NewzIntel.com

Category: Business

  • MIL-Evening Report: There’s a new push to teach Australian students about civics. Here are 6 ways to do it well

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Murray Print, Professor of Education, University of Sydney

    A federal parliamentary inquiry has just recommended civics and citizenship become a compulsory part of the Australian Curriculum, which covers the first year of school to Year 10.

    The committee also recommended a mandatory civics and citizenship course for all Year 11 and 12 students to prepare them to vote.

    This comes amid growing concern about misinformation on social media, as well as increasing antisemitism and declining social cohesion.

    This is not the first time there have been calls to improve the quality of civics education in Australia – such calls have been made as far back as 1994.

    As a researcher in political education, I argue we need to make sure civics education is relevant, engaging and given adequate space in the curriculum.

    What is civics?

    At the moment, civics and citizenship is included in the national Australian Curriculum. But it is not mandatory and many states only make passing reference to it in primary school. Some states provide more opportunities in high school.

    The topics covered include how governments and democracy work, how laws work, the rights of individuals, diversity and national identity, and how to critically evaluate different sources of information.

    Every three years since 2004, a national sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students are assessed on their civics knowledge, skills and attitudes through a national test.

    In the most recent results from 2019, 53% of Year 6 students were at or above the national proficient standard for civics, while only 38% of Year 10 students were at or above the standard. Year 10 students’ results have shown a substantial decline since 2004.

    This suggests many young people are leaving school without the knowledge, skills and values to sustain our democracy.

    Both Australian and international studies have repeatedly shown civics and citizenship education makes a positive difference to young people’s political participation (including the likelihood they will vote), understanding of democracy and support for democratic values.

    What does good civics education look like?

    1. Make sure it has its own subject

    At the moment, civics education might be included as part of students’ work in history or other humanities subjects. But research shows it should be taught as a separate subject, otherwise it can get lost among other material.

    2. Don’t forget senior students

    It should also be taught at relevant points in students’ lives.

    While Year 11 and 12 are times when students get to pick most of their subjects for major exams, it is important they also study how the electoral system works. Many will vote in elections before they even leave school.

    3. Make it relevant to young people

    As important as they are, some aspects of civics – such as lawmaking or how parliament works – may seem dry to young people.

    Research shows teachers need to make the content engaging. This means students are shown how lessons relate to the real world.

    For example, a lesson on how parliament works could focus on the passage of contentious legislation such as banning social media for young people. Or lessons on misinformation could look at how social media had an impact on a particular issue or election.

    4. Have class discussions

    Research also shows students need to learn civics knowledge, skills and values in various ways, including role play, problem-solving, simulations and direct instruction.

    Students should be encouraged to ask questions in an open classroom environment. Class discussions are important for controversial issues so both sides of issues can be discussed in a supervised environment.

    5. Have school elections

    My research has found school elections (for school captains or a student council) can engage students in democratic processes. This way, they see first-hand how elections work and how voting can have an impact on their lives.

    6. Train teachers in law and government

    It is also important for teachers to have specific training in law, government or politics. Research shows teachers with these backgrounds have a greater impact on students’ civic knowledge – students come away knowing more. Similarly, teachers with these backgrounds achieve better results with students’ civic media literacy – or ability to handle misinformation and “outrage” online.

    This means existing teachers need to have professional opportunities to upgrade their civic knowledge and skills.

    Ultimately, it will take well-trained teachers, teaching a compulsory subject, to see Australian students appropriately educated about our democracy and how to participate in it.

    Murray Print receives funding from the Australian Research Council. An ARC grant was conducted in association with the Australian Electoral Commission.

    – ref. There’s a new push to teach Australian students about civics. Here are 6 ways to do it well – https://theconversation.com/theres-a-new-push-to-teach-australian-students-about-civics-here-are-6-ways-to-do-it-well-249584

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: OpenAI’s new ‘deep research’ agent is still just a fallible tool – not a human-level expert

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Raffaele F Ciriello, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

    Jan Antonin Kolar/Unsplash

    OpenAI’s “deep research” is the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tool making waves and promising to do in minutes what would take hours for a human expert to complete.

    Bundled as a feature in ChatGPT Pro and marketed as a research assistant that can match a trained analyst, it autonomously searches the web, compiles sources and delivers structured reports. It even scored 26.6% on Humanity’s Last Exam (HLE), a tough AI benchmark, outperforming many models.

    But deep research doesn’t quite live up to the hype. While it produces polished reports, it also has serious flaws. According to journalists who’ve tried it, deep research can miss key details, struggle with recent information and sometimes invents facts.

    OpenAI flags this when listing the limitations of its tool. The company also says it “can sometimes hallucinate facts in responses or make incorrect inferences, though at a notably lower rate than existing ChatGPT models, according to internal evaluations”.

    It’s no surprise that unreliable data can slip in, since AI models don’t “know” things in the same way humans do.

    The idea of an AI “research analyst” also raises a slew of questions. Can a machine – no matter how powerful – truly replace a trained expert? What would be the implications for knowledge work? And is AI really helping us think better, or just making it easier to stop thinking altogether?

    What is ‘deep research’ and who is it for?

    Marketed towards professionals in finance, science, policy, law and engineering, as well as academics, journalists and business strategists, deep research is the latest “agentic experience” OpenAI has rolled out in ChatGPT. It promises to do the heavy lifting of research in minutes.

    Currently, deep research is only available to ChatGPT Pro users in the United States, at a cost of US$200 per month. OpenAI says it will roll out to Plus, Team and Enterprise users in the coming months, with a more cost-effective version planned for the future.

    Unlike a standard chatbot that provides quick responses, deep research follows a multi-step process to produce a structured report:

    1. The user submits a request. This could be anything from a market analysis to a legal case summary.
    2. The AI clarifies the task. It may ask follow-up questions to refine the research scope.
    3. The agent searches the web. It autonomously browses hundreds of sources, including news articles, research papers and online databases.
    4. It synthesises its findings. The AI extracts key points, organises them into a structured report and cites its sources.
    5. The final report is delivered. Within five to 30 minutes, the user receives a multi-page document – potentially even a PhD-level thesis – summarising the findings.

    At first glance, it sounds like a dream tool for knowledge workers. A closer look reveals significant limitations.

    Many early tests have exposed shortcomings:

    • It lacks context. AI can summarise, but it doesn’t fully understand what’s important.
    • It ignores new developments. It has missed major legal rulings and scientific updates.
    • It makes things up. Like other AI models, it can confidently generate false information.
    • It can’t tell fact from fiction. It doesn’t distinguish authoritative sources from unreliable ones.

    While OpenAI claims its tool rivals human analysts, AI inevitably lacks the judgement, scrutiny and expertise that make good research valuable.

    What AI can’t replace

    ChatGPT isn’t the only AI tool that can scour the web and produce reports with just a few prompts. Notably, a mere 24 hours after OpenAI’s release, Hugging Face released a free, open-source version that nearly matches its performance.

    The biggest risk of deep research and other AI tools marketed for “human-level” research is the illusion that AI can replace human thinking. AI can summarise information, but it can’t question its own assumptions, highlight knowledge gaps, think creatively or understand different perspectives.

    And AI-generated summaries don’t match the depth of a skilled human researcher.

    Any AI agent, no matter how fast, is still just a tool, not a replacement for human intelligence. For knowledge workers, it’s more important than ever to invest in skills that AI can’t replicate: critical thinking, fact-checking, deep expertise and creativity.

    If you do want to use AI research tools, there are ways to do so responsibly. Thoughtful use of AI can enhance research without sacrificing accuracy or depth. You might use AI for efficiency, like summarising documents, but retain human judgement for making decisions.

    Always verify sources, as AI-generated citations can be misleading. Don’t trust conclusions blindly, but apply critical thinking and cross-check information with reputable sources. For high-stakes topics — such as health, justice and democracy — supplement AI findings with expert input.

    Despite prolific marketing that tries to tell us otherwise, generative AI still has plenty of limitations. Humans who can creatively synthesise information, challenge assumptions and think critically will remain in demand – AI can’t replace them just yet.

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

    – ref. OpenAI’s new ‘deep research’ agent is still just a fallible tool – not a human-level expert – https://theconversation.com/openais-new-deep-research-agent-is-still-just-a-fallible-tool-not-a-human-level-expert-249496

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 11 February 2025 Departmental update Heads of road safety agencies meeting to drive down road deaths

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Heads of national road safety agencies and officials from more than 80 countries will meet to share knowledge to advance their national road safety strategies and action plans on the eve of the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco, next week.

    The Global network of heads of national road safety agencies meeting, co-hosted by WHO and the Global Road Safety Facility at the World Bank, will bring more than 110 officials together in Marrakech on 17 February to discuss the opportunities and challenges lead road safety agencies face in meeting the global goal of halving road deaths as set out in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.

    “Empowering heads of road safety agencies is key to helping countries reduce road deaths and apply proven solutions. Lead road safety agencies drive national road safety strategies and coordinate across government. The network is here to help them advance that important work,” said Matts-Ake Belin, WHO global lead on the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

    Launched after the United Nations High-Level Political Declaration on Global Road Safety in 2022, the WHO-hosted network supports governments in establishing the policies, coordination and actions to ensure safe mobility for all citizens. It fosters collaboration and learning, provides technical support and monitors progress against the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.

     As part of the network, WHO and the Global Road Safety Facility at the World Bank have delivered a range of capacity-building initiatives for road safety leaders in the last few years. Occasionally they have partnered with the Swedish Vision Zero Academy, the Indian Institute of Technology and other partners.

     Road safety governance is a key theme at the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. A session on governance will leading experts together to examine how different organizational models and governance mechanisms can deliver sustainable, results-driven road safety outcomes.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Charting a path for global action on land and drought

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The largest and most inclusive UN land conference wrapped up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, charting a path for global action following two weeks of intense negotiations on how best to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, which affects one quarter of the world.

    The nearly 200 countries gathered at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and committed to prioritising land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation.

    While parties failed to agree on the nature of a new drought regime, they adopted a strong political declaration and 39 decisions shaping the way forward.

    According to UNCCD’s newly released World Drought Atlas and Economics of Drought Resilience reports, droughts affect the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people worldwide, pushing already vulnerable communities to the brink. They also cost an estimated $300 billion per year, threatening key economic sectors such as agriculture, energy and water.

    Among the main outcomes reached at COP16 were:

    • A prototype launch of the International Drought Resilience Observatory, the first ever global AI-driven platform to help countries assess and enhance their capacity to cope with harsher droughts
    • Mobilisation of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative
    • The creation of designated caucuses for Indigenous Peoples and for local communities to ensure their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented

    “Today, history has been made”, said Oliver Tester from Australia, a representative of Indigenous Peoples. “We look forward to championing our commitment to protect Mother Earth through a dedicated caucus and leave this space trusting that our voices be heard.”

    UN News/Martin Samaan

    Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an Indigenous Peoples rights campaigner, attends the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Global drought regime

    Nations also made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026.

    At COP16, more than 30 decisions were issued on key topics through the negotiation process, including migration, dust storms, enhancing the role of science, research and innovation, and empowering women to tackle environmental challenges.

    Some decisions introduced new topics to the agenda, namely environmentally sustainable agrifood systems and rangelands, which cover 54 per cent of all land. The degradation of rangelands alone threatens one sixth of global food supplies, potentially depleting one third of the Earth’s carbon reserves.

    At the same time, more than $12 billion was pledged to tackle land challenges around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Right now, some two billion people living in pastoral areas are among the world’s most vulnerable in the face of desertification, land degradation and drought.

    Now, the work begins

    COP16 was the largest and most diverse UNCCD COP to date. It attracted more than 20,000 participants, around 3,500 of them from civil society, and featured more than 600 events as part of the first Action Agenda to involve non-State actors in the work of the convention. It also set records for youth attendance and for the most ever private sector participants at a UN land conference, with more than 400 representatives from such industries as finance, fashion, agri-food and pharmaceuticals.

    UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said now, the work begins.

    “Our work does not end with the closing of COP16,” she told delegates. “We must continue to tackle the climate crisis. It is a call to action for all of us to embrace inclusivity, innovation and resilience”

    She said youth and Indigenous Peoples must be at the heart of these conversations.

    “Their wisdom, their voices, and their creativity are indispensable as we craft a sustainable future with renewed hope for generations to come.”

    Vital turning point

    The meeting also marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience, according to COP16 president, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley.

    “We hope the outcomes of this session will lead to a significant shift that strengthens efforts to preserve land, reduce its degradation, build capacities to address drought, and contribute to the wellbeing of communities around the world,” he said in closing remarks.

    UN Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw agreed, underscoring a significant shift in the global approach to land and drought issues and the interconnected challenges with broader global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, forced migration and global stability.

    NOOR for FAO/Benedicte Kurzen

    In Koyli Alpha, Senegal, women work in tree nurseries created as part of the Great Green Wall Initiative.

    ‘Solutions are within our grasp’

    During COP16, participants heard that UNCCD estimates that at least $2.6 trillion in total investments are needed by 2030 to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and build resilience to drought.

    This equals $1 billion in daily investments between now and 2030 to meet global land restoration targets and combat desertification and drought.

    New pledges were also announced for large-scale land restoration and drought preparedness and for some existing projects that are already winning the battle, like the Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land straddling across the Sahel region, which mobilised $11.5 million from Italy and nearly $4 million from Austria.

    UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw summed up a common message heard throughout COP16 in his closing remarks.

    “As we have discussed and witnessed, the solutions are within our grasp,” he said.

    “The actions we took today will shape not only the future of our planet but also the lives, livelihoods and opportunities of those who depend on it.”

    Read more stories on climate and the environment here.

    Sacred Lands Declaration

    © UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    Assessing drylands in Caating, Brazil.

    In a landmark decision, COP16 parties requested the creation of a caucus for Indigenous Peoples with the goal of ensuring that their unique perspectives and priorities are represented in the work of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

    The Sacred Lands Declaration, presented during the inaugural Indigenous Peoples Forum on 7 December, underscored their role in sustainable resource management and called for greater involvement in global land and drought governance, including through participation in land restoration efforts.

    Here are some calls for action in the declaration:

    • We call on parties to ensure an approach that embraces human rights and Indigenous Peoples’s rights in all policies and actions related to land restoration and resilience building
    • We call on parties to respect, recognise, promote and protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, based on the fundamental right to self-determination, provided for in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and its General Recommendation 23

    • We encourage the UNCCD to create a dedicated fund for Indigenous Peoples’ initiatives on land restoration, conservation, desertification and drought resilience

      Read the full Sacred Lands Declaration here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Spirit of resilience braces desertification winds in Saudi Arabia

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

    Climate and Environment

    A low tech and sustainable solution to holding back advancing desert sands in eastern Saudi Arabia could help farming communities to thrive and conserve vulnerable habitats.

    The deserts of Saudi Arabia are amongst the largest in the world and controlling the natural migration of sand has always been a challenge not just to farmers, who want to increase agricultural productivity, but also to communities that want to ensure a more prosperous future or seek investment for growth.

    The Al Ahsa oasis in the eastern province of the Gulf state, one of the country’s largest and most productive oases, is threatened by encroaching sands.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Villages like this one close to the Al Ahsa oasis have been fully submerged by sand.

    At least nine villages in the immediate area have been inundated by sand dunes which can reach up to 15 metres high. Some have been dug out, others have remained buried.

    Holding back desertification

    “This is not a new phenomenon,” said Mona Dawalbeit from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which has been working with the Saudi government and local communities on trials to hold back desertification, “but communities and farmers especially do need extra support as they do not have the resources to do this alone.”

    Climate change has made the issue more pressing as higher temperatures and lower ground moisture contribute to drier sand and the increased likelihood of desertification.

    The state-owned oil company, Aramco, which extracts oil and gas in the eastern desert has over many decades protected infrastructure, including roads, mechanically removing sand amongst other measures, but the costs are high, so FAO has been promoting more sustainable approaches.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Palm fronds arranged in quadrants can help to slow down the pace of desertification.

    It is trialing low-level sand barriers made of palm fronds which are inexpensive and use material may otherwise would go to waste.

    Various designs can be tailored to protect farms and service facilities based on the geographical and geomorphological conditions,” said Mona Dawalbeit.

    These designs may include checkerboard and linear patterns with varying heights, ranging from 10 cm to one metre, depending on the specific purpose of the sand barrier.

    Environmental benefits

    The checkerboard technique effectively reduces sand encroachment and promotes the growth of natural vegetation including createing favourable conditions for planting trees or the spreading of seeds.

    “The palm barriers will not fully prevent the wind from moving sand towards land you want to protect,” said Mona Dawalbeit, “but it does slow the speed and completely change the flow of the sand.”

    There are additional environmental benefits of using palm fronds as typically they would be burned as waste, releasing the harmful carbon dioxide gas which is fuelling climate change.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Palm fronds are collected and reused as sand barriers.

    FAO is also piloting weather stations based on global standards which provide data on the complicated science of sand movements.

    Preventive action

    By analysing sand grain ‘deposit suspension’ (particles are suspended in mid-air and are blown by the wind across land), ‘saltation’ (smaller particles which are blown in jumps across the surface) and ‘surface creep’ (particles which are rolled over the ground) the volume and direction of sand encroachments can be predicted in conjunction with other climatic factors such as wind speed and direction, humidity and temperature.

    Preventative action can be targeted in specific locations where sand tends to move onto valuable agricultural land eroding the topsoil.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    An FAO-supported meteorological station measures sand movements.

    FAO collaborated with Green Environment Society in Al Ahsa to implement sand barriers aimed at protecting Al Ahsa National Park, a government-managed entity.

    The initiative sought to strengthen the relationship between governmental institutions and local communities while building the capacity of NGOs to construct sand barriers using palm fronds.

    Community involvement 

    “This approach not only ensures local sustainability,” said FAO’s Mona Dawelbait “but also promotes community involvement in environmental conservation efforts”.

    “In Saudi Arabia and in Al Ahsa in particular, there are concerns about land degradation and the loss of productive land,” she added, “but together we can change these challenges into opportunities.”

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Climate change is contributing to increased sand movements in Saudi Arabia.

    “I have worked with desert communities for 20 years. They are resilient people with strong spirits and I believe, the wind of change in terms of holding back land loss will carry on beyond this FAO intervention.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Report details onslaught of cyberattacks

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    More than 1,300 advanced persistent cyberattacks targeting China were detected last year, with more than half aimed at the Chinese government institutions and education sector, according to a newly released research report.
    Domestically developed software systems in China have become key targets, the 2024 Advanced Persistent Threat Report published by Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 said.
    The findings follow extensive cyberattacks on Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek at the end of January. The internet protocol addresses involved were all traced to the United States, according to the report.
    The report said cyberspace has become a critical battleground in regional conflicts, with global advanced persistent threat organizations maintaining high levels of activity.
    An advanced persistent threat is a prolonged, targeted cyberattack, often orchestrated by skilled hackers, typically state-sponsored, aiming to infiltrate and maintain access to a network for espionage or data theft.
    China has long been a primary target for advanced persistent threat organizations, the report said. More than 1,300 attacks targeting China were recorded last year, with the attacking organizations primarily originating from South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and North America.
    The attacks targeted 14 key industries in China, with government institutions accounting for 33 percent and the education sector 20 percent. Other heavily targeted sectors included scientific research, national defense and military industries, and transportation.
    “Government institutions and educational units have always been primary targets for advanced persistent threat groups,” said Bian Liang, a cybersecurity expert at 360.
    Attackers target diplomatic and overseas embassy institutions to steal information on the latest diplomatic strategies and positions on major international issues, Bian said, helping the political forces behind them gain an advantage in geopolitical conflicts.
    “In the education sector, most of the affected universities have backgrounds in aviation and military industries or undertake related national research projects, meaning the attackers are essentially targeting China’s national defense and technological development,” he said.
    Meanwhile, cyberattacks targeting national defense and military-related objectives primarily focus on aviation, aerospace, shipbuilding and weapons industries, the report said.
    “These cyberattacks are not only capable of espionage to gather military intelligence and disrupt enemy network communications, but they can also control military facilities, paralyze enemy command and control systems, and forge and transmit false commands,” Bian said. This capability makes cyber warfare an indispensable part of modern military conflicts, he added.
    The report also highlighted emerging cyber threats in the automotive manufacturing, new energy and telecommunications sectors.
    Domestically developed software systems in China have become major targets as more Chinese institutions replace foreign products with domestic alternatives, the report said.
    Bian warned that domestically developed software has a broad customer base among Chinese enterprises and institutions, meaning penetration of a successful supply chain by an advanced persistent threat organization could have severe consequences.
    The report also pointed to the risks posed by artificial intelligence large models to cybersecurity, noting a surge in their use and influence in 2024.
    In late January, DeepSeek, whose AI chatbot has been described as a challenger to ChatGPT, said on its website that its AI model services had been subjected to large-scale malicious attacks, preventing many users from logging in, registering or engaging in conversations.
    A January report by China Media Group cited Wang Hui, a cybersecurity expert at Chinese security company Qi An Xin Group, who said the IP addresses involved in the DeepSeek attacks were located in the United States.
    Wang said the wave of cyberattacks included brute-force attacks aimed at cracking users’ passwords to obtain private information.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign trade grows despite headwinds

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An aerial drone photo shows the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu Province, July 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Continuous innovation, global expansion and industrial upgrade will empower Chinese companies to counter rising protectionism and geopolitical tensions this year, driving foreign trade growth and reinforcing China’s global competitiveness, said market observers and exporters.

    Despite challenges, China’s foreign trade remains resilient, adapting to an increasingly complex global landscape shaped by the United States’ new tariff policies, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory uncertainties in certain countries, they added.

    Zhang Xiaotao, dean of the School of International Trade and Economics at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, said that as a major player in global trade, China has accumulated extensive experience in navigating international political and economic shifts over the past decade.

    “Foreign trade companies have already seen positive results from their strategic adjustments to tackle headwinds, including building new factories and overseas warehouses in countries such as Thailand, Hungary, the U.S. and Brazil, as well as increasing investment in research and development,” Zhang said.

    Denis Depoux, global managing director at German management consultancy Roland Berger, said that China is now increasingly recognized for its high-value, technologically advanced products, including electric vehicles, solar cells and liquefied natural gas carriers, as it moves up the value chain to drive export growth.

    Chinese companies exporting high-value products include Narwal, a manufacturer of household robots based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The company saw the number of its export markets expand from less than 10 in 2023 to over 30 last year, covering multiple regions and countries including North America, Europe, Australia and Japan.

    “We will continue to invest in multiple fields such as 3D perception, artificial intelligence solutions, binocular vision technologies and big data applications to win more orders,” said Zhang Junbin, the company’s founder.

    Li Lizhong, sales director at Zhejiang Yueli Electrical Co, a home appliances manufacturer based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, said the company’s personal care products, such as hair dryers and curling irons, previously targeted the U.S. and Western Europe markets.

    “However, our exports to these traditional markets have been impacted by the U.S. tariff hike and the Russia-Ukraine conflict in recent years,” he said, adding that the company has launched more intelligent, eco-friendly home appliances to expand into markets in Central and Eastern Europe, and economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

    Data from Ningbo Customs showed that Zhejiang Yueli’s hair dryer exports reached 602 million yuan ($82.4 million) in 2024, marking a 6.3 percent year-on-year increase, while the company’s exports in this category to Central and Eastern Europe totaled 45.46 million yuan, up 39.2 percent compared with 2023.

    Li said the increasing penetration of the internet in Central and Eastern Europe has allowed e-commerce to expand at a remarkable pace in countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. The company’s cross-border e-commerce exports emerged as a key growth driver after it deployed resources in this business segment in the region, he added.

    As China continued to enhance its high-value export portfolio and deepen its market presence in emerging economies, the nation’s foreign trade rose 5 percent year-on-year to reach a record high of 43.85 trillion yuan in 2024, according to the General Administration of Customs.

    Meanwhile, China’s mechanical and electrical product exports grew 8.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 59.4 percent of the country’s total exports. Last year, the country’s EV exports rose 13.1 percent compared with 2023, while its 3D printer exports increased 32.8 percent and industrial robot exports surged 45.2 percent.

    Lan Qingxin, a professor at the School of International Trade and Economics of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said the restructuring of global supply chains and protectionist moves in certain countries have pushed Chinese companies to adapt and leverage their strong manufacturing and technological capabilities.

    By responding innovatively to these changes, the companies can meet market needs in other emerging economies, thereby enhancing their competitiveness and expanding their global presence, said Lan.

    A Chinese business delegation, organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, departed on Monday for Kazakhstan to explore new opportunities for economic and trade exchanges.

    During the four-day trip, the delegation, comprising representatives of more than 30 Chinese companies across industries such as petrochemicals and machinery manufacturing, hopes to sign several cooperation agreements and foster mutually beneficial outcomes.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Diabetes during pregnancy can cause serious problems later – mothers need proper screening after birth

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phyllis Ohene-Agyei., Doctoral Researcher in Maternal Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Shutterstock/Dragana Gordic

    A growing number of women experience high blood sugar levels during pregnancy which typically resolve after birth.

    Known as gestational diabetes, this is the most common metabolic disorder in pregnancy and affects one in seven women worldwide and one in sixteen in New Zealand.

    Gestational diabetes is associated with complications during pregnancy. This includes high blood pressure, giving birth to a big baby (which increases the risk of vaginal birth complications) and increased rates of Caesarean section. It can also significantly affect the mother’s mental health and wellbeing.

    Worryingly, more women are being diagnosed with gestational diabetes than ever before. Our new review of later health impacts for these women suggests they could be receiving better care after birth and in the long term.

    Recommended care

    Women who experienced gestational diabetes are ten times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and twice as likely to experience cardiovascular disorders such as heart disease in the years following birth, compared to women who don’t develop gestational diabetes.

    These mothers may also suffer from mental health problems, including depression, particularly in high-risk groups such as women of non-European ethnicity and those with a previous history of gestational diabetes.

    For these reasons, care after birth for these women is important. This should include regular screening for blood sugar levels, cardiovascular problems and mental wellbeing after birth. It is also important women receive advice on diet and exercise.

    Support for continued breastfeeding is also important as women who get gestational diabetes may experience a delay in milk flow and generally have lower breastfeeding rates compared to others. Breastfeeding may even reduce the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes.

    Gestational diabetes can delay the flow of milk and make breastfeeding more difficult.
    Shutterstock/Pixel Shot

    Screening should continue for more than the first year after giving birth. Best practice would see women who had gestational diabetes being provided with long-term follow-up care, given their high risk for type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

    Current evidence, however, suggests this isn’t necessarily happening. In a 2018 British study across several general practice centres, women who had gestational diabetes reported their levels of care during pregnancy dropped sharply after birth – to the point where they felt abandoned by the health system.

    In a 2024 New Zealand study, mothers who had had gestational diabetes were interviewed five years after birth and expressed the need for more support from the health system.

    While this study involved mothers’ perceptions about the optimal health and wellbeing for their children who were exposed to gestational diabetes, the findings also suggest room for improvement in care for the women themselves.

    Gaps in clinical guidelines

    Following on from this, our research team reviewed existing clinical practice guidelines to see if there were any gaps. These guidelines play an important role in contributing to quality care because they summarise research findings to provide recommendations for healthcare professionals to optimise health and reduce harm.

    We looked at recommendations from 26 clinical practice guidelines published in the past decade in 22 countries, including New Zealand. The findings showed we could be doing better for women who have experienced gestational diabetes.

    A key example relates to screening for diabetes after birth. It is common practice to check the blood sugar levels of women within three months of giving birth to see if they have gone back to normal.

    This testing ensures any abnormalities (like high blood glucose, which may suggest diabetes) are detected so that appropriate management begins early on. Sadly, a nationwide study reported only about half of women receive this screening within six months after birth in New Zealand.

    Sending reminders and combining these tests with other postnatal baby health checks and care procedures might encourage more women to check their blood sugar levels. However, very few guidelines we assessed recommend ways to raise the number of women who attend this screening.

    Even fewer guidelines talk about screening for poor mental health, despite an increased chance these women could experience depression after birth.

    Research we carried out in 2022, using randomised trial data of women with a previous history of gestational diabetes, revealed that around one in five self-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression or poor mental functioning at six months after birth.

    Postnatal screening for mental health problems for all women who had gestational diabetes should be recommended to help improve quality of care.

    Encouraging women who have had gestational diabetes to attend screening tests, continue breastfeeding and adopt healthy dietary choices and physical exercise requires health professionals to provide adequate counselling on the long-term risks of this condition. This will help women stick with their care plan after birth.

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

    – ref. Diabetes during pregnancy can cause serious problems later – mothers need proper screening after birth – https://theconversation.com/diabetes-during-pregnancy-can-cause-serious-problems-later-mothers-need-proper-screening-after-birth-245658

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: As challenges mount across the globe, ‘the world needs the UN’, Egypt says

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty said it is time to “ring the alarm bells” as the international system is currently showing its structural shortcomings that come from ineffectiveness, double standards and inequality at a time of occupation, hunger, terrorism and injustice. Sketching out a path forward, he first stressed that there is no alternative to the multilateral system.

    At the same time, Israel’s brutal aggression against Gaza and its current attacks on the West Bank place shame on international institutions, which are unable to put an end to these aggressions. Condemning Israel’s escalation and its attacks on Lebanon, which are “pushing the region into the abyss”, he said efforts must “put an end to the bloodshed” and a start to the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

    Outlining other steps, he said multilateral banks must be modernised, and international institutions must be made more representative. He also voiced Egypt’s support for an expanded Security Council with more permanent seats, including for African nations.

    As for mounting climate challenges, he said efforts must be linked to adequate resources to do so, including through the Loss and Damage Fund, alongside national plans that align with the agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    In this vein, Cairo will continue to work on development initiatives with neighbours and partners in the Nile Basin. However, Egypt remains concerned about Ethiopia’s actions related to the Renaissance Dam project, which do not consider the needs of nations living downstream.

    Still, the world needs the UN to address a range of challenges from cybercrime and artificial intelligence to collective security. On the latter, maintaining peace and security is the raison d’être of the Organization, he said, regretting to note that some global agreements, including nuclear non-proliferation treaties, are being flouted. At the same time, the Security Council has been unable to stop ongoing conflicts.

    Committed to strengthening the UN’s role, he said the root causes of conflict must be addressed and efforts much be bolstered to truly maintain peace. One way to resolve the outbreak crises is to strengthen State institutions so they can fill vacuums created by political insecurity, he added.

    For its part, Egypt remains committed to working with regional and international partners to revitalise the multilateral system, he said. Despite ongoing crises and challenges, Egypt will continue working to bolster its human capital through a national dialogue that prioritises human rights and democracy and to maintain peace and security in the region and the world over.

    “Our young people will take forward this vision,” he said. “They are the ones who will craft their future and preserve human lives without discrimination on the basis of race, gender or otherwise, all within the multilateral system.”  

    Click here for the full statement (in Arabic).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Stories from the UN Archive: Roots of ‘no justice, no peace’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Eileen Travers

    Human Rights

    As the United States marks Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’re looking back this Monday at a story we produced last year examining the roots of the civil rights’ icon’s powerful call to action – “no justice, no peace”.

    Read our story here:

    When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, visited UN Headquarters in the 1960s to protest the Viet Nam conflict, the civil rights leader likened the anti-war movement to the struggle for equality for Black people in the US, declaring then what has today become a rallying cry in the continuing battle against racism.

    On 15 April 1967, a delegation led by Dr. King held a meeting with the legendary Ralph Bunche and other top UN officials. Mr. Bunche was the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and Dr. King was the second.

    Watch our report from the archives about UN legend Mr. Bunche, here.

    During the meeting, Dr. King presented a petition, calling for an immediate and peaceful solution to the Vietnam conflict (1961-1975). Earlier that day, he had marched alongside 125,000 protesters in what was the first of many mass marches in opposition to the war.

    Watch UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive episode on the world-renowned civil rights advocate below:

    ‘No justice without peace, no peace without justice’

    Outside UN Headquarters in the spring of 1967, Dr. King read aloud a powerful petition for peace amid turbulent times.

    “From towns and villages, cities, campuses and farms, we have come in tens of thousands to march and rally at the United Nations in New York and at the birthplace of the world organization in San Francisco on the 15th day of April 1967,” he said. “We the participants in today’s unprecedented national peace demonstration, although of many national origins, faiths and shades of political opinion, are united in our conviction of the imperative need for an immediate, peaceful solution to an illegal and unjustifiable war.”

    “We are determined that the killing be stopped and that a nuclear holocaust be avoided,” he said. “We rally at the United Nations in order to reaffirm our support of the principles of peace, universality, equal rights and self-determination of peoples embodied in the Charter and acclaimed by mankind, but violated by the United States.”

    In terms of the priority of the peace movement and the civil rights movement, Dr. King said “from a content point of view, the issues are inextricably tied together”.

    “In the final analysis, there can be no peace without justice, and there can be no justice without peace,” he said.

    UN Photo/Teddy Chen

    Dr. King speaks to the press at UN Headquarters in New York in 1967. (file)

    Inspiring future generations

    The civil rights leader continued to advocate for peace throughout the last year of his life before he was assassinated in 1968, exactly one year after he visited UN Headquarters. His anti-war activism reinforced the connection between the conflict abroad and injustice at home in the US.

    Dr. King’s lifetime efforts, from the March to Montgomery to his iconic I Have a Dream speech in Washington, have inspired future generations, including his own granddaughter. Earlier this year, 15-year-old activist Yolanda Renee King addressed an audience in the General Assembly Hall at a special commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, marked annually on 25 March.

    “I stand before you today as a proud descendant of enslaved people who resisted slavery and racism like my grandparents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King,” she said from the green marbled podium in the Assembly Hall.

    “My parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, have also dedicated their lives to putting an end to racism and all forms of bigotry and discrimination,” said the author of the children’s book We Dream a World, which pays tribute to her celebrated grandparents.

    “Like them, I am committed to the fight against racial injustice and to carrying on the legacy of my grandparents who championed social justice and equality,” Ms. King said, calling on young people around the world to take action.

    “We must connect via the internet and organise across national boundaries around the world. This will open up new possibilities for global campaigns to advance human rights and social justice in all nations. I hope that my family’s legacy of social justice advocacy will inspire my generation to action and to confront issues affecting our world.”

    Watch her full statement below:

    Stories from the UN Archive

    UN News is showcasing epic moments across UN history, cultivated from the UN Audiovisual Library’s 49,400 hours of video and 18,000 hours of audio recordings.

    Catch up on UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive playlist here and our accompanying series here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The climate crisis: 5 things to watch out for in 2025

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    Climate and Environment

    The Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, will be the global focus of efforts to tackle the climate crisis in November 2025, when it hosts one of the most significant UN climate conferences in recent years. 

    However, throughout the years there will be plenty of opportunities to make important progress on several climate-related issues, from the staggering levels of plastic pollution to financing the shift to a cleaner global economy.

    1 Can we keep 1.5 alive?

    “Keep 1.5 alive” has been the UN’s rallying cry for a number of years, a reference to the goal of ensuring that average global temperatures don’t soar beyond 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels. The scientific consensus is that a lack of action would have catastrophic consequences, not least for the so-called “frontline States”, such as developing island nations which could disappear under the ocean, as sea levels rise.

    © UNICEF/Lasse Bak Mejlvang

    A man fishes sitting on sandbags which protect the Pacific Ocean island nation Tuvalu against sea erosion.

    At COP30, the UN climate conference scheduled to take place between 10 and 21 November 2025, mitigation (in other words, actions and policies designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures) is likely to a key focus.

    The nations of the world will arrive with upgraded, more ambitious commitments to lowering greenhouse gases. This is both a recognition that existing pledges are wholly inadequate, in terms of getting temperatures down, and part of the deal that Member States signed up to in 2015 at the Paris COP (nations are expected to “ratchet up” their commitments every five years. The last time this happened was at the 2021 Glasgow COP, delayed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

    2 Protecting nature

    Holding COP30 in the Amazonian rainforest region of Brazil is of symbolic importance. It harks back to the early days of international attempts to protect the environment: the pivotal “Earth Summit”, which led to the establishment of three environmental treaties on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, took place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

    © Unsplash/Sreenivas

    A parrot stands on a tree branch in Maharashtra, India.

    The location also highlights the role that nature has to play in the climate crisis. The rainforest is a massive “carbon sink”, a system that sucks up and stores CO2, a greenhouse gas, and prevents it from entering the atmosphere, where it contributes to warming.

    Unfortunately, rainforests and other “nature-based solutions” face threats from human development, such as illegal logging which has devastated huge swathes of the region. The UN will continue efforts begun in 2024 to improve the protection of the rainforest and other ecosystems, at biodiversity talks due to be resumed in Rome in February.

    3 Who’s going to pay for all this?

    Finance has long been a thorny issue in international climate negotiations. Developing countries argue that wealthy nations should contribute far more towards projects and initiatives that will enable them to move away from fossil fuels, and power their economies on clean energy sources. The pushback from the rich countries is that fast-growing economies such as China, which is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, should also pay their share.

    © UNFCCC/Habib Samadov

    Activists protest against fossil fuels at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

    At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, a breakthrough of sorts was made, with the adoption of an agreement to triple the amount of climate finance paid to developing countries, to $300 billion per year, by 2035. The deal is a definite step forward, but the final sum is far less than the $1.3 trillion that climate experts say these countries need in order to adapt to the crisis.

    Expect more progress to be made on financing in 2025, at a summit in Spain at the end of June. The Financing for Development conferences only take place once every 10 years, and next year’s edition is being billed as an opportunity to make radical changes to the international financial architecture. Environmental and climate concerns will be raised, and potential solutions such as green taxation, carbon pricing and subsidies will all be on the table.

    4 Laying down the law

    When the attention of the International Court of Justice turned to climate change in December, it was hailed as a landmark moment with regards to States’ legal obligations under international law.

    © UNDP/Silke von Brockhausen

    Vanuatu often experiences destructive extreme weather, such as typhoons, which are being exacerbated by climate change.

    Vanuatu, a Pacific island state particularly vulnerable to the crisis, asked the court for an advisory position, in order to clarify the obligations of States with regard to climate change, and inform any future judicial proceedings.

    Over a two-week period, 96 countries and 11 regional organizations took part in public hearings before the Court, including Vanuatu and a group of other Pacific islands States, and major economies including China and the USA.

    The ICJ will deliberate for several months before delivering its advisory opinion on the subject. Although this opinion will be non-binding, it is expected to guide future international climate law.

    5 Plastic pollution

    UN-convened talks on getting to grips with the global epidemic of plastic pollution edged closer to a deal during negotiations in Busan, South Korea.

    Some key advances were made during the November 2024 talks – the fifth round of negotiations following the 2022 UN Environment Assembly resolution calling for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

    Agreement on three pivotal areas needs to be ironed: plastic products, including the issue of chemicals; sustainable production and consumption; and financing.

    UNDP India

    Plastic bottles are collected for recycling in India.

    Member States are now charged with finding political solutions to their differences before the resumed session begins, and with landing a final deal that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics and delivers on the growing global momentum to end plastic pollution.

    “It is clear that the world still wants and demands an end to plastic pollution,” said UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen. “We need to ensure we craft an instrument that hits the problem hard instead of punching below its potential weight. I call on all Member States to lean in.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish activity at Expo 2025

    Source: Scottish Government

    Showcasing key industries to global audiences

    Scotland’s innovation, skills and natural resources are to be showcased at Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan later this year.

    Three one day events at the global exhibition will highlight the country’s strengths in creative industries, life sciences and the offshore wind sector.

    It follows a successful attendance at Expo 2020 in Dubai, which generated forecast sales of almost £90 million for participating Scottish businesses.

    Games companies will be the focus of the creative industries day on 17 April, including eight being supported through the Scottish Government’s Techscaler business accelerator. Also attending will be KeelWorks, an established Edinburgh game development company with an existing deal with Japanese publisher KONAMI.

    Business Minister Richard Lochhead visited the company to launch the Expo programme and hear about its export success.

    Mr Lochhead said:

    “This is an opportunity for Scotland to showcase and shine on the global stage. Our message in Osaka will be simple – Scotland is open for business and is one of the best places in the world to invest.

    “We will demonstrate first hand that we have the skills, technology and opportunities in a range of emerging industries. KeelWorks is just one example of that and later in the year our buoyant life sciences businesses and the offshore wind sector will also be centre stage.

    “Japanese businesses already recognise Scotland’s economic potential, including Sumitomo, which is currently building a subsea cable factory at Nigg in the Highlands. I am confident that further companies and significant investment will follow as result of our presence at the Expo.”

    KeelWorks Chief Executive Meher Kalenderian said:

    “This activity is about strengthening connections, driving investment and opening new doors for collaboration. So, we’re thrilled to be part of Scotland’s presence at Expo 2025 Osaka, highlighting the strong business opportunities between Scotland and Japan’s prominent gaming industries.

    “This platform offers a great chance to showcase our thriving creative sector and build new collaborations. At KeelWorks, we’ve seen first-hand the value of such partnerships through our work with KONAMI on CYGNI: All Guns Blazing.

    “Our presence at the Expo reflects the growing potential for Scottish and Japanese gaming sectors to engage, as both countries lead in innovation.”

    Background

    Expo 2025 Osaka takes place from 13 April to 13 October. It is an international event at which countries, organisations and companies showcase innovations, cultural exchanges and solutions to global challenges. It is expected to attract about 28 million visitors and more than 150 participating countries. Scotland’s three events are supported by Scottish Enterprise.

    Scotland’s first Trade Envoy to Japan was appointed in October 2024. The unpaid role will last for an initial two-year period.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Granite Credit Union Selects Appli to Modernize Digital Lending Experience

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Appli, a provider of artificial intelligence-powered financial calculators, announced that Granite Credit Union has selected its financial calculator solution to improve the digital lending experience for its members.

    “In our market, which is very credit union-heavy, staying competitive technologically while maintaining our focus on member service is crucial,” said Garrett Laws, chief lending officer at Granite Credit Union. “Financial calculators are often the first step in a member’s lending journey, but traditional calculators provide limited value. Appli’s guided experience gives members the confidence to move forward with applications while helping those who might not initially qualify understand their path to approval. Even if someone isn’t ready for loan approval today, being able to show them a path forward aligns perfectly with our mission of helping people be confident in their financial future.”

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

    Granite Credit Union will implement Appli’s technology to help members better understand their borrowing options and loan qualification potential before submitting formal applications. Starting with auto loans, including its unique “vanishing rate auto loan” program that rewards members with rate discounts for consistent on-time payments, the credit union plans to integrate the calculators throughout its digital presence – from its website and online banking portal to new member onboarding communications. Future phases will expand to personal loans and credit cards, with plans to explore mortgage and business lending applications.

    “Granite Credit Union is a perfect example of the innovative, member-focused approach we designed Appli for,” said Tim Pranger, CEO of Appli. “Their commitment to serving diverse communities and helping members build financial confidence through technology makes them an ideal partner as we continue expanding our platform’s capabilities.”

    About Granite Credit Union
    Founded in 1935, Granite Credit Union serves over 35,000 members and has just over $800 million in assets. Committed to helping members achieve their financial goals, Granite Credit Union offers a variety of financial products and services, including competitive rates, flexible lending options, and personalized financial guidance. With a vision of “always there… so you can make life happen,” the credit union strives to empower members with the tools and support they need to succeed financially. Members enjoy access to secure mobile banking services, online tools, and personalized in-branch assistance at locations across Utah. Granite Credit Union is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities it serves through financial education, trusted relationships, and exceptional service. Granite Credit Union is always there… so you can make life happen. Learn more at granite.org.

    About Appli
    Appli, founded in 2024 by POPi/o co-founder Tim Pranger, provides AI-powered financial calculators that help lenders and member service representatives create personalized, engaging shopping experiences for financial products. By combining real-time analysis with generative AI, Appli’s tools boost customer confidence and increase conversion rates for financial institutions. For more information about Appli and its smart financial calculator for credit unions, visit hiappli.com.

    Media Contact:
    marketing@granite.org

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Boost Broadband Supply Chain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) reintroduced their bipartisan Network Equipment Transparency (NET) Act to increase broadband supply chain transparency through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make sure federal broadband programs stay on track. 
    “In order to effectively connect our communities, it’s critical that our federal agencies work to address any potential problems that would slow or hinder this process of deployment. I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the NET Act, which will provide us with another tool to monitor the supply chain so these crucial projects can be executed in a timely manner,” Senator Capito said.
    BACKGROUND:
    Previous supply chain disruptions have delayed broadband infrastructure projects. A lack of transparency into the health of the telecommunications supply chain may contribute to future equipment shortages as federal broadband programs prioritize high-speed, reliable, and accessible networks.
    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) invested billions to jumpstart broadband projects nationwide. This bill would help to identify supply chain issues earlier so they can be addressed with less impact on these ongoing projects.
    Specifically, the bill would require the FCC’s Communications Marketplace Report to describe to Congress the impact of supply chain disruptions on the timely completion or deployment of broadband infrastructure projects. 
    Senator Capito previously introduced the NET Act in the 118th Congress. 
    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘War on drugs has failed, completely and utterly’: UN human rights chief

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The UN human rights chief has called on leaders and international stakeholders to radically rethink global drug policy, stating that the decades-long “War on Drugs” approach has “destroyed countless lives and damaged entire communities”.

    Speaking at the ‘Dealing with Drugs II’ conference in Warsaw on Thursday, High Commissioner Volker Türk highlighted the urgent need for a human rights-based approach to drug regulation, pointing to record numbers of drug-related deaths and increasing drug use disorders.

    The conference, which builds on January’s ‘Dealing with Drugs I’ meeting hosted by the Mayor of Amsterdam, brought together leaders and experts from across Europe and the world to share best practices and expertise.

    “Criminalisation and prohibition have failed to reduce drug use and failed to deter drug-related crime. These policies are simply not working – and we are failing some of the most vulnerable groups in our societies”.

    Global drug crisis

    The High Commissioner’s address comes amid a surge in illicit drug production and distribution.

    In Afghanistan, despite a 2022 Taliban ban that initially reduced opium cultivation by 95 per cent, 2024 saw a 19 per cent resurgence driven by economic hardship and rising prices. Meanwhile, North America faces an unprecedented fentanyl crisis, with synthetic drugs claiming lives at an alarming rate across the United States and parts of Asia and Africa.

    From punishment to support

    He emphasised the need for a radical shift in approach that prioritises health, dignity and inclusion.

    “Instead of punitive measures, we need gender-sensitive and evidence-based drug policies, grounded by public health,” Mr. Türk urged. He also called for “inclusive access to voluntary medical care and other social services,” emphasising that harm reduction measures are essential in preventing drug overdose fatalities.

    A key element of reform, Mr. Türk declared, is decriminalisation. “We need to start treating the person, not punishing the drug use disorder,” advocating for social reintegration support to accompany policy changes.

    The High Commissioner pointed to clear evidence supporting this approach: “Focusing on inclusion and education over incarceration means that drug consumption falls. Choosing social reintegration over stigmatisation means that drug-related infections decrease”.

    Soundcloud

    Prioritising people

    At the centre of policy development, Mr. Türk stressed the importance of a focus on people most affected by current drug policies.

    “Historically, people who use drugs are marginalised, criminalised, discriminated against and left behind – very often stripped of their dignity and their rights,” he noted.

    “We are destined to fail unless we ensure their genuine participation in formulating and implementing drug policy”.

    “The evidence is clear. The so-called War on Drugs has failed, completely and utterly,” Mr. Türk concluded. “And prioritising people over punishment means more lives are saved”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Join 32 Senators on Bipartisan Legislation to Make High-Quality Job Training More Accessible

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 11, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that would make high-quality job training more accessible. 
    “The last thing hardworking students should have to worry about is not being able to afford a pathway to a successful career,” Wyden said. “No student should ever be denied the chance to work hard and get ahead. The JOBS Act would make the playing field fairer by giving low-income students the chance to pursue their dreams of securing a good paying job.” 
    “In order for every American to have a good-paying job, they need access to affordable, high-quality job training,” Merkley said. “As employers face critical shortages of skilled workers, too many people are still struggling to find opportunities that match their potential. The bipartisan JOBS Act is a win for our workforce, a win for our businesses, and a win for our economy.”
    The Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act would allow students to use Pell Grants, need-based federal financial aid for undergraduates from low-income households, to pay for shorter-term job training programs. 
    Students now can only use Pell Grants for two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Students in shorter-term high-quality job training programs are ineligible for this crucial assistance. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the JOBS Act would allow students to have access to job training they might not be able to afford but that they need for careers in high-demand fields.
    There is also a skilled labor shortage that is expected to intensify in the coming years, in part because unemployed Americans lack access to the job training needed to fill vacant jobs. The JOBS Act would allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality job training programs that are at least eight weeks long and lead to industry-recognized credentials or certificates. 
    In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation is led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Roger Marshal, R-Kan. and cosponsored by Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Blunt Rochester D-Del., Cory Booker D-N.J., John Boozman, R-Ark., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. V.a., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Angus King, I-Maine, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Jon Ossoff D-Ga., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Dan Sullivan, D-Ark., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark R. Warner, D-Va., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
    The JOBS Act is endorsed by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association for Career and Technical Education , the Association of Community College Trustees, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Business Roundtable, the Center for Law and Social Policy , the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, Higher Learning Advocates, HP Inc., the Information Technology Industry Council, Jobs for the Future, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, NAF, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, the National Skills Coalition, the Progressive Policy Institute, Rebuilding America’s Middle Class, and the Virginia Community College System.
    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bringing Accountability and Transparency Back

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    The first subpoena I issued as the new chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for records relating to COVID-19 vaccine safety data and communications about the COVID-19 pandemic, including Dr. Anthony Fauci’s emails.
    These records and data were previously withheld by the Biden administration. This is a  culmination of a multi-year fight to overcome the obstruction of the Biden administration to get unredacted records and data about the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. For years, Biden officials at HHS and its subcomponent agencies withheld crucial health information the public. Many of my 70 oversight letters were either completely ignored or inadequately addressed.
    It is well past time to bring accountability and transparency back to our U.S. health agencies.
    I made this announcement during Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearingbefore the Senate Finance Committee. Watch my call for this nomination to unify and heal our nation.

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joining forces with President Trump to address chronic illness was the answer to my – and millions of other Americans’ – prayers. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to confirm his nomination and give him the opportunity to Make America Healthy Again.
    WATCH: Sen. Johnson’s entire 7-minute questioning of RFK Jr. 
    WATCH: News Nation interview with Sen. Johnson on RFK Jr. hearing
    SOCIAL: Daily Signal X post
    SOCIAL: Eric Daugherty X post
    READ: Why Sen. Johnson suggests a Secretary of Information Extraction

    My budget proposals are as close as we will ever get to zero-based budgeting. Use one of the pre-pandemic spending levels as a starting point instead of starting at $7 trillion and suffering death by a thousand cuts. I’ve suggested using $5.5 trillion (which would match Biden’s projected revenue) and add if we must.
    If we use President Trump’s projected FY2025 outlays, plus Biden’s projected FY2025 spending for Social Security, Medicare, and Interest, then FY2025 outlays would equal $6.1 trillion. This will dramatically reduce the deficit, and put us in a position where actually balancing the budget is entirely doable.
    We’ve got to bring spending down. It’s not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem.
    We just released the text of the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 budget resolution. 
    This will be the blueprint that unlocks the pathway for a fully paid-for reconciliation bill to secure the border, bolster our military, increase American energy independence, and begin the process of fiscal sanity.
    WATCH: Newsmax interview on budget battle
    WATCH: “I have greater faith in Elon Musk to root out waste, fraud, and abuse than unelected bureaucrats who refuse to be held accountable.”
    READ: Sen. Johnson’s Wall Street Journal op-ed on fiscal sanity
    SOCIAL: Sen. Johnson’s X post response to Elon Musk
    WATCH: Badger Institute Speaker Series — Forthright facts from the Senate’s pre-eminent accountant

    I joined the Megyn Kelly Show to talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination and restoring integrity to science. We need to make sure that the data is transparent and that everybody has a seat at the table.

    On the Steve Deace Show, I talked about why ALL of Trump’s cabinet appointments must be approved and why we must balance the budget with out-of-the-box thinking. 

    On the Daily Signal podcast, I sat down with Fred Lucas to talk about serving as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. I told him I’ll be like a mosquito in a nudist colony — it’s a target rich environment!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Western Senators  Warn Trump’s Illegal Funding Freeze Threatens Wildfire Mitigation Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    Stop-work orders for wildfire risk reduction projects on public lands undermine community preparedness
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, and 10 of their Senate colleagues from Western states wrote a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington to raise the alarm about wildfire risk reduction projects that remove hazardous fuels on Bureau of Land Management lands, and to express concerns about the potential for a future freeze at the U.S. Forest Service.
    “Catastrophic wildfires across the United States are an ongoing national crisis and responding to them must be a national priority. These stop work orders and funding freezes jeopardize communities that depend on a robust federal response to our wildfire crisis – and also jeopardize small businesses, often in frontier and rural communities, that are contracted to do the work on the ground to reduce hazardous fuels,” wrote the senators.
    This follows President Trump’s illegal executive orders cutting federal funds to mitigate and fight wildfires and comes as communities in Colorado and nationwide prepare for wildfire season. Hazardous fuel removal projects cut off fuel to wildfires which increases ecosystem resilience – protecting firefighters and civilians alike. Delaying these treatments even for a short period can mean missing out on the right seasonal and weather conditions for safe removal. 
    The full text of the letter can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Secretary Burgum and Acting Secretary Washington,
    We are writing with great concern about reports from our constituents that the Bureau of Land Management has issued stop work orders for hazardous fuels reduction projects. We are further concerned that fuels projects overseen by the U.S. Forest Service will be next. These projects are integral to increased safety and resiliency and any delay in implementation puts those communities at greater risk. We urge you to immediately rescind these stop work orders, halt any further stop work orders or funding freezes, and instead work with the tools and funds Congress has provided to better safeguard our communities from the serious risk of catastrophic wildfire.
    These projects are part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, funded by theInfrastructure and Investment in Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Investing in fuels reduction treatments is a primary recommendation in the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report, a nonpartisan strategy document to tackle the myriad challenges associated with wildfire across the country. We also note with alarm that this report was removed from federal websites this week.
    In 2022, the Forest Service identified high-risk firesheds across the country to be prioritized for hazardous fuels reduction work through the Wildlife Crisis Strategy and Implementation Plan. The Forest Service chose 10 high-priority landscapes with the enactment of IIJA and an additional 11 landscapes with the enactment of IRA – each of these landscapes require significant investment to reduce wildfire risk. These 21 landscapes were awarded a total of $1.73 billion to protect at-risk communities, critical infrastructure, public water sources, and adjacent Tribal lands in 10 Western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, States, Tribes, local stakeholders, and small businesses have been working together over the last three years to implement fuels reduction on these landscapes.
    Catastrophic wildfires across the United States are an ongoing national crisis and responding to them must be a national priority. These stop work orders and funding freezes jeopardize communities that depend on a robust federal response to our wildfire crisis – and also jeopardize small businesses, often in frontier and rural communities, that are contracted to do the work on the ground to reduce hazardous fuels. 
    In addition to endangering communities, the President’s Executive Orders freezing funding are flagrantly illegal. The Government Accountability Office, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (including in an opinion written by future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist), and the Supreme Court of the United States have all disavowed the notion of some “inherent Presidential power to impound,” as some in the Administration, as well as pending Administration nominees, have tried to argue without legal or textual basis.
    Not only does the Constitution vest the power of the purse with Congress and provide no power to the President to impound funds, but there have been several bedrock fiscal statutes enacted to protect Congress’ constitutional power of the purse and prevent unlawful executive overreach, including the Antideficiency Act and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). The ICA prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently, without following the strictly circumscribed requirements of that law, which have not been honored in this instance.
    As we’ve seen with the recent fires surrounding Los Angeles, wildfire does not distinguish between homes and trees. But we do have ways to mitigate the risk. One of the most effective strategies to reduce that risk is to reduce the hazardous natural fuels that surround our communities. These fuels reduction projects save lives and property, reduce the danger to firefighters, and return our lands to a fire-adapted ecosystem that can better withstand the threat to human life, communities, infrastructure, and property.   
    By terminating or even pausing these projects, all of the progress made at protecting these communities is at risk. We are imploring you to rescind the order to stop work on these hazardous fuels reduction efforts, as well as any other wildland fire management programs that are working to reduce risk and safeguard communities from catastrophic wildfire.
    We hope to work with you to combat the scourge of catastrophic wildfire.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘New Quest Unlocked’: UN experts counter violent extremism in gaming spaces

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

    As millions unwrap new gaming devices this holiday season, UN experts are warning that these digital playgrounds need next-generation protection against extremist exploitation. 

    In an industry that has outgrown Hollywood in sheer monetary value – reaching $196 billion in 2023 – these digital platforms are becoming recruitment grounds for extremists, prompting an unprecedented collaboration between counter terrorism specialists and gaming companies.

    To discuss the growing threat, UN News’s Sarah Daly sat down with Steven Siqueira, Deputy Director of the UN Counter Terrorism Centre (part of the counter-terrorism office, UNOCT) and Leif Villadsen, Acting Director of the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

    The senior officials hosted a landmark event on the issue called New Quest Unlocked held earlier in December, which brought together gaming companies, policymakers and researchers to address violent extremism in gaming spaces.

    “The alarming trend has necessitated a collaborative research approach with the gaming industry and adjacent platforms,” Mr. Siqueira said, highlighting how extremist groups are increasingly targeting gaming spaces and adjacent platforms like Discord and Telegram.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity

    UN News:  Your joint event, New Quest Unlocked, brought together both UNICRI and UNOCT as well as gaming companies, policymakers and researchers. What prompted this collaboration?

    Steven Siqueira: Last year in 2023, the gaming industry and adjacent platforms was a $196 billion industry. By comparison the movie industry was about 40 billion, so it’s five times the size of the movie industry.

    Young people are being reached by terrorists and violent extremist groups through these platforms, with propaganda videos increasingly appearing across Discord, Telegram and Tiktok. This alarming trend necessitated collaborative research and working together with the gaming industry, adjacent platforms and of course, our members and member governments.

    UN News: Recent intelligence reports suggest the threat level is higher than previously understood. What exactly are you seeing?

    Steven Siqueira: While gaming has many positive aspects in terms of social interaction around the world – there’s also increasing risk that terrorists and violent extremist groups are using these platforms and the gaming adjacent platforms to get their message out.

    The findings are stark: in Australia alone, approximately one in five counter-terrorism cases now involve young people, with gaming platforms playing a role in every investigated case.

    Soundcloud

    UN News: These findings challenge common perceptions about gaming platforms. How has the landscape evolved?

    Steven Siqueira: The industry is not only open to young people. Increasingly, the average age of gamers is about 30-35 and it’s much more gender balanced than it has been in previous years.

    UN News: Your research focuses particularly on Africa’s gaming market. Why is this region so crucial in understanding future challenges?

    Leif Villadsen: Africa has indeed become one of the fastest growing markets for mobile games. With an unprecedented 11 per cent year-over-year growth rate, the continent represents both an extraordinary opportunity and a potential vulnerability.

    We aim to better understand the industry, the community, the tactics used and the gaps and challenges in our own understanding of this threat across the continent.

    UN News: You’re developing something called ‘gaming intelligence’ as part of global prevention strategies. How will this transform digital security?

    Leif Villadsen: Gaming intelligence is focused on carrying intelligence from open-source platforms like in games, chats and social media to track extremist content and recruitment activities. This intelligence information will inform early warning systems help to detect and prevent radicalisation at an early stage.

    UN News: How crucial is artificial intelligence to these global prevention measures?

    Leif Villadsen: Given the size of the ecosystem, we are looking to develop and deploy advanced content moderation tools, with AI-based tools. However, the gaming community is filled with personalities with large followings so, we want to avoid any type of takedowns or massive actions which could be counterproductive and seen as suspicious by gamers.

    It is crucial that we work with the gaming community, private sector companies and with gamers themselves, including young women and men to educate and build resilience across the community.

    UN News: As we look toward 2025, what concrete outcomes, will make gaming spaces safer?

    Leif Villadsen: By creating shared global standards and encouraging collaboration between governments, tech companies and civil society, we can provide a framework for addressing these threats in a more coordinating manner.

    Steven Siqueira: The Global Digital Compact recognises these dual realities of the digital age and calls for unified global commitment to ensure that digital spaces are safe, inclusive and aligned with human rights principles.

    Ultimately, finding the right actors in the gaming system – those who have a voice, but who are also open to understanding what the threat is and where to mitigate and how best to mitigate threats, could really help us strengthen and make the gaming ecosystem more resilient to violent extremism. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Israeli military operation displaces 40,000 in the West Bank

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    The forced displacement of Palestinian communities in the northern part of the West Bank is escalating at an alarming pace, the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees UNRWA warned on Monday. 

    Several refugee camps are nearly empty after Israeli forces launched Operation Iron Wall on 21 January, making it the longest operation in the West Bank since the second intifada, according to the agency.

    The operation started in Jenin camp and then expanded to Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and El Far’a camps, displacing 40,000 Palestine refugees. 

    UNRWA said thousands of families have been forcibly displaced since Israel began carrying out large-scale operations in the occupied West Bank in mid-2023. 

    Cycle of displacement

    “Repeated and destructive operations have rendered the northern refugee camps uninhabitable, trapping residents in cyclical displacement,” the agency stressed.

    Last year more than 60 per cent of displacement was a result of Israel Defense Forces operations.

    UNRWA said forced displacement in the occupied West Bank is the result of an increasingly dangerous and coercive environment.

    “The use of air strikes, armoured bulldozers, controlled detonations, and advanced weaponry by the Israeli Forces has become commonplace – a spillover of the war in Gaza,” the agency noted.

    Palestinian militant activity

    Meanwhile, armed Palestinians are also increasingly active in the northern West Bank, deploying improvised explosive devices inside refugee camps, including near UNRWA facilities and civilian infrastructure. 

    The militants have engaged in violent clashes with both Israeli and Palestinian forces, UNRWA said. Furthermore, from December 2024 onwards, Palestinian forces operations further exacerbated displacement from Jenin camp. 

    New laws in effect

    UNRWA reiterated that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times and that collective punishment is never acceptable.

    “Jenin Camp stands empty today, evoking memories of the second intifada. This scene stands to be repeated in other camps,” the agency said.

    UNRWA stated that it no longer has any contact with the Israeli authorities following the implementation of two laws on 30 January, thus making it impossible to raise concerns about civilian suffering or the urgent need for humanitarian aid delivery.

    The situation “puts at grave risk the lives of Palestine Refugees and the UNRWA staff that serve them.”

    The laws ban UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory and prohibit Israeli officials from having any contact with the agency. 

    Separately, UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said ongoing operations by Israeli forces in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas continue to cause civilian casualties, with at least 40 people reportedly killed since 21 January.

    The UN and partners continue to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing operation in Jenin, which continues to drive displacement. OCHA said the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners have reached nearly 1,200 households with cash assistance. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New UN relief chief takes office

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Tom Fletcher, UN’s new chief of humanitarian affairs, took office on Monday, pledging to defend humanitarian values while navigating operations amid growing global crises.

    Mr. Fletcher, a former UK Ambassador and policy adviser to three British Prime Ministers, was appointed UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator by Secretary-General António Guterres last month.

    In his new role, he will also head the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

    He succeeds Martin Griffiths, also from the UK, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons. In the interim, Joyce Msuya, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, served as acting Under-Secretary-General.

    ‘No illusions’

    As the new top humanitarian official, Mr. Fletcher acknowledged that he is “under no illusion as to how tough this mission is.”

    “The impact on civilians of conflict, climate change, inequality and injustice is growing at a staggering rate,” he said.

    “I will defend our humanitarian movement and humanitarian values, and battle to make us more efficient, strategic, inclusive and innovative. We must win afresh the argument for international solidarity,” he added.

    Before his appointment, Mr. Fletcher was Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, and Vice Chair of Oxford University’s Conference of Colleges.

    He brings extensive experience in leading and transforming organizations, along with a strong background in diplomacy, having previously served as Global Strategy Director at the Global Business Coalition for Education, according to a UN biographical note.

    Mr. Fletcher also worked closely with the UN during his UK diplomatic career in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, including as Head of the Middle East Peace Process at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The trial that brought down a warlord

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Our team took the Anthem Award’s gold medal in the diversity, equity and inclusion category announced earlier this week. The documentary follows the intricate proceedings that saw the DR Congo’s military court system prosecute Sheka in a landmark case followed around the world.

    Watch the full UN Video documentary directed by Nathan Beriro below:

    Read our feature story published in July last year that accompanied the video’s release:

    For 96 hours, the orders kept coming. By the end, 287 people were dead, 387 women and children had been raped and 13 villages in eastern DR Congo had been robbed of any sense of normalcy.

    The trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka was the most emblematic, complex case the court in North Kivu province had ever handled, and its proceedings and final judgement in 2020 provide a compelling example of how to bring a war criminal to justice.

    UN News took a closer look at a trial that provides an important case study for nations meting out criminal justice around the world. The case also illustrates the importance of UN peace operations’s support to national justice and security institutions.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

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

    The crimes: ‘On a scale never seen’

    On 30 July 2010, armed members of the militia Nduma Défense of Congo (NDC) fanned out across 13 remote villages in restive, resource-rich Walikale, the largest territory in North Kivu, 150 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Goma.

    Situated within a large equatorial forest, the area had been plagued by two decades of conflict, with myriad armed groups fighting to control lucrative mines, including those extracting tin’s primary mineral, cassiterite.

    The then 34-year-old Mr. Sheka – a former miner who founded a year earlier what Goma’s chief military prosecutor called the area’s “most organised” armed group, complete with units, brigades, battalions, and companies – had given his orders.

    For four days and nights, his recruits discharged them.

    “Sheka wasn’t just anyone,” Nadine Sayiba Mpila, the lawyer representing civil parties in the case, told UN News. “Sheka committed crimes on a scale never seen in DR Congo.”

    She described how his soldiers “would slaughter people and put the heads of these people on stakes and walk through the streets of the villages to say this is what awaits you if you don’t denounce what he called ‘the enemies’”.

    By 2 August 2010, the armed militia had begun to fully occupy the villages.

    UN Photo

    Sheka (second from left) led an armed group in eastern DR Congo. (file)

    The warrant: Wanted for war crimes

    Those who could, fled to safety. Some sought medical help from a nearby non-governmental organization (NGO).

    Within two weeks, the survivors’s stories had reached the authorities. Media reports headlined the attacks as “mass rapes”. The UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, supported the deployment of a police contingent.

    By November 2010, a case was brought against the warlord. Congolese authorities then issued a national arrest warrant for Mr. Sheka, and the UN Security Council added him to its sanctions list.

    Mandated to protect civilians and support national authorities, MONUSCO launched Operation Silent Valley in early August 2011, helping residents to safely return to their villages.

    ‘No choice but to surrender’

    Mr. Sheka was now a fugitive. Also known as the Mai-Mai militia, NDC continued to operate in the area along with other armed groups.

    “Cornered on all sides, he was now weakened and had no choice but to surrender,” said Colonel Ndaka Mbwedi Hyppolite, Chief Prosecutor of the Operational Military Court of North Kivu, which tried Mr. Sheka’s case.

    He turned himself in on 26 July 2017 to MONUSCO, who handed him over to Congolese authorities, which in turn charged him with war crimes, including murder, sexual slavery, recruitment of children, looting and rape.

    “The time had come to tell the truth and face the consequences of the truth,” Ms. Sayiba said.

    MONUSCO

    The trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka. (file)

    The trial: 3,000 pieces of evidence

    Ahead of the trial, UN peacekeepers helped to build the detention cells that housed Mr. Sheka and the courtroom itself, where military court proceedings unfolded over two years, pausing from March to June 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Starting in November 2018, the court would consider 3,000 pieces of evidence and hear from 178 witnesses at 108 hearings.

    Their testimonies played a key role, representing the prosecution’s “last resort” to prove that crimes had been committed, said Patient Iraguha, Senior Legal Advisor for TRIAL International in DRC, who helped authorities with the case.

    But, getting victims to testify was a serious challenge, the Congolese prosecutors said.

    During the trial, Mr. Sheka had “reached out to certain victims to intimidate them”, jeopardising their willingness to appear in court. However, a joint effort involving the UN and such partners as TRIAL International changed that, Ms. Sayiba explained.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

    People displaced by fighting between M23 and national armed forces set up camp in late 2012 on the outskirts of Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)

    Colonel Ndaka agreed, adding that some rape victims also feared being stigmatised by society. Protection measures were established, and judicial authorities were able to gather evidence in collaboration with MONUSCO, which also trained the judiciary in international criminal law procedures, giving the court sufficient knowledge to properly investigate the case, he said.

    “When the Congolese authorities had to go into the field to investigate or to listen to the victims, they were surrounded by a MONUSCO contingent,” he said. “The victims who did appear did so thanks to the support provided by our partners.”

    MONUSCO and the UN Justice and Corrections Service provided technical, logistical and financial support throughout the investigation and trial, empowering the country’s judicial system to investigate and prosecute serious crimes while protecting the victims.

    Tonderai Chikuhwa, Chief of Staff at the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, recalled hearing first-hand about the crimes.

    “The harrowing testimonies I heard from survivors in seven villages from Kibua to Mpofu in Walikale in 2010 are indelibly etched on my mind,” he wrote on social media at the time.

    The first witnesses to appear in court were six children, with victims testifying through July 2020.

    “After his testimony before the jury, Sheka started crying,” Ms. Sayiba recalled. “A defendant’s tears are a response. I believe Sheka realised that he was now alone. He had to take responsibility for his actions.”

    MONUSCO

    Trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka.

    The verdict: Congolese justice ‘did it’

    On 23 November 2020, the Operational Military Court sentenced Mr. Sheka to life in prison.

    “This marks an important step forward in combating impunity for perpetrators of child recruitment and other grave violations,” the UN Secretary-General wrote about the case in his 2022 report on children and armed conflict in the DRC.

    Yet, in 2022, the country had the world’s highest number of cases of conflict-related sexual violence, his Special Representative on the topic told the UN Security Council last year, presenting the latest related report.

    “We must act urgently, and with sustained resolve, to save succeeding generations from this scourge,” said Pramila Patten, adding that “so many” women she met during a visit last year to the DRC “stressed the daily risk of sexual violence while carrying out livelihood activities”.

    She had welcomed Mr. Sheka’s conviction, calling it “a formidable example showing that no individual, no matter how powerful, is immune from being held accountable for those violations”.

    Indeed, the trial sent “a great message”, said Ms. Sayiba, adding that the verdict was “an assurance to the victims who could now see that their testimonies were not in vain”.

    For Colonel Ndaka, the verdict was “a source of pride for myself, for my country, for Congolese justice”.

    Today, the UN continues to support efforts to end impunity in the DRC, including with help from the UN Team of Experts on the rule of law and sexual violence in conflict, and in Central African Republic, Mali, South Sudan and other nations. In North Kivu, the Public Prosecutor’s Office expanded in June, with UN support, into the Peace Court of Goma.

    Mr. Sheka, now 48, continues his life sentence in a facility in the capital, Kinshasa.

    “The fact that Sheka was tried and sentenced is proof that the rule of law exists and that you cannot remain unpunished when you have committed the gravest, most abominable crimes,” Colonel Ndaka said. “Congolese justice could do it, with will, determination and means. It was able to do it, and it did it.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNRWA ‘continues to deliver’ as Israeli ban comes into effect

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA on Thursday upheld its commitment to support millions across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as Israel’s order for it to cease operations went into effect. 

    “UNRWA continues to deliver assistance and services to the communities we serve,” the agency said in a post on the social media platform X.

    “Our clinics across the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem are open while the humanitarian operation in Gaza continues.”

    No official word

    Last October, the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, passed two laws that called for ending UNRWA’s operations in its territory and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency.

    Israel ordered UNRWA to vacate all premises in occupied East Jerusalem and cease operations in them by 30 January of this year.

    In a separate post on X, UNRWA said it had not received any official communication on how the bills will be implemented.

    Fears of impact

    Speaking to The Guardian, UNRWA Communications Director Juliette Touma said its headquarters in East Jerusalem “is still there” and the flag is still flying.

    “We don’t have plans to close our operations,” she said. “But we are in the dark.”

    Since 1950, UNRWA has been assisting Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    The ban threatens life-saving aid, education and healthcare for millions in the OPT, and the UN has repeatedly warned of the consequences.

    Palestinians in Gaza are also worried, including Iman Hillis, who is currently staying in an UNRWA school with her family.

    “We will have nothing to eat or drink, and this will affect us greatly,” she told UN News on Wednesday. “All the people will be destroyed and will not have food, water or flour.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Dreams of returning home dashed by reality in Gaza City

    Source: United Nations 2

    Humanitarian Aid

    People continue to stream back into Gaza City in the wake of the temporary ceasefire across the Strip, with some 500,000 reportedly returning so far, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Thursday. 

    Tess Ingram, Communications Manager for UNICEF Middle East and North Africa, is in the northern city where she witnessed people moving through the streets on donkeys, in cars, or by bicycle.

    “There’s a lot of people with shovels trying to remove rubble, and of course you can see people setting up makeshift shelters or tents on what I’m guessing used to be their homes,” she told UN News. 

    Hope and heartache

    Ms. Ingram believes that many people were filled with hope and joy as they were finally able to come back to the place they had hoped to return to for more than 15 months.

    “But now, as I speak to people, I think that joy is being replaced somewhat by a sense of heaviness as they discover the reality of what has happened here in Gaza City,” she said.

    “They were hoping to return to a home that is not there, or to a loved one who has been killed, and I think that that heaviness is really sinking in for people.”

    Soundcloud

    Living conditions also remain very difficult. Ms. Ingram visited a school-turned-shelter which is housing returnees along with people who had been living there throughout the war.  

    She met a mother and her five children who desperately need winter clothes and food, but mostly a place to stay because the home where they had hoped to return is gone.

    This story is not uncommon. “It is not one person. It is not 100. There are probably thousands of people who are in a similar situation,” she said.

    Danger on the way

    Ms. Ingram noted that families are making long, treacherous journeys to get back to Gaza City.

    On Wednesday she travelled from Al Mawasi, located in the central Gaza Strip, which took 13 hours. However, some families took as long as 36 hours to make the trip.

    “And of course the journey itself over those 36 hours is incredibly dangerous,” she said.

    “We’ve heard reports of people being killed by unexploded remnants of war on the way, because these very dangerous unexploded ordnance are buried underneath the rubble.”

    Soundcloud

    Support for returnees

    UNICEF is supporting returning families with the basics that they need to survive.  The agency is bringing in nutrition supplies, medical supplies, fuel to run bakeries and hospitals, and water pumps so that people have access to clean water.

    On Wednesday, UNICEF and other UN agencies brought in 16 trucks of fuel that will be provided to water wells, hospitals and bakeries to get essential services back up and running again.

    They are also providing services for mental health and psychosocial support for children to help them deal with the trauma they have experienced over the past 15 months. Nutritional screening and immunization services are forthcoming. 

    Keeping families together

    Hundreds of children have also reportedly been separated from their families while making the journey to the north, and UNICEF is responding to the situation. 

    Staff have been providing children under the age of four with identification bracelets that have their names, their families’ names and phone numbers, on them.

    “So, if in the worst case they did get lost in the wash of people there would be some hope of reconnecting them soon with their loved ones,” Ms. Ingram said.

    © UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

    Displaced Palestinians walk along a street in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

    People on the move

    Humanitarians report that more displaced families are returning to northern Gaza as the ceasefire continues to hold. 

    More than 462,000 people have crossed from the south since the opening of the Salah ad Din and Al Rashid roads on Monday.

    The UN and partners are providing water, high-energy biscuits and medical care along the two routes, while the World Food Programme (WFP) plans to set up more distribution points in the north this week.   

    Displaced Palestinians are also moving from north to south, though in smaller numbers, with about 1,400 people making the journey as of Thursday. 

    Restoring critical services

    Across Gaza, extensive efforts are underway to restore critical services, including civilian infrastructure, which the UN and partners are supporting.

    WFP has delivered more than 10,000 metric tonnes of food to the enclave since the ceasefire took effect.

    On Thursday, 750 trucks entered Gaza, according to information obtained by the UN on the ground through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.

    The previous day, UNICEF distributed 135 cubic metres of water to communities in Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, located in North Gaza governorate.  These areas had been besieged for over three months.  

    Furthermore, 35,000 litres of fuel were delivered to northern Gaza to sustain the operations of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, while water trucking in Rafah is being scaled up.

    Humanitarian partners are also coordinating with the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company to repair the damaged power line that feeds the South Gaza desalination plant, which is currently running on fuel.

    West Bank violence continues

    Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli military operations in northern areas have expanded beyond Jenin and Tulkarm to the nearby governorate of Tubas. 

    Ten people reportedly were killed on Wednesday when an Israeli air strike hit a group of Palestinians in Tammun, a village in Tubas governorate. 

    This brings the death toll from the ongoing Israeli operation in the northern West Bank to 30, including two children.   

    Overall, more than 3,200 families have been displaced from Jenin refugee camp in the context of Palestinian Authority and Israeli operations since December, according to local authorities. 

    Humanitarian partners continue to deliver aid, including food parcels, kitchen kits, baby supplies, hygiene items, medicines, and other essential supplies.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • 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 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: 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: 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: 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.
    [embedded content]
    “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 –