António Guterres by his Spokesperson.

    “The Secretary-General calls for additional exemptions to be considered to ensure the continued delivery of critical development and humanitarian activities for the most vulnerable communities around the world, whose lives and livelihoods depend on this support.

    The statement added the Mr. Guterres was looking forward to engaging with the Trump administration on how “much needed development support” can be provided to citizens in the developing world who face the severest challenges.

    “The United States is one of the largest aid providers and it is vital that we work constructively to jointly shape a strategic path forward,” the statement continued.

    The US Government is the largest single donor of aid in the world, disbursing around $72 billion in assistance during 2023. It also reportedly provided more than 40 per cent of all humanitarian aid accounted for by the UN during 2024.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Robbed’ of their childhood: UNICEF warns of crisis facing Haiti’s youth

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Violent clashes this week between security forces and armed groups on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince have led to another wave of displacement, according to the UN aid coordination office (OCHA).  

    In a briefing on Friday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that more than 1,600 men, women and children have fled. 

    Two-thirds are seeking refuge with host families and over 500 sheltering in three newly established displacement sites, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    Children at risk

    The situation for children remains particularly dire. The number of internally displaced children in Haiti has increased by nearly 50 per cent since September, now exceeding half a million. 

    UNICEF reports that approximately one in eight children in the country is now displaced.

    The agency also warns of a 70 per cent rise in child recruitment by gangs over the past year, with up to half of gang members in Haiti now estimated to be children.

    ‘Childhood is a right’

    Speaking from a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described the growing desperation:

    “I’m in a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held,” he said, explaining that 85 per cent of this capital city is controlled by armed groups.

    “So, child recruitment into armed groups is rampant. Children get recruited. It’s out of desperation. It’s out of manipulation, out of being engulfed in violence,” he emphasised.

    Mentioning a 16-year-old girl who dreamt of being a paediatrician, but was caught up in a raid, he said: “The point of this is that childhood should not be a gift. Childhood is a right.”

    Humanitarian needs grow

    The crisis is further aggravated by forced returns from neighbouring countries. 

    In the first two weeks of January alone, nearly 15,000 Haitians were returned from the Dominican Republic, adding to the 200,000 people deported across the region last year.

    Meanwhile, natural disasters have worsened conditions across the country. 

    Since November, nearly 330,000 people have been affected by floods in six of Haiti’s departments, leaving dozens dead and damaging or destroying nearly 50,000 homes.

    UN appeals 

    The UN has launched a $908 million humanitarian appeal to assist 3.9 million people in Haiti this year.

    “We urge the international community to scale up its support so that we and our humanitarian partners can support the people of Haiti who need it,” said Mr. Dujarric. 

    As conditions deteriorate, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations stress the need for urgent international action to protect Haiti’s most vulnerable, particularly its children – trapped in a cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.

    “For those of us with freedom, those with safety, those who have an opportunity – we also have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to raise our voices for those who simply do not have one,” Mr. Elder said.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –