NewzIntel.com

Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Petitpas Taylor to announce supports for Veterans and their families

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will make an announcement about support for Veterans and their families through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF) at an event hosted by Sistema New Brunswick in Moncton.

    Moncton, NB – The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will make an announcement about support for Veterans and their families through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF) at an event hosted by Sistema New Brunswick in Moncton.

    Minister Petitpas Taylor and other event participants will be available to media following the event.

    Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    Time: 11:00 a.m. AST

    Media who wish to participate and obtain additional event details are asked to register by contacting media@veterans.gc.ca with the name(s) of their attendee(s) and media outlet by 10:00 a.m. AST on Monday, November 4.

    If you anticipate any accessibility barriers, please let us know and we will work with you to enable your participation.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: South Bow Recommends Shareholders Reject TRC Capital’s Below-market “Mini-tender” Offer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — South Bow Corp. (TSX & NYSE: SOBO) has received an unsolicited “mini-tender” offer from TRC Capital Investment Corp. (TRC Capital) to purchase up to 3 million South Bow common shares, or approximately 1.4% of South Bow’s outstanding common shares, at a below-market price of C$31.95. South Bow does not endorse TRC Capital’s unsolicited offer, has no affiliation with TRC Capital or its offer, and does not recommend or endorse this unsolicited mini-tender offer.

    South Bow cautions shareholders that the mini-tender offer has been made at a below-market price for the South Bow common shares. TRC Capital’s unsolicited offer price of C$31.95 per share represents a discount of 4.6% to the closing price of the South Bow common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 28, 2024, the last trading day before the mini-tender offer was commenced, and a discount of 7.4% to the closing price on Nov. 1, 2024.

    Shareholders are urged to obtain current market quotations for their shares, consult with their broker or financial advisor, and exercise caution with respect to TRC Capital’s unsolicited offer. Shareholders who have already tendered their shares should consider taking actions to withdraw them, including reviewing the withdrawal procedures in TRC Capital’s offering documents.

    TRC Capital has made similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for shares of other public companies. Mini-tender offers are designed to avoid many investor protections like disclosure and procedural requirements applicable to most take-over bids and tender offers under Canadian and U.S. securities laws. The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have expressed concerns about mini-tender offers, including the possibility that investors might tender to such offers without understanding the offer price relative to the actual market price of their securities.

    The SEC states that “bidders make mini-tender offers at below-market prices, hoping that they will catch investors off guard if the investors do not compare the offer price to the current market price.” The SEC has published investor tips about mini-tender offers, which can be found at www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/minitend.htm.

    Brokers, dealers, and other market participants are encouraged to exercise caution and review the letter regarding broker-dealer mini-tender offers dissemination and disclosures at www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/minitenders/sia072401.htm.

    Comments from the CSA on mini-tender offers can be found at http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/en/SecuritiesLaw_csa_19991210_61-301.jsp.

    South Bow requests that this news release be included in any distribution of materials relating to TRC Capital’s mini-tender offer for South Bow common shares.

    About South Bow

    South Bow safely operates 4,900 kilometres (3,045 miles) of crude oil pipeline infrastructure, connecting Alberta crude oil supplies to U.S. refining markets in Illinois, Oklahoma, and the U.S. Gulf Coast through our unrivalled market position. We take pride in what we do – providing safe and reliable transportation of crude oil to North America’s highest demand markets. Based in Calgary, Alberta, South Bow is the spinoff company of TC Energy, with Oct. 1, 2024 marking South Bow’s first day as a standalone entity. To learn more, visit www.southbow.com.

    Contact information

    Investor Relations Media Relations
    Martha Wilmot Katie Stavinoha
    investor.relations@southbow.com communications@southbow.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Itinerary for Veterans’ Week

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will participate in a number of events, meetings and activities during Veterans’ Week, which runs from November 5 to 11, 2024.

    Ottawa, ON – The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will participate in a number of events, meetings and activities during Veterans’ Week, which runs from November 5 to 11, 2024.

    The theme for Veterans’ Week 2024 is “CAF around the world,” recognizing the service of Canadians here at home and abroad. The theme ties together commemorative anniversaries marked this year, including the 10th anniversary of the end of Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan, the 60th anniversaries of the establishment of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus and the end of Canada’s participation in the First UN Mission to the Congo (ONUC), the 80th anniversaries of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, the Liberation of Belgium, and the Battle of the Scheldt, and the centennial anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

    Throughout the week, Minister Petitpas Taylor will meet with Veterans and their families, stakeholders and partner organizations across the country to commemorate and recognize the service and sacrifice of Canada’s Veterans. She will also make a series of announcements aimed at honouring and supporting Veterans.

    After visiting the Region of Waterloo, Sunday, for a Sikh Veterans’ Ceremony of Remembrance, she will begin the week in Moncton, before returning to Ottawa to officially mark the beginning of Veterans’ Week. She will spend time with Veterans, serving members and their families in Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal before returning to Ottawa to attend the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial.

    Detailed media advisories will follow.

    Note for media:

    – Photos of each visit will be available upon request.

    Associated Links:

    Remembrance Day & Veterans’ Week

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Swift Current — Swift Current Municipal RCMP: males wanted after serious assaults

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 25, 2024, Swift Current Municipal RCMP responded to a report of a firearm discharged during an altercation on Herbert Street in Swift Current, SK. Officers responded and no injuries were reported to police. Swift Current RCMP continued to investigate.

    On October 29, 2024 at approximately 6:00 a.m., Swift Current Municipal RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter at a residence on 10 Avenue NW in Swift Current. Investigation determined multiple individuals entered the residence with a firearm and assaulted two occupants inside. The firearm was not discharged. The suspects stole an amount of cash as well as a vehicle. The vehicle was recovered shortly after; however, the suspects remain outstanding.

    Both of these incidents are not believed to be random. Swift Current Municipal RCMP have identified and charged two males in relation to both of these incidents and warrants for their arrest have been issued.

    35-year-old Nicholas Belanger from Medicine Hat, AB and 28-year-old Mathew Neufeld from Swift Current, SK are each charged with:

    • one count, break and enter, Section 348(1)(b), Criminal Code;
    • two counts, assault causing bodily harm, Section 267(b), Criminal Code;
    • one count, theft over $5000, Section 334(a), Criminal Code;
    • one count, theft under $5000, Section 334(b), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, disguised with intent to commit offence, Section 351(2), Criminal Code.

    Nicholas Belanger is additionally charged with:

    • one count, robbery with a firearm, Section 344(1)(a), Criminal Code;
    • one count, assault with a weapon, Section 267(a), Criminal Code;
    • one count, careless use of a firearm, Section 86(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, pointing a firearm, Section 87(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, dangerously discharged a firearm, Section 244(1), Criminal Code; and
    • six counts, fail to comply with probation order, Section 733.1(1), Criminal Code.

    Investigators have reason to believe Nicholas Belanger and Mathew Neufeld may be in the Swift Current or Medicine Hat areas, but their current whereabouts are unknown. If you see Nicholas Belanger or Mathew Neufeld, do not approach them. Report any sighting of them or information to your nearest police by calling 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Battlefords — Battlefords RCMP seeks public assistance locating missing 12-year-old female

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 31, 2024, Battlefords RCMP received a report of a missing 12-year-old female, Tyra Fineday.

    Tyra was last seen on October 31 at approximately 7:15 p.m. near the intersection of 17th Avenue and 100th Street in North Battleford, SK.

    Tyra is described as approximately 5’6″ tall and 110 lbs. She has brown eyes and medium-length brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black hoodie, grey sweatpants, and black and white sneakers. She has a scar above her right eye.

    If you have seen Tyra or know where she is, contact Battlefords RCMP at 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Joly and Minister Blair meet with Korean counterparts

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met today in Ottawa with their Republic of Korea counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defence Kim Yong-hyun for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

    November 1, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario- – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met today in Ottawa with their Republic of Korea counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defence Kim Yong-hyun for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

    Through new announcements and initiatives, Canada and the Republic of Korea will deepen cooperation as strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific, including through our shared priorities in the North Pacific, and further the significant progress already achieved in our bilateral relations.

    This builds on Minister Joly’s visit to South Korea in July 2024 to launch the Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan with Minister Cho, and Minister Blair’s visit in September 2024 to co-host the Republic of Korea-United Nations Command Member States Defence Ministerial with Minister Kim.

    Canada and the Republic of Korea have issued a joint statement to deepen cooperation on shared regional and global issues and to condemn in the strongest possible terms the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch, and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

    Canada and the Republic of Korea are gravely concerned that large numbers of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia. This is a significant escalation with dangerous implications for security and stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Together, Canada and the Republic of Korea call on North Korea and Russia to withdraw North Korean troops from Russia. 

    For more than 60 years, Canada and the Republic of Korea have enjoyed a close friendship and longstanding peace and security cooperation that dates back to the Korean War. 

    Today, this partnership facilitated discussions that will help expand collaboration in the years ahead, including during Canada’s G7 Presidency and when the Republic of Korea hosts APEC in 2025. 

    These discussions touched on the Indo-Pacific strategies of our two countries that outline a common vision for ensuring the region remains secure, free and prosperous into the future.

    To help realize this objective, Canada and the Republic of Korea agreed to launch the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue to allow direct collaboration between our Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific.

    Both countries have agreed to hold these ministerial dialogues on an ongoing basis to continue advancing Canada-ROK cooperation on a range of shared priorities.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada-Republic of Korea Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting joint statement

    Source: Government of Canada News

    We, the ministers of foreign affairs and ministers of national defence of Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on November 1, 2024, in Ottawa, Canada, for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting (“the ministerial”). The ministerial builds upon the elevation of our diplomatic relationship to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and is a key deliverable of the CSP Action Plan launched in July 2024.

    November 1, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    We, the ministers of foreign affairs and ministers of national defence of Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on November 1, 2024, in Ottawa, Canada, for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence (2+2) Ministerial Meeting (“the ministerial”). The ministerial builds upon the elevation of our diplomatic relationship to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and is a key deliverable of the CSP Action Plan launched in July 2024.

    Today, through several new announcements and initiatives, we demonstrate our resolve to deepen cooperation to reinforce global stability in the face of interconnected challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. In this, Canada and the ROK are stronger together.

    Partners for global stability

    We condemn in the strongest possible terms North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, including the provision of millions of rounds of ammunition and ballistic missiles to support Russia’s brutal and unjustifiable war of aggression in Ukraine. We are gravely concerned that large numbers of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia, which is a significant escalation with dangerous implications for security and stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. We are closely monitoring what Russia provides North Korea in return for weapons and military personnel, including Russia’s possible provision of sensitive technology to advance North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. We call on North Korea and Russia to immediately cease these unlawful and destabilizing activities and to withdraw North Korean troops from Russia. Recognizing that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are increasingly interconnected, we commit to actively pursuing further measures together with the international community. 

    We call on Russia to withdraw its forces immediately, completely, and unconditionally from all Ukrainian territory to its internationally recognized borders; we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

    We express our deep concern with any nation’s efforts to support Russia’s war economy, such as through the transfer of dual-use materials, including weapons components and equipment, which enable Russia to prolong and sustain its illegal war in Ukraine.

    We condemn North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, and continued missile launches, including its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on October 31 (local time), which threatens peace and stability in the region and across the globe, are in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) and international law. It only demonstrates that North Korea continues to prioritize its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people, and we call on North Korea to cease its destabilizing actions. We reaffirm that any further nuclear test by North Korea would be met with a strong and resolute response from the international community. We continue to call for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea’s WMDs. The ROK reiterated the goals of its Audacious Initiative and ‘August 15 Unification Doctrine’ and

    Canada expressed strong support for the ROK’s efforts to achieve a denuclearized, free, peaceful, prosperous, and unified Korean Peninsula.

    Both countries remain committed to multilateral sanctions evasion monitoring efforts and Canada will continue to provide assets via the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation NEON. 

    We were pleased to join other participating countries last month in launching the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). We reaffirm the goal of assisting all UN Member States in implementing UN sanctions on North Korea by publishing information on sanctions violations and evasion attempts.

    We highlight the valuable contributions of the United Nations Command (UNC) to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The ROK commends Canada for its unwavering support of the UNC since its inception, and Canada’s current leadership role within the UNC through its provision of its Deputy Commander. The co-hosting of the UNC Ministerial together this year is a symbol of our powerful ties and shared priorities in the areas of security and defence, and we will continue to collaborate closely to strengthen cooperation among the ROK, UNC and its Member States.

    The ROK and Canada are committed to working together to actively promote and protect human rights in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, including within North Korea and to seeking accountability for human rights violations.

    We reiterate that the situation of human rights in North Korea is intrinsically linked to international peace and security, and we call on North Korea to engage fully and constructively with the international community, including during its upcoming Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council. We also look forward to the next iteration of the Canada-ROK North Korean Human Rights Dialogue.

    Canada and the ROK affirm our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, based on the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes. We continue to advocate for peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region.  We oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific. We reaffirm that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to international security and prosperity.

    Canada and the ROK express their support for the global maritime order based on international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We express concern about developments in the South China Sea, and emphasize the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in and above the South China Sea , consistent with UNCLOS.

    Canada appreciates the ROK’s participation in the Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula, hosted by Canada, Ukraine and Norway in Montreal on October 31st, demonstrating our joint resolve to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Canada and the ROK will continue to discuss ways to jointly support Ukraine’s Peace Formula, while providing the support Ukraine requires to secure a just and lasting peace.

    Indo-Pacific partners

    Canada and the ROK acknowledge the Indo-Pacific region’s pivotal role in shaping global geopolitical and economic relations in the 21st century, with long-term implications for our shared prosperity and security. Canada and the ROK share a common vision for the region to be more secure, free, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable.

    In this context, we congratulate the organizers of the successful Canada-Korea Forum held on October 24-26, 2024 in Montreal, and the Korean Peninsula Symposium on October 23, 2024, co-organized with the Embassies of Japan, and the United States.

    To deepen and implement bilateral collaboration in the region, we announce today the launch of the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue, where our respective Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific will engage on identifying synergies and joining action on shared regional priorities.

    We also look forward to the Indo-Pacific High-Level Forum, co-hosted by the ROK and Australia, in Seoul on December 13, as we recognize the importance of cooperation with the broader community of Indo-Pacific partners.

    In 2025, we look forward to Canada’s G7 Presidency and the ROK’s hosting of APEC. We further elaborated today how our two countries will establish synergies and use our leadership for cooperation on regional and global challenges. Canada looks forward to working with the ROK on advancing G7 priorities as relevant, including building economies that benefit everyone, fighting climate change, and managing rapidly evolving technologies. Furthermore, the ROK and Canada look forward to working together for a productive APEC in 2025.

    As actively engaged global partners, we will deepen our collective engagement with ASEAN, leveraging the ROK-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Canada-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, while reaffirming our commitment to the principle of ASEAN Centrality.

    Partners in security and defence   

    Canada and the ROK are committed to deepening partnerships in security and advancing shared defence priorities through bilateral and multilateral initiatives.   Canada and the ROK will strengthen bilateral and multilateral exercises, including holding regular Army Staff Talks, with the inaugural edition to be hosted in Canada.  

    We are committed to jointly delivering and collaborating on Women, Peace and Security, so that women have full, meaningful and equal participation in defence and security, peace operations and peace negotiations. As we seek to enhance women’s participation in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict state building, Canada and the ROK will leverage the ROK’s 2024-2025 UNSC seat to jointly advance the Women, Peace, and Security agenda globally as well as in the Indo-Pacific region.

    We will continue to cooperate on maritime safety, and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, including through detecting dark vessels and joint patrols under Operation North Pacific Guard. We will also continue to explore ways of addressing maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific through enhanced maritime domain awareness and relevant instruments such as the Regional Cooperation Agreement Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

    We will further utilize the Canada-Korea Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Materiel Cooperation to share technical information, discuss defence equipment and technology issues of mutual interest, and identify opportunities for bilateral defence materiel cooperation, and hold the 3rd Joint Meeting (Materiel) in Canada in 2025.

    We agree to expand our work within the Canada-Korea Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Research and Development, to encourage collaboration between respective defence research and development organizations.

    Canada welcomes the contribution of the ROK as a NATO partner and commits to working with the ROK to advance its Individually Tailored Partnership Programme. Canada further welcomes the ROK’s recent participation at the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels. 

    Addressing non-traditional security challenges

    We recognize that climate change is the defining challenge of our time and a threat multiplier that impacts our collective security, including within the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic areas, and we affirm our strong support for NATO’s Climate Change and Security Agenda. 

    We acknowledge that our democratic values, institutions and processes, and our citizens’ fundamental freedoms, are increasingly vulnerable to hybrid and digital threats, such as foreign interference and disinformation, and we will continue to expand our cooperative efforts to combat these threats.

    We are committed to addressing threats and seizing opportunities linked to cybersecurity and emerging technologies, including threats to the rule of law, democracy, and critical infrastructure. We are pleased to announce today that we will hold Canada-Korea Cyber Policy Consultations to exchange information on each other’s policies, strategies and capabilities. Canada is also pleased to note the ROK’s fruitful engagement with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallin, Estonia, of which Canada is also a member.

    We recognize the importance of the responsible use of artificial intelligence, including in the military domain. Canada commends the ROK for hosting several high-level international gatherings on AI to advance discussions on global AI governance, including the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, and the Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military domain (REAIM) Summit in September 2024, in Seoul. We strongly support the Seoul Declaration for safe, innovative, and inclusive AI and the principles for the responsible development, deployment, and use of AI in the military domain articulated in the REAIM Blueprint for Action.

    The relationship between our two nations dates back centuries; reinforced by our countries’ collective efforts to defend peace and security on the Korean Peninsula since the Korean War. We commit to meeting in this format on a biennial basis and look forward to the next iteration of this Ministerial in 2026, where we will reflect on and examine how we may further build upon the achievements stemming from today’s discussion.

    Annex – announcements

    Today, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Canada and the Republic of Korea announced that our countries have agreed to:

    • Hold this Ministerial on a biennial basis and look forward to its next iteration in 2026 to follow-up on the achievements of today’s discussion.
    • Launch the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue, where our respective Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific will engage on identifying synergies and joint action on shared regional priorities, including in the North Pacific.
    • Advance bilateral diplomatic intelligence cooperation and analytic exchanges between our respective foreign ministries.
    • Expedite the negotiations to finalize the Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military/Defence Information.
    • Explore measures to facilitate and deepen military operational cooperation.
    • Strengthen bilateral and multilateral exercises, including holding regular Army Staff Talks, with the inaugural edition to be hosted in Canada.
    • Hold the 3rd Joint Meeting (Materiel), hosted by Canada in 2025 under the Canada-Korea Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Materiel Cooperation, and continue to identify and expand opportunities for defence cooperation.
    • Hold Canada-Korea bilateral Cyber Policy Consultations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Christmas Day Robbery Gets Woman Prison Term

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Derricka Burton, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison for a Christmas Day robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The Honorable Robert Salerno sentenced Burton to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Burton was found guilty on June 20, 2024 of two counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

                According to the government’s evidence, at around 2:38 p.m. on December 25, 2023, Burton and three co-conspirators saw the victims, a couple spending time together at the Alethia Tanner Park, located at 227 Harry Thomas Way Northeast. Video footage showed Burton and her co-conspirators huddle together before two of her co-conspirators walked up to the victims and robbed them. Burton’s co-conspirators pointed a gun at the victims and demanded the victims’ Canada Goose brand jacket, cellphone, and other items. The co-conspirators then walked back to Burton and the other co-conspirators. The group conferred with each other and left together. As they did so, one of the co-conspirators dropped some of the stolen property, which Burton picked up before she left with the group.  Police arrested Burton on February 12, 2024.

               In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun and Katrenia Shelly, who prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: 6th Friends of Paris Agreement High-level Dialogue held in Paris

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Participants pose for a group photo during the sixth Friends of the Paris Agreement High-Level Dialogue in Paris, France, on Oct. 28, 2024. The sixth Friends of the Paris Agreement High-Level Dialogue was held in Paris on Oct. 28-29. Organized by the European Climate Foundation and co-organized by the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development of Tsinghua University, the dialogue has drawn over 20 high-level officials from signatory countries. (the European Climate Foundation/Handout via Xinhua)

    The sixth Friends of the Paris Agreement High-Level Dialogue was held in Paris on Oct. 28-29, where global leaders and stakeholders gathered to review both the significant progress and ongoing challenges faced by the international community in addressing climate-related crises since the Paris Agreement’s enactment.

    The dialogue was co-chaired by Xie Zhenhua, former China’s special envoy for climate change, and Laurence Tubiana, former France’s climate change ambassador and special representative for COP21.

    Organized by the European Climate Foundation and co-organized by the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development of Tsinghua University, the dialogue has drawn over 20 high-level officials from signatory countries.

    Among the attendees are Laurent Fabius, president of the French Constitutional Council and former French prime minister, John Kerry, former U.S. Secretary of State, Teresa Ribera, European Commission’s first executive vice-president, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, former Brazilian minister of External Relations, Catherine McKenna, former Canadian minister of environment and climate change, Selwin Hart, special adviser to the UN Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team, and Liu Zhenmin, China’s special envoy for climate change.

    As next year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, participants reached a consensus on the need for all countries to embody the spirit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) amid the current complex global challenges.

    They also emphasized a strong commitment to defending and upholding multilateralism, advancing the global process for climate action, and adhering to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

    The attendees also agreed that countries must continue advancing climate actions under the framework of the Paris Agreement, adopt faster and larger-scale international cooperation to ensure the timely achievement of global climate goals, and accelerate the global transition toward green, low-carbon, and climate-resilient development.

    The participants also held in-depth discussions on various climate-related issues, such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate finance, energy transition, and technological innovation.

    They all agreed to further strengthen the role of the “Friends of the Paris Agreement,” supporting and advancing the success of this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29) and laying the foundation for next year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Belem (COP30) in line with the goals and principles established by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

    The Friends of the Paris Agreement High-level Dialogue was initiated in 2019. It is hosted annually on a rotating basis by the European Climate Foundation and the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development of Tsinghua University.

    The dialogue, gathering high-level representatives who have played key roles in the formulation and implementation of the Paris Agreement, serves as a platform for them to provide recommendations to the United Nations, the host countries of the Climate Conference and the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to promote the multilateral process. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S., Japan successfully conclude joint bilateral exercise Keen Sword 25

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    JAPAN  –  

    Forces from the U.S., Japan, Australia and Canada concluded exercise Keen Sword 25 on Nov. 1 after ten days of integrated training across Japan.

    Keen Sword 25 was a joint bilateral exercise Japan designed to increase readiness and interoperability while strengthening the ironclad U.S.-Japan alliance. This year’s Keen Sword was the largest iteration of this exercise since its inception in 1986. The overall event included participants from the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), Australian Defence Force (ADF), Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and U.S. service members from across the joint force. The exercise began Oct. 23 following a bilateral press conference on Oct. 22.

    Throughout the exercise, U.S. forces worked alongside JSDF and partner nation forces to hone skills and maintain warfighting readiness. Bilateral and multilateral events undertaken as part of Keen Sword 25 included joint live fire training, medical mass casualty exercises, installation security forces training and simulated airfield damage repair, among others.

    Participants took advantage of the unique training environment to enhance tactics, techniques, and procedures across a wide range of military operations in support of furthering interoperability between U.S., JSDF and participating allied forces, strengthening deterrence, and regional stability. The training occurred throughout mainland Japan and its surrounding territorial waters.

    Keen Sword continues to be an opportunity to demonstrate the ironclad nature of the U.S. – Japan alliance, which is built on shared interests and values and a commitment to freedom and human rights. Both countries are focused on ensuring regional peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, including building new partnerships and strengthening multilateral cooperation.

    Participants in Keen Sword 25 include U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC), U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ), U.S. 7th Fleet (C7F), III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF), U.S. Army Japan (USARJ), U.S. Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ) 5th Air Force (5 AF) along with forces originating from units across the Department of Defense.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Haven — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Nathan David Lawrence

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    November 2, 2024, New HAVEN, Queens District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 19-year-old Nathan David Lawrence, who was last seen October 29 at 6:00 p.m. driving grey 2008 Dodge Calliber, with PEI plate: 680AEU.

    Nathan is described as 5-foot-9, 160 lbs, slim build, brown hair, brown eyes, with a go-tee, last seen wearing a black fleece, and black track pants.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those that know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Nathan David Lawrence is asked to contact Queens District RCMP at 902-368-9300. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call PEI Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

    File: 20241615808

    Note to media: Photo of Nathan David Lawrence is attached.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Parks Canada commemorates National Historic Person Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton)

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Parks Canada Commemorates Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton).

    November 2, 2024                   Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON                   Parks Canada

    Today, Parks Canada commemorated the national historic significance of Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton) at a special plaque unveiling ceremony at Queenston Heights Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The commemoration ceremony was held by Parks Canada in collaboration with Niagara Parks Commission during the annual Valour and Victory: Honouring Indigenous Veterans event at Queenston Heights Park.

    Born on December 16, 1770, to a Scottish mother and an Ani-Yunwiya (Cherokee) father, Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton) was a great political and military leader, interpreter, and author before, during, and after the War of 1812. As an interpreter for the Indian Department at Niagara, Upper Canada, in the 1790s, Norton met and impressed the renowned Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) chief Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant). Thayendanegea’s mentorship led Norton to join the Grand River Kanien’kehá:ka, where he was adopted as his nephew and successor. As an emissary, Norton journeyed to London, England, to convince the Privy Council to support Haudenosaunee land rights, in opposition to the Indian Department.

    During the War of 1812, Norton’s leadership and military acumen was crucial, convincing many First Nations communities and their warriors to ally with the British in key battles, contributing to victories at the Battles of Queenston Heights, Stoney Creek, Chippawa and Lundy’s Lane. His success as a leader of Indigenous forces helped to counter American advances and solidify British positions.

    Norton also left a rich literary legacy, including a translation of the Gospels of St. John and St. Matthew into Kanien’kéha (the Mohawk language) and journals which provide a rare record of the times and a Haudenosaunee perspective on the war. His work served as a bridge between cultures. As a leader, he played a crucial role in the military and diplomatic arenas in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

    The Government of Canada, through Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped this country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

    The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/ncp-pcn/application.

                                                                                                              -30-

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    hermine.landry@ec.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Swan River — Swan River RCMP investigating homicide

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On November 1, 2024, at approximately 11:00 pm, Swan River RCMP responded to a report of an unresponsive male in Legion Park in the Town of Swan River.

    Officers arrived on scene and located a 21-year-old male, from Brandon, with obvious injuries who was pronounced deceased on scene.

    His death is being investigated as a homicide.

    RCMP are seeking out any witnesses and asking anyone who may have information in relation to this homicide to contact the Swan River RCMP at (204) 734-4686, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

    Swan River RCMP, along with Major Crime Services and RCMP Forensic Identification Services, continue to investigate.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: RM of Tache — Update – St. Pierre-Jolys RCMP respond to fatal collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    After further investigation into this collision by an RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist, RCMP have confirmed that the eastbound car, being driven by the 25-year-old male, had crossed over the center line and side-swiped the eastbound SUV, being driven by the 59-year-old male.

    The mechanical condition of the car was not a factor in the collision.

    St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP continue to investigate.

    On October 23, 2024, at approximately 12:30 am, St-Pierre-Jolys received a report of a collision on Highway 1 and Provincial Road 206. When officers arrived on scene, one vehicle was in the south ditch and two vehicles were on the highway.

    Investigation determined a car and a SUV were travelling eastbound on Highway 1 and were side-by-side when the passenger tire of the car, with the control arm and other mechanical parts, came off and struck the SUV, which was travelling in the south lane. This caused the car to come to rest on the roadway and immediately catch fire. The 25-year-old male driver from Calgary was able to exit the vehicle. He was transported to local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

    After the SUV was struck by the tire and parts from the car, the SUV entered the ditch and rolled. The 59-year-old male driver, from Steinbach, was pronounced deceased on scene. The 45-year-old male passenger, from the RM of Hanover, was transported to local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

    A third vehicle was travelling close behind the collision and struck the tire component of the car, which was left on the highway after the collision, making the vehicle inoperable. The 28-year-old female driver, from Kenora, Ontario, was transported to hospital with minor physical injuries.

    St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP, along with an RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist, continue to investigate.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Preston — Missing youth: Help the RCMP find Santez Burns

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 15-year-old Santez Burns. He was last seen yesterday at approximately 11 a.m. in North Preston.

    Burns is described as five-foot-four, 120-130 lbs. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a black hat.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Santez Burns is asked to call police at 902-490-5020. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SITI to visit Canada

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SITI to visit Canada
    SITI to visit Canada
    ********************

         The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, will depart for a visit to Canada this evening (November 3). He will be going to Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo to strengthen ties and co-operation between Hong Kong and Canada in areas such as innovation and technology (I&T).     During his visit to Canada, Professor Sun will meet with leaders of the local I&T industry and technology enterprises, and engage in exchanges with Hong Kong young people studying there. He will also deliver a keynote speech at the Seminar on Life Science and Global Health co-organised by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Ottawa Chapter) and Invest Hong Kong. Moreover, he will visit local universities, research institutes and I&T parks.     Professor Sun will return to Hong Kong in the morning of November 8. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, will be the Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry.

     
    Ends/Sunday, November 3, 2024Issued at HKT 11:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Sun Dong to visit Canada

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong will depart today on a visit to Canada, where he will stop in Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo and seek to strengthen co-operation between Hong Kong and Canada in areas such as innovation and technology (I&T).

    Prof Sun will meet leaders of I&T enterprises in the country, and engage with Hong Kong youngsters studying there.

    He will also deliver a keynote speech at the Seminar on Life Science & Global Health, co-organised by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Ottawa Chapter) and Invest Hong Kong, and visit universities, research institutes and I&T parks.

    Prof Sun will return to Hong Kong on November 8. During his absence, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Lillian Cheong will be Acting Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Ministers of Veterans Affairs and National Defence mark 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, issued a statement to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium.

    Ottawa, ON – Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium:

    “The fall of 1944 was a defining period for the First Canadian Army. After clearing coastal areas in northern France following the successful D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy, tens of thousands of Canadian troops played a leading role in opening the Scheldt Estuary toward the Belgian port of Antwerp.

    “Not only did maintaining such a vital supply line allow the Allied armies to continue their push toward Germany, it also helped to ultimately free Western Europe from more than four years of Nazi occupation.

    “Eighty years ago today, the people of Belgium were finally liberated. For weeks, Canadian soldiers fought their way across flat, muddy and flooded terrain that offered them little cover as they advanced. Undeterred by the challenges they faced, they succeeded in clearing the Breskens Pocket and liberate the last portions of Belgian territory held by enemy troops, on 3 November 1944.

    “The victory was costly, with the Canadian army accruing thousands of casualties including more than 800 Canadian soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice in battle in Belgium. To this day, we remain grateful that our friends and allies in Belgium continue to honour the memory of the hundreds of Canadian service members who were laid to rest at in cemeteries like Adegem Canadian War Cemetery and Schoonselhof Cemetery.

    “The lasting bond between our countries was forged by thousands of Canadians and Belgians who bravely fought for freedom during the Second World War. Canadians like Edna Beattie who enlisted in 1940, and served as a nurse in England, France and later Belgium where she treated Allied wounded, and Joseph Ross who served with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada helping liberate the Breskens Pocket.

    “Today, we remember them and their families, and all they endured to liberate Belgium and Europe.”

    Associated Links:

    Liberation of Belgium – Veterans Affairs Canada

    Media Relations
    Department of National Defence
    Phone: 613-904-3333
    mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

    Simon Lafortune
    Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of National Defence
    simon.lafortune2@forces.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is Donald Trump preying on his supporters’ death fears? What terror management theory offers us

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sarah Elizabeth Wolfe, Professor, School of Environment and Sustainability, Royal Roads University

    Death and destruction from climate crises — flooding, fires, hurricanes and heat.

    Then there’s the multimedia firehose of tragic accidents, gruesome images from devastating wars, seemingly random local street violence, warnings of a Third World War and grim distress signals about the dangers of rising authoritarianism on the eve of the United States presidential election and the possible return to power of climate-change skeptic Donald Trump.



    Read more:
    ‘Each bears his own ghosts’: How the classics speak to these days of fear, anger and presidential candidates stalking the land

    Combine these stressors with our own personal mortality reminders: that new grey hair, an unexpected medical diagnosis, the COVID-19 related deaths of our friends or colleagues, and we’re left grappling with surprising and unwelcome fear.

    But trying to get through our days as mostly functional, civilized adults while paralyzed with fear about our unavoidable death isn’t optimal or sustainable. Thankfully, our brains have a hardwired, helpful strategy that’s explained by “terror management theory.”

    Defence mechanisms

    Terror management researchers have shown that we all have predictable defences aimed at repressing our death awareness. Unfortunately, those defences can also contribute to destructive social forces.

    Recognizing and understanding how these defences work is essential to making them less dangerous. These defences depend a lot on our pre-existing identities and whether death awareness operates within our conscious or subconscious mind.

    When death fears are conscious, our defences include denial, rationalization, distraction and self-esteem-building , often via consumption or consumerism. We build ourselves up by gathering or protecting our resources — think negotiating higher incomes or trying to avoid paying taxes — and shopping for necessities to keep our families safe.



    Read more:
    Joe Biden’s refusal to step aside illustrates the political dangers of ‘death denial’

    Death fears also trigger conspicuous consumption to signal our social status and bolster our self-esteem. In terror management theory, money is valued because money buys safety, and safety means the avoidance of death, at least for a little while longer.

    When death fears are unconscious or just “background noise,” the situation gets more complex and problematic. Some of us will harden our identities and ideas about what we believe is right or just, what we are entitled to and with whom we’ll share resources, opportunities and power.

    Sometimes we’ll show greater antagonism towards groups who are unlike us in looks or practice: immigrants, religious minorities or even international students. As these defences emerge and coalesce, we’ll blame “others” for both the big and small troubles we experience or perceive.

    The result is increased social fragmentation and polarization rather than capitalizing on people’s diverse ideas, perspectives and experiences.

    Authoritarian playbook

    When mortality awareness is infused throughout a society — say, during a deadly pandemic or climate disasters — manipulating people’s death fears becomes a seductive route to power for authoritarians or would-be authoritarians like Trump.

    Some people will become receptive to a charismatic figure’s promises of safety, rules, and a return to a better time.

    German psychology professor Immo Fritsche and colleagues have identified clear evidence that climate change has increased authoritarian attitudes and support for authoritarian leadership styles.



    Read more:
    Time to freak out? How the existential terror of hurricanes can fuel climate change denial

    Other researchers found that individuals who did not have prior authoritarian tendencies — after controlling for their political affiliation and ideology — expressed greater support for authoritarian leadership when they experienced mortality awareness.

    In a subsequent study, Fritsche’s results were more dire: death awareness defences created “prejudice, stereotyping, aggression, and racism, which, in turn, can lead to the escalation of violent intergroup conflict and, thus, the escalation of war.”

    While this trajectory isn’t guaranteed, ignoring the influence of mortality defences on social dynamics seems both short-sighted and foolish.

    Be a hero

    So, what can we do to avoid the worst outcomes of polarization, antagonism against marginalized and racialized communities, authoritarianism and potential violence?

    Some good news: first, positive world views and identities can be strengthened even when we feel threatened by death. People who see the world as a collective, are willing to welcome others and work to maintain civil society may intensify their efforts when their mortality is salient. These people need to be supported and celebrated.

    Second, a final defence against mortality fears is to build up our self-esteem through positive “hero projects.” Through these activities — philanthropy, raising children, works of art or literature, teaching, protest or activism for social change — we commit to an action that may not be in our immediate self-interest but we persist despite difficulties, discomfort and often daunting odds.



    Read more:
    How the altruistic response to far right riots reveals the innate goodness in human beings

    In our hero projects, we may take less but give more, and direct our energy to outcomes that will, hopefully, benefit our communities long after we’re gone.

    The authoritarians among us are already adept at manipulating our mortality fears for their own benefit. We can accept their preferred power trajectory, or we can recognize the influence of mortality fears and create alternatives in the days, weeks, months and years to come.

    Sarah Elizabeth Wolfe gratefully acknowledges two decades of funding from Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The author does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.

    – ref. Is Donald Trump preying on his supporters’ death fears? What terror management theory offers us – https://theconversation.com/is-donald-trump-preying-on-his-supporters-death-fears-what-terror-management-theory-offers-us-242568

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How some South Asian countries are embracing colonialism by moving citizens to disputed areas

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hari Har Jnawali, Instructor, Global Governance, Wilfrid Laurier University

    South Asian countries Bangladesh and India are using settler colonial policies as they resettle citizens in contested territories.

    The intention is to reduce the demographic strength of ethnic minorities, minimize their influence over their ancestral lands and eliminate their demands for internal autonomy.

    Population resettlement is the practice of relocating members of the ethnic-majority population to disputed ethnic territories to undermine ethnic solidarity and obtain territorial control over those regions.

    Population resettlement was an integral part of European colonialism. European colonizers settled their people in countries like India, bought up large swaths of land, established institutions that served their interests and achieved the territorial domination of the countries they colonized.

    But even following the decline of European colonialism, the inclination towards colonial policy has not decreased in South Asia. My preliminary research is finding that population resettlement has become a part of the region’s post-colonial playbook.

    The scene in South Asia

    Over the years, South Asian countries have advanced population resettlement projects in their contested ethnic territories.

    Nepal, for instance, launched its organized population resettlement program in 1961, relocating the Pahadi people from the hilly areas of the country to the Tarai lowlands, the contested homeland of the Madheshi, Tharu and Indigenous Peoples.

    In the 1990s, nearby Bhutan evicted around a million Nepali-speaking ethnic Lhotsampas from its southern region and offered incentives to the majority Bhutanese people to settle in the area.

    In 2019, the Indian government amended the country’s constitution to allow non-Kashmiri people from elsewhere in India to settle in India-administered Kashmir. The Muslim majority region has been divided into Indian, Pakistani and Chinese controlled areas for decades.



    Read more:
    India is using the G20 summit to further its settler-colonial ambitions in Kashmir

    Kashmiris fear India is seeking more territorial control over the disputed region by changing its demographic makeup. Since 2019, it’s issued more than four million domicile certificates allowing outsiders to settle in Kashmir in an effort to expedite the settlement of the majority Hindu people in the region.

    Pakistan hasn’t embarked on population resettlement to this scale, but its treatment of ethnic minorities is also troubling. The extreme oppression of ethnic groups in East Pakistan prompted Bengali minorities to fight for independence, leading to the formation of modern Bangladesh in 1971.

    Bangladesh, in turn, continued Pakistan’s oppressive policies against its Indigenous minorities. Not only did it refuse to recognize Indigenous Peoples in its constitution, it also advanced the military-assisted population transfer programs in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a region inhabited by Indigenous Peoples.

    It provided the settlers with money, land, grain and arms to facilitate their settlements in Indigenous territory.

    Currently, Sri Lanka has been resettling Sinhalese people to Tamil areas 14 years after the end of a devastating and prolonged civil war between Tamil separatists and the Sri Lankan state.

    Timing of population resettlement

    South Asian countries pursued these settlement policies as ethnic minorities — the Madheshis in Nepal, the Lhotshampas in Bhutan, the Kashmiris in Kashmir, the Paharis in Bangladesh and the Tamils in Sri Lanka — were demanding autonomy and self-determination in their ancestral territories.

    The governments in these countries fear autonomy will eventually lead to secession. They’ve pursued settler colonial policies to resettle citizens in these regions to prevent that from happening.



    Read more:
    Canada-India crisis: India’s post-colonial era explains why it’s on edge about Sikh separatism

    Despite official claims that resettlements foster greater economic development and inter-ethnic harmony, population relocation causes real harms to ethnic cohesion, solidarity and collective rights.

    It suggests these South Asian governments have internalized colonialism, although they didn’t all share the same experiences with European colonialism.

    Choosing a questionable path

    India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka experienced direct British colonial occupation. While Nepal and Bhutan were not under direct colonial rule, they had indirect encounters with the British.

    Nepal faced threats to its territorial integrity from the British government and fought against the potential encroachment during the Anglo-Nepal War of 1814-1816. It signed a humiliating treaty with the British government and ceded its sovereign rights over some of its territories.

    Bhutan signed a treaty in 1910, allowing the British government to oversee its external affairs.

    South Asian countries emulated the settler colonial mentalities of their former colonizers and are resorting to practices that hurt the marginalized communities living within their national borders.

    Governments often insist they’ve adopted resettlement projects to enhance economic growth, development and inter-ethnic harmony. However, it is often ethnic minorities who are displaced and face threats to their cultures, traditions and languages. The displacement of Indigenous Paharis in Bangladesh is a glaring example.

    Tarnishing reputations

    Granting autonomy to ethnic minorities that would allow them to exercise their right to self-determination internally could prevent these human rights violations, but some South Asian governments have not taken this route.

    Instead, they’re opting to move non-ethnic minority citizens into ethnic territories.

    In an era when inclusion has become something aspirational in many countries, this colonial population resettlement practice is likely to hurt the credibility and reputations of South Asian states — and probably won’t end well. The nationalist dreams and aspirations of ethnic minorities don’t vanish in the face of adversity; quite the contrary.

    Hari Har Jnawali receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to work on the project “Population Resettlements in Ethnic Territories of South Asia: Why and How States Pursue Internal Colonialism?”

    – ref. How some South Asian countries are embracing colonialism by moving citizens to disputed areas – https://theconversation.com/how-some-south-asian-countries-are-embracing-colonialism-by-moving-citizens-to-disputed-areas-242361

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Without a One Health plan, Canada is vulnerable to future pandemics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Dominique Charron, Visiting Scholar in One Health, University of Guelph

    One Health is based on an understanding that our health and that of animals, plants and ecosystems are interdependent.
     (Shutterstock)

    November 3 is World One Health Day. One Health brings all parts of society and governments together to tackle joint problems of human, animal, plant and ecosystem health.

    Canada needs a One Health plan now to better face worsening climate change, accelerating biodiversity loss, pandemic threats, and threats from superbugs resistant to antibiotics. Canada’s actions on these issues are reactive rather than preventive, and aren’t well co-ordinated or funded. This undermines our readiness and response.

    One Health is based on an understanding that our health and that of animals, plants and ecosystems are interdependent. It presents a way to promote the health of all and to navigate the inevitable trade-offs.

    The current avian flu threat

    A look to our southern border highlights the urgency for action. On March 25, a strain of Avian Influenza A:H5N1 virus that had caused outbreaks in wild birds and poultry in Canada and the United States since 2021, suddenly infected dairy cows in Texas.

    The virus had never been reported in cows before. Its detection was slow and too little was done to stop the spread. As of Nov. 1, H5N1 had spread quickly to 404 dairy farms across 14 states, costing millions in lost milk production and spilling back into poultry and wildlife, killing millions more birds.

    It is concerning that H5N1 has also infected at least 39 people, primarily farm workers, fortunately causing only mild symptoms.

    Canada’s response to the outbreak ramped up after H5N1 reports in U.S. dairy cows. No cases of H5N1 have yet been detected in Canadian cows, but there is need for vigilance because of ongoing H5N1 outbreaks across North America. Authorities in both countries have confirmed that pasteurized milk products are safe.



    Read more:
    U.S. has found H5N1 flu virus in milk — here’s why the risk to humans is likely low

    H5N1 is a growing threat because it infects many species, including seals, mink, bears, foxes, coyotes, dogs and cats. Influenza viruses that jump species pose a greater pandemic threat because of the mixing that may occur when different influenza viruses infect the same animal or person. This can produce new, more severe strains of human flu.

    No one wants to face another pandemic. Canada’s actions to keep ahead of this threat would be enhanced by national One Health planning and co-ordination.

    One Health around the world

    National One Health plans of other countries, like Rwanda, Thailand and Bangladesh, have been shown to help prevent human and animal disease outbreaks. Global Affairs Canada and the International Development Research Centre have invested $40 million since 2021 to support One Health internationally, including in hotspots of disease emergence.

    The U.S. has a One Health Act and recently launched its national co-ordination platform. However, Canada has just begun this work at home. Canada created a high level steering committee to oversee the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Time and effort were taken to involve federal, provincial and territorial agencies, Indigenous people, civil society and researchers to arrive at an inclusive framework with the right objectives, responsibilities and outputs. It’s an ideal model for a new Canadian One Health action plan.

    Canada has a mixed track record of working across sectors, whether to fight past outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease, avian or swine flu, or co-ordinating actions by people from different departments and agencies on H5N1 or COVID-19 today. There are problems: nationally, collaboration is informal and focused on single issues, more reactive than preventive, and not supported by any overarching plan, decision-making structure or resources to ensure consistent, ongoing co-operation across threats and issues.

    The risks of not putting these measures in place include information not reaching decision-makers, resources and expertise not being used optimally, trade-offs being misread by other agencies or partners, duplication and gaps, and too little getting done to prevent health threats.

    Implementing One Health

    Without a national One Health plan, Canada risks being vulnerable to new threats, including pandemics.
    (Shutterstock)

    There is guidance. In 2021, the World Health Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Environment, and the World Organisation for Animal Health agreed to work together on a One Health Joint Plan of Action and implementation guidance.

    With gender equality, inclusiveness and equity, and the importance of local and traditional knowledge at the fore, countries should start implementing One Health by assessing capacities and programs already in place, setting up and funding national co-ordination, setting priorities for action, then producing and putting into action their national plan.

    Canada should mirror what it has done to manage antibiotic-resistant microbes by developing and governing our own national One Health action plan, similar to the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

    It needs to engage Indigenous perspectives and knowledge to strengthen One Health prevention, readiness and response capabilities. A national One Health action plan, and the co-ordination and resources to go with it, could help Canada achieve other goals — such as the National Climate Adaptation Strategy, biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Protocol, and the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance — and to collaborate more effectively with other countries on shared issues.

    Without a national One Health plan, Canada risks being vulnerable to new threats (including pandemics), investing too little in prevention and having a suboptimal response. It’s time for Canada’s One Health action plan.

    This article was co-authored by Andrea Ellis, DVM, MSc., a consultant currently supporting One Health work with the World Organisation for Animal Health. She is the former Senior Veterinary Advisor to the Chief Veterinary Officer and World Organisation for Animal Health Delegate for Canada.

    Dominique Charron is affiliated with the McEachran Institute and START.org. She is a member of the One Health High Level Expert Panel that advises the World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Environment, and World Organisation for Animal Health. She is a former Vice-President, Programs and Partnerships, of the International Development Research Centre.

    Cate Dewey is currently working on a community One Health project in Rwanda. The project is managed by Veterinarians without Borders, North America and is funded by Global Affairs Canada

    – ref. Without a One Health plan, Canada is vulnerable to future pandemics – https://theconversation.com/without-a-one-health-plan-canada-is-vulnerable-to-future-pandemics-242378

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Halifax — RCMP warns Retailers of increased credit card scams

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Nova Scotia RCMP’s Commercial Crime Section is reminding retailers that a province-wide trend continues where scammers are using stolen or compromised credit cards to pay for high-volume or expensive orders.

    Retailers should exercise extra caution when conducting sales over the phone, particularly in accepting credit card payments without the cardholder present. Recent incidents have included the fraudulent purchase of furniture, ATVs, tires, and other high-value items.

    Many credit card vendor agreements make the retailer responsible for purchases where it is determined the credit card was used without authorization from the true cardholder, even in cases of fraud. A charge-back dispute can be made against the vendor by the credit card company for such fraudulent transactions, in some cases after the product has already been shipped. This results in retailers losing both the product that was purchased fraudulently and the fraudulent payment.

    For more information on this, and other common scams, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.

    Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a scam is encouraged to contact their local police. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pointe des Robichaud — 28-year-old man dies following single-vehicle crash

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 28-year-old man from Judique, Nova Scotia, has died following a single-vehicle crash in Pointe des Robichaud, New Brunswick.

    On November 3, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., members of the Tracadie RCMP detachment responded to a report of a single vehicle crash on Highway 11, in Pointe des Robichaud.

    The crash is believed to have occurred when the vehicle, travelling Southbound, crossed the center line and hit two power poles, and three people were ejected from the vehicle. One man died at the scene and another two men were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.

    Members of the Tracadie Fire Department and Ambulance New Brunswick also attended the scene. An RCMP collision reconstructionist and a member of the New Brunswick Coroner’s office is assisting with the investigation.

    An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the man’s exact cause of death.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yarmouth — Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit investigating suspicious deaths

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit is investigating two suspicious deaths that occurred in Yarmouth.

    On November 1, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Yarmouth Town RCMP responded to the sudden deaths of two adults who were known to each other. Responding officers found the remains of a 58-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman inside a home on Placid Crt.

    The deaths are being treated as suspicious.

    The ongoing investigation into the deaths is being led by the Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit with assistance from Yarmouth Town RCMP, the Yarmouth Town RCMP General Investigation Section, Yarmouth Rural RCMP, the Shelburne Street Crime Enforcement Unit, Forensic Identification Services, Digital Forensics Services, Southwest Nova Traffic Services, and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service.

    The investigation is in its early stages; no further details will be released at this time.

    Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to announce proposed approach to tackle greenhouse gas pollution and drive innovation in the oil and gas sector

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joined by colleagues, will announce the Government of Canada’s proposed approach to limiting greenhouse gas pollution, driving innovation, and creating jobs in the oil and gas sector. Canada’s climate plan is working by driving down emissions, while creating a stronger, cleaner economy.

    Ottawa, Ontario – November 3, 2024 – Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joined by colleagues, will announce the Government of Canada’s proposed approach to limiting greenhouse gas pollution, driving innovation, and creating jobs in the oil and gas sector. Canada’s climate plan is working by driving down emissions, while creating a stronger, cleaner economy.

    Prior to the announcement, senior government officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada will hold a bilingual technical briefing, which will be on background and not for attribution.

    Event: Media technical briefing
    Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    Time: 11:15 a.m. (EST)
    Location: The National Press Theatre
    180 Wellington Street
    Room 325
    Ottawa, Ontario

    Media representatives are asked to register by contacting the Press Gallery to obtain more information.

    Note to media: Participation in the question-and-answer portion of this technical briefing is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access.

    Event: Hybrid announcement and media availability
    Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    Time: 1:00 p.m. (EST)
    Location: The Wellington Building
    180 Wellington Street
    Lobby (in front of the green wall)
    Ottawa, Ontario

    Media representatives are asked to register by contacting Media Relations at Environment and Climate Change Canada to obtain more information.

    Note to media: Media representatives may participate in the question-and-answer portion via teleconference.

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    Hermine.Landry@ec.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Environment and Climate Change Canada
    819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
    media@ec.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Take off for extra tourism and trade capacity

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    The Albanese Government is boosting aviation competition, trade and tourism opportunities for Australians, securing new or updated air services arrangements with seven international markets following months of negotiations.

    These arrangements will allow Australian airlines to expand their international networks and international airlines to increase operations into Australia, a boost for Australian travellers and diaspora communities.

    This includes unrestricted capacity with Canada and Malaysia – the first arrangements of this type since a deal struck with India in 2018.

    Along with Canada and Malaysia, arrangements have landed with Hong Kong, Chile, Mongolia, Latvia, and Rwanda.

    Australia now has more than 110 bilateral air services arrangements in place with other countries or economies, with today’s announcement following recent enhanced arrangements secured in the past 12 months with Türkiye, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. 

    Each arrangement is negotiated to serve Australia’s national interest, with the Australian Government signing with some of our larger tourism markets, including:

    • Immediate increase in available capacity for airlines to 50,000 weekly passenger seats with Malaysia, and unrestricted capacity for passenger services from 2026
    • Immediate increase in available capacity for airlines to 50 weekly passenger services with Canada, and unrestricted capacity for passenger services from 2026
    • Immediate increase in available capacity for airlines to 84 passenger services per week, and unlimited cargo services with Hong Kong 
    • A doubling of available capacity for airlines to and from Chile by 2025

    Inaugural arrangements were signed between the Australian Government and the governments of Latvia, Mongolia and Rwanda, each allowing 14 passenger services per week to and from Australia along with unrestricted dedicated cargo services. 

    These arrangements deliver on our commitment in the Aviation White Paper to expand capacity under our bilateral air services arrangements ahead of demand, ensuring airlines have adequate time to plan for additional future services and add new routes to their schedules. It also aligns with our commitments to prioritise negotiations within our region.

    These arrangements have already resulted in significant additional capacity being added into the Australian market, supporting growth in visitor numbers. For example, ABS data for the 12 months to August shows arrivals from Vietnam were 49 per cent higher than pre-pandemic, making it Australia’s fastest growing inbound visitor market.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

    “We’re expanding our international aviation network to increase competition and deliver a better experience for Australian travellers. 

    “Whether travelling to these countries or using them as stepping stones to the rest of the world, each of these arrangements represents a stronger connection with our global market – for travel, trade and tourism. 

    “We committed to this in our Aviation White Paper and today we are delivering on that commitment – landing additional capacity in the international sector.” 

    Quotes attributable to Senator Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism:

    “Increased flights means we can welcome more visitors to Australia, boosting our tourism industry and supporting jobs and local economies, particularly in regional Australia.

    “It also means we can get more cargo in the bellies of outbound flights, giving our exporters more opportunities for growth and to expand into new markets.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Premier Pillai on Hindu Heritage Month

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement:

    “As we celebrate the beginning of the third annual Hindu Heritage Month, I want to take a moment to honour the culture, traditions and contributions that the Hindu community has brought to the Yukon and all of Canada. This month serves as an opportunity to recognize the impact of Hindu philosophy, art and spirituality on our shared values of diversity and inclusion.

    • Read more about Statement from Premier Pillai on Hindu Heritage Month
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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Yukon announces reopening of Jim Smith Building warming centre for winter 2024-25

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    As part of the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan, the Government of Yukon will reopen the public community space at the Jim Smith Building, starting November 4, 2024.

    As was the case with last year’s pilot project, the Yukon government’s addition of a warming centre in downtown Whitehorse aims to improve accessibility to safe spaces and social services for all, especially vulnerable populations.

    • Read more about Government of Yukon announces reopening of Jim Smith Building warming centre for winter 2024-25
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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister McPhee on Radon Action Month

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee has issued the following statement:

    “November is Radon Action Month in Canada. This month, the Government of Yukon is encouraging homeowners to test their homes for radon and take action to protect themselves if their home tests above the Health Canada guideline.

    “Radon is a colourless, odourless gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil. It’s radioactive and is found in every region in Canada. While radon is harmless outdoors, it can build up to dangerous levels indoors.

    • Read more about Statement from Minister McPhee on Radon Action Month
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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Burkina Faso

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Safe Travel

    • Reviewed: 4 November 2024, 14:48 NZDT
    • Still current at: 4 November 2024

    Related news features

    If you are planning international travel at this time, please read our COVID-19 related travel advice here, alongside our destination specific travel advice below.

    Do not travel to Burkina Faso due to the volatile security situation and the high threat of kidnapping, terrorism and armed banditry (level 4 of 4). 

    Burkina Faso

    Terrorism
     There is a high threat of terrorism in Burkina Faso, particularly in border areas with Mali and Niger. States of emergencies remain in place in several border regions. In 2018, terrorist groups released a statement declaring their intention to target westerners and western companies in the Sahel. There have been multiple attacks in the capital and elsewhere in the country since 2016, including:

    • On 11 June 2022, over 100 people were killed in an attack in Seytenga, Seno Province.
    • On 4 and 5 June 2021, over 160 people were killed in attack on Solhan village, in the northeast.
    • On 26 April 2021, 3 foreign nationals were killed in an ambush on the PK 60 road between Fada-N’Gourma and Pama.
    • On 1 December 2019, at least 14 people were killed in a shooting attack inside a church in Hantoukoura.
    • On 5 November 2019, 37 people were killed and a further 60 injured in an attack on a convoy carrying workers to a Canadian gold mine near Boungou.
    • On March 2, 2018, extremists attacked the French Embassy and Burkina Faso’s military headquarters in downtown Ouagadougou. Eight security force personnel, including soldiers and police officers were killed and over 80 others were injured.
    • On 13 August 2017, gunmen attacked the Aziz Istanbul restaurant in Ouagadougou, killing at least 18 people.
    • On 15 January 2016, armed gunmen attacked the Splendid Hotel and Café Cappuccino in Ouagadougou resulted in 30 deaths, a large number of whom were foreign nationals.

    Terrorist attacks could occur at anytime, anywhere in Burkina Faso and may be directed at locations with foreign interests or known to be frequented by foreigners, such as embassies, hotels, bars, restaurants, markets, airports, shopping areas, tourist sites, public transport facilities, mining operations and places of worship.

    New Zealanders throughout Burkina Faso are advised to maintain a high degree of security awareness at all times, particularly in public areas. Avoid all large gatherings, including music festivals, concerts, sporting events and any public demonstrations or protests. Keep yourself informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring the media and other local sources of information and follow the instructions of local authorities at all times.

    Kidnapping
     There is a heightened threat of kidnapping in Burkina Faso. Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have stated their intention to kidnap foreigners and may cross the borders from Mali and Niger to carry out kidnappings.

    A number of foreigners have previously been kidnapped in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region. In April 2022, a Polish national was kidnapped in north-eastern Burkina Faso and in September 2022, a US national was kidnapped in Yalgo, also in north-eastern Burkina Faso. The threat is likely to continue.

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are strongly advised to seek professional security advice or protection before travelling to areas of particular risk.

    Political Situation/Civil Unrest
     The security situation has deteriorated significantly in recent years. The political situation continues to evolve following the military coup on 30 September 2022. 

    Demonstrations occur regularly and have taken place in major cities. They have the potential to result in violence or clashes, gunfire has been reported in Ougadougou. Expect an increased security presence country-wide and comply with any instructions issued by the local authorities, including any curfews or restrictions of movement. Continued disruptions to internet and other telecommunication services are possible.

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are advised to avoid all protests, demonstrations and large gatherings. 

    Banditry
     Banditry is a security concern in Burkina Faso. There continue to be reports of attacks by armed criminals on vehicles, including buses, travelling on a variety of main and secondary roads across the country. Criminals have used road blocks to stop and rob travellers and have been known to open fire on vehicles that refuse to stop. While bandits mainly steal valuables, they may physically harm victims during the course of a robbery.

    The highest number of incidents occur in the eastern region but there have been a number of attacks in other regions and the threat exists throughout Burkina Faso. Remote and border regions are especially vulnerable.

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are advised to travel in convoy if possible, stay on clearly marked roads and avoid travel by night outside major centres. You should seek local advice before setting out and follow a police patrol where possible.

    Crime
     Street crime is prevalent in Burkina Faso and foreigners may be specifically targeted due to their perceived wealth. Bag-snatchings, muggings and theft from hotel rooms are common, particularly in Ouagadougou. The central market and the area around the United Nations circle are often targeted by thieves. Theft is often perpetrated by one or two people on motorbikes.

    Criminals in urban areas may carry knives in order to cut straps on bags and can become violent if the victim is non-compliant. Sexual assault occurs periodically in smaller towns and within Ouagadougou.

    New Zealanders are advised to exercise particular vigilance in crowded or public areas, avoid showing signs of affluence and keep personal belongings secure at all times.

    When driving you should keep doors locked, windows up and keep any valuables out of sight. Avoid travelling alone at night, as risks increase after dark.

    Scams
     Commercial and internet fraud is a common problem in Burkino Faso. New Zealanders in Burkina Faso should be wary of any offers that seem too good to be true, as they may be a scam. For further information see our advice on Internet Fraud and International Scams and Internet dating scams.

    General Travel Advice
     As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Burkina Faso, the ability of the government to provide consular assistance to New Zealand citizens is extremely limited.

    We offer advice to New Zealanders about contingency planning that travellers to Burkina Faso should consider.

    New Zealanders are advised to respect religious and social traditions in Burkina Faso to avoid offending local sensitivities.

    Modern medical services in Burkina Faso are very limited, New Zealanders travelling or living in Burkina Faso should have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place that includes provision for medical evacuation by air. 

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are strongly encouraged to register their details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

     

    Travel tips

    See our regional advice for Africa

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